Sophisticated, but relaxed

Chip & Py's

MEQUON’S Chip & Py’s is a restaurant with both style and substance.

Located at 1340 W. Towne Square Rd. in Mequon just north of the city, Chip & Py’s is an easy drive. With a sophisticated but relaxed ambiance, it’s a great place to relax. Regularly changing art exhibits and live jazz Friday and Saturday nights set Chip & Py’s apart.

The large curving bar is a comfortable place to linger over a cocktail or glass of wine. There are two dining rooms, including one with a romantic fireplace. During the warmer months the screened patio offers truly comfortable outdoor dining. And there is a spacious party room for special events.

Of course, what draws diners from throughout the Milwaukee area is the cuisine. Everything on the lunch and dinner menus is rave-worthy, as well as a great value for the quality of the food and dining experience.

Several evenings during the week, the restaurant offers some unique options. Tuesday, a bottle of wine from the extensive list is half price. Or, bring in a favorite bottle and the corkage fee is waived. Wednesday there’s the fun of lobster night, with a succulent grilled lobster tail offered for $22. On Thursday night, an exciting tapas menu is available. Friday, that Milwaukee staple, the Friday Fish Fry, is offered–but with a difference! Tender haddock filets are hand breaded with Panko (light-textured, Japanese-style bread crumbs), then quick-fried to crispy perfection.

At lunch, soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees are offered. The salads are special standouts, with choices ranging from Honey Dijon Scallop Salad to Mandarin Duck Breast Salad to Roquefort Steak Salad.

At dinner, there are hard-to-resist appetizers such as the Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail. Entrée choices for the meat-lover range from Lamp Chops Parisian to Steak Au Poivre. There are delectable chicken dishes, and pasta fans have seafood, meat and vegetarian versions to choose from.

Many Chip & Py fans are most loyal to the fish and seafood. Napa scallops are sautéed with mushrooms, basil, lemon, garlic, dried tomatoes, chardonnay and a touch of cream; Sesame-crusted Ahi Tuna is prepared to the diner’s specification of “doneness,” coated with black and white sesame seeds and served with wasabi and soy sauce; and Whitefish is simply and deliciously grilled with tomato beurre blanc. Besides the menu “regulars,” there’s always at least one seafood “special” to entice.

Thoughtfully, the dinner menu at Chip & Py’s includes options for the lighter eater or after-theater set. There’s a great steak sandwich or a crabcake sandwich, for example.

To reach the restaurant, exit I-43 at Mequon Rd., west to Port Washington Rd. Go one block south to W. Towne Square Rd., then turn west into the complex of buildings where Chip & Py’s is located. Lunch is served Tuesday through Friday 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner is served 5-9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5-10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 5-9 p.m. Sunday. For information and directions, call 262-241-9589 or visit www.chipandpys.com.