Nosh Scratch Kitchen — Restaurant in Winona

A Hidden Gem in Winona, WI – Even Better the Second Time

Just a hop, skip, and a jump off the Great Wisconsin River Road along the Mississippi, the charming town of Winona (population 26,000) is a place we stumbled upon a year ago and discovered Nosh. My husband and I were so impressed during our first visit that we made a point to return a year later, this time bringing our daughter and son-in-law. It was even better the second time around.

You know how rare it is when a restaurant exceeds your expectations on a return visit? Nosh pulled it off with ease. From the first bite of appetizers, deviled eggs with caviar and wings, to the last spoon of a rhubarb dessert, every dish was flawless.

The seared salmon had a crisp crust like no other. The hanger steak was melt-in-your-mouth tender and cooked to perfection. One of the evening’s specials, the Picanha, was so flavorful and unbelievably tender. The sides, like the grilled wedge salad, polenta and the bread with butter aioli were as tasty as each main dish. I could go on… but you really just need to taste it for yourself.

Beyond the food, the service was just as memorable. Every staff member we encountered was warm and welcoming, but a special shout-out goes to our server, Sadie. She was spot-on with her recommendations and on top of that, she was kind, attentive, and added a personal touch that elevated the whole experience.

And to the Chef, thank you. Even though you were juggling a large group event that evening, you still took a moment to offer a thumbs-up through the kitchen window for a quick photo. That simple gesture matched the spirit of Nosh, welcoming, sincere, and unforgettable.

Who would’ve thought you could get such a big city dining experience in a beautiful little river town like Winona? If you're anywhere near the area, take the detour. You’ll be...

Who would have thought that Winona was a foodie city? We recently had a chance for a short trip to Winona from the Twin Cities and were thrilled to discover some great eateries in Winona. Leading the list for us was Nosh.

Nosh is definitely a restaurant that reaches the highest of gastronomic delight. We had limited time for our visit but sought to maximize our ability to sample some of the dishes at Nosh prior to a concert we were attending that evening.

We began our dining adventure with Creole shrimp cocktail. It was served with a Chipotle lime cocktail sauce. It was a delightful combination that definitely satisfied our palette.

Next up were bowls of cream of butternut squash and apple soup served with wild rice, couscous, chili oil and chives. It was a great melding of flavors that we really enjoyed in such an interesting combination.

We then moved on to roasted exotic mushrooms that consisted of roasted oyster, shitake, and cremini mushrooms in a cherry cream sauce served with grilled bread. It was another treat that we greatly enjoyed.

Running out of time for our visit, we had to skip out on the main course and moved on to dessert. We had a couple of different desserts that were unique, beautifully presented and tasty.

Our table service was exemplary as our server would magically appear whenever needed and was extremely helpful in making choices of things for us to try with limited time.

It was a fantastic dining experience and we look forward to making a return visit especially considering the menu changes frequently offering exciting new...

I'll preface this review by saying I plan to revisit Nosh, it certainly seems as though my first visit was a bit sub-par compared to the other early reviews here. I'll start with the things I enjoyed: The service/staff was great. My cocktail (rose gold rush?) was definitely amazing, I'd highly recommend. Most of the cocktails they serve contain an apertivo (type of liquor, which I happen to very much enjoy), which typically lends the drink some bitterness, as well as herbal/spice flavors. Something to watch out for, in case you were expecting a sickeningly sweet & fruity cocktail. As for the food itself, it was a bit of a mixed bag. I ordered the seafood paella, which was fairly good. Honestly it could have had more seafood for $27.50, but otherwise not much to say. My SO ordered the hanger steak, and this is where Nosh disappointed a bit. Asked if she would be okay with it cooked to medium-rare, she instead asked for medium. Well it showed up, and was definitely well-done. Now, hanger steak is supposed to be one of those rare cuts that remains juicy even at well-done, but this wasn't it. It had good char, but was just too dry to really enjoy the way it should have been. The broccoli it was served with (all 4 pieces) was steamed, next to some halved small potatoes, all sitting on a salty-seasoned sauce. Again, not what I was expecting for what was one of the most expensive items on the menu. As I mentioned above, I definitely plan to return for another go, and hope to update this review. Winona is in desperate need of more upscale...