ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ

Housed in a historic building in downtown Edgerton, the Red Baron has original hardwood flooring that exudes a feeling of another era. A long bar occupies one wall and seats roughly a couple dozen patrons. Dark gray walls with red accents decorate the space and colorful canvases depicting any sport imaginable adorn the ceiling. Wooden booths line the opposite wall. For entertainment, there are five TVs, a pool table and electronic dart machines.

After we were seated, our first order of business was beverages. There is a full bar with a rustic chalkboard on one side that lists the tap beers, about five of them, which rotate often. I ordered a Paloma ($8). I had a taste for grapefruit, and you can't go wrong with tequila and lime. Helene ordered the Purple Rain margarita ($9). Served in a 12-oz glass, her drink was a pretty lilac color. Jennifer enjoys “mule� cocktails, so when she spotted the “2 Brothers Mule� ($7) prepared with apple vodka, ginger beer and caramel, she didn’t hesitate to order. Served in the traditional copper mug with a lime wedge and cinnamon stick, it was refreshing with a nice sweetness.

We unanimously decided on the cauliflower bites ($9) as our appetizer. A generous serving of crispy fried cauliflower florets were lightly coated in a honey/citrus combo with a bite of red pepper. It was unique and delicious. The cauliflower was tender inside and flavorful. For those who aren’t big fans of spicy food, like Helene, the side of ranch dressing helped with the peppery heat without detracting too much from the overall taste.

Looking at the menu, I was a little skeptical--doesn't everyone claim to have the best pizza? And with so many varieties of pizza, it would be hard to please everyone. But we discovered that Red Baron makes their own crust and sauce, which was a very promising start. I ordered a large Mediterranean ($25/16-in., $21/14-in). It seemed on the pricey side until I saw how huge it actually was! Topped with a pesto sauce, feta cheese, kalamata olives, red onion, and roasted tomatoes on a thin crisp crust, it was so good! Everyone sampled a piece and we decided it was damn good pizza. I could even go with "the best." I was delighted to have it for lunch the next day. Red sauce is my usual preference, so I will be back soon to try theirs.

Pizza wasn’t the only draw on the menu, though. Jennifer selected the smoked BBQ brisket melt ($13) as her entree. Served on grilled sourdough, it was jam-packed full of smoky, chopped brisket, a hearty, umami-flavored bbq sauce, a layer of melted cheese and chopped raw onion that provided a crisp, crunchy texture. It was super moist and she thoroughly enjoyed it. Her meal came with fries and a fresh dill pickle spear.

On the specials menu, Helene found the reuben sandwich ($15). Served on a delicious toasted caraway rye bread, it was loaded with corned beef that almost melted in your mouth. The swiss cheese and sauerkraut was a little skimpy but the flavor came through. The Russian dressing really made the sandwich sing. Tangy and on the side it made for a nice dipping sauce. This special came with soup and fries. The thin, long fries were warm, crispy and salty. Lucky for us, she and Jennifer shared their fries so there was plenty to go around. The soup of the day was stuffed pepper and it was perfect for the chilly weather.

Nikki ordered the Thursday night hot beef sandwich special ($13). A huge portion of shaved beef was served on bread with mashed potatoes, all covered in a rich brown gravy. Her meal came with soup but she upgraded to a side of their colorful grilled vegetable medley ($3), perfectly cooked to tender crisp.

We were way too full to try dessert, but they do offer sweets like chocolate lovin’ spoon cake and brown cow cheesecake ($7.50). Maybe next time…