A commoner dines at the Ishnala Supper Club, Lake Delton, Wis.

In Wisconsin’s food scene, supper clubs still rule as the ultimate dining experience.  And the king of them all may be the one perched high on the edge of Mirror Lake just outside of Wisconsin Dells – the Ishnala Supper Club. 

Northwoods nostalgia at River’s Edge Pub & Grub, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

In a town that caters to tourists as much as Wisconsin Dells, Wis., sometimes it’s not easy to find the places the locals go when they want to dine out.  Fortunately, on our most recent trip to the Dells, Punky and I followed the Lake Delton shoreline from our resort to a place with a charming exterior that also happened to be one of the most popular hangouts for Wisconsin Dells residents.

Welcome to the River’s Edge Pub & Grub. 

Making the best of a weekend at Baker’s Sunset Bay Resort, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

This is in some ways a story of a Wisconsin getaway that didn’t go quite as planned.  Punky and I had intended to take the Kiddo back to Wisconsin Dells for a long weekend of tourist trap fun combined with some much-needed rest and relaxation.  My job was to secure the lodging, which meant finding something family friendly that wasn’t loud or overcrowded.  Those megaresorts near the interstate and along the main highways were off limits.  But so was anything Punky or the Kiddo might have deemed too rustic. 

My Google mapping eventually led me to focus on the area surrounding Lake Delton south of town.  There, on the lake’s south shore, I chose Baker’s Sunset Bay Resort. 

A commoner dines at Baumgartner’s Cheese Store and Tavern, Monroe, Wis.

I wasn’t sure a place existed that could be the perfect representation of Wisconsin life, but then I traveled through Monroe, Wis., one weekend on the way to Wisconsin Dells.  There, by a stroke of luck (and a desire to find a good lunch spot), Punky and I found ourselves on the town’s historic downtown square, and there it was in all its glory ...

... Baumgartner’s Cheese Store and Tavern.  Yes, a cheese store and a tavern, in one place.  Surely, you won’t find a better Wisconsin experience than that.  We knew we had to check it out.  

A brief return to LD’s BBQ, East Troy, Wis.

If there’s one thing this commoner has learned in my never-ending quest to find the best possible barbecue, it’s that you can find top quality ‘que practically anywhere and in any place.  So, I was not surprised when I discovered what may be Wisconsin’s best barbecue several years ago being run out of a deli counter in a gas station convenience store in East Troy, Wisconsin. 

A commoner drinks (and dines) at Bibinger’s Bar & Restaurant, Cedar Creek, Wis.

Every time work takes me to Wisconsin for an extended period of time, sooner or later I find the local spot that makes the best version of Wisconsin’s signature cocktail – the Old Fashioned.  In Madison it was, appropriately, the Old Fashioned restaurant downtown.  In Sheboygan it was the cozy Frankie’s Pub & Grill.  In West Bend, though, I had to look a little harder … actually, about 15 minutes south of the city in the unincorporated rural community of Cedar Creek.  There, in a building dating back to 1846, is Bibinger’s Bar & Restaurant.     

Noshing at the Norbert, West Bend, Wis.

When my work took me to the quiet and cozy community of West Bend in southeastern Wisconsin, I quickly discovered the best downtown pub and grub for comforting food and drink.  Then, I found the best place for a funky, far out far-Eastern food experience.  But if you really want to know where the finest dining and drinking experience in West Bend is, I’d have to tell you to go to the Norbert. 

 

Signs you’ve stumbled into a really good Wisconsin dive bar

I may just be a commoner, but I’ve traveled enough of the country and set foot in enough watering holes to know not all dive bars are created equal.  Further, what makes a good dive bar in one part of the country doesn’t necessarily work everywhere.  That’s especially true in Wisconsin which seems to me to have a bar culture uniquely its own. 

After looking back over several stops from numerous trips to Madison, Sheboygan and places in between, here are a few signs I’ve spotted to know I’ve stumbled into a really good Wisconsin dive bar.

The Brazen Head Pub in West Bend proudly serves Pabst Blue Ribbon on draft. 

Tochi rocks ramen in West Bend, Wis.

Top-quality ramen at Tochi in West Bend, Wis.

The unassuming community of West Bend, Wis., was probably one of the last places I ever expected to find a gourmet level ramen restaurant.  But ramen is in and trendy everywhere.  And thanks to a little scouting before I started my work assignment in West Bend, it took me very little time before I tried Tochi. 

A commoner dines (and drinks) at the Brazen Head Pub, West Bend, Wis.

Whenever I begin an extended work assignment out of town, one of the first things I do to help acquaint myself with the area is to find a place I can call my “regular” hangout during weeknights.  Not every night.  But a chill, low-key and above all, comfortable place I can frequent once or twice a week and feel welcome.    

On my first night in West Bend, Wis., I was fortunate enough to find such a place when I walked into the Brazen Head Pub in the city’s historic downtown district.

In full disclosure, I knew very little about West Bend before I had to work there.  It’s certainly not on most short lists of “must see” destinations in Wisconsin.  With a population barely over 30,000, West Bend rests in the south-central part of the state about 30 minutes northwest of Milwaukee.  The surrounding area is typical rural Wisconsin scenery shaped by glaciers eons ago.  Perhaps what’s really noteworthy about West Bend is that there’s nothing noteworthy about it.  The town does seem like a perfectly fine place to live and raise a family though.  

A brief dive into the Caribou Tavern, Madison, Wis.

Madison, Wis. is well known for being a tavern town.  Every neighborhood has not just one, but several dive bars the locals consider their second home – a place where they can unwind, grab a bite to eat and hang out with their bar family for a while. 

I’ve visited quite a few local dives during my work trips to Madison, but there was something about the Caribou Tavern that intrigued me greatly, yet kept me from visiting.  Maybe it was the disadvantage of only driving past it at night.  Maybe it wasn’t as convenient to travel to as other dive bars I’d discovered. 

Finally, on my last business trip to Madison, I stopped in for a couple of drinks, and I’m glad I did.  My takeaway:  For several reasons, the Caribou Tavern may just be the best example of your prototypical Wisconsin dive bar I’ve found in Madison.   

A commoner dines at Buraka, Madison, Wis.

No matter where my travels take me as a commoner, I always like to discover cuisines from different cultures I’ve never tried before, even if that cuisine doesn’t necessarily seem to be a natural fit for where I’m visiting.  For instance, who thinks of Ethiopian food when they visit Madison, Wis.?  Well, once I read about Buraka, I did, and I’m glad I tried it. 

In search of the sacred Spotted Cow at the New Glarus Brewing Co.

If you’re from the Midwest and you love craft beer, chances are you’re at least a little familiar with the New Glarus Brewing Co. and its benchmark brew, Spotted Cow.  From my own personal experience, whenever I travel to Wisconsin, I inevitably wind up taking requests to purchase some Spotted Cow or another highly sought New Glarus product.  And for my personal tastes, most of them happen to be quite tasty. 

But what makes Spotted Cow so … ahem … sacred among area beer aficionados?  First, New Glarus and its line of beers are somewhat notorious for their scarcity outside of the state of Wisconsin.  In fact, if you see any of them in any bar or store outside of the state, call the authorities because they’re breaking the law.  So, there’s that whole “Smokey and the Bandit” feeling of bringing a few cases across the state line for your friends.

Then there’s the quality and craft of the beer.  New Glarus is not new to the scene.  The company was founded almost 30 years ago by a master brewer and its signature Spotted Cow, a truly tasty farmhouse ale I happen to love for its maltiness and fresh flavor, has been around since 1997.  With a handful of year-round offerings and an ever-changing line-up of seasonal and specialty brews, New Glarus could be a large-scale … ahem … cash cow … but it seems content to focus on quality over growth.     

A double dose of deliciousness at Dotty Dumpling’s Dowry

If there’s one thing I have in common with my co-workers, it’s a love of food.  So, while we were all working in Madison, Wis., last fall, we made it our mission to find not only the best cheese curds in town, but we expanded our mission to include the best burger as well.  Wisconsin is the dairy state after all, and what goes better together than beef and cheese?  

I’ve already made it pretty clear in previous blogs that Madison has more than its fair share of bar and grills where burgers and cheese curds are staples on the menu, but while we were researching places to try, Dottie Dumpling’s Dowry seemed to strike a chord with everyone.  Maybe it was the alliteration in the name.  Maybe its initials invoked something subliminal in men with healthy appetites.  Maybe it was the notion that bigger is actually better when it comes to a good, juicy burger (each one begins with six ounces of fresh Wisconsin-raised ground beef).  Whatever the case, the place had an impeccable reputation going back 40 years, and we wanted to find out why.

Finding local flavor at Players Sports Bar and Grill, Madison, Wis.

If you’re a commoner like me, and you find yourself “living” on the road for an extended period of time, you start to seek out the kind of places where you can feel completely at ease when grabbing a quick bite or beverage by yourself.  After all, some friendly neighborhood dives are more friendly than others toward strangers.  

The relatively unassuming entrance of Players Sports Bar and Grill

My initial search for such a place while working in Madison, Wis. (where I eventually found several) drew me back to the Atwood neighborhood where I had previously discovered Monty’s Blue Plate Cafe.  I had seemed to recall passing a relatively unassuming place called Players Sports Bar and Grill somewhere along the way, and one evening, after finding the happy hour appetizers at the hotel rather unsatisfying, I decided to roll the dice.   

A commoner dines (and drinks) at the Old Fashioned, Madison, Wis.

One of the first places my new job sent me was Madison, Wis., and one of the first places I discovered after working hours was the Old Fashioned.  Given Wisconsin’s rich traditions of supper clubs and taverns that celebrate beer, cheese, sausage and fish frys, I couldn’t have chosen a better starting point.  

With its location in the heart of downtown, in an older building on the square that surrounds the state capitol, you’d think -- like me -- that the Old Fashioned has been a food and drink destination for all walks of life in Madison for generations.  But the reality is the Old Fashioned was established in 2005.  I think I have socks older than this place.  Nonetheless, it seems to do old-school Wisconsin very well, and it seems to always draw a diverse crowd, from suits to students, singles to families, blue collar to politicos.   

So, the Old Fashioned’s atmosphere and reputation was enough to draw me and my co-workers there to check it out.  And the quest to find the best cheese curds in town.  And the quest for good local beer.