Omar Shaikh Dishes on Restaurants, RNC, and Real Life
In this episode of 'At the Bar,' hosts Tim Hansen and Thomas S. Reynolds II sit down with Omar Shaikh , a true Milwaukee icon whose journey is as diverse as it is inspiring.
Omar takes us on a whirlwind tour of his life, from his early days training in jiu-jitsu at the prestigious Gracie Academy to becoming a culinary powerhouse in Milwaukee. We dive into the creation of Sake Tumi in 2005 and the birth of Carnevor, the upscale steakhouse that put Omar on the map.
But that's just the appetizer. Omar serves up a feast of incredible stories. Hear about his clever ploy to snag a coveted Chilean sea bass recipe, the jaw-dropping $5,000 tip left for one of his servers, and how he accidentally charmed a restaurant critic.
The main course of our conversation covers Omar's views on work-life balance and his passionate belief in the power of kindness, illustrated by a moving story about helping an ex-con turn his life around. We also delve into his thoughts on social media—a necessary tool he views with healthy skepticism.
For dessert, Omar shares his thoughts on the upcoming 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. And just when you think the meal is over, Omar treats us to a sampler platter of Milwaukee's finest attributes, reminding us why this city holds a special place in his heart.
So, grab a glass of wine and join us for this jam-packed episode.
“Wah, I don’t like sweet wine! Wah!”
Shut up.
Sweet wines get a bad rap. And there are a lot of crappy, syrupy garbage wines out there (White Zinfandel, anyone?).
But truly great dessert wines are in a class of their own. In the best examples, the sugar is balanced with acidity, concentration and complexity. And as the wines age, the sugar integrates and the overall impression is not of simple sweetness but electric joy.
Ya know the fancy Bordeaux wines? Big Cabernet and Merlot based red bruisers? In 1855 the big shooters were classified into five “growths” with the four (later five – Mouton will always be a second in my mind)) First Growths were the best. Latour, Lafite, Margaux and Haut Brion. As they did in 1855, these now fetch astronomical prices. But did you know that in that same classification system there was one wine that had to be given its own category, one that not even these iconic bottles obtained? The sweet dessert wine Chateau d’Yquem.
The wine is made from grapes that mature with a type of fungus (botrytis) that sucks water from the grapes and does some other chemical weirdness to produce a wine like no other. Single berries and plucked. Tiny quantities of juice are extracted. The result is the most amazingly complex, intense, dazzling and, yes, sweet wine you’ll ever taste.
Dried apricots, honey, caramel, ginger, hazelnuts, butterscotch, crème br?lée … what else do ya want in there? It’s sweet but also savory, with hints of herb and cream and smoke. It coats the mouth and lingers like a melody. It’s so intense it feels like you ate too much pineapple.?
Classic pairings include blue cheese or foie gras, but it’s amazing with damn near anything, or just on its own. If you really want to try something insane, cook a ribeye and baste it with butter, rosemary and garlic – then shut up and drink it with this sweet nectar.
If you don’t like it, Hansen Reynolds will take the leftovers.