Serious Eats

We arrive in Eau Claire and immediately start looking for dinner. Preferably a place that doesn't have burgers or fries as the star items on its menu.

So we go to Haymarket Grill in downtown (such as it is) Eau Claire. Haymarket Grill specializes in local ingredients, including quite a few types of game and lots of local beers, which means...


...the return of the Beer-O-Meter!

Guest judge Pear tries the Fat Squirrel ale from New Glarus, WI.

It's a medium ale, kinda like Bass but with more hops & a little richer flavor.

I like it alot.







But Pear says "Bhleh."













Franco gets bison tenderloin wrapped in bacon with roasty veggies.

I get his Brussels sprouts.














I order the gnocchi with walnuts & sage, served with butternut squash & wild rice.

Isn't it pretty?






Fabulous presentation, perfect portion size, and tastes really good, but the squash needs some serious salt.


Wisa gets prime rib with super-tasty mashed potatoes.

Alex looks sad because he gave up red meat for a week (I'll explain later).














But enough of that. Onto dessert!

Creme brulee with bruleed strawberries.













They were frozen strawberries (it is almost November, and we are in the frozen tundra), but the fact that they were sugared & torched makes up for it.

Again, wonderful presentation. And it's bruleed really well, with just the right amount of sugar.

But there could've been a wee bit more vanilla in the custard, and I would've used a touch more cream and baked it maybe 5 minutes less.



Pear eyes Alex's bread pudding. She gave up white wheat flour (again, explanations will follow).









Berry Napoleon.

I think it's all whipped cream, no custard. Hmph.









(By the way, I think Pastry Girl on Top Chef is giving us a bad name. We're not all like that, you know.)


Verdict: All of the food was beautifully plated and pretty darned tasty, and the local beers rock.

If you are in Eau Claire, go to Haymarket Grill!


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