Buttermint Redefines the Meaning of Supper Club

by

Eat/Drink

When Buttermint opened late in 2021, revamping the former Shorewood Blue’s Egg space, it was fully committed to the modern supper club vibe. Buttermint was a great place for a celebratory meal or fancy date night. But, while the food and service were excellent, the overall concept didn’t seem to quite catch on in the casual Shorewood community. In a shift earlier this year, Buttermint toned down the more formal aspects of the restaurant. The menu is more friendly to the average diner, and the move seems to be drawing more interest from the neighborhood as the restaurant was nearly full on a recent Monday evening visit. It’s still a great place to celebrate a special occasion or a date with your sweetheart, but now it’s also a great spot for an informal dinner or relaxed weekend brunch. 

While there has been an easing of the formal supper club concept, you can still begin your meal with soft and buttery Parker House Rolls ($6) which pair beautifully with a bowl of the only soup on the menu, an outstanding Roasted Corn Bisque ($7). Creamy, rich, and layered with flavor, this soup is a winner. In fact, the rolls with the bisque would make a perfect meal if you were just looking for a satisfying, simple supper. There are several other appetizers to whet your appetite like crispy Fried Cheese Curds ($10) served with a tasty miso ranch dressing, or go with something more traditional like the Chicken Liver Mousse ($12) served with wonderful pickled shallots, port wine jelly and rye crostini. Special note: Buttermint often has happy hour deals that include $9 appetizers, so you could come and graze your way through several different small plates while not being too hard on your wallet. 

If you typically skip salads, you may want to reconsider that when ordering at Buttermint. Fresh veggies, beautifully prepared, and including options to easily “beef” them up with excellent added proteins could make them into a meal unto themselves. Brussels sprout fans should not pass up the Roasted Brussels Caesar ($13) with a mild Caesar dressing, red sumac roasted brussels sprouts, shaved Brussels sprouts, sweet dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and delicious grana padano cheese. 

Some of the new, less formal additions to the menu at Buttermint are deceptively simple sandwiches ($13-$15). It could be easy to overlook these if you’re in more in a “fancy meal” state-of-mind, but it is pretty hard to go wrong with an “Old Fashioned” Uphoff Ham Sandwich ($13) made with delicious ham, stone ground mustard and garlic aioli, aged gruyere cheese, fantastic pickled red onion, and fresh marble rye bread—be sure to get it toasted. All of the sandwiches are served with fries, and a remarkable house pickle that is both sweet and crispy, just like grandma used to make. 

The more formal minded diner will appreciate there are still several prime meat ($19-$47) and seafood ($28-$33) options available. A standout among the entrees is the Wood-Grilled BBQ Ribs ($24 ½ rack, $32 full rack) which are served with a phenomenal house-made maple BBQ sauce that is sweet and smokey, along with fries and an excellent broccoli slaw. The menu is rounded out with pasta dishes ($20-$25) which weren’t tried but looked very tempting. 

All of the hallmarks of a great supper club are still a part of Buttermint—great food, fantastic service and an excellent brandy old fashioned. Hopefully the more relaxed setting will be embraced by the community going forward and Buttermint will be around for many years to come. 

Buttermint