Green Lantern, McFarland WI

Re:Green Lantern, McFarland WI (Hepcat)

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 18:07:39 GMT

ScreamingChicken
I'd heard good things about the fried chicken so that was my choice. According to our server it's seasoned and baked first before being dipped in a beer batter and fried, which makes for a very crispy coating. The meat itself was pretty soft and close to being mushy, and because it seemed to have a bit of a tang to it I couldn't tell if it was just very well done or had been marinated in something. Either way, the texture was a little different from what I'm used to although I did like the flavor. One of the non-menu sides that day was cheddar-garlic mashed potatoes and they were excellent; they weren't mashed to the point of nearly being a puree (every forkful had little bits of potato and skin) and they had a good garlic presence. I don't know why they're not a menu item because I'll bet they're popular, although I suspect the preparation might be a little more labor-intensive. Had they not been available I would've gotten the hash browns instead, which I've had a number of times over the years.

Kathy ordered the Thursday walleye special, which is made with a regular batter instead of a beer batter. It was light and flaky without being overly fishy; typical of how a lot of places around here serve it.

We've had a number of good meals at Green Lantern over the years and while I wouldn't say it's a destination I certainly wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

Oh, both the fried chicken and that walleye look and sound absolutely delicious! I suppose it's no secret that we felines are big fowl and fish eaters.

Re:Green Lantern, McFarland WI (ann peeples)

Sat, 04 Dec 2010 08:49:39 GMT

Looks like my kind of place. I will put this on my list of places to eat when I visit the Mad-town area. The walleye looks mouthwatering!

Re:Green Lantern, McFarland WI (BuddyRoadhouse)

Sat, 04 Dec 2010 00:25:52 GMT

Them is some tasty lookin' pitchers there, ScreamingChicken. Good report, too. Makes me wanna drive right up to McFarland and grab me some eggrolls.

By the by, there used to be a feller up your way by the name of Brad Olson. You familiar with him? Good guy. You could probably double with him and his Mrs. next time you and yours hit the town.

Anyways, good report. I think it wold have been perfectly fine in the "Trip Report" forum. The way I interpret that forum is as a catch all for "unofficial" restaurant reviews as well as overall trip reports. Either way, this was good stuff.

Thanks,

Buddy

Green Lantern, McFarland WI (ScreamingChicken)

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 23:45:10 GMT

Y'know, I can never figure out which subforum to use for a 1-visit post. It's certainly not a trip report and it sort of fits "Where Should I Eat?" but not quite...I dunno.

Anyhow, one of our favorites in the Madison area is Green Lantern, on the shore of Lake Waubesa at the west end of Siggelkow Road in McFarland. It's not a very big place with a combination bar and dining area on the lower level and a dining room on the middle, and a top level that's living, banquet, or storage space but I don't know for sure. By the look of the building it was probably living space originally but it seems like fewer owners are living on-site these days, so who knows. Our table this past Thursday night was next to the last window on the right.

The lower level is off to the right. Not even 4:15 in the afternoon and the sun's already getting low in the sky; there was still enough daylight coming in through the windows when we sat down but by the time we left it was dark outside. That's my glass (tap) of Potosi's Snake Hollow IPA on the table.

The tabletop promo told us that homemade steak-and-shiitake spring rolls were on the menu so we decided to start with an order, which turned out to be 2 rolls sliced on the bias into 4 halves and served with a slightly thick, slightly sweet sesame dipping sauce. These were very good and stuffed predominantly with beef and mushrooms instead of having a heavy emphasis on vegetables and I could've easily made a meal out of them.

I'd heard good things about the fried chicken so that was my choice. According to our server it's seasoned and baked first before being dipped in a beer batter and fried, which makes for a very crispy coating. The meat itself was pretty soft and close to being mushy, and because it seemed to have a bit of a tang to it I couldn't tell if it was just very well done or had been marinated in something. Either way, the texture was a little different from what I'm used to although I did like the flavor. One of the non-menu sides that day was cheddar-garlic mashed potatoes and they were excellent; they weren't mashed to the point of nearly being a puree (every forkful had little bits of potato and skin) and they had a good garlic presence. I don't know why they're not a menu item because I'll bet they're popular, although I suspect the preparation might be a little more labor-intensive. Had they not been available I would've gotten the hash browns instead, which I've had a number of times over the years.

Kathy ordered the Thursday walleye special, which is made with a regular batter instead of a beer batter. It was light and flaky without being overly fishy; typical of how a lot of places around here serve it.

Another special that night was a free dessert so Kathy got the chocolate ice cream pie, which is made with a chocolate vodka. As a non-desserter I passed but she gave it high marks.

We've had a number of good meals at Green Lantern over the years and while I wouldn't say it's a destination I certainly wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

Brad