June 17, 2009

Sebastian's wins praise from OnMilwaukee.com

Patrice and Scott Sebastian in their restaurant's kitchen

Sebastian's in Caledonia received a big shout-out this week from OnMilwaukee.com -- a glowing restaurant review that may force us locals to make reservations earlier, or be shut out by interlopers from the big city.

"Dive into something ethereal," suggests food writer Amy Schubert, after recounting the restaurant's history, decor and menu. She says Sebastian's is an "enticing reason" to visit Caledonia, for a "surprisingly comfortable, casual, yet high-end dining experience in one of the more beautiful restaurant spaces in our area."

Scott and Patrice Sebastian are understandably pleased with the good review (by no means their first), but they're equally eager to discuss the garden Patrice is growing behind the restaurant -- visible from the dining room's picture window -- on a portion of their five-acre site. OnMilwaukee.com calls it an herb garden, but the raised beds house just as many vegetables. The garden is mostly Patrice's domain -- it is she who has a degree in horticulture, after all -- but Scott says it's also turning into his hobby.

"It's very fulfilling," he says, "planting it, tending it, harvesting and cooking it." He also keeps track of the downside, noting that "three bean plants are missing," presumably becoming dinner for local rabbits.

Growing fresh vegetables fits perfectly with the Sebastians' desire to serve fresh, healthful food. They shop at the farmers' market each week, and buy as much locally grown food as possible: pork, lamb and poultry from organic farms in Racine County. Of course, the seafood that makes up a large part of their menu comes from farther away...

The restaurant is approaching its ten-year anniversary; they opened on Jan. 19, 2000, and are already thinking of ways to celebrate. This was not their first restaurant -- as OnMilwaukee.com notes, they have a long history in Milwaukee, where Patrice was a community organizer and Scott a fireman when they opened their first place -- a lunch and catering-only cafe. (They also ran the Yellow Rose in downtown Racine, at the corner of Main and Fourth Streets, for five years, closing it last summer when the building's owner needed the space for his own business.)

As OnMilwaukee.com notes, Sebastian's is "high end," more expensive than the neighborhood pizza places Milwaukeeans usually seek out in Racine. So how has the economic decline affected it? "The effect is noticeable," Scott says, "especially when you try to serve the quality of food we serve." Still, they appear to have weathered the initial storm; "Things are more or less back where they were," he says, although instead of an $80 bottle of wine, diners are choosing a $40 bottle. "I thought it would be a lot worse." They've reacted by adding a specially priced dinner on Friday nights: For $19.95 diners get soup or salad, a choice from two entrees and dessert.

Sebastian's, located at 6025 Douglas Ave., is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday.

21 comments:

  1. Scott also writes a blog called Salty's Kitchen where he chronicles his adventures -- both as a chef and, previously, as a firefighter. It's very worthwhile reading.

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  2. Great people, outstanding food - and professional service. Be ready for a very enjoyable evening if you go.

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  3. Classy operation. Well-worth supporting!

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  4. Martinis in Booth #16/17/2009 8:55 AM

    Great service and bartenders. A great place to just stop by for a drink and an appetizer.

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  5. "closing it last summer when the building's owner needed the space for his own business"

    Not even close to the reason why it shutdown. The Yellow Rose was over-priced and very neglected.

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  6. Love the wedding cake martini!!!!!

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  7. Ya gotta love da Moose!

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  8. Good catch anon 6:14. Perhaps Pete could elaborate on the "owner's business" that went into the Yellow Rose space.

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  9. Anon 8:17 and Anon 6:14: You don't want to believe me, believe the Journal Times.

    Its story at the time (found through their archive search; you could look it up too) says (correcting our initial story): "An important factor was that the Sebastians sublease their Yellow Rose space from Design Partners, a commercial graphics company based above the restaurant. Design Partners needs the additional space for its own growth."

    So that's what we all were told at the time, a year ago. Is it really worth questioning today?

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  10. There is always someone who wants to make something bad out of a nice story. Congratulations to Sebastians - You two do an outstanding job. A wonderful place for dinner, drinks and fun.

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  11. Agreed. If it wasn't for Sebastian's I don't know what we'd do for a nice dinner out. I can't tell you what an impact they've had on the dining scene here.

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  12. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  13. "Anon 8:17 and Anon 6:14: You don't want to believe me, believe the Journal Times." Pete, when I consider the irony factor, this was one of the funniest things I've ever read in the Post! YOUR article says that the Yellow Rose was displaced and it does matter if information has "changed" in the last year.

    At any rate, I hope Sebastian's is better than the Yellow Rose because the food there was OK at best, prices out of line for said food, and the service, well, let's just say that "attitude du jour" was on the menu.

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  14. The article is about Sebastian's, not the Yellow Rose. Why are you guys even talking about it? The food and service at Sebastian's is FAR above anything else in Racine and most of the "top spots" in Milwaukee. Enough said.

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  15. Because they're seloso

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  16. Sebastian's is BY FAR the best restaurant in Racine, and the Yellow Rose was a close second. I miss The Yellow Rose and only wish it could have been properly appreciated by the Racine diners....however, congrats on a stellar review (among many, I've been told), can't wait to go back soon!

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  17. We've had very enjoyable experiences the last several times we've treated my parents to dinner at Sebastian's. It was well worth going out of our way for, even from Sturtevant.

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  18. 2:36 - maybe you can go ahead and re-open the Yellow Rose in the empty space that's still there - oh right, the other business expanded into that space. They must have the cloaking device activated -

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  19. Or perhaps the economy had something to do with the expension plans?

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  20. I hope the guys working in the kitchen with "Mr. Ramsey Jr". have their hard hats and thick skin. Be on the look out for flying cookware and an endlessly raging mouth.

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  21. Actually I've been cooking longer than Chef Ramsey and most people feel I have him beat. So the appropriate statement should be, "Chef Ramsey is a Scott Sebastian Jr."

    I also think I am better looking.

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