Do you dream of tender, slow-cooked pork? Does your heart melt at the thought of biting into a slice of delectably crispy smoked belly? If you do, you'll want to give some serious thought to attending SloPig Milwaukee, a celebration of fine swine and robust spirits.
The list of restaurant and chef semifinalists were announced today for the 2012 James Beard Foundation Awards, the nation's most prestigious recognition program honoring professionals in the North American food and beverage industries. Semifinalists for this year's awards were chosen from 28,000 online nominations, and Wisconsin-area restaurants and chefs were nominated in three categories including Best Chef in the Midwest, Outstanding Bar Program and Outstanding Wine Program.
This afternoon the James Beard Foundation announced the final nominees for its 2011 awards, the winners of which are released on May 9. Sanford's Justin Aprahamian and the Watts Tea Shop have made it to the next round.
We had already made our way to Madison this past summer when we filmed and sampled beer at "The Great Taste of the Midwest," but our cameras and crew were across the lake and in the open summer air. For this episode, we chose winter, the hallowed halls of the capitol building, and the exceptional kitchen of L'Etoile situated on the Capitol Square.
Although the demise of The Social marks the end of an era when it comes to modern-day comfort food in Milwaukee, a recent visit to the Old Fashioned, 23 N. Pinckney St., next door to the acclaimed L'Etoile, on the capitol square, suggests that in Madison, familiar favorites are as comforting as ever. While the wind whistled around the capitol and temps grew colder and colder, the Old Fashioned was packed to the gills, lights down low, conversation humming.