"Frustrating."
That's how chef Andy Tenaglia felt at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic began when all restaurants including his, Lagniappe Brasserie, were told to close.
The New Berlin restaurant known for its farm-to-table fare decided not to step back and say 'I can't do this.' Instead, the restaurant staff found a better way around it.
That better way included a change to its lunch menu.
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"We never thought we'd be a burger restaurant," Tenaglia said. "But we found a really good product and we really love to bake so we started making these kobe burgers from New Zealand. And I love farm-to-table, and I love to be local, but there's some things that taste just as great being imported."
Tenaglia said his higher-end restaurant also serves duck with creole seasoning, ripe tomatoes, and watercress picked from Eau Claire.
His goal is food that looks really nice but more importantly tastes better.
In this new normal, Lagniappe Brasserie hopes to find a way to optimize both takeout and dining-in.
The restaurant is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and dinner from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Takeout hours are from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.