Medusa in Lake Geneva

Every year, Mrs Wak and I drive up to Lake Geneva for a long weekend. It’s an unlikely ritual that began 11 years ago and continues to this day. We are fortunate to have found a wonderful Bed and Breakfast the first year that we continue to visit every year. In fact I could go to some length about the delicious breakfast served at the B&B, but I’ll need to save that for another day. There are more important topics at hand.

Namely, our dinner in Lake Geneva. As mentioned, for 11 years we have visited the town and in all those years we have never really had a great meal. The town is driven by the tourist trade so tends towards good, casual fare or above average but overpriced hotel food. We have been to just about every place in town over the years and never found anything special – lots of good, sometimes very good resort food (Geneva Inn, Abbey, Hunt Club, 3 restaurants at Grand Geneva), a couple casual places (Houlihans, Popeyes), and a mix of ethnic options (Mexican, Japanese, Italian). Not a bad selection for a collection of small towns, nice for a good meal over a long weekend, but nothing that ever called me back.

All that changed on our most recent trip.

There is a new place in town – Medusa. It opened in late 2005 and takes up the space of an old bar. The dining area is small, with about 10 tables and a long bar which was full of diners when we were there. There is also a small and nicely decorated lounge in the back with a couple of tables used for special occasions and a bar area that serves as a comfortable waiting area. A nice addition since the tables were all reserved the entire night by the time we called. We ended up sitting at the bar, which seems to be set aside for walk-in diners, but even to get a bar seat we called an hour ahead, let them know that we were coming so that they could save some space for us at the bar, and waited in the lounge area for about half an hour for a spot to open. The place is just that busy. Sounds a little awkward, but really it worked out just fine, although I’d call ahead next time.

The mood is that of a boisterous neighborhood restaurant. You get the feeling that half the patrons went to school together. If there were Great Neighborhood Restaurant awards in Lake Geneva, this place would walk away with the prize. In fact, we heard about the restaurant from two locals – a shop owner across the street, and the owners of our B&B whose sons went to school with the chef. The chef/owner has bounced around between several cities since graduating from the CIA 20 years ago, with many stints in his hometown of Lake Geneva (his parents are the owners of Popeye’s) before opening up Medusa, so he’s kind of like a local institution in the budding.

The menu is a mix of Greek inspired cuisine, including some favorites such as Souvlaki and Saganiki (which seemed to be quite popular) as well as a variety of dishes from around the Mediterranean (Italian, Moroccan, etc), but the recommended dish was the “Chefs Selection.” – a family style serving for two people or more for which you choose meat or seafood (or combo) and let the chef create a platter for you. Being the good Omnivores, we ordered the combo and sat back. What came first was a small basket of excellent rustic Italian bread (made in-house) with hummus and marinated Kalamata Olives. We also ordered a bottle of Spanish wine (“Cuatro Campos” Bierzo ($24)) that we had tasted by the glass while waiting of our bars spots to open.

For our entertainment, above the bar was a large plasma screen showing – no, not the Cubs (thankfully) and not the Packers (surprisingly) but a birds eye view of the Chef’s cooktop. Six burners of rotating meats, vegetables, and pan sauces, there to tempt your appetite throughout the meal. As you should be able to tell by now, this place was made for the true food lover.

And then it arrived – an enormous platter covered with…where should I start? On the right, two dolma stuffed with spiced lamb, then some big chunks of strip steak over wilted spinach, and next a couple home made sausage patties on a pile of spicy cabbage braised in red wine, cinnamon. Moving to the left, several grilled grouper filets over more wilted spinach, a couple big juicy shrimp, and then two enormous grilled scallops by a pile of mixed sautéed vegetables. In the middle, there was a small ocean of fresh sautéed corn and a giant pile of mashed potatoes topped with butternut squash puree and several hunks of wonderfully sweet roasted red beet.

I was kicking myself that I had not brought my camera along, but quickly got over that and dug in. Everything was outstanding. With so much variety you might think that the tastes might clash, but the opposite was true. It all blended together into a perfect Mediterranean feast. The vegetables were a perfect compliment to all the meat, and despite dire warnings from the bar girl that we would be leaving leftovers at the table, we just about licked the plate clean. Even the chef walked by at one point and gave us the thumbs up and an “All Right!” when he saw our handiwork.

All of that, including the wine and chocolate banana marble cake for dessert, came in at $100 for two before tip.

For those less gluttonous, there is also a nice selection of entrees, salads, and appetizers, but after my first experience, I can’t imagine ordering anything else.

So next time you are in Lake Geneva, or anywhere in the area, I can think of no other place I would eat.

Please note – open only for dinner, and closed both Sunday and Monday.

http://www.medusagrillandbistro.com/

Medusa
501 Broad St.
Lake Geneva, WI 53147

FYI, our wonderful B&B of the past 11 years is General Boyd’s B&B http://www.generalboydsbb.com/. The best breakfast in town. If you ever go, tell them Bill and Donna sent you.

Our second visit to Medusa was just as rewarding as our first. I don't like to play up a great place until I have been there at least a couple of times. The Chef's Choice is a great way to try a variety of entre's in one visit. There is a choice of meat, seafood or a combination. Our choice has been the combination on both visits. Outstanding is the best way to describe the meal.
Reservation are required so plan ahead. 262-249-8644
If you are in Lake Geneva and Medusa has no availability then you must try Skinny's for his Chefs custom menu on Wednesday's through Sundays.
262-248-3631

I've been to Medusa 3-4 times, and while I don't love it all, I consider the house made gyros a must-have on my twice a year trips to Lake Geneva. They're very garlicky and beautifully charred in multiple parts, and the meat is incredibly succulent. Possibly the best gyros I've ever had.