Haymarket Grill - Eau Claire, WI

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Haymarket Grill – The Cure for the Common Cafeteria
Only a few weeks into my college career at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, the foodie inside of me was ravenous with curiosity in finding great dining options around the area. Like any good chowhound would do, I researched and stumbled upon the recently opened Haymarket Grill. Located on Graham Avenue in the heart of Eau Claire, Haymarket Grill serves a surprisingly upscale menu with a refreshingly local twist.
Upon first glancing at the menu, I immediately noticed the variety of unique entrees, which ranged from Nueske’s bacon wrapped filet mignon to the Greek staple Spanakopita. However, my dining companion and I were in a rather fishy mood that evening, and we decided upon the Grilled Swordfish Oscar, accompanied by roasted sweet potatoes, a crawfish cake, asparagus and topped with a jalapeno cream sauce, and the Grilled Ahi Steak with jasmine rice, pica de gallo, and avocado vinaigrette. We decided to forgo the appetizers and “special” salads, as they seemed somewhat simple and out-of-place with the more outgoing and contemporary entrees. We did, however, ask to substitute the cheese plate appetizer for our dessert – but more on that later.
Our main entrees were served with our choice of soup (ours for the day were either chicken dumpling or onion) or a small garden salad with mixed greens, a few slivers of carrots, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. I decided upon the salad, while my partner chose the chicken dumpling soup. Both weren’t particularly outstanding, and the flimsy white bread with butter that was placed on our table was nothing more than a simple filler. As our table was cleared in preparation for the main course, I desperately wished our entrees would feel more inspired than our soup and salad. Luckily, the seafood Gods shined upon us that evening.
Sight was the first sense our entrees tingled. The chef clearly valued the visual appeal of his food. Both our dishes were vertically stacked, each resembling a neat tower of complimentary flavors. The sweet potatoes provided the base for the swordfish, which sat below the crawfish cake. The sauce was carefully drizzled over the entire dish and provided a great white contrast to the darker, rustic browns provided by the potato and cake. Likewise, my tuna was gently placed on the hump of a half softball size mound of jasmine rice with the pica de gallo placed on top and around the rice mound. The bright colors of pica de gallo, consisting of peppers, corn, and cilantro, dazzled the plate. The pleasantry the presentation provided to our eyes was topped only by the delectable tastes. The swordfish was unbelievably moist. More than most fish, an overcooked swordfish becomes chewy and nearly inedible. However, this swordfish flaked amazingly and had the tender moistness often associated with the likes of halibut. The cream sauce was an excellent pairing for the swordfish, as the jalapenos were traceable, but not overpowering in the least. Although playing second fiddle to the swordfish, the crawfish cake provided the dish with a nice crunch, while the roasted and sliced sweet potatoes served the swordfish much better than mashed would have. My Ahi Tuna was slightly less complex than the swordfish dish, but what it lacked in complexity of flavors it made up for with a boldness of a few, simple ingredients. The tuna was seared to rare perfection - leaving the middle still pink without being chewy. The pica de gallo appeared unassuming, but packed quite a punch with the peppers and cilantro. The only disappointment with the dish was the rice. It was too plain and could have used maybe a sprinkling of herbs to liven it up. Nonetheless, the heat of the pica de gallo added a fiery kick to the meaty tuna steak. What impressed me most with both dishes was the way many flavors were brought together without overshadowing the stars of the show – the seafood. With each bite, I could taste a bit of the jalapeno cream, or a pinch of the pica del gallo, but the fish remained at center stage and never got lost amongst the rest of the flavors.
As previously stated, we finished our meal with the cheese plate appetizer. Surprisingly, Haymarket Grill offered four high quality cheeses all from Wisconsin. Not being a cheese expert myself, take what you will from my opinion on the cheeses. Nonetheless, we were served an ounce each of Les Freres from the Crave Brothers, Four Year Old Cheddar from Widmer Cheese Cellars, Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Uplands Cheese Company, and Ader Kase Bleu Cheese from Seymour Dairy Crest. Being an inexperienced cheese eater, my taste buds danced as each cheese was consumed. My favorite was the Ader Kase Blue Cheese. Having not had many bleu cheeses outside of dressing form, the German style bleu cheese was incredibly creamy and had an unusual yet pleasant milky feeling and taste. A close second was the Four Year Old Cheddar. Again, my inexperienced cheese palate thought all cheddars tasted alike – boy, was I wrong. With the four-year aging, the cheeses cheddar flavor was sharp and its texture crumbly and firm, yet still retaining a sense of creaminess in its aftertaste. This being my first cheese tasting in recent memory, I was impressed by both the quality of the cheeses, and the fact that it was locally procured.
Overall, I must say that Haymarket Grill pleasantly surprised me. Being only a little over a year old, it still has room to mature its selection of both salads and appetizers. However, it is clearly on the right path on both the presentation and taste level of its seafood. I would recommend Haymarket Grill to anyone who finds themselves in the Eau Claire area and is seeking a refreshing departure from your run of the mill contemporary-American restaurant.