Weekend in Wisconsin's Winter Wonderland

Friday February 20, 2009 
 
The race was on!  The place I really wanted to have dinner was Serb Hall.  Unfortunately, they only serve their famous fish fry until 8:00PM.  And my plane landed at 7:15PM.  Knowing my history with Midwest Airlines running late, I was making contingency plans.  But the Roadfood gods were on my side on this night, as my plane landed a few minutes early and my suitcase was the first to appear on the baggage carousel.  No complications at the car rental counter and 15-20 minutes later, I spotted this welcome sight.

I pulled into the parking lot at 7:49 and took off for the door.  When I ran inside, I asked the man waiting at the podium, "Did I make it"?  He seemed surprised and told me they are open until 9:00PM.  I told him the website says 8:00PM (which I was wrong about) and he told me the buffet closes at 8:00PM, but the fish fry was until 9:00PM.  So, you are saying I ran a car full of nuns off the road for no reason?
 
He led me to the hostess station, where a young lady took me to my table, which was table #100.  This place just may be the largest restaurant I have ever been seen.

In his review, Michael Stern mentions that this is the largest fish fry on earth and I believe it.  Later on, when my waitress Patricia, who is a real pro and took great care of me, found out I was not a local, she asked if I was in town for the RV convention.  This place is so big, they could hold the convention here and not even disturb the diners.
 
Not having attended many (if any) fish fries before, I was surprised by the many different types of fish available.

Left to my own devices, I would have most likely gone with the lake perch, since I have always enjoyed it in the past.  But Patricia really recommended the walleye.  I don't think I have had walleye before, so I went with that.
 
Meanwhile, there was an uninteresting looking basket of bread and a bowl of cole slaw, wrapped in cellophane, sitting on the table.  The cole slaw was very crisp and had a strong vinegary taste.

 
My fish arrived and it looked great!

Three long fillets that had an audible crunch when you bit into them.  The walleye meat was flaky and just melted in my mouth.

Delicious!  Good garlic mashed potatoes, with a side of butter, came with my fish.
 
You may have noticed on the menu above, that Serbian sauce can be purchased for an additional dollar.  Patricia explained that is was peppers, onions and tomatoes in a tomatoey sauce. 

She said some use it for their fish, while other put it on top of their mashed potatoes.  I ate the first fillet, by tearing the fish apart and dipping it in the sauce. What can I say, I am a dipper!  The second fillet, I used the more conventional method and covered my fish with the sauce.  #3, I just used the tartar.  This fish is so good, there is no wrong way to eat it.
 
They had Dutch apple and lemon meringue pie available, but Patricia admitted that it wasn't homemade.  I told her I would go to Kopp's for frozen custard instead.  She said I should go to Leon's since it was so close.  I sheepishly told her, I would probably go to both.  She laughed, but I sensed that she didn't believe me.
 
Before I left, I walked around the building.  This place is actually owned by the Serb church next door and is more of a social club than restaurant.  They even have a bowling alley!

I was told to check out the Hall of Presidents, where they have paintings of all the presidents who have visited, but it looked like the room was in use and I didn't want to disturb them.
 
Serb Hall
5101 W. Oklahoma Avenue
Milwaukee, WI
414-545-6030
 
http://www.serbhall.com/s1/
 
You can't possibly come to Milwaukee and not get frozen custard, so Leon's was the next stop.  The only thing better than the custard itself is the great looking signage.


Truly some of the best neon signs in Roadfood.  I looked over the short roster

and settled for two scoops of raspberry custard.

The young lady who waited on me was very snotty, but this custard was worth putting up with her.  Firm, with a strong raspberry taste, what I wouldn't do to have a Leon's near me.
 
Leon's
3131 S. 27th Street
Milwaukee, WI
414-383-1784
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=2152
 
Since it was still early and there was more frozen custard to be eaten, I stopped at the Kopp's location in Greenfield.

Considering it was after 9:00PM, the place was still very busy.  I looked over the flavors of the day

and went for the strawberry.

The first thing that you notice is the custard at Kopp's is much softer.  It started melting immediately, which made taking photos of it a real chore.  I do prefer the firmness of Leon's better.  But Kopp's gets bonus points for all the strawberries inside the custard.

On this night, I liked Leon's better.  On previous visits, I preferred Kopp's.
 
I noticed several of the young men working the machines, with long lengths of custard coming out.

I don't know what their job is called, but I suggest custard wranglers!
 
Kopp's
7631 W. Layton Avenue
Greenfield, WI
414-282-4312
 
http://www.kopps.com/
 
I checked into my hotel, the Sleep Inn by the airport.
 
Much more to come.....

buffetbuster - 

I have never been to Leon's...and was planning on a Sunday on the way home stop...but after what we put away, it was better left for next time!

The neon really looks cool, so I think I'll save it for a night stop!

Both flavors really looked good!  All you needed was cherry to complete the trifecta!

CTD-
Had you pulled on Leon's on your way home yesterday and completed the Milwaukee frozen custard trifecta, you would be my hero even more than you are now!

Boy, I thought our stops at Gilles and Kopp's yesterday were your first frozen custard experiences of the weekend. I shoulda known better, huh? I meant what I said; when I grow up, I wanna be Buffetbuster!!

I was so upset being sick.Missed a great group and was down for the count.Cliff offered tea if I answered the door in my pajamas....Not a pretty site.Glad you all had a good time.

Ann-
You were very much missed!  Just bad timing on when you got sick.  I hope you feel better real soon and I'm sure we will share a meal on a future trip.

I currently have four unfinished trip reports, including this one.  What is your world record, Travelin Man?

You're onto something with the neon signage in Milwaukee--that's a pretty high bar for the rest of the trip.  I'll be curious to see how the rest pans out, or shines out, or something.

Glad you liked your first taste of walleye--I can't tell good walleye from bad yet but I'm having fun learning.

buffetbuster
I currently have four unfinished trip reports, including this one.  What is your world record, Travelin Man?

Saturday February 21, 2009 

I have always had amazingly good luck about traveling to cold weather cities during the winter and not running into snow storms.  Like last year in St. Louis, when they got hit by 8" the day before I got there.  Well, my luck had run out.  Milwaukee and the lake coast were under a winter weather watch until 6:00PM on Saturday.  When I walked out of my hotel, I was greeted by this:

 
My original game plan for the day included driving north as far as Green Bay.  Though I strongly considered staying local for the day, I stuck to the original plan.  But the first order of business, was to grab breakfast in Milwaukee.  Looking for something uniquely local, I stopped at Jo's Cafe.

 
A tiny diner, with only four tables and six counter seats,

Jo's Cafe makes up for the lack of size with plenty of personality.  I sat at a counter seat and ordered the hoffel poffel.  I kept thinking that every hoffel poffel the cook was making would be mine, but the first few were for take out orders.  So, I bided my time watching the short order cook work her magic. 

 
Finally, my plate arrived.

Hoffel poffel is a wonderful mix of eggs, onion, big chunks of salami and even bigger chunks of potato.  The cheese is optional, but how could I say no to cheese in Wisconsin?

All the ingredients work so well together, but the spicy salami is definitely the highlight item that puts this wonderful dish over the top. 
 
I was also given some wheat toast, and more times than not, I don't even mention the toast that usually comes with a meal.  But because of the sweet homemade apple jelly that Jo's Cafe has sitting out, the toast became a must eat dish.

 
The women who work here are sassy and fun.  Before I left, I asked them to pose for a photo. 

The one on the right, Karyn, was celebrating a birthday!
 
Jo's Cafe
3519 W. Silver Spring
Milwaukee, WI
414-461-0210
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=376&RefID=376
 
I got back in the car and continued heading north.
 
Much more to come.....

<drool>  I am quickly learning that salami might be my favorite of the cured meats.  I made salami pizza last night.  That looks wonderful.

Nancy-
Completely agree about salami.  Believe it or not, I have even better hopple popple (or however it is spelled at each place) coming up later in the report.

Your walleye looked wonderful.  I get that everytime we race with NHRA in Brainerd, MN at the Black Bear Inn.  It is my favorite fish and yours looked very good.
 
As usual, you pick the best.
 
Paul E. smith
knoxville, TN

 WALLEYE!!! You are killing me.  My most favorite and cannot get within 600 miles of here.  Of course, I will tell you no dipping required.  

Sundancer7


Your walleye looked wonderful.  I get that everytime we race with NHRA in Brainerd, MN at the Black Bear Inn.  It is my favorite fish and yours looked very good.
 
As usual, you pick the best.
 
Paul E. smith
knoxville, TN

Paul, I drove the pace car at that track in the late 70s.  It was a Paul Newman race weekend.  Great fun. 

Susan,
   Watch for a Culvers next time you travel. That Butterburger Stand features Wisconsin Walleye about 4 months of the year.  We have on in Evansville and another near us here in Corydon Indiana. We have eaten the dinner and the sandwich, and find it downright tastie !

mayor al


Susan,
   Watch for a Culvers next time you travel. That Butterburger Stand features Wisconsin Walleye about 4 months of the year.  We have on in Evansville and another near us here in Corydon Indiana. We have eaten the dinner and the sandwich, and find it downright tastie !

I will.  Thanks for the tip. 

mayor al


Susan,
   Watch for a Culvers next time you travel. That Butterburger Stand features Wisconsin Walleye about 4 months of the year.  We have on in Evansville and another near us here in Corydon Indiana. We have eaten the dinner and the sandwich, and find it downright tastie !

Up here in the frigid north the Walleye is on the menu all the time at Culvers. They're OK but nothing special compared to the many other places that serve them here or what you saw in Buffetbusters dinner.

The Travelin Man

buffetbuster
I currently have four unfinished trip reports, including this one.  What is your world record, Travelin Man?

 
Self portrait?

susanll


WALLEYE!!! You are killing me.  My most favorite and cannot get within 600 miles of here.  Of course, I will tell you no dipping required.

Agreed!  That walleye was so good, it didn't need anything else.  But, when you get a chance to try something interesting, that I have never had before, like Serb sauce, I couldn't pass it up.
 


 

I've never tried walleye before, but after seeing those pictures I'll have to sample it.  It's not on menus often in this part of the country.  Even though it may not be the optimum example of that dish, I'll go over to Culver's in Evansville, IN and try it.

Thanks again for a wonderful report,BB. I look forward to trying walleye when I visit Milwaukee.

buffetbuster



I was also given some wheat toast, and more times than not, I don't even mention the toast that usually comes with a meal.  But because of the sweet homemade apple jelly that Jo's Cafe has sitting out, the toast became a must eat dish.

Wheat freakin' toast???!!!

Son, are you on some health kick??!!

WJ-
Don't worry, that isn't a sign of things to come.  I didn't walk to Sheboygan, like you would do. 

buffetbuster


WJ-
Don't worry, that isn't a sign of things to come.  I didn't walk to Sheboygan, like you would do. 

That's nothing- only a day's walk!

I was curious and looked up hoffel poffel.  Almost every reference was for Jo's Diner.  I sounds like the Milwakee horse shoe.

Saturday February 21, 2009 cont.
 
I-43 sure wasn't in great shape, but it was passable.  My first stop was the small town of Saukville and a visit to Saukville Meats.

Since the last time I was here, they have added a stuffed zoo in the back.

Maybe Brett Favre hasn't tarnished his image too badly after all, because they had an autographed helmet on display. 
 
One of the more interesting sections of the store was for the doggy treats.

Pig ears, anyone?  I thought I would just stick to the stuff for us humans.  They are a full service butcher shop, but I was looking for some snacks to eat on the road, which they had plenty of.

I grabbed a garlicy summer sausage and a pack of surprisingly hot beef sticks.

Brought back to work, these have been a big hit around here.  I would have loved to have tried some of their own label bbq sauce or steak sauce,

but I had limits on how much I could fit in my suitcase.
 
Saukville Meats
501 E. Green Bay Avenue
Saukville, WI
262-284-0898
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=557&RefID=557
 
Back on I-43N and soon I was in Sheboygan.  My destination was City Bakery,


famous for their brat rolls.  And just like my last visit, they didn't have any this day.  Well, no sense leaving empty handed, so I started off with some cookies.
 
Maybe it was because they sat in the cold of the car for too long, but they were really hard and not worth eating.  An apple slice
 
was too overly sweet for me.  The stand out item was the crumbly and delicious peanut square.

 
To be fair, City Bakery is best known for their bread.  And they do have a large variety available.

It is just a difficult thing to snack on while driving around and it would be days old by the time I get it home.  I do regret not trying this kind that was on display on the counter.

Anyone familiar with Kornspitz rolls?
 
City Bakery
1102 Michigan Avenue
Sheboygan, WI
920-457-4493
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=311&RefID=311
 
I got back on I-43N and continued on to Manitowoc.
 
Much more to come.....

Is it my imagination, or does that middle cookie that you got at City Bakery look like it has a face in it?

Maybe I've been looking a this site too long!

ChiTownDiner

The Travelin Man

buffetbuster
I currently have four unfinished trip reports, including this one.  What is your world record, Travelin Man?

Self portrait?

 
Dearfolk,
   Naw, it ain't me... I haven't had a flat top since the mid-1960's (there is still a local barber who specializes in them!) and now I have a full beard and moustache because it beats the hell out of shaving.
      Only Minorly Hirsutely, Ort. Carlton in Amazing Athens, Georgia.

buffetbuster
WJ-Don't worry, that isn't a sign of things to come.  I didn't walk to Sheboygan, like you would do. 

Dearfolk,
   I figured he wouldn't walk... he'd teleport.
      Going Nowhere Fat (oops, I mean "Fast"), Ort. Carlton in, Um, Athens, Georgia.

Louis
Is it my imagination, or does that middle cookie that you got at City Bakery look like it has a face in it?

 
Louis,
   Don't tell anyone... it's ALIVE!!
      Jauntily Hauntily, Ort. Carlton in VERY Alive Athens, Georgia.