Wine Maniacs

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  It's been a long week. You know how you have those weeks at work where you are so busy you end up eating either nothing at all, fast food or whatever you find throughout your crazy day? That's been my whole week. I had fortune cookies for lunch yesterday.
  
  So tonight, after having eaten very poorly if at all for most of the week, I was at the hunger stage where anything, literally anything edible would taste like manna from heaven. But I knew there was one thing I couldn't stomach: fast food.
  
  So I started looking over the menu of Wine Maniacs. Dang! Every entree sounds amazing! I'm starving! So I called in an order for Indian spiced beef short ribs with mint yogurt, and an order of bowtie pasta with chicken and andouille. I sat at the bar and waited for my order, I had a glass of wine, I chatted with other O-Town residents, it was lovely. I couldn't wait to get this food.
  
  When I got home I realized that the portions are like, crazy small and don't really come with anything, like, a vegetable? Whatever I'm starving, get these short ribs in my belly!
  
  I tried both dishes. And I really feel like if somebody I trusted would tell me "Go eat at Wine Maniacs and order anything but the short ribs and bowtie pasta" I'd be like, "ok good because those were bad and I wasn't sure if I just ordered the wrong thing."
  
  The short ribs were dry; they had barely any yogurt, and whoever made the rice didn't actually use a real Basmati, they just saffron'd the bejezus out of a standard long-grain. So I figured the bowtie pasta had to be better. And it wasn't. It might've been worse.
  
  I don't know what to say. I want this to be a great food spot in Oconomowoc, but based on tonight I can't recommend it to anyone for more than wine. Maybe not even that unless you're OK with paying $13 for a glass.

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  Posted on 05.10.13 Daniel M.

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  Expensive? Yes, buts it's a higher end wine bistro, right? My husband and I knew Deb the owner since we frequented their liquor store on the opisite end of town. The owners, Jeff and Deb really know their wine. If you love to cook and pair wines - go to these guys, they're experts! We followed them to the new bistro and have frequented it since it opened. We even had our wedding rehearsal dinner here August 2012. It was amazing. Our guests are still raving about our wedding and REHEARSAL DINNER. 5 stars!

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  Posted on 12.07.12 Jessica M.

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  My wife and I drove by Wine Maniacs on route to dinner, we decided to stop in and ended up having desert.  I'll break this down to pros and cons.
  
  Pros:
  * The menu is trendy, elegant and you want a bit of everything (It changes seasonally)
  * You can feel comfortable eating it in a three-piece suit or a hoodie and jeans.
  * There is a very nice wine selection that you don't typically get in the area.
  * The deserts are made in house and the Meyer's Lemon Cheesecake is one of the richest and most wonderful things I have placed into my mouth.  
  * They have a house made lemoncello that is sweet, thick and basically sunshine in a glass.  
  * They offer wine paring meals, so if you're new to what wines you like, signing up for one of these would be a great place to start.
  * Jeff, one of the owners and the "Wine Guy" is one of the most engaging personalities I have had the pleasure of meeting.
  
  Cons:
  * Our server was not as knowledgeable and was starting to make things up.  (I hate BS, if it's a new menu, tell me you're not sure and then find out!)  If you are waiting tables somewhere where the menu consists of two sides of a piece of paper, learn it.
  
  * The wine prices are a little on the steep side, and while I generally check list prices on my smartphone, this time the owners banter and easy manner made me want to bring a bottle home.  It was a wine that I was unfamiliar with, and so I ended up paying a little over 4 times what the bottle was actually worth.  No one suggested we leave with a bottle, and there was not pressure to buy, so I don't blame them, only myself.
  
  Overall, my wife and I both like the place a lot, and we'll go back and try some of the small plates (probably with friends). But we won't take home another bottle of wine.  Costco has a wonderful selection of  wines at prices that let me drink a $30 bottle of wine for $30.
  
  The only thing preventing the 5th star for me was the training of the waitstaff and higher than average wine costs.
  
  EDIT:  After writing the restaurant and getting no response all, I am left with a little irritation.  Their website states that they have "phenomenal prices" and I have to disagree.  I recommend that you check their wine prices against <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wine-searcher.com%2F&s=65d9667b2cee67d5df1f45a4cb2a007d80fb71e945e158f24a3ce0e357a3b216" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.wine-searcher…</a> before you head in.  Again, no complaints on the food, but if you promote your restaurant as having low wine prices, they probably should not be 25% over industry average.

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  Posted on 04.14.12 Michael D.

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  I am disappointed to see only one review for this phenomenal find in Lake Country.  I cannot take the credit for happening upon this place, but I'm happy to know its whereabouts now.  I would also like to add another star, but my past experiences have not been blessed by any of the bounty prepared in WM's kitchen. I promise to come and taste the flavors, Jim.  I think that will be date night with the hubby.  However, if the food is anywhere near as good as the liquids, I will make an effort to eat there as often as possible.  Never mind the commute.  It is well worth it, even for a Milwaukee resident like myself.  I'll traverse the miles.  Each time you sit down with Jeff, the "Head Wine Guy," you become a student again.  I think that is why the word "head" is in Jeff's title.  Instead of feeling like you're sitting in the classroom of your old high school, waiting for the bell to ring, you're transported to the international school of wine and you're in no hurry to leave.  I traveled to Germany with a Riesling; one part of France with a gin; off to another region with a tawny port; local with a wine from California.  All over the map.  I came away from this last visit with an appreciation for dessert and sweet wines.  In the past, I never desired them either to accompany my meal or to end it.  Jeff educated me.  I could not just give up on these wines.  I had tried only a couple in the past, and decided to sever my ties.  I was reintroduced to them with an understanding of where their flavors and perfumes came from.  Maybe the bios are what made them taste that much better.  I always want to experience wine in this fashion.  Also, Jeff promised that with the Citadelle gin, my husband would never go back to Beefeaters.  Not only does Jeff know his wines, he knows people.  My husband was stunned by the smooth taste promised by Jeff, and he has divorced Beefeaters.  It will be a mere fallback, sitting in the back of the liquor cabinet.  Wine [Maniacs] has moved to the front of the cabinet, because they will be one of the first places we go to stock it.  If you were wise, you'd do the same. The variety (and the resident experts) at Wine Maniacs do not disappoint any palette.

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  Posted on 01.01.12 Stephanie L.

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