Steph and I live in the (relative) country-lands of Wisconsin and have found that the hardest part for us about living so far from any big city is the lack of access to not only good food, but the really good food. For the second time, last night, Steph and I went to Cafe Calamari for dinner. One of our favorite things to do in the days when we lived in Germany was go out to eat. Steph is a fantastic cook and surprises me with what she comes up with time and time again, but it is nice, for her sake, to be able to enjoy a dinner together without her having to do all of the work. (The closest I get to cooking is to prepare something out of a box or can or two kinds of meats: steak or tuna. The problem is that a) Steph doesn't care too much for steak like I enjoy it and b) the way I prepare tuna is far to raw for her - e.g. ahi tuna.) Since living in the States - which has been a long time now - we really have been out of luck in finding places that are consistently good for our tastes. Often, we end up with the bland Americanized version of whatever ethnic food we are eating, or it is plain American diner style food that leaves much to be desired. Until now, the only place we have eaten at where we left thinking, now that's food... are in places like Chicago, Milwaukee or vacation destinations we've visited. Now we have found one fifteen minutes from home.
The wait staff at Cafe Calamari is great. They are attentive, but not too over the top. Both the waitress we had two weeks ago and the waiter from last night were very helpful in choosing the main course and drinks (wine for me). I had a McManis Syrah with my dinner both times. The opportunity to come across good wines has been very limited, so usually, I am trying something I've never had before. (And because Steph is usually the one driving she doesn't have anything other than Coke, etc.) The meals are served in four course segments, assuming you order an appetizer. This is where I really like the style of Cafe Calamari; I've been at other multi-course restaurants before and the method of ordering is always different, but more often than not, you feel like you are being rushed to choose, or the exact opposite, they don't care at all. This is one of the areas where the wait staff seems to excel; reading your body language and paying attention to what you've said. As far as the food and presentation goes, they are also top notch. I have been to much fancier places where the presentation takes the form of true art (main courses on plates the size of small tables, etc.), but I liked the mix of presentation and low key "here it is." I am sure someone could find something to criticize, but in my opinion, if they did it any differently, it wouldn't fit the atmosphere of the restaurant. Thus far, we've tried the baked muscles, baked clam half shells and bruschetta and calamari. For the main course, we've had an ahi tuna special, tortellini and a fettuccini dish. Everything was absolutely and perfectly fresh. The seafood related items were amazingly fresh. I have, in all honesty, never had better tasting, fresh tasting clam or muscle type (mollusk based) dishes anywhere in the Midwest. There is almost always a hint of that "fishy" taste, which I don't find overly bothersome, but with their dishes, it was non-existent. Perfect. The main courses were the same. Fresh. The mixture of side dishes also perfectly complimented each main course. At this point, there is really nothing more to say. Cafe Calamari has achieved what you would hope every restaurant of that nature is capable of: combine a pleasant atmosphere with attentive wait staff and fantastic food. They have definitely made the grade and I would highly recommend anyone visit who has the chance.
* (Your meal will be around $50-60/person with tip, assuming drinks and appetizers are ordered.)
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