Jas McDaniel
It’s all about the hollandaise: The Big Sister eggs Benedict.
When the original owners of Three Sisters Kitchen decided it was time to hang up their aprons in 2015, it wasn’t really the end. Shelly Nelson, who’d been working at the restaurant “in every capacity” since 2008, and her sister, Karen Grove, decided to keep a good thing going. After a few weeks of remodeling, they reopened the restaurant last October as My Sister’s Kitchen.
Even though it’s on the smaller side, and tucked away a few blocks from the downtown scene, My Sister’s Kitchen is a worthy competitor to the other big Middleton players like Hubbard Avenue Diner (where there’s invariably a wait for a table on the weekend), Sofra Bistro (another locally owned diner that deserves recognition) and Bloom Bakeshop (where you’ll be tempted by an assortment of gluten-free pastries that taste as delicious as their wheat-laden counterparts).
Even travelers and new customers will feel like part of the family here. It’s easy to enjoy a home-cooked meal — the room is plain, but retains the atmosphere of an old farmhouse. Three Sisters had a devoted following, and My Sister’s Kitchen, too, is a local favorite with regulars who can order “the usual” and Nelson will know just what they mean.
Breakfasts (served all day, every day) really shine. Scrambles, also offered as omelets, come with varied add-ins. The Mexican is a huge portion of eggs, mixed with well-seasoned taco meat, onion, jalapeño, tomato and your choice of cheese, served over crispy golden hash browns. Choosing the pepper jack cheese adds plentiful heat to a delicious dish.
The “Two, Two, Two” is a more classic breakfast plate of a more modest size: two eggs any way you like (the over easy were done just right), two strips of bacon or sausage links and two pancakes or French toast. The pancakes are plate-sized and fluffy.
French toast is golden and crisp and made from thick slices of Texas toast. It’s also available with chocolate chips sprinkled on top. It’s a nice addition.
Everything about the Big Sister, essentially eggs Benedict, is right on. A toasted English muffin is loaded with poached eggs, ham and homemade hollandaise sauce. Hash browns or American fries are served on the side.
I’m usually leery of ordering steak at a diner, so I was pleased that the real winner in “The Cowboy” was the 6-ounce tenderloin, tender and juicy alongside two fried eggs, hash browns and toast.
The corned beef hash was another surprisingly good dish, nothing like the canned stuff my mom used to serve. Large, tender chunks of corned beef balance with crispy hash browns and sautéed onions. Even topped with two eggs, it’s less than $9.
The breakfast sandwich is good, as is the breakfast burrito, but the real standout is the Monte Cristo sandwich. Not many places have this on the menu anymore, and that’s a real shame. French toast is subbed for bread in a grilled ham and Swiss cheese sandwich — the cheese was stringy and gooey, as it should be.
Lunch is served Tuesday through Friday, with sandwiches, chicken, burgers, salads, quesadillas, chili and a soup of the day. The chicken tortilla soup was great, tasty with a hint of cumin and a generous amount of shredded chicken plus a lovely garnish of cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.
The Reuben, while flavorful, was disappointing. Not as tender as it had been in the hash, the corned beef was cut too thick, making it hard to chew. Too much sauerkraut made it even harder to eat, and more difficult to apply the Thousand Island dressing, which came on the side. I ended up tearing off pieces of corned beef and dipping them in the dressing, which was not the way I had wanted the sandwich to go down. A few tweaks could make this sandwich a winner; the side of coleslaw was delicious and clearly made from scratch.
Small touches improve classic diner fare. Grilled cheese is made with sourdough and features the trifecta of American, Swiss and cheddar. The cheeseburger, made from fresh ground beef, is served on a warm, bakery-style bun.
Finally, there’s homemade pie. I was in my happy place with the banana cream, which had a crunchy graham cracker crust, sweet banana pudding and real whipped cream.
My Sister’s Kitchen’s strong local following, homemade food, friendly service and casual atmosphere should keep it going strong.
My Sister’s Kitchen
2227 Parmenter St., Middleton, 608-831-3773, facebook.com/mysister.midd
6:30 am-2 pm Tues.-Fri., 6:30 am-noon Sat. –Sun., $3-$10, no credit cards
