MKEFoodies

I can’t believe it’s been so long since my last post!  Wowza! Though I have some recipes on backlog, I thought it would be much more fun to out and meet some of the foodies of the Milwaukee food scene.  And I have to confess, I am really glad that I went.  Some of my friends tease me that I’m a recluse, but I can’t help it if I like my home and sometimes even my microscopic kitchen. 

This tweetup was the second one organized by the wonderful people who write Burp! Where Food Happens.  Tuesday’s gathering was at Mason Street Grill and the turnout was much better than I’d have thought.  The food was simple and great (just how I like it), but the people were just awesome.  Yes, I’m gushing.  But that’s what happens when I meet wonderful people who are also into food.  I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much.  Joe, one of the writers for Eating Milwaukee is hilarious and his impersonation of East European immigrants is spot on.  I also spent quite a while chatting with Ken of Howling Wolf.  He’s lived and worked all over the place, including France, he’s a chef, and has his own line of BBQ sauces.  Gotta make it to the closest store so I can pick up a bottle or two.  They sounded mouthwatering.  I promise a recipe once I get a bottle and try it out.

But now for the fabulous food we were all too happy to taste. All pictures are courtesy of Eating Milwaukee (mine really didn’t turn out).  For additional pictures, check out this Picassa photo album.

Calamari

The evening started out with these cute little cups of calamari.  It was crisp, it was tender, and the sauce was really good – not goopy.  The sauce was also at the bottom of the paper, which made it quite convenient to hold in one hand while holding a drink in another, or, if you’re like me and use your hand while talking, you can safely do that while clutching the little tasty morsels.

Caprese flatbreads - Margherita Pizza

Caprese flatbreads - Margherita Pizza

So simple…. So good.  These little flat breads, as the hostesses referred to them, were very good.  I’m not generally a fan of thin crusts like this, but this was really good.  The sauce was a great base and not overpowering.  Not heavy or acidic.  Tasted like it was freshly made from fresh ingredients.

Tuna Tartare Tacos

The next appetizer to emerge from the kitchen was the Tuna Tartare tacos.  I’m not a fan of raw fish (and tartare means just that it was cooked in acid, like vinegar) and especially not a fan of avocados.  But this was really good.  It was rich and creamy but not in an off-putting or overpowering way.  Everything stood out on its own but played really well with the other ingredients.

Coconut Shrimp

People were raving about this Coconut Shrimp, eating it up each platter that escaped the kitchen.  But I really dislike coconut and trying to avoid as many bottom-feeders as I can (had to make an exception with the calamari) so I passed on this dish.  As you can see, the shrimp were of a generous size and liberally sprinkled with coconut, which was reason enough for me avoid this.

Steak Forks

This… Was just awesome!  This steak was absolutely lipsmackingly good, cooked to perfection and served with a choice of three sauces.  I liked the peppercorn sauce the best (the one towards the bottom of the picture).  I also found this presentation to be a creative way to stretch your steak.  Great idea for a party, no mess on your hands, and you can feed a lot of people a great piece of steak for not a lot of money.  Fantastic.  It’s one of those “Why didn’t I think of that?”  I ate like a million of these… Ok, like a couple, but I can’t believe how one can fill up on appetizers!  I guess the concept of “tapas” does work.  I should try that for my next party.