Mystery Diner in Shorewood: Dishes at Noodles & Company are globally inspired, taste homemade

Only one person in my family had eaten at a Noodles & Company. I was intrigued, so I decided to order some dinner from the Shorewood location one night.

What did we think? We agreed with the family member who said, “I’m really, really impressed with the quality of the food. I had an awesome tortelloni dish. At first I was like, ’Where did we order from?’ I was racking my brain as to where there was a restaurant that would serve this near to us. When I heard where it came from, I was blown away. The quality was top-notch. Flavors were awesome.”

Here’s what we ate and what we thought.

For starters, we doubled the order of six potstickers for $2.39 each. These resemble dumplings or pierogi, except they’re filled with shredded pork and vegetables.

We ordered the roasted garlic cream tortelloni for $9.60, and added naturally raised pork for $3.60. The Noodles & Company menu said these are “cheese-filled tortelloni in [a] light roasted garlic and onion cream sauce with zucchini, mushrooms and spinach, finished with MontAmoré cheese and parsley.”

According to wisconsincheese.com, this MontAmoré “is a cow milk aged cheese with a distinct crystalline crunch, yet possessing a creamy texture. With the fruity hints of a Parmesan and a unique tangy finish, this cheese has excellent melting characteristics and provides a standout flavor in cheese blends.”

The garlic Parmesan sauce had excellent flavor and each tortelloni was stuffed with ricotta cheese. The dough had the good chew that only homemade dough has. We will definitely be ordering this dish again soon.

We ordered the chicken noodle soup for $7.80. This is the signature soup for Noodles & Company, and it came with chicken breast, celery, carrots, onion and wavy, egg noodles.

We ordered the spaghetti and meatballs for $11.40. It featured five meatballs on spaghetti, which was topped with crushed tomato marinara and Parmesan cheese.

The spaghetti was good. The sauce was well seasoned, and there was just the right amount. The meatballs were delicious, with a hint of spiciness that didn’t overpower. The melted mozzarella cheese was a nice addition to the dish.

We ordered the Wisconsin mac and cheese $11.70, and added grilled chicken breast for $3.60. This was a blend of cheddar and Jack cheeses, cream, elbow macaroni and, of course, the grilled chicken breast. The overall dish was delicious and full of great flavor. More cheese sauce would have been welcome (but that could just be us - we love cheese!).

My personal favorite dishes were the chicken soup and pot stickers. I can see these items becoming my next carryout comfort food go-tos.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at Shaw Media. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a story.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Noodles & Company

WHERE: 920 Brook Forest Ave., Shorewood

WHEN: Noon to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday

INFORMATION: Call 815-254-5566 or visit noodles.com