2020: year of the drive-in for food, fun
A burger would be on my short list for best last meal on Earth. Not just any meat slinger’s burger, but a perfectly seasoned, chargrilled […]
Food/Drink
Summer shows go on, in novel ways
All the world’s a stage but COVID-19 compromises the traditional platforms and performers that we count on for entertainment this summer. For some troupes, that’s […]
Take 12: for moms, other mentors or you
Mothers get their day this month, but maybe that should apply to other mentors too. And perhaps our kind words, deeds and gifts should extend […]
Wisconsin meat raffles fill taverns on wintry days
At least 30 years have passed since my husband and I walked into a small-town tavern one wintry morning, in search of a beer and […]
HobNob gains attention for excellence in hospitality
The James Beard Foundation typically pays attention to the nation’s edgiest and newest chefs and restaurant concepts. An easy majority of the annual Beard semifinalists […]
Take 12: All in good taste for 2019
Extraordinary dining is not about category or price. This year I found it at farms and an aquarium, from rural Wisconsin to the seaside of […]
Winning recipes: grasshopper cheesecake, choco cheesecake bars
Two home bakers in Wisconsin have taken the top prizes in the Taste of Homes recipe contest, “Best-Ever Baking”. Sue Gronholz of Beaver Dam was […]
Sip craft cocktails at farm-based distilleries
My hardest task on this nothing-short-of-perfect August afternoon is to choose. Key Lime Pie or Pineapple Upside Down Cake? Cranberry Gimlet or Vo-Mosa? All are […]
Fair food: more skewing of skewered cuisine
Long gone are the quaint summers when food on a stick during a county or state fair meant eating an ice cream bar, cotton candy […]
Offbeat bars: Le Tigre, John Bryant’s, Cleo’s, more
Inside a plain-jane strip mall, between a hardware store and compact ethnic grocery, is a cat house of sorts. One with low lights, cash-only transactions […]
Ellsworth: cheese curd king
In Wisconsin is a high level of enthusiasm for squeaky-fresh cheese curds, a mild and young variety of cheese. We love stringy-hot, breaded curds to […]
Food trends: CBD oil, dietary adaptations, speedy service all matter
What a long way we’ve come since two guys in California – Roy Allen and Frank Wright – sold root beer in glass mugs for […]
Greece: What makes Greek food authentic
Last of three parts. We all make presumptions based on our limited exposure to people whose culture, heritage or religion seem foreign to us. That […]
Tasty gain: Major Milwaukee food hall coming
Jackie and Sara Woods’ doughnuts and breakfast sandwiches pop up here and there in the Milwaukee area. It’s been that way around eight months. “I […]
Savor this: pound cake, kringle, hootch, bitters
This month’s Midwest Foodservice Expo showed off what’s new and best in the world of Wisconsin food and drink. The annual event, for Wisconsin Restaurant […]
Bitters in, bottoms up at boot camp
A class with cocktails: That’s how Taylore Ransom and Erik Rozolis of Janesville spent a recent Saturday afternoon in Madison. For them and about 30 […]
Three for tea: urban to rural
On the dreariest of winter days, fog obscures otherwise gorgeous views from the 23rd floor of The Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee. Three of us […]
Take eight: Hot for chocolate
A little luxury during winter is hot chocolate, made all the sweeter when served in a setting that goes beyond the disappearing act of powdered […]
Take Twelve: All in good taste for 2018
Lots of us have an appetite for the memorable when away from home, and sometimes we quell it with food. We remember – long after […]
‘150 Bars’ book: unique places to take a swig
Prohibition ended nationwide 85 years ago, as of this month, so now is a particularly appropriate time to hoist that hot toddy. Comfort and familiarity […]