A taste of the world via Kenosha restaurants

Kenosha is home to some great dining. You can enjoy meals from casual to upscale. After dining at some of the best restaurants in the city, it’s like we traveled the world over a weekend. We enjoyed meals with traditional American flair, Mexican and Italian.

Twisted Cuisine offers a different take on food. Imagine stuffing a chicken breast with cornbread stuffing, infused with chorizo. Talk about some spicy bites. This is what I enjoyed during our meal there. The restaurant had some outstanding choices – steak among them. Unfortunately, they were out of wild boar during our visit. Otherwise, it would have been a toss-up between the stuffed chicken and the boar. As I glanced over the menu, the stuffed chicken option stayed with me. I chose wisely. It was a delicious meal.

We enjoyed dinner there with two members of the Kenosha Visitors Bureau – Laura and Meridith. Their choice of Twisted Cuisine to start our weekend feast was spot on.

Lisa went with stuffed halibut. She likes fish, so she thought halibut stuffed with shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico and herb cream cheese would be a tasty dish. She was not disappointed.

Appetizers included Saganaki, a melted cheese dish with toast. The server lit the top of the cheese on fire, as it includes brandy. It burns for a short time. The melted, gooey cheese was delicious.

We also tried duck wings. Excellent choice. The wings were large and succulent. The barbecue sauce added an excellent flavor to them.

Dessert, of course, was outstanding. I had a fruit loop cheesecake. The frozen slice of cheesecake is coated with fruit loops and then deep fried to create an awesome tasty treat.

Twisted Cuisine has been in Kenosha for a decade. It is a unique restaurant in that it’s owned by a woman and led by a female executive chef. Rhonda Bell realized she had two passions in life – food and people. Two important ingredients for the restaurant business. She studied culinary arts and then opened her first restaurant. Rhonda had no idea what to call the restaurant until she and the first chef were working on the opening menu. They wanted to “twist” food combinations. Thus, Twisted Cuisine was born.

Current Chef Brittianie LeViseur is a young chef. She studied at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Wisconsin. She has a decade of experience in the restaurant business, working several positions through the years. From working as a server to preparing the meals as the head chef, Brittanie has developed some outstanding menu selections for Twisted Cuisine.

Visiting Villa D’ Carlo near the lakefront is like taking a trip to Italy. Carl Ruffalo opened Carl’s Pizza in 1957. They used fresh ingredients, baking pizzas in stone-bottomed ovens for a crispy crust. The thin-crusted pizza remains popular today. We saw a few families enjoying pizza during our visit.

Lisa and I opted for entrees. She chose chicken parmesan. The chicken breast was cooked just right, lightly coasted and pan seared. The pasta was perfectly done.

I went with their lasagna entrée. A hardboiled egg is sliced and included in the dish. I could see flakes of the egg among the meat and tomato sauce. It was a delicious meal.

We enjoyed a Sunday brunch at Mangia Wine Bar. The brunch had three courses of small dish items. The food was excellent.

Lisa and I both with a banana muffin as our opener. The small muffin was moist and tasty.

The second course was where we veered from each other. Lisa went with a pancake with maple syrup and walnuts. She enjoyed it.

I chose lamb chops. The lamb was delicious.

Dessert was our third course. We each had a small cannoli. It was a nice way to end a delicious meal.

For our last dinner in town we traveled south of the border to La Fogata. You can see Lake Michigan from the restaurant. It is a beautiful view from an impressive restaurant.

La Fogata goes for traditional Mexican with some changes. The restaurant is known for its Platos Principales – specialty dinner items. Lisa went with the Tacos de Alambres. The steak fajita type dish included sauteed grilled onions, green and red peppers, carrots, tomato and roasted chiles salsa, all served on a hot plate. The tortilla shells, lettuce, pico and guacamole were served on a smaller side plate.

I chose a combination plate featuring a taco, tostada and enchilada. It was served with rice and refried beans. Neither of us could finish our dishes. So much food. So good!

La Fogata is known for its “killer margaritas.” While we didn’t imbibe, plenty of people around us were enjoying their drinks.

The restaurant serves their food from an open kitchen. You can watch meals being prepared and set out for quick delivery to tables.

We enjoyed some outstanding breakfasts during our stay. Bristol 45 Diner is located a few miles outside Kenosha, in Bristol. The restaurant has a 1950s them. It works well. Memorabilia, including photos and 45 rpm records are scattered along the walls.

The food is good, and the provide lots of it. Omelets hang over the plate. Sides are delivered on small plates. So much food at a very reasonable price.

The family-owned diner has been open since 2008, but the location has had a restaurant for about six decades. They believe the diner appeals to people of all ages. Younger people like the bright colors and fun atmosphere, while older people appreciate the nostalgia.

We enjoyed a great cheddar cheese bratwurst at Mars Cheese castle. The restaurant area of the cheese (and other goodies) store serves up some excellent meals. We figured that since we were in Wisconsin, we had to combine cheese and brats. We were not disappointed.

When we first arrived into Kenosha, we enjoyed a casual lunch at Jack’s Café inside Andrea’s boutique store. Andrea’s has been open for more than 100 years. The café is named after the founder of the store – Jack Andrea. The restaurant is small, serving a couple dozen people inside an area that is home to the soda fountain. The café was packed during our visit. It is a very popular attraction.

We enjoyed lunch courtesy of the Kenosha CVB. Lisa and I both went with the chicken salad sandwich and chicken noodle soup. Both were outstanding. We enjoyed the sandwich so much, we forgot to photograph it. LOL.

Our last morning in Kenosha, we enjoyed coffee and bagels at Buzz café in downtown Kenosha prior to hitting the road to head home. Both were excellent. I had a bagel with banana, peanut butter and Nutella. Lisa opted for a version of the Fun Guy, with egg, Swiss cheese and a special sauce on a bagel.

We thoroughly enjoyed our dining adventures in Kenosha. The food scene is on par with any large city.

For more information these restaurants and more, please visit www.visitkenosha.com.

Disclaimer: Thank you to the Kenosha visitors bureau and restaurants for the complimentary meals. However, all views and opinions are ours.