My friend X1 posted this on a blog she does but didn't think it Roadworthy-I disagreed Yesterday, two of my friends (a married couple, Mike and Beth) were going to drive to Madison, WI to give Mike's mom her taxes (which Beth did for her), and then were going to go on a small eating/shopping tour of the surrounding area, which they'd done many times in the past.
I've been to Madison only a few times, and not at all to New Glarus and Monroe, the two towns they were visiting, so I decided I'd tag along.
First off, we picked up Mike's 84-year old mother from her retirement community in Madison. You'd never know she is 84. She is sharp as a tack, very fit, and lively. She's very active, often helping "the old people" in her community with their groceries, or with other activities.
She is part Native American, and part Irish. She looks totally Native American, down to her warm brown eyes, long brown hair, and regal posture. She even has the "stereotypical" high cheekbones, larger nose and brown skin.
So, we pick her up, and we're off to our first stop, Hoesly's Meat Market just outside of the New Glarus town proper.
We walk in, and it smells heavenly. Smoked, cured, and fresh meats are on display everywhere.
Mike makes me buy a pair (that's how they come - a pair, twisted together) of dried meat sticks called "Landjaeger", a local delicacy. It's a hunter's meat - much like jerky or pemmican. It doesn't spoil; doesn't need refrigeration.
I also buy Beef Jerky.
When we get back into the car, I snap pieces off and share with everyone ("Only a little piece, I have to watch my salt", says Mike's mom). I take my first bite of my new favorite snack. It actually "snaps" when you bite it or break it. You know how Slim Jim advertises that? "Snap into a Slim Jim!" Slim Jims don't have nuthin' on Landjaeger. The texture is like tender beef jerky (not that over-processed store-bought stuff), slightly greasy (which is where it actually does resemble a Slim Jim), but full of spices and rich meat flavor. It's wonderful.
I vow to buy more, and Mike laughs.
Next off, we turn into New Glarus proper, a town originally settled by the Swiss. The town itself is a historical site. It looks like you left Wisconsin and suddenly ended up in Switzerland. Cute peaked eves and whitewashed buildings everywhere. Statues of wildly-painted cows are scattered randomly throughout the village. We turn onto 1st Street and stop at two places that are side-by-side.
The first is New Glarus Bakery. We stop here first because it's already 10 AM, and they usually run out of everything, and close by 2 PM. I get some nice-looking huge homemade soft, doughy pretzels. I also get the last two "honey sticks" (long rectagular cookies topped with powdered sugar icing), and a package of cookies.
Mike and Beth get three loaves of different kinds of bread.
Mike's mom buys a cookie.
Then we head next door to Ruef's Meat Market. "Home-Made Sausages from Old World Recipes".
Again, the heavenly scent of smoked meats greets us as we walk in. I immediately buy more Landjaeger, along with a package of freshly-made smoked wieners, and 10 thick slices of their special of the day - double-peppered smoked bacon.
After that, we are off on winding roads and up and down hills and valleys to Monroe, where we are to meet some people for lunch at Baumgartner's. They are a couple from Chicago, who will join us for the rest of the day.
Baumgartner's is a tavern. It's filled with hilarious signs ("Low Carb Menu - Water $4.95" "Happy Hour - From 5.45 til....quarter to six" "Beer free tomorrow!" "Unattended children will be given a shot and a puppy") and a large cartoon mural depicting a battle scene - draught beers vs bottled wine. There are also maps on the walls, with pins in them, to let you know where people have traveled from to eat here.
They have a simple but delicious menu - including their famous Limburger cheese sandwiches (One of the waiters wears a t-shirt. On the front it reads "LIMBURGER", and on the back, it says "Gimmie a kiss!"). The Chicagoans order a Limburger sandwich to share, and a corned-beef sandwich, also to share.
I had a draught root beer - Blumer's, a locally-made concoction. Very, very good.
I ordered the smoked bratwurst, plain, which came with a pickle and a slice of a mild white cheese (probably Brick).
We all ordered a cheese and meat platter to share, which came with both Saltines and a bowl of large round crackers. The meat was a really delicious salami, and the cheeses were (probably) Brick, a nice cheddar, and Swiss (of course!). On the way out, I again purchased some Landjaeger, and also a loaf of freshly made Irish Soda Bread.
After lunch, we took a walk around the square (Monroe, being an old town, is built around a public square, in which the center of the square stands the courthouse), and stopped in to Fox's Feathercreek Bakery. I didn't buy anything this time, but it smelled wonderful.
After that, it was on to Alp and Dell, a cheese shop in Monroe. It was literally crammed with cheeses of all kinds. They have two "factory seconds" refrigerators, which we raided. I got two small containers of spreadable Brie, a hunk of Butterkase cheese, and a spreadable cheese - Lobster Bisque flavor! I also bought four sticks of (locally-made) Zuber's Hot Beef Sticks with Pepper Cheese, and a jar of Stump's Hot Olives, which are pepper-stuffed green olives (made in Beloit, WI). I added a package of cheese ropes, string cheese, and two different types of squeaky-fresh cheese curds. I almost bought a small jar of Wasabi-Sake mustard, but ended up not.
Next stop: Swiss Colony outlet store. Yes, THE Swiss Colony - they have several catalog businesses, including Seventh Avenue.
We go in there, and immediately try several samples of cheeses. I try and then buy a chunk of Chocolate Cheese Fudge. It's awesome. A cross between cheese and fudge, it's smooth and creamy, and not overpoweringly chocolately. Excellent! I almost buy a hunk of Blueberry Brick cheese, but I'm not sold on it completely, so I don't. I ask if they have any Landjaeger, and the woman laughs and says, "You must have had your first taste of it today!" To which I affirm. They do sell it - how many pairs would I like? I almost say "10", but I say 4, and she goes off in back to get it for me.
I also buy a "factory seconds" blueberry and lemon Stollen (a type of coffee cake) that looks great, despite that fact that it's broken in half. I get a Vanilla torte, too, that's basically an overgrown petit-four, and three tiny jars of jelly (Grape, Strawberry and Peach) that I can take to work - at 37 cents each, it's a bargain! I also couldn't resist buying something called "Cheesecake In A Jar", in the "Traditional" flavor. I have no idea what it is - it seems to be a dessert topping of some kind.
I look around at the rest of the store (an outlet of all their catalogs), then we leave and go across the street to Brennan's, a grocery store.
There, I buy MORE Landjaeger - a pair of traditional and a pair of Cranberry. Much to my disappointment, they were out of blueberry. I'm intrigued as to how this smoked meat will taste with fruit added. I also buy a few bottles of Blumer's sodas - Root Beer, Diet Root Beer, Cream Soda and Blueberry Cream Soda. Mike buys something called "Cottage Bacon", which is bacon that comes from the shoulder area - it's like a cross between "regular" bacon and Canadian bacon - it's round, like Canadian, but has a bit more fat and is sliced thin, like "regular" bacon.
Next, we stop at Piggly Wiggly, across the street, to buy some things that Beth needed from a regular grocery store, and to check out their (locally-made) Corned Beef special. Of course, I buy more Landjaeger, but only 1 pair, as that's all they have left.
Finally, we head back to Madison to drop off Mike's mom. Then we all troop to Franklin, WI to The Hideaway on 76th street for dinner (!!!!) - I have a bacon cheeseburger on sourdough toast, Mike has a Cheeseburger made with Merkt's spreadable cheese, and the rest order and split a Steak and Garlic pizza with jalapeños and sauteed onions. After that, we stop at Kopp's custard and get a scoop of Macademia Nut Custard.
Then it's home to pass out.
Wisconsin cheese soup
Chili
Yup that's a half a Limberger and a corned beef
Chili cheese dog
Town pride
The Hideaway's Merkt's cheeseburger
