No Need to Drive to Milwaukee for AMAZING Food

It is not often that people find themselves driving down Hwy 83 to Genesee Depot, "The Depot" as I call it, but I get to go to this great little unincorporated town several days a week for work.

There are six places to eat in Genesse Depot as well as a bakery, all in less than a half mile strip of Hwy 83. I believe peoe flock to this little town because of the great food being produced by great people, people who care about quality & their customers.

When it comes to fine dining the Union House is amazing! I went there recently for dinner and was blown away by the food and service.

Owners, since 1989, Curt and Patty Robinson work along side their amazing staff to not only create excellent food, but a wonderful experience. When you walk in you are greeted by smiling faces, the aroma of the evenings specials floating through the air, and an old world ambiance that cannot be conjured by a new restaurant.


Here is a recount of the evening:
(sorry for the poor photos)

Old fashioned: I like a Southern Comfort Sweet; for this they use homemade bitters, fresh oranges, white soda(Sprite), tonic and add a cinnamon stick. An excellent way to start the evening.

Beer.... They have a great selection on tap, but the Old Engine Oil caught my eye. A Black Scottish Ale, heavier than a Guinness, full of amazing flavors... I can see only drinking one or two of these in an evening due to it's richness.





Wine.... Curt is an amazing resource when it comes to wine, so naturally we asked him for advice. We are mostly red wine fans, Merlot to be more specific. Also, I mentioned that I do not enjoy overly sweet or fruity wine, and if it's too oaky I will also shy away from it. His suggested the 2005 Silverado Merlot and he was spot on! The wine complimented the multiple courses we enjoyed and will now be on my permanent radar at other restaurants and when I got to purchase wine.

For starters we had a Double Creme Brie wrapped and baked in puff pastry and served with fresh raspberry puree, a wonderful classic appetizer. The brie was rich and buttery and perfectly melted in the center with out the pastry getting overly browned, something I seem to fail at.

For the second course I had the Arugula salad with fresh strawberries, pine nuts, goat cheese, and their homemade vinegarette.
The salad was very fresh, not too much dressing and they strawberries were a perfect sweetness to the tart arugula and goat cheese. The pine nuts were a great textural addition to the salad and offered a buttery overtone in each bite.

My husband thoroughly enjoyed the Triple Topped French Onion Soup. (As you may recall last month I blogged and raved about my own french onion soup.... well let me tell you this knocks the socks off my mine.) Union Houses' soup had a unique flavor I cannot put my finger on, what am I missing in my own soup?? I will have to talk to Chef John about it this afternoon and poke around for secret information. Needless to say if you go to the Union House you have to order the soup, you will be using their fresh warm bread to sop up every last micron of broth!

Entrees:

Hickory Smoked Bacon Wrapped Choice Fillet with a Saute of Wild Mushrooms and a Dauphinoise Potato

The best steak I have ever had.... Tender, juicy, awesome flavor, cooked to a perfect medium rare! It was hard to share even a bite with anyone!!

There was also a side of grilled asparagus, also cooked perfectly! I am not a fan of mushy vegetables, I like a bite to my asparagus. I asked how it was prepared and it was a simple salt, pepper, and grill!! If all vegetables tasted this great I would live on them!!!

Yeah, Holy Cow Yum!





We also dined on a Seafood and Artichoke Risotto. The perfectly cooked diver sea scallops, shrimp, and Maryland Blue crab, gave this dish amazing layers of flavors. The artichokes added yet another layer to the seafood medley as well another level of texture.


Finally desert, a trio of homemade morsels....


This was an amazing dinner!! Words cannot describe how excellent everything was.

You must go and try it for yourself!!! And you can take me if you want!

Thank you Union House.