Weekend in Wisconsin's Winter Wonderland

A double brat on a Sheboygan bun! What utter bliss!

Yeah, I would have had to quiz them down about what all the sundae options were at Beernsten's--what a menu!  And cherry lemonade too, yum.  Too bad about the drunks Cliff, what a bummer.  The Big Penny looks magnificent.

Sunday February 22, 2009 
 
My hotel for the night was the Sleep Inn, located at exit 120 of I-94.  The only other businesses nearby was a gas station and a restaurant called Judi's Place.   Even though this location seemed rather desolate, Judi's Place was constantly busy.  So before leaving town, I had to stop in and check it out.
 
Even early on a Sunday morning, there was a good crowd.  I went up to the register and asked me if they make their own pie.  The friendly waitress told me, "Judi makes it herself".  Well if Judi makes it, that is all I need to hear!  She walked me over to the pie case and showed me what was available, including some bizarre chocolate marshmallow thing.  The rest looked good, though.  I selected a slice each of custard

and lemon meringue.

Both were quite good, with the eggy custard getting the nod as the better of the two.
 
I asked about the big crowd the night before and she told me it was their Mardi Gras celebration.
 
Judi's Place
6727 S. Business Drive
Sheboygan, WI
920-452-5599
 
I would have enjoyed eating a regular breakfast at Judi's, but I had another breakfast spot picked out.  And that would be Riversedge Restaurant

in Saukville.  This is a classic small town restaurant, where I seemed to be the only eating who didn't know everyone else.  There is a large U-shaped counter in the middle of the single dining room,

with a sprinking of tables around it.
 
In the review, Michael Stern raves about the bacon.  The menu itself brags about serving Bernie's Bacon.

And what fantastic bacon this is!

Double thick, with full, pure piggy flavor, this is some of the best bacon I have had.  To accompany it, I tried a potato pancake.

Large, thin, with some wonderful crispy edges, I was very happy with this.  It did seem a little strange that syrup came with the potato pancake. 
 
Riversedge Restaurant
283 S. Riverside Drive
Saukville, WI
262-284-9918 
 
 http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=378&RefID=378
 
At 10:00AM, I was to meet a group of Roadfooders at Benji's in Milwaukee.  Running ahead of schedule, I needed to kill some time.  Remembering my previous visit to Bay Bakery in Whitefish Bay, this became the next destination.

There may have been an ownership change here, because it now bills itself as Regina's Bay Bakery.  This is more of an upscale bakery, with lots of fancy pastries.  Many things caught my eye, but I knew I had much more food to eat before I flew home and that I had limited space in both my stomach and suitcase.
 
For myself, I picked up a yummy looking oatmeal raisin cookie sandwich.

Since I would be seeing my Roadfood buddy ChiTownDiner in a few minutes, I bought a couple of other items to help him on his long drive back to the Windy City.  These included an amazing looking chocolate peanut butter cookie

and a few cheesecake pops.

I had never seen those before!  Unfortunately, my cookie sandwich was not very good as the cookies were too hard.  I really, really regret not keeping the chocolate peanut butter cookie for myself.  Hopefully, CTD chimes in and lets us know how they were.
 
Bay Bakery
423 E. Silver Spring Drive
Milwaukee, WI
414-332-5340
 
http://www.baybakery.com/
 
I arrived at Benji's and waited for the others.
 
More to come.....

Oh I think you made a mistake not keeping the chocolate peanut butter cookie--that looks insane.  I've heard of the cheesecake lollipops but haven't tried one. 
 
That is applesauce next to the syrup with the potato pancake, right?  Maybe enough folks asked that now they just put it there.

Most places in the area ask if you want applesauce or syrup with your potato pancakes. Me? I like butter and salt and pepper. I think it depends on what you were brought up with. As far as that other cookie, I remember the commercial,
"Hey, you got peanut butter in my chocolate"!
"No.  YOU got chocolate in my peanut butter"!
Those cheesecake pops look a bit too sweet. Were they?
Oops, Mrs. MFL reminded me that the pancake option should have included sour cream; she's right you know.

MFL-
I am definitely used to seeing sour cream and apple sauce as the two choices for potato pancakes.  When traveling together, my cousin Johnny and I often get side orders of potato pancakes, which works out well, since he is a sour cream guy and I am all about the apple sauce.  But syrup?  Just does not sound good to me.....
 
The cheesecake pops went home with CTD.  Hopefully, he will let us know how they were.

Nancy-
I had first choice of the cookies and blew it.  Can you imagine any sane person giving that chocolate peanut butter cookie away? 

No sir, I cannot.  I want to flake off the chocolate icing in my mouth right now.

Sunday February 22, 2009
 
When I walked into Benji's

around 9:45AM, I was asked if I was buffetbuster by none other than Brad Olsen.  I said yes and he introduced me to his wife Kathy.  Soon after, nocarolina, ChiTownDiner and his son James arrived.  Unfortunately, no annpeeples.  We waited a few minutes and then grabbed a table in the corner.  Benji's is a small place

and it was filling up fast.  Before we ordered, I called Ann, only to find out she was very sick and wouldn't be able to join us.  Too bad Ann, because we all brought fabulous, expensive birthday presents for you.  Since you weren't there, we were forced to return them all!  Ann, you were very much missed and I hope you had a good birthday, anyway!
 
Benji's has a large, wonderful sounding menu and this is the perfect place to eat with the king of knowing what to order, ChiTownDiner.  He, James and I were going to get lots of food and share them all.  First, the Hear O Isreal sandwich.

Oh, baby, was this thing good.  That is corned beef, pastrami, salami and pepper beef, plus swiss cheese, cole slaw and thousand island dressing.  This was a fantastic sandwich!  Next up, the Super Hoppel Poppel.

Same dish as I had at Jo's Cafe the previous morning, but the super version here also includes green pepper, onions, mushroom and a choice of cheeses and we went with Colby.  Just an amazing combination of ingredients.
 
James got the potato pancakes,
 

which were a spectacular combination of crunchy outside and creamy interior.  No apple sauce, sour cream or any other topping necessary.  Simply the best thing I ate all weekend!  Next, a plate of chopped liver.
 
I planned on trying a schmear, just because I like saying the word schmear.  But I was so distracted by everything else, I never did try it.  How was it CTD?  Coming with the chopped liver was maybe the surprise of the day, excellent creamy potato salad.

Just when you thought he couldn't possibly order anything more, CTD decided we needed to sample some of the wonderful corned beef hash.

 
I believe that Brad Olsen got the regular hoppel poppel, while his wife Kathy got the hot dog,

which was a 1/4 lb. all beef Vienna and it looked quite good.  BTW, I knew I would like Brad right away when he showed up in a college sweatshirt.  I really enjoyed my time chatting with Brad and Kathy.  Unfortunately, I can't remember what nocarolina had for breakfast.  It was all the way on the other side of the table and I didn't take a photo.  What did you have Bob?
 
Great company and great food, this was truly a memorable meal!  And I think everyone appreciated nocarolina picking up the check.
 
Benji's
4156 N. Oakland Avenue
Milwaukee, WI
414-332-7777
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=2198&RefID=2167
 
We walked out the restaurant around 11:15.  The schedule had us next meeting other Roadfooders at Kopp's at noon.  Brad and Kathy had to pick up some photos they dropped off at the store.  Always trying to squeeze an extra food stop in, I suggested a quick trip to Gilles Frozen Custard.  Everyone agreed and we were off.
 
Gilles Frozen Custard


is actually the oldest frozen custard stand in Milwaukee.
 
Besides the custard, there is also a long roster of sandwiches and other goodies available.

 
The outside may look small, but it is fairly roomy inside.

You can see nocarolina and CTD in the background.  Flavor of the day?  Oreo!

Since this was my first visit here, I am hesitant to rank it against Kopp's or Leon's.  But there is no doubt that this was good, quality custard.  The other three ordered various sundaes, but since we were running late to meet everyone at Kopp's, I didn't have time to take a photo.  CTD, would you mind posting the photo of your desserts?
 
Gilles Frozen Custard
7515 W. Bluemound Road
Milwaukee, WI
414-453-4875
 
http://www.gillesfrozencustard.com/
 
We jumped in the car and hightailed it back to Kopp's.
 
More to come.....

Super hoppel poppel!  What has the world come to?  :)

Sunday February 22, 2009 cont.
 
Arriving back at Kopp's at ten after 12:00, we were surprised to not recognize anyone among the crowd.  Unfortunately, Brad Olsen received a call and had to head home.  And BuddyRoadhouse was not going to arrive until around 1:00PM.  Needing about 45 minutes to kill, we plotted how to fit in another food stop.  Luckily, just down the street is Solly's Grille.  And after a quick phone call to confirm they were open, we were on our way.
 
It has been since 2000 that I have eaten at Solly's Grille. 

This was just before they moved into the new location.  It didn't look good for a quick meal when we arrived.  Every seat was filled with at least a dozen more people waiting ahead of us.  But, we caught a break when several parties left and we were sitting down and ordering within 15 minutes.  BTW, except for a small table in the corner, all the seating here is at one of the two U-shaped counters.
 
 
Solly's is best known for their butter burgers.  These are aptly named, because these burgers are absolutely drenched in butter.


Look at all of that butter draining off the burger onto the paper plate.  These are obviously not for the faint hearted!  I know that James and nocarolina were not really fans of these, but they are some of the most flavorful burgers you can imagine.  I loved mine!
 
To drink, I went with the super strong fresh banana malt.

That is three glasses worth in the silver beaker.  ChiTownDiner raved about his Sprecher cherry soda.  The four of us also shared the crisp, not too greasy onion rings.

Our waitress did a great job of getting us in and out quickly, but we still paused to have her take this photo.
 
 
Left to right, that is myself, nocarolina, James and ChiTownDiner.
 
Solly's Grille
4629 N. Port Washington Road
Milwaukee, WI
414-332-8808
 
 http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=615&RefID=615
 
Rushing back to Kopp's, we found BuddyRoadhouse and his lovely wife Susie enjoying their meal.  This was the first time I had met Susie, but I got to know Buddy from our three meals together in Ohio last summer during his bbq sauce tour and I always look forward to spending time with him.
 
By this point, I was stuffed beyond belief, but still, I am at Kopp's and I'm not about to let to an opportunity slip away.  So, here is my two scoop mocha chip.

Shockingly, CTD still had room for another burger.  He explained to me that he wanted to try one, because it had a highly regarded local bacon, whose name escapes me.  After eating, CTD and James had to head back to Chicago and said their goodbyes.
 
One more thing about Kopp's......  I figured out how I want to die.  That would be by drowning in the sundae that goes with this spoon!

 
Our next scheduled meal was to be at Turner Hall at 4:00PM.  Needing to kill some time, Buddy & Susie went grocery shopping, while I drove nocarolina back to Benji's to get his car.  We agreed to meet back up at the wonderful art museum.
 
We were now on a tight schedule and it didn't make much sense to pay the $12.00 entrance fee to the museum for such a short amount of time.  So we just hung out and chatted.  I did snap this photo of Susie, Buddy and nocarolina in front of a Chihuly.

We all got in our seperate cars and headed for Turner Hall.  Knowing that they have German food and that is one of my very favorites, I was excited about dinner.  Unfortunately, Turner Hall sits across the street from the Bradley Center and there was an event about to start.  There were thousands walking to the arena and the parking lots that weren't already full were charging $20.00 and up.  Knowing this situation wouldn't work for a Roadfood get together, I got out of there, found a place to pull over and called Buddy.  He had already seen the situation and it was obvious we needed to find a plan B.  So, I sat tight, while Buddy made some phone calls to all the attendees.  Just a few minutes later, Buddy called me back to say the new destination was Jalapeno Loco, a Mexican restaurant.  I was especially happy to hear this would be near the airport, since that would be my destination as soon as dinner was over.  Thanks for doing such a great job getting everything lined up Buddy!
 
I was the first to arrive at Jalapeno Loco. 

Soon, I was meeting other Roadfooders, X1, stricken detective and Chuck L for the first time.  JRPfeff was not able to make it, but his wife Bobbie and son (is it Marcus?) dined with us.  I have to admit that I am a little jealous about what a great tight-knit group of Roadfooders you have in Milwaukee.  Everyone was very nice and you can tell that they really like each other.  Along with the Chicago group, you guys are very lucky.
 
I didn't take too many photos, just of my own food.  I had the chiles rellenos
 
and the surprisingly hot horchata.

Stricken detective took lots of photos which she posted in another thread.  But, I didn't want to link to it without her permission.  All of the food looked good and everyone semed happy with what they had.  Unfortunately, I had to take off for the airport and wasn't able to fully enjoy the camaraderie.
 
Thanks to everyone for reading my trip report!

Wait....I thought this was a Chihuly....



All I see there is a funky glass structure.

The bacon on that Kopp's burger that ChiTownDiner ate was from Neuske's, a highly regarded local source for top quality bacon and other cured meats.

Nice report so far.  Looking forward to the grand finale.

Buddy

TTM-
Just be happy I didn't subject everyone to a Buddy borrowed some headgear from Carmen Miranda joke!

BuddyRoadhouse

The bacon on that Kopp's burger that ChiTownDiner ate was from Neuske's,

Neuske's!!!  That was the name.  Thanks Buddy!

It kinda looks like Susie's thinking the same thing Cliff.

On second glance, it does look like something Carmen Miranda would wear.  I think it works on me, don't you?

Buddy

buffetbuster

ChiTownDiner raved about his Sprecher cherry soda. 

Is this their new cherry cola? Or the Ravin' Red?

Shockingly, CTD still had room for another burger.

haha, this does not shock me.

He explained to me that he wanted to try one, because it had a highly regarded local bacon, whose name escapes me.

I had one for lunch today with the Nueske's bacon, it was awesome.

One more thing about Kopp's......  I figured out how I want to die.  That would be by drowning in the sundae that goes with this spoon!

Today they had pancake & maple syrup custard. I bought a pint & I have plans to fry up some sausages, chop them up & put it over the custard in dishes. I may take pictures. This will be next week since I left it at work!!!!!

I did snap this photo of Susie, Buddy and nocarolina in front of a Chihuly.

There's a Chihuly in the lobby of the Hyatt downtown, too. Love the pic of Buddy Miranda. hahaha, awesome

Stricken detective took lots of photos which she posted in another thread.  But, I didn't want to link to it without her permission.

Oh I don't mind. I do the slideshows now instead of trying to post individual pictures, it's just easier.

It was fun breaking bread (eating chips?) with you  & your pics are great!

Tick, tock.  Tick, tock.

Buffetbuster is truly the Jack Bauer of Roadfood.

Reading his report is much like watching an episode of 24.  You know that each of the segments is possible; but there can't really be enough time to eat the meal, get from one location to the next, and then be ready to eat the next meal all within a few hour period. 

And like Bauer, every so often something that Buffetbuster does has you saying, "There is no way he could do that."

Furthering the analogy, Buddy's quick thinking and communications skills saved the group from disaster at their 4:00 meal.  I think that makes Buddy the Chloe of Roadfood.

Tick, tock.  Tick, tock.

p.s.  BB - You were right close.  My son's name is Martin.

LOLOL.  But Jack Bauer never goes to the bathroom, and Cliff made reference to that really cold one out back of the burger joint in Ohio.  Otherwise I totally agree.

 BB,you just gotta come the northwest. Tacoma has a wonderful museum of glass art with a lot of Chihulys(just don't ask me my thoughts!)as well as roadfood gems Knapp's and the Picway drive-in. Every segment of your adventures is a pleasure to read about and i would love to know what you think about some portland places.

Jack Bauer would have definitely made it to Green Bay, blizzard or no blizzard!!!


My apologies for getting Martin's name incorrect.

The Cherry Cola is Outstanding...probably our favorite  cola beverage. The Raven Red is OK but not in the same league!!  CTD, WHICH WAS IT???

/me high-fives chipsie over the Chihuly slam

Al-
I know CTD mentioned it was the same one he sampled while we were in Memphis.

BB, I haven't even gotten to the second page yet (if there's more on there), and I'd go just for the raspberry custard alone! Oh, and the fish!!! I have to show Brian the Leon's custard pictures. He loves neon like that and his dad's name was Leon! Now let me read more... 
 
Edit:This is what I get for not looking at the whole thing, really. I just saw the picture of the Chihuly! Now I've gotta go there (but NOT in the winter).
 
 
 

Just my 2 cents-hopefully CTD had the Cherry Cola from Sprecher-its made with Door County cherries which has a great semi sweet tartness to it. Ravin Red is different. I brought Al and Janet some on our mini meet, an they loved it( once they tasted it) If anyone wants some-I can ship directly from my favorite store-Karls-just down the street from me.

Buffetbuster, how could you forget that I was "bold" enough to try the regular hoppel-poppel ( with onions, no less! ) Quite tasty; I really enjoyed it.

Well that explains why I didn't photograph your breakfast nocarolina, since it was so similar to my own.  Thanks for driving up to Milwaukee for the day and I am looking forward to seeing you in Louisiana!

BuddyRoadhouse


On second glance, it does look like something Carmen Miranda would wear.  I think it works on me, don't you?

Buddy

I was going to ask if that was Buddy's hair after he saw what CTD had ordered?? 

Hello All,
I really enjoy this thread and the photos.
Most of my travels have been in the Southeast.
and a few in the Northeast, but I have a desire
to hit the Midwest, especially the Northern Midwest.
This thread has convinced me I must go there.
Thanks for stirring my dreams of a future road-trip.
Hope I can fulfill it.
Take Care,
Fieldthistle

buffetbuster -

I stopped and grabbed a Big Penny and a Hot Chocolate Malt tonight for my drive home.

The lady serving me looked like she might be Trish, so I asked her if she had ever seen the pictures of The Penguin that my friend from Pittsburgh put up on the Net.  She had kind of a blank look, but within a minute of me explaining she asked if you were there on a really snowy day.  Then it all came back to her.  You made quite an impression.

I'm hoping that Trish can find this thread with the instructions I wrote down for finding it.

Jim

JRPfeff


buffetbuster -

I stopped and grabbed a Big Penny and a Hot Chocolate Malt tonight for my drive home.

The lady serving me looked like she might be Trish, so I asked her if she had ever seen the pictures of The Penguin that my friend from Pittsburgh put up on the Net.  She had kind of a blank look, but within a minute of me explaining she asked if you were there on a really snowy day.  Then it all came back to her.  You made quite an impression.

I'm hoping that Trish can find this thread with the instructions I wrote down for finding it.

Jim

Jim, thanks for bringing this thread back up.  Now I am homesick!!!!  I grew up in Oconomowoc and built a house in the town of Merton by Lake Keesus about 14 years years ago before all of Milwaukee realized the lake country was a great place to live.

BB,

You hit some great places.  I remember most very fondly.  I have some incredible sausage houses and cheese places you could go to if in the area again.  Most sausage places are the type though where you grab and go and then cook at home.  Cheese factories let you sample there.

JRPfeff-
Thanks for letting me know about you stopping in at The Penguin.  First of all, how was the Big Penny and the hot chocolate malt?  Was it actually hot?  I am surprised she remembered me, since that was quite a while ago.  I hope she can find the photos and report and that business is doing well.

Cliff,

The Big Penny was great, as usual.  It was even on special, with fries & drink for $6.  Unfortunately, I forgot to add cheese, which happens every time I go there, but I usually catch before my burger is served.  Trish and her staff should learn to push the cheese, since it does not come standard.

By the time I ate my malt there was no evidence of the 'hot' in hot chocolate.  But it was really, really good.  The combination of the malt and chocolate flavors was perfect, and it was rich & thick.

There seemed to be a few regulars eating at the horseshoe counter and other people were arriving when I left.  This certainly isn't fast food, but it was worth the extra 10 minutes it took instead of going through a Mc-drive-thru.

Jim

buffetbuster -

Don't underestimate your recognizability.  Not too many folks take an interest in a business like you did, or parade around a restaurant with camera in hand like that.  She still remembers you going out into the snow to get the exterior shots.

Jim

JRPfeff
 
This certainly isn't fast food, but it was worth the extra 10 minutes it took instead of going through a Mc-drive-thru. 

Amen to that, my friend!  Glad to hear the food was good and they seem to be doing well. 
 
So, what you are saying is that I am the only one dumb enough to go outside in a blizzard and take photos of a restaurant?

She would have remembered Bob or Gregg, too.

LOLOLOLOLLLLLLLLLLL 

I know earlier in the report someone said there was a face in the cookie. But there is definitely one (and not too happy about being eaten apparently) in the mocha chip cone from Kopp's!!! That would be an interesting thread. Strange or unexplained things found in trip report photos.

Which one, the oatmeal raisin or the chocolate peanut butter?

nocarolina
when I grow up, I wanna be Buffetbuster!!

Doesn't sound to me like he grew up. Of course, that's a good goal in and of itself.

wanderingjew
Like This???
 

More like this www.sewinggoddess.com/.../Shrek09big.jpg

Can anyone explain to me why I always go to Wisconsin in Winter time?

Anyway, I recently flew in and out of Milwaukee.  My plane left Pittsburgh at 6:00AM Saturday morning and since there was more snow here than in Milwaukee, the drive to the airport was a bit of an adventure.  But I arrived safely and was on the ground and in my car by 6:45AM.  I pointed my car south and headed for Racine, a.k.a. Kringleville.

The first kringle stop was at Bendtsen's Bakery,

my long time favorite.  When you walk in, all the cases to the left have donuts, cookies, cupcakes, etc.  I have tried a couple of items here and there and they have all been fine.  But all the cases on the right are for kringles and that is the reason to visit.  Here is one of those cases.

Besides the ones sitting out, they have other flavors

available everyday.

After a quick debate, I settled on one apricot and one pecan.  Here is what they look like in their wrappers.

And here is the apricot,

with a quarter in the center to show just how big these are.  From my past visits here, I know that the kringles here are especially buttery and flaky and WILL leave a mess in your car.

I tossed them in the car and headed off for another kringle destination, O & H Danish Bakery. 


Usually, I just walk across the street from Bendtsen's and hit Larsen's, but I have never been to O & H before and have always wanted to try it.

The first thing that struck me about O & H was how much bigger they are than the other two places.  Besides the bakery, they are also part gift shop and convenience store.  They were also much busier than Bendtsen's, too.  I saw this woman

buying the kringles in two big box fulls.  And while I was still deciding, another woman

had FIVE boxes full of kringles (three are already been checked out).  There are some serious kringle parties going on around here!

Instead of having them in glass cases, they have them in an easy access display. 

They seemed to have just about the same flavors, though being a mint lover, I could not resist that peppermint chocolate was their flavor of the month.  Here it is in the wrapper

and unsheathed.

BTW, a lot of the chocolate stuck to the top wrapper, which is why it doesn't look as good as it should.

Okay, true confession time.....  I haven't even eaten these kringles yet.  I brought them home to share with the girls in the office, but we were bombarded with so much sweets around here already, I took them home and froze them.  The plan was to bring them out when family was visiting for Christmas.  But there was so many cookies, cakes and pies already, I just kept them in the freezer.  And they do freeze very well.  Maybe in a week or so, I will pull them out and let you know know how they were.

Bendtsen's Bakery
3200 Washington Avenue
Racine, WI
262-633-0365

http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Review/373-373/bendtsens-bakery

O & H Danish Bakery
4006 Durand Avenue
Racine, WI
262-554-1311

http://www.ohdanishbakery.com/

O&H has a far superior product, IMHO.

One of these days you are going to take a Monday or Friday off & make it to Nite Owl, I just know it!!!!

Dang!!!! I want to know those women What was the date of this? Was it just prior to Thanksgiving....or around Christmas party time?

Let us know which you enjoy more once you break them out of the freezer!

bb, back in March of '08 a big chunk of The Contingent went on a kringle hunt, hitting all the spots you mention in your post.  We all brought home stacks of kringles (those that were not consumed on the trunk of my car) and I gotta tell ya, I didn't find a bad one in the bunch.  I know that "who makes the best kringle" is a hotly debated subject in and around Racine.  As far as I'm concerned, I am happy with any kringle I can sink my teeth into.

Buddy

Buddy-
Like you, I have yet to meet a kringle I haven't liked.

s_d-
Nite Owl?  Never heard of the place!

Among my plans was to take a photo of Nite Owl, all dark and covered in snow for the Winter, to use in my trip report.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stop in.

While gently sleeping off a food induced coma, buffetbuster was implanted with a small microscopic chip which alerts Nite Owl to automatically close when he gets within 200 yards!

I find the kringles taste much more similar than say burgers from three different places.  That said, I like them all!

CTD-
Well, that explains why the beepers always go off when I walk through a metal detector!

ChiTownDiner


While gently sleeping off a food induced coma, buffetbuster was implanted with a small microscopic chip which alerts Nite Owl to automatically close when he gets within 200 yards!

BB needs to find his own schtick. 

After leaving Racine, I headed west through the backroads to reach the town of Mukwonago and one of the best places in the country for pie, the Elegant Farmer.  I wrote about this place previously, so pardon me if I repeat myself.
 
Love the big smiley barn

and that you have to enter the building through a silo.

 
Besides the famous pies baked in a bag, they have lots of other things to offer.  A great selection of meats,

including some yummy snacks

for the road.  Jams, jellies, relishes, pickles, etc.,

much of which carries the Elegant Farmer name.  And with this being Wisconsin, plenty of cheese and cheese curds.

And for those who have to eat on the go, box lunches.

 
But of course, I was here for the pie.  What makes this place special is their method of baking the pies in paper bags, which strikes me as strange, but obviously is very successful.  The apple pie is best known and I've had it before, so I know how good it is.  I gave thoughts to getting something else, but that is the only type of pie they sell by the single slice.  So, I ended up with this.


The crust is extra heavy and rugged, while the apple part is just sweet enough.  As the Sterns say in their review, it is perfect pie!  Note to apple pie lover Travelin Man....  you need to get here.  Now!
 
One piece of pie is never enough, so I went back up to choose another flavor.  Berried treasure

is the current featured pie, but I eschewed that for a 4" peach apple pie. 

I warmed it up in my hotel microwave the next morning and it was pretty sensational, too.
 
Elegant Farmer
1545 Main Street
Mukwonago, WI
262-363-6770
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Review/619-619/elegant-farmer

Cliff, I visited the Elegant Farmer for the first, but certainly not last, time this past summer, and I fell in love with the place. This is some great apple pie ( Travelin Man, they're playing your song! ) What really added to my very enjoyable visit was arriving at the EF in a 1920s-era Chicago elevated train, courtesy of the East Troy Trolley Museum.  

Elegant Farmer is one of our favorite trips with or without the trolley added on...
I love the smiley barn too.
And if we can't make it all the way to Mukwanago,
sometimes we get our apple pie fix at the Mars Cheese Castle, which carries their pies as well.

I'm contractually supposed to scoff at all things Sconnie but one of these days I'm gonna have to slip away and get me some kringle.  It just looks insanely good.  And those pies look pretty damn good too.

Those pies are the best...THE BEST!  the combinations of berries, peaches, apples etc and crumb toppings, WOW! 

Continuing further west, I was ready for my first full meal of the day, when I got off I-94 in the small town of Johnson Creek.  My destination was the Roadfood reviewed The Pine Cone,

a restaurant part of a large truck stop.  Like the review says, this place was very crowded.  This has at least partially to due with it's location next to the outlets directly behind it.
 
As you walk in, the coffee shop area is to the left, while the more family dining room feel is to the right.  No matter what, you will notice the bakery case by the register,

with especially large cinnamon rolls and elephant ears.  The large menu is just what you would expect at a truck stop, with the emphasis on comfort food.  Here are the day's specials.

 
Since it was a little after 10:00AM, I feared I would be stuck with having to order breakfast.  But the nice waitress (I received excellent service) told me the entire menu is available 24 hours a day, which is a big plus!  With it being such a cold day outside, I was especially interested in their homemade soups.  Having two of my favorites, I went for a bowl of them both.  The chicken dumpling soup was especially hearty, with big, solid dumplings in it. 

I was very happy with this.  Bowl number two was cheesy asparagus,

which although a little too salty for my taste, I still finished easily.  The huge, hot dinner roll that came with it was much appreciated.  The special that caught my eye was the cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham,

a dish I particularly love at home.  Unfortunately, it didn't occur to me at the time I was ordering it that it would be so similar to the cheese soup.  Dumb mistake!  I was tired of the cheese taste by then, and of course, this was too salty, too.  The ham was especially fatty, so all I did was eat some of the potatoes and ignored the rest. 
 
For dessert, I tried to order a piece of banana cream pie, but the waitress came back and told me they were out.  So, I settled on a slice of apple crumb.  Again, a mistake.  After just eating at Elegant Farmer, is any other apple pie going to compare?  Anyway, here is the pie,

which was way too much crumb and not enough apple.  Other than the chicken dumpling soup, my meal was a disappointment.  But, I sure could have ordered smarter, too.
 
I got back on I-94 and headed to Madison.
 
The Pine Cone
Hwy. 26 & I-94
Johnson Creek, WI
920-699-2766 
 
http://www.roadfood.com/R...165-1165/the-pine-cone

A clear case of WWBBD by the master himself!  Nice job on the two soups!

First stop once reaching Madison was the University of Wisconsin bookstore, where I bought a couple new shirts.  I spent some time walking up and down busy State Street, but it was so cold, I decided it was time to get back to the car.  But not before walking a block over to icy Lake Mendota. 

Brrrrrrrrrr!
 
No surprise to learn that the university is famous for their ice cream, so I decided to stop at the Babcock Hall Dairy Store. 

Parking in this area can be difficult and I finally found a spot a couple of blocks away.  But, the meter only allows you to put enough money in for 25 minutes.  Booo!  That sure isn't much ice cream eating time!
 
Looking over the available flavors,

I settled on a scoop of Peppermint Stick and a scoop of Badger Blast, thinking this was their signature flavor.

Despite the fact that the ice cream was on the soft side and started melting immediately, I was very happy with what I had.  The Badger Blast was very rich and creamy, while the peppermint was one of the strongest of this flavor I have ever had.  To drink with my ice cream, a small container of the university's own milk. 
 
I did ask the young lady who took my order what the most popular flavor here was and she told me it was Orange Custard Chocolate Chip.  I would have loved to have gotten some of that to take with me, but by this time I was full and running out of time.  I was also tempted by their own made cheese

and half-gallons of ice cream to go,

but I had no way of getting it home.
 
Babcock Hall Dairy Store
1605 Linden Drive
Madison, WI
608-262-3045
 
http://www.babcockhalldai...c.edu/IceCreamHome.htm

I've often thought parking meters should let you swipe your credit card when you park & again when you leave. I've also thought this is America & I should not have to pay to park.

Looking forward to the rest of your trip,

Wistful in Waukesha

Aye carumba.  A kringle on steroids.