Ron Faiola - Wisconsin Supper Clubs: Another Round

Copyright 2016 by Ron Faiola

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without express written permission from the publisher.

Photography copyright 2016 by Ron Faiola

Bad Case Of Loving You

Words and Music by John Moon Martin

Copyright (c) 1978 Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Corporation

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Faiola, Ron.

Title: Wisconsin supper clubs. Another round / Ron Faiola.

Description: Chicago: Midway, an Agate Imprint, 2016.

LCCN 2015050504 (print) | LCCN 2016000361 (ebook) | Identifiers: ISBN 9781572847774 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Restaurants--Wisconsin--Guidebooks. | Dinners and dining--Wisconsin. | Wisconsin--Description and travel. | BISAC: COOKING / Regional & Ethnic / American / Middle Western States. | TRAVEL / Restaurants. | TRAVEL / United States / Midwest / General.

Classification: LCC TX907.3.W6 F353 2016 (print) | LCC TX907.3.W6 (ebook) | DDC 647.95775--dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015050504

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 16 17 18 19 20

Midway is an imprint of Agate Publishing. Agate books are available in bulk at discount prices. agatepublishing.com

To Emi and Kato

Table of Contents

Contents

T IME FOR ANOTHER ROUND! Once the first Wisconsin Supper Clubs book came out, quite a few people were already asking if there would be second one. It just goes to show the remarkable enthusiasm people have for supper clubs. And the sheer volume of clubs! Where else can you visit 100 supper clubs and still have another 100 or more to choose from? When I do book presentations and signings, I often get quizzed on clubs: Have you heard of...? or Do you remember...? Its fun, kind of like Stump the Band. While its nearly impossible to remember all the old clubs, I can now say that Ive been to over 120 Wisconsin supper clubs, and Im familiar with many more. And my favorite? Im still deciding.

As you might imagine, it was a challenge to select the 50 supper clubs that appear in these pages. There continues to be a strong resurgence of interest in Wisconsin supper clubs, and as it turns out, many people have been using my first book as a guide on their supper club road trips. While Im not writing to critique the food or rank the supper clubs, I do want to feel confident about sending people to these places. And Im staying with the same criteria I used in my first book, by featuring supper-only supper clubsalthough I still make an exception for supper clubs that also serve brunch.

Supper clubs all have their own characteristics, so when I created my list of clubs for Another Round, I tried to balance their different personalities. I also had the pleasure of including a few clubs that have reopened after being closed for a while. The Edgewater in Jefferson and Dirty Oar in Nekoosa come to mind. Both were abandoned clubs that were brought back to life after a great amount of effort, financing, and determination.

One of the trickier aspects of selecting supper clubs to be in the book is that anything can happen in the time between my visit and the books release. I do a lot of research, and short of having a crystal ball to predict the future, I trust my instincts and go from there. Unfortunately, a few supper clubs I planned to visit suddenly closed for various reasons, including Butchs Old Casino in downtown Milwaukee, which shut down in March 2015 after being purchased for urban development, and Ray Radigans in Kenosha, which unexpectedly closed in May 2015 after 82 years in business.

Travel for Another Round was completed in three different stages: a three-week Northwoods trek in the autumn of 2014; day trips in May and June of 2015; and a two-week trip in mid-July that started in the southwest corner of the state, went as far north as Tomahawk, and then continued back down through the central counties. Once again, its been quite a journey, including a fireworks attack and a tornado warning at a motel I was at all in the same night! I prefer to take scenic back roads to my destinations, and many times thats the only way there. Its just me, myself, and I on the road with my camera, writing pad, and laptop.

Before I get to the new clubs, I want to provide an update on a couple clubs from the previous book. The Liberty Inn in Beloit is no more, as owner Casey Singles passed away in the fall of 2013, and a new owner changed the concept and name. Casey and I got along very well, starting with Wisconsin Supper Clubs, the movie, in 2010. I was saddened by his passing, but Ill always have fond memories of working with him on the book and movieincluding the time I surprised him by bringing Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos to supper.

Another wonderful Wisconsin treasure, Shaffers Supper Club in Crivitz, suffered a devastating fire in September 2014. The fire started overnight in the kitchen and quickly spread to the bar and dining room. The building dated back to the 1940s, and the club was always known for Grandmas Famous Fried Chickenthe best fried chicken Ive ever had. After giving the matter much thought, owners Mark and Amy Shaffer decided not to rebuild the supper club and have put the resort, including a rental cottage and two motels situated on a quiet stretch of the Peshtigo River, up for sale. Its a great place for boating and sightseeing, but Ill miss the chicken, the homemade coleslaw, and evenyes, Marka cold gizzard or two.

Ron Faiola and Kyle Cherek at Ishnala.

In more positive news, shortly after the books release I was honored to appear on an episode of the Emmy-nominated program Wisconsin Foodie with host Kyle Cherek. The segment was about supper clubs, and we filmed it at Ishnala on a perfect July evening. I had a wonderful time sharing a great meal and good conversation with Kyle. If you havent seen it yet, visit WisconsinFoodie.com for the episode.

Finally, I want to invite you to check out my Facebook page, Wisconsin Supper Club Movie (accept no substitutes!). Its a great place to share stories, leave a message, and catch up on whats going on in the world of Wisconsin supper clubs.