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Review

Review: Everything Trump Touches Dies

Not everyone who opposes Trump does so from the same position or perspective; a picture that depicts his opponents only as Democrats and liberals is a pinched – and false – illustration. There are yet Republicans (and independents of no major party) who have and always will oppose Trump. Republicans (and this libertarian) who implacably…

Review: The SweetSpot Bakehouse

Located on the west side of town, at 1185 West Main Street, the SweetSpot Bakehouse in a small, unassuming bakery. It bills itself as a ‘small-town bakery,’ and so it is. That’s its charm and advantage: it does one thing (baked goods) very well, some things well (coffee, tea), and a few others (all-day breakfast)…

Catching Up with the SweetSpot

I’ve reviewed the SweetSpot previously, and here are a few quick remarks about the new menu and remodeling of their location at 226 West Whitewater Street. I’ve not yet reviewed the SweetSpot Bakehouse, on the other side of town at 1185 West Main St, Whitewater. Remodel (and Menu Changes It Brings).  The remodel adds a…

How Many Visits for a Restaurant Review?

How many trips should a reviewer make before publishing a review?  I think at least two, if not three.(Exceptions would apply when one is revisiting an establishment that one has reviewed previously, or when one is traveling and a second visit is impractical.) One can review after one evening, but a single, first-visit review just doesn’t seem…

Restaurant Review: Tokyo (Revisit) 

View Larger Map Here’s a summary of a return trip to Whitewater’s Tokyo restaurant.   When I visited Tokyo two years ago, I wrote that I liked it, despite a “décor [that was] a bit aged, but pleasant.”  In the times that I’ve visited since, including recently, the establishment is no less aged, but no…

Restaurant Review: Casual Joe’s 

Over on James Street, vacant for so many years, sat the Fort Auto Body building.  Eventually, an entrepreneur would have found some use for the building, but it’s to Whitewater’s advantage that Causal Joe’s, an American barbecue restaurant, took the spot.   Casual Joe’s is more than some use – it’s an establishment easy to recommend.…

Restaurant Review: Fratelli’s Ristorante Italiano

Italian cuisine is among the most celebrated of offerings, yet there aren’t many Italian restaurants in Whitewater’s part of the state.  Despite many choices, Whitewater hasn’t had a full, primary Italian menu.  Fratelli’s Ristorante Italiano adds something lacking in our restaurant scene; I’m happy to recommend what it adds. This review comprises two dinner visits,…

Restaurant Review: Taco Fresco (Revisited)

I reviewed Taco Fresco previously, years ago, when the establishment was under different ownership. This is an easy recommendation. The food’s delicious, the atmosphere pleasant. After a long day, I thought that I’d revisit to see how Taco Fresco was was faring. (This was a visit for a review, not a causal visit otherwise. In…

Restaurant Review: Karina’s Mexican Restaurant (Revisited)

Karina’s Mexican Restaurant recently opened on the west side of Whitewater.  I reviewed the establishment at its then-downtown location about two years ago.  Karina’s is now located immediately to the west of Subway, in the same building, and east of Rocky Rococo’s.  I’m not interested in reviewing those chains, but having returned to Karina’s I’d…

Restaurant Review: Fin & Hooves

Fin & Hooves is the restaurant at the Whitewater Country Club, on Highway 89 just outside of Whitewater.  Prior to this review, I had not visited the Whitewater Country Club in years, and for dining prior to the opening of Fin & Hooves, I would have had no reason to visit.  (I’m not a golfer,…

Seven Questions, Seven Replies About Restaurants

Three weeks ago, a reader kindly sent me a detailed email about restaurants, with a list of questions about my thoughts on service, food, dining out, etc.  I answered shortly after the email arrived, and below one will find a posted version of some of those questions and my replies.  (The original correspondence has been…

Restaurant Review: Second Salem Brewing Company

Second Salem Brewing Company is a small, locally-owned brewery that offers several beers from light to dark.  There are two full bars, a gastro-pub with outdoor seating, and a tap lounge & anteroom.  Thinking about the establishment principally as a gastro-pub, or even a tavern, gets Second Salem wrong (very much so).  It’s not just…