Fair Oaks Diner + Pizza Brutta

It's Sunday. I'm folding laundry and watching food porn (Food Channel!). This morning, J. and I were going to have bagels and/or cereal and coffee, but the unceremonious death of the coffee grinder convinced us to go out for breakfast.

After a little discussion, we decided on the Fair Oaks Diner on, as expected, Fair Oaks Avenue. He had a pancake laden with blueberries, and I had the daily special, Swedish pancakes filled with mascarpone cheese and topped with lingonberries and whipped cream. I wasn't sure what makes a pancake Swedish, but when they came out, they resembled French crepes.

We agreed that it hit the spot, despite my accidental launching of the metal cream dispenser onto the floor with an errant hand gesture. (That's what happens when you caffeinate me and then plunk me at a tiny table impossibly crowded with precariously secured condiments. Knowing my clutzy self as I do, moving it to the other side of the table as a preemptive strike did cross my mind. But I didn't take my own advice and ended up swabbing cream from the floor and the window...and my dining companion's chair. Sometimes breakfast with Erica is an adventure. ;)) Overall, it was pretty damn amazing for a rough-around-the-edges diner.

Rossoverde pizza and salsiccia pizza at Pizza Brutta

Last night, we had dinner at Pizza Brutta. On the left is the rossoverde pizza--arugula, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and parmesan--with tomato sauce. The salsiccia on the right has fennel sausage, carmelized onions, and smoked mozzarella. The thin, crisp crust was imbued with wood flavor from the oven. My only complaint was a little too thin in the center, making it a bit limp and soggy.

Afterward, we saw The Fighter at Market Square. Christian Bale's portrayal of a crack addict/washed up boxer was such a great performance that I can't believe he didn't get an Oscar for it. On the way home, we stopped for a drink at The Cardinal.

On the political front, I'm still working against the Walker budget. Last weekend, a group of us did a lit. drop in Lake Mills on behalf of Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate JoAnne Kloppenburg. The elections will take place on April 5, so we wanted to inform people about the election in general (i.e., prompt them to vote instead of being unaware of the election or feel like their vote doesn't matter) and about a candidate who's more independent than incumbent Prosser. With all of the legal battles going on about the legality of the Republicans' and Walker's actions, I think it's important to have a more independent  voice on the court.