Elegant Farmer

Posted By Michael Stern on January 22, 2008 12:38 PM

Dot Schnering served us the best apple pie in the Midwest. We ate it at her home in Illinois (as the grand finale to a belt-stretching pizza party) but she bought this pie just over the border in Wisconsin. We are fully aware that to declare one pie the best in this region is no small claim, because pies are an obsession hereabouts; and there are lots of eateries that serve blue-ribbon pie every day. But we dare you to have a slice from The Elegant Farmer and disagree. We cannot remember an apple pie we’ve eaten anywhere that was so delicious.

Its top crust is crunchy and sugary, like a luxurious cookie; the bottom crust is flake-tender; the apple filling in between the crusts is soft with a pleasant bite, gently seasoned and just-right sweet. We’ve had thicker, sweeter, lighter, tarter, and more elaborate apple pies, but this one is perfect … and simply impossible to stop eating. It is sold at The Elegant Farmer by the slice, by the small pie (for two people) and by the full-size pie; and in addition to apple, there are berry and rhubarb pies, and one super-spectacular version of the apple pie that is blanketed with caramel sauce.

What makes these pies taste so special is that they are baked in a brown paper bag. A woman behind the counter explained to us that inside-the-bag cooking allows the juices of the fruit to simmer and mellow; and draws the moisture out of the crust so it gets good and hard. She pointed to the fact that the bag in which the pies are baked (and served) is blotched with moisture drawn from within.

Other than pie, The Elegant Farmer has a vast inventory of groceries to take home and food to eat on the spot (or in your car). There are jams and jellies, chocolate-covered cherries, top-of-the-line popping corn, hams, cheeses, roasted chickens, and summer sausages. An on-premises deli offers sandwiches, hot meals, and muffins loaded with fruits of the season. While the foods we’ve bought and eaten are truly spectacular, we’re not exactly sure why this place calls itself elegant; The Elegant Farmer is in fact a large, happy farm stand; perhaps the best in the Midwest.

Posted By Bryan Tk on October 16, 2010 9:38 AM

The best time to visit the Elegant Farmer is harvest time. It is also the busiest time of year to visit, but you can fill your day with picking your own apples in the orchard across the road or taking a wagon ride to the pumpkin patch with the kiddos. The big draw is the apple pie in the bag, but the Elegant Farmer has much more to offer. It is basically a high end grocery full of locally grown produce, custom cheese and meats.

Pie baked in a bag

Pickled Vegetables

Bacon

Wisconsin Cheese