22nd Annual Golden Fork Awards
Best Asian
Most Vegetarian Friendly
Q & A: Larry Chomsisengphet, general manager at Basil Café
1. How would you describe the philosophy at Basil Café?
Our mission statement has always been to provide the Fox Cities with homemade, flavorful and authentic Southeast Asian cuisine at an affordable price in a clean, welcoming, modern atmosphere with fast and friendly service. The goal is to make authentic Southeast Asian food more accessible to a wider audience of folks who maybe have never had authentic Lao, Thai or Vietnamese food before.
2. What dishes would you recommend for vegan/vegetarian guests?
Vietnamese Crepe
The vegan phó is delicious. Just as delicious as its traditional beef counterpart – mushroom-based stock with onions, celery and a ton of other vegetables that give the broth a full sense of flavor and umami. The Vegan Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Crepe/Pancake) is a burst of wonderful flavors and not typically found at most restaurants. The Nam Khao (Lao Style Fried Rice) is another dish you’re not going to find anywhere else and is extremely traditional Lao. We are also working on a few new additions to add to the menu (some more authentic Lao noodle soups, some with noodles that we’re making in house) which will have vegan options available as well.
3. What makes Basil Café different from other restaurants?
Dishes like the Bánh Xéo and Nam Khao, which I previously mentioned, aren’t really found at a lot of Southeast Asian restaurants. These dishes are authentically Lao, difficult to prepare due to the labor intensity and typically not found at other Lao/Thai restaurants. Some of the newer dishes we’re about to add to the menu, as well, aren’t offered in any restaurants that I know of, and they are only typically found when made at the homes of other Lao people. So making some really authentic Lao food that others aren’t offering, and hopefully executing that at a high level, gives us the room to create a distinguishable place and experience.
—ACW
Best Cup of Coffee
When it comes to good coffee, attention to detail is everything. According to Seth Lenz, owner of Seth’s Coffee, that’s what sets their coffee apart. “Everything from the quality of our water to the quality of equipment we use,” he says. “The coffee itself is fresh, in-season, and the beans are cut off at 13 days for roasting.” Coffee is brewed by the cup at this Little Chute staple, with a drive-thru location just behind the History Museum at the Castle since September 2015. When it comes to choosing which coffee to try, there isn’t just one kind that Seth’s is known for. “We have such a variety of drinks—we always have five to seven different kinds of coffee available,” Lenz says. If you’d really like a recommendation, honey and agave lattes are popular, and you can’t go wrong with a traditional cappuccino.
— KN
Best Brunch
According to Kristen Sickler, co-owner of SAP Brunch, Brown Bag & Bakery in Appleton, the key to a successful brunch is all in the balance.
“I love having greens with my breakfast,” Sickler says. “Sometimes it’s hard eating a big, decadent breakfast so having that balance doesn’t make you feel quite as bad about it.”
Huevos Rancheros
This is why many of the restaurant’s breakfast offerings include a SAP salad – a serving of lightly dressed greens, seasoned to perfection. (It makes for the ultimate interlude between bites of syrup-laden brioche french toast, FYI.) Apparently, voters appreciate the equilibrium they can find at SAP, helping the restaurant sweep the morning meal categories and snag forks for both Best Breakfast and Best Brunch.
SAP’s menu contains tried-and-true staples as well as daily features that rotate based on what can be sourced locally. Can’t decide on what to feast? Sickler has a couple suggestions.
“You can’t beat huevos rancheros,” she says, “but the benedicts are incredible too.”
—ACW
Best Homestyle/Comfort Food
“Cozzy Corner serves up a rarity in Appleton: authentic southern food. From the main dishes to the many side offerings to wonderful desserts, the offerings are authentic and expertly prepared. Excellent food with great music to boot! Soul food in a
soulful place.”
— Steven King, Appleton
Best Appetizer
Nothing says Wisconsin like homemade cheese curds, one of the top-selling appetizers at Greene’s Pour House. The Valley’s Best Appetizer isn’t the only thing you’ll find there – it also has a welcoming environment, whether you’re there for lunch, happy hour or dinner. “It’s not easy,” says owner, Bobby Greene, “but every day is a new day, and you just keep on making sure everything works out, making sure everything’s correct and making sure the customer’s always being treated the way they should be treated.” Greene recommends the Pour House Trio (egg salad, tuna salad and chicken salad over a bed of fresh greens with cucumber, tomato and flatbread slices) or the P.A.B.S.T. Sandwich, which stands for Provolone, Avocado, Bacon, Salad greens and Turkey. “It sells like crazy,” he says. With all of Greene’s Golden Fork wins, order what you’d like. You can’t go wrong. “It’s a very casual setting,” Greene adds. “It’s like coming home.”
— KN
Best Supper Club
“Change is not necessarily comfortable, but it is a good thing.” It’s no surprise that this quote is from supper club owner John Hayes, since the customer favorite at his Red Ox Seafood and Steakhouse is Haddock 14 Different Ways. (Hayes recommends the crab cake crusted haddock version that is finished with a chipotle pepper hollandaise sauce.) The options don’t stop there. “We have run over 1,000 different dinner specials in the last 10 years,” Hayes says. It’s hard to differentiate between their Best Seafood and Best Supper Club Forks, since what defines both at Red Ox is variety and change. The seafood is distinguished by “variety in the type of seafood and variety in the way it is all prepared,” and as a supper club, he adds, “We are always changing and evolving.”
— KN
Best Fish Fry
“Anytime I start thinking I want fish on Friday, my mouth starts to water and all I can think about is Mark’s fish fry and a cup of their clam chowder,” says Karen Marsceau of Appleton, who enjoys the various fish preparations offered at Mark’s East Side. “I voted for Mark’s East Side for the best fish fry because simply it is! My fish always tastes so fresh and has never been greasy.”
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