Madison, Wisconsin

[texifornia 57035]

Quote

The state drink is the brandy old fashioned sweet which has very little to do with an old fashioned except the glass. Served with two pimento stuffed green olives. The orange slices and cherries are not a garnish. They're muddled with the sugar cubes, gomme syrup and bitters. BOFS predates 7 Up or Sprite. Ideally sparkling water to avoid the sodium of club soda. 
 

What on earth

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

On 6/21/2018 at 4:37 PM, JimmyHoffa said:

 

You do you, I went to a game there once in college and spent a weekend there. No thanks.  

what? Ive enjoyed all 3 times Ive gone to games at Iowa St. 

[Al_4_ISU 12475]

13 hours ago, texifornia said:

Oh wow didn't realize it was striking distance from I-State. It's always been on my college bucket list. Lots of cute I-State fashion grads in NYC certainly didn't hurt that haha.

You might have met an ex of mine.

But yeah, there’s an angled freeway (US 151) that cuts to Dubuque, and then you take the relentlessly flat US 20 west across miles of corn/bean fields to I-35.  Easy drive, but not all that exciting.

Edited June 23, 2018 by Al_4_ISU

[South Austin 52526]

Yeah, well I got this shit kicked out of me in Wisconsin once.

[next2naus 439]

On 6/21/2018 at 1:12 PM, Stoogey said:

The state drink is the brandy old fashioned sweet which has very little to do with an old fashioned except the glass. Served with two pimento stuffed green olives. The orange slices and cherries are not a garnish. They're muddled with the sugar cubes, gomme syrup and bitters. BOFS predates 7 Up or Sprite. Ideally sparkling water to avoid the sodium of club soda. 

Supper clubs, a special type of restaurant often confused with northwoods tavern by people from Illinois, are almost extinct. Similar to a fancy steak house but with a relish tray (four-story lazy susan with appetizers from crudité to hors d'oeuvre included free with the supper so think twice about the shrimp cocktail and bleu cheese wedge salad) entertainment with dancing and ice cream drinks for the ladies for dessert. Brandy Alexander, Grasshopper, Golden Cadillac, Pink Squirrel. Typically open Wednesday through Saturday late afternoons until 10:00pm. A couple was expected to spend the evening. If the menu didn't include surf 'n' turf (lobster and steak) or asparagus with hollandaise, it probably wasn't a supper club. No kiddie menu. The closest thing to the Madison area would probably be Ishnala.

Deer hunting. At Packer games there are those weeks when the stadium is blaze orange.

Fishing. Minnesota only has 10,000 lakes.

Unusual glaciation.

The Statue Of Liberty.



USA most drunken cities based on percent of binge drinking, percent of driving deaths involving alcohol, premature death rate:

1. Appleton
2. Oshkosh-Neenah
3. Green Bay
4. Madison
5. Fargo, North Dakota
6. La Crosse – Onalaska
7. Fond du Lac
8. Ames, Iowa
9. Eau Claire
10. Mankato-North Mankato, Minnesota
11. Wausau
12. Sheboygan
13. Missoula, Montana
14. Grand Forks, North Dakota
15. Racine
16. Janesville-Beloit
17. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis
18. Lincoln, Nebraska
19. Iowa City, Iowa
20. Corvallis, Oregon

Unfortunately, Wisconsin regularly places in the top ten for drunk driving. Alcohol is definitely part of the culture. 

Lots of places with names like Oconomowoc, Waukesha, Wauwatosa, Fond du Lac, Butte des Mortes. Always fun to watch a new anchor on the evening news screw up.

In restaurants, butter is served. Margarine by request. America's Dairyland.

Tiger meat or cannibal sandwiches. Cheese curds. Butter burgers. Frozen custard. Door County cherries. Poutine (technically Canadian but close enough). There are e few orchards with many different varieties of heirloom apples. Worth seeking out. 

Knowing the lyrics to Build Me Up Buttercup and Sweet Caroline.

you left out Friday Fish Fry's

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

29 minutes ago, next2naus said:

you left out Friday Fish Fry's

Walleye, the most tasteless fish since filet -o- fish was introduced. Just a very bland experience, the batter and oil they fry it in has more flavor IMO.  They seem to think it's a delicacy for some reason.

[4th&Five 41571]

I don’t think you’ve ever had good walleye. When done well it’s fantastic. 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

10 minutes ago, 4th&Five said:

I don’t think you’ve ever had good walleye. When done well it’s fantastic. 

I've eaten it several times at different places, and states. It always tastes the same, bland.  I know people love it, just not me.

[4th&Five 41571]

Most of the times I’ve had it I caught it and it was cooked after an hour or two so that might be the difference. 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

15 minutes ago, 4th&Five said:

Most of the times I’ve had it I caught it and it was cooked after an hour or two so that might be the difference. 

Now that could make a difference. Fresh caught freshwater fish is something I enjoy.

[kevwun 15814]

Walleye is the best freshwater fish I’ve had other than trout. Normally I am not a big fan because it’s usually muddy or fishy tasting when compared to saltwater fish. Walleye doesn’t taste like that at all.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

Just now, kevwun said:

Walleye is the best freshwater fish I’ve had other than trout. Normally I am not a big fan because it’s usually muddy or fishy tasting when compared to saltwater fish. Walleye doesn’t taste like that at all.

River caught smallmouth.  It's not that Walleye tastes bad, its just not very much flavor IMO.  

[Underdog 28758]

That’s what ketchup is for, to add flavor. 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

4 minutes ago, Underdog said:

That’s what ketchup is for, to add flavor. 

I like horseradish strong cocktail sauce , but that's just me.....

[kevwun 15814]

I love salmon, so it’s not strong flavor that bothers me. It’s when it tastes like the water it’s been swimming in. Catfish is the worst offender because people don’t usually trim the belly meat off.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

Just now, kevwun said:

I love salmon, so it’s not strong flavor that bothers me. It’s when it tastes like the water it’s been swimming in. Catfish is the worst offender because people don’t usually trim the belly meat off.

Yeah, location location location ain't just for Real estate.  My favorite is a rockfish filet with a side of fresh collard greens 

[texifornia 57035]

9 hours ago, Underdog said:

That’s what ketchup is for, to add flavor. 

I've never had a walleye, so it'll all be new (pending getting the job)

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

3 minutes ago, texifornia said:

I've never had a walleye, so it'll all be new (pending getting the job)

It's everywhere up there so you'll be running it to it a lot.  Nothing to be scared of.

[JimmyHoffa 1188]

On 6/22/2018 at 10:06 PM, MNLonghornFUKM said:

what? Ive enjoyed all 3 times Ive gone to games at Iowa St. 

For a weekend? Absolutely. To live there? No thanks. 

 

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

5 minutes ago, JimmyHoffa said:

For a weekend? Absolutely. To live there? No thanks. 

 

have you ever has their tap water tho?

[JimmyHoffa 1188]

Just now, MNLonghornFUKM said:

have you ever has their tap water tho?

HOOORAY!!!!!!

[next2naus 439]

On 6/21/2018 at 2:38 PM, El Diablo said:

The hand holding the torch only has 3 fingers.

are you sure?

[El Diablo 4232]

12 minutes ago, next2naus said:

are you sure?

One of them is a tentacle.

[Stoogey 219]

On 6/23/2018 at 2:08 PM, next2naus said:

you left out Friday Fish Fry's

Supper clubs don't have fish fries. They're jacket and tie places. 

And it looks like we can downgrade Ishnala from supper club status. The white linen tablecloth was under a sheet of glass. Relish tray was crudités. Surf 'n' turf was steak and shrimp - not lobster. There were people who'd been to the Indian casino and were too loud and wearing tennis shirts.   

 

On 6/23/2018 at 2:39 PM, Onboard 2.0 said:

Walleye, the most tasteless fish since filet -o- fish was introduced. Just a very bland experience, the batter and oil they fry it in has more flavor IMO.  They seem to think it's a delicacy for some reason.

I've never seen walleye at a fish fry. Pike are considered more of a sport fish. I think the only time I've eaten it was at Boy Scout camp working on my fishing merit badge and that would have been one of those from the hook to cleaning to frying pan operations.

When I was a kid, restaurants and taverns didn't have fish fries. Fish fries (or fish boils in the Green Bay area) were exclusively Catholic parishes on Fridays during Lent because of their religious dietary restrictions.

Big chunks of whitefish from Lake Michigan. Lobster-like in texture and flavor. Commercial fishing was very important. Then foreign ships entering the Great Lakes via the new St Lawrence Seaway introduced invasive species by dumping ballast. Now fish fries have Atlantic cod and aren't limited to Fridays. Sometimes you'll have a choice between cod, bluegill or smelt. Instead of potato pancakes, usually served with french fries.

No cherry cobbler for dessert.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

3 minutes ago, Stoogey said:

Supper clubs don't have fish fries. They're jacket and tie places. 

And it looks like we can downgrade Ishnala from supper club status. The white linen tablecloth was under a sheet of glass. Relish tray was crudités. Surf 'n' turf was steak and shrimp - not lobster. There were people who'd been to the Indian casino and were too loud and wearing tennis shirts.   

 

I've never seen walleye at a fish fry. Pike are considered more of a sport fish. I think the only time I've eaten it was at Boy Scout camp working on my fishing merit badge and that would have been one of those from the hook to cleaning to frying pan operations.

When I was a kid, restaurants and taverns didn't have fish fries. Fish fries (or fish boils in the Green Bay area) were exclusively Catholic parishes on Fridays during Lent because of their religious dietary restrictions.

Big chunks of whitefish from Lake Michigan. Lobster-like in texture and flavor. Commercial fishing was very important. Then foreign ships entering the Great Lakes via the new St Lawrence Seaway introduced invasive species by dumping ballast. Now fish fries have Atlantic cod and aren't limited to Fridays. Sometimes you'll have a choice between cod, bluegill or smelt. Instead of potato pancakes, usually served with french fries.

No cherry cobbler for dessert.

First encountered it in Michigan Friday night fish fries all along the lake front we were visiting . Then in Minnesota they were very proud of the fried walleye special at the local restaurant. .  Had it in Wisconsin during a window manufacturing  plant tour .  Just white, flaky and fried with not much of a flavor. I'd call it the Wonder white bread of fresh water fish .

[texifornia 57035]

The supper club thing is fascinating - sad they're kind of dying out apparently: http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/chi-defining-wisconsins-supper-club-culture-20150119-story.html

[Stoogey 219]

3 minutes ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

First encountered it in Michigan Friday night fish fries all along the lake front we were visiting . Then in Minnesota they were very proud of the fried walleye special at the local restaurant. .  Had it in Wisconsin during a window manufacturing  plant tour .  Just white, flaky and fried with not much of a flavor. I'd call it the Wonder white bread of fresh water fish .

Interesting. It's been forty-five years since scouting; don't remember anything unpleasant other than the fine bones making it difficult to fillet.  



If you have the opportunity, try a fish boil. Found on the Door County peninsula. Seasonal and touristy but it is worth it for the whitefish. You may want to ask your server for less butter. 

As long as you are in the neighborhood, eat booyah at Kroll's West and then take a tour of Lambeau Field and visit the Green Bay Hall Of Fame across the street. The view from the top of the scoreboard is beautiful.
 

7 minutes ago, texifornia said:

The supper club thing is fascinating - sad they're kind of dying out apparently: http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/chi-defining-wisconsins-supper-club-culture-20150119-story.html

They've been on the decline since the seventies. Many supper clubs started by GIs returning from WWII. Family lived above the club which is why some look kind of homey like a substantial residence. Dad was the chef, mom was the hostess, the kids were kitchen help. Usually a destination restaurant. If a supper club is in a city, it's usually due to population expanding. 

Dad and mom decide to retire and the kids don't want all the work involved.

Two of my favorites bit the dust years ago. Club 113 and The Pyramid.

 

Can't see it in the photograph - the family's living quarters were in the top of the Pyramid. 

Fox And Hounds downgraded to nice restaurant status. 

The Hob Nob looks promising. I'll give it a test drive this weekend as long as the wife is available. She's the brandy old fashioned sweet tester. I'm a dry martini man.

[texifornia 57035]

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