Archie’s Waeside in Iowa: citadel of American beef cookery
In a modest residential area – near farmland, railroad tracks and tall grain storage silos – is an almost-full parking lot at 5:30 p.m. on […]
Food/Drink
Now is the season for open-air dining in rural Wisconsin
About 65 scenic miles separate two Wisconsin restaurants that serve pasta, brick-oven pizza and wine from around the world. The classy Italian menu at both […]
Taliesin ‘learn-by-doing’ philosophy extends to restaurant
The panorama is rarely less than stunning at Riverview Terrace Café, inside the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center near Spring Green. Diners gain wide and […]
Take Twelve: Cool custard stops in Wisconsin
Culver’s, kingpin in the frozen custard world, introduces six new flavors this year. That hasn’t happened since 2012, and all of the Prairie du Sac […]
Cheese, please: Regional traditions turn into others’ trends
Count our squeaky and deep-fried curds, plus the South’s pimento spreads, among the beloved cheese traditions that are gaining attention far away from home. Classic […]
Pagel legacy challenges farm-to-table assumptions
The plump bacon cheeseburger, weighing in at one-third pound, was a blend of ground chuck, brisket and short ribs. The cheese: a medium cheddar. The […]
Native American cuisine: potential exists for sophisticated offerings
In my “in” box is no shortage of annual predictions that involve food trends. Native American ingredients, recipes and culinary traditions never seem to make […]
Take Ten: delectable diversions in dining
A meal is worth remembering because of the good company, exquisite taste, price, quantity, artistic flair or unexpected offerings. Splendid settings turn the ordinary into […]
Downtown Dough: thousands of cookie cutters
Smart cookies. Patrick and Patricia Niles, owners of Downtown Dough in Cedarburg, have a good recipe for separating what they do from other kitchen boutiques, […]
Two cookbooks that tantalize beyond their recipes
Someone occasionally approaches me about writing an endorsement for a new book, and it’s an invitation that I don’t take lightly. I politely decline unless […]
Meat this: Most stops rural on Iowa Pork Tenderloin Trail
It’s not yet noon when we pull into Wellsburg, Iowa, curious and hungry for lunch. We wonder why the village, population 700, needs a one-way […]
Bay City Chef Shack: fine dining in down-home location
Follow the Mississippi along the Great River Road (Highway 35, in Wisconsin) for no shortage of woods, bluffs, curvy waterfronts and pastoral landscapes. Common are […]
Mackinac Island: land of fudge, lots of it
Mackinac isn’t the birthplace of fudge, but the 3.8-square-mile Michigan island in Lake Huron may well be the nation’s epicenter for it. The island kinda […]
Food trends: more ethnic flavors, less artificial ingredients
The largest buffet that I try to sample every spring is at the National Restaurant Association’s trade show, which shows off what’s new in every […]
Door Artisan Cheese: from milk vat to restaurant plate
Fans of fine dining know that an amuse-bouche is a chef’s little gift to diners – a nibble or slurp that usually is an elegant […]
Grilled cheese: worthy of complex treatment, sandwich contests
If dressing up a grilled cheese means sneaking in a slice of tomato or bacon, or switching from wheat to sourdough, please take a moment […]
Two chefs who excel in urban, small-town settings
Order a cocktail at Spiaggia on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, and the drink may well arrive with a napkin that contains an oh-so-obscure band portrait […]
Take Ten: Fox Valley breweries
Midwest Features Syndicate is partnering with the Department of Journalism at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh to help students gain work experience and build a […]
Great chili debates: sauce to seasoning, mac to meat
If you seriously doubt our nation’s ability to seriously but pleasantly debate anything, I have one word for you: Chili. After asking Facebook friends what […]
Old Fashioned products, recipes, nostalgia, roots
To you, an Old Fashioned is the unofficial cocktail of Wisconsin and a popular prelude to special meals, especially during end-of-year entertaining. To Bob Meyer, […]