I went to dine at the Black Forest Restaurant in Howard which is located on the northwestern border of Green Bay. The restaurant is a magnificent 18,000 square foot log home-like building, designed with fantastic attention to detail both in its structure and its richly decorated upscale decor. As you walk past the hostess area there is a large circular bar, vaulted ceilings with original barn beams, a huge field stone two way fire place with a massive mantel made from a 900 year old Juniper tree from Colorado, cream colored leather sofas, slate flooring, and stylish log furniture. There are two dining areas; one is located behind a large partition of a relaxing sounding water wall, and the other is the river room with massive picture windows overlooking their huge brick patio and duck creek with the marshes. Upstairs is a gorgeous banquet room that can seat up to 300. In the bar lounge area they offered complimentary taco spread with chips and a cheese spread with crackers.

I dined in Black Forest’s river room and was seated by the window, the view was pretty but the one aspect that I did not enjoy was a TV that was setup at the end of the room and turned on, it definitely took away from the ambiance. There are TVs above the bar in the lounge area, which is more appropriate than in the dining area. All their appetizers sounded so good I ordered three of them. The first one was the crab cakes for $11.95; they were made with fresh lump crab meat and perfectly seasoned and served with a Cajun aioli. The crab cakes were delicious and the seasonings were well integrated with the crab meat. My next appetizer was the coconut shrimp for $8.95 served with orange marmalade. The shrimp were huge, lightly browned, and encrusted with a crispy coconut breading they tasted delectable when accompanied with the orange marmalade. The next appetizer I ordered was the hot spinach & artichoke dip for $6.95 served with warm pita chips and baby carrots and fresh broccoli. The dip was wonderfully decadent with the spinach, artichokes, and lots of gooey cheese. For my main entree I ordered the 8oz Filet Mignon for $24.95 with two extra toppers, a bearnaise sauce and sauteed mushrooms, at an additional $1.50 each, and for another $6.50 I added sea scallops. Included with the entree is soup or salad so I chose the salad. I must say the service throughout my meal was more than satisfactory; the server was very amicable and efficient. I was brought out my salad with a loaf of warm white bread with a cinnamon honey butter and also plain butter patty’s. The bread was fresh and the flavored butter had a nice light mixture and did not overpower the butter flavor. The salad was mediocre in taste and flavor. The entree had a nice presentation and the portions were large in size. With my entree you had a choice of potato and vegetable I chose the garlic mashed potatoes with red skins and the vegetables were a mixture of yellow squash, zucchini, corn, and onions.

My fillet was cooked to perfection, extremely tender with a sensational flavor accompanied with the bearnaise sauce and sauteed mushrooms. The garlic potatoes were very flavorful mixed and the vegetables were nicely sauteed but still maintained a nice crispness. Could I still be hungry after such a feast? One of the dessert choices was a Black Forest cake for $5.99; I just had to try it since it was the namesake of the Black Forest restaurant. It was large enough for a few people and served with vanilla ice cream. The server said they just got it in today so it should be fresh. I was not impressed with the flavor or texture and even though it was not made in house I thought it would taste better given the name. It tasted like a store bought hostess cupcake, but with a much firmer texture. Although I would skip the dessert next time my total dining experience at Green Bay’s Black Forest Restaurant was a very pleasurable and enjoyable one.

Cod photo by Bartlomiej Stroinski

For a fresh, healthy, and tasty alternative to over-processed fast food and frozen dinners, try sampling some of the varied produce from Alaska, starting with seafood. Wild fish, of course, is an obvious choice for a state blessed with 34,000 miles of coastline on three different seas. Several renowned whitefish varieties come from the chilliest of all the state’s waters, including the rich and savory class of black cod. Matured as free-range fish in their natural habitat, black cod are chock-full of essential omega-3s and luckily devoid of saturated fat. As for the taste, black cod, like all Alaskan seafood, is rich in flavor and of tender texture.  

The best feature, though, is for those who are interested in learning how to cook black cod. Preparation is surprisingly simple and versatile, making this fish an excellent choice for a quick and healthy meal. Broil, grill, bake, or smoke the fish to bring out the distinct flavors and colors, or, in a rush, rub the black cod with lemon, salt, and pepper, and pop it in the microwave. Impress your guests with your knowledge of how to cook black cod by mixing up a simple ginger-lime sauce of garlic, chiles, sugar, ginger, and lime juice, to serve alongside your stovetop-cooked fish. More adventurous kitchen-goers might give poached it a try, accenting the lean, fresh fish fillets with a sautéed sauce of olive oil, onion, red pepper, garlic, white wine, and saffron, all served over couscous.  

And, if you already know the basics of how to cook black cod, you may be interested in exploring some of the more complex recipes for preparing the fish, for example, thyme-crusted fish over braised red onions. After deboning and marinating the fish for a few hours and braising the onions over a bed of bacon, just 25 minutes of baking and broiling is all the time needed to turn three pounds of Alaskan black cod into a gourmet meal with the exotic combination of flavors such as soy sauce, thyme, brown sugar, and white wine. Toss in a side of roasted winter squash for a subtle complement to this rich Alaskan delicacy.

Burger photo by Robbie Owen-Wahl

Hamburgers are really making a name for themselves. What once was a lowly sandwich pressed inside a bun and smothered with ketchup has achieved gourmet status. At many “family” restaurants like Ruby Tuesday’s, Applebee’s, Fuddruckers and Red Robin, hamburgers now cost upwards of $10. The difference? A nice bun and designer toppings.

Grocery stores are getting into the gourmet hamburger business, too. Safeway, Whole Foods and Sunflower Markets now all sell premium hamburgers out of the meat case. At about $4.99 per pound, they are a delicious but expensive meal, too.

The good news is that you can easily make your own gourmet hamburgers with flavor combinations that your family and friends will love. With a bulk package of ground beef, some beautiful rolls from the bakery and a little imagination, you can create your own gourmet burgers for a fraction of the cost and be a grilling hero.

To make each burger combination, you will need one pound of hamburger, a cup of fillings and about a tablespoon of seasonings. This will make about 4 burgers. You can of course make them larger or smaller if you wish.

Seasoned burger flavor ideas:

*Mix ranch dressing mix and cut up bacon into the burger mix.
*Diced green chilis and cubed or shredded cheddar cheese.
*Chili powder, cumin and cheddar cheese
*Worstershire, onions and black pepper
*Hot sauce, topped with crispy onion fries
To make seasoned burgers – Mix the seasonings right into the ground beef and top with the suggested ingredients. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before grilling or broiling. Serve on split bakery rolls
Filled burger flavor ideas:

*Cracked black pepper with crumbled bleu cheese filling
*Carmelized onions and green peppers
*Provolone, topped with BBQ sauce
*Japalenos with cheddar cheese
*Mozzarella topped with Marinara sauce

To make filled burgers – knead together the ground beef and seasonings in a bowl. Pat into 8 thin patties. Place about 1/4 cup of filling on top of four of the patties, topping each with another patty to enclose the fillings, sealing the edges together. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cooking on the grill or under the broiler. Serve on split bakery rolls.