The Wisconsin State Fair cream puff, that paragon of indulgence, is celebrating a milestone birthday – 100 years! And while the puff makers have released a special, limited-edition flavor here and there in the past, they’re doing true filling sorcery during this year’s run.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Depending on when you hit the fair, you can try a different variety: root beer (Aug. 1-3), raspberry cheesecake (Aug. 4-6), English toffee (Aug. 7-9) and chocolate birthday cake (Aug. 10).
The cream puff sounds much more exotic called by its French name – profiterole (a word that means treat or profit), whose invention is credited to a French chef in the 16th century. The pastry eventually found its way to Wisconsin, but it wasn’t until the State Fair of 1924 that the puff as we know it was born. That’s the year then-Gov. John Blaine was granted his wish for a fair delicacy that showcased our state’s agricultural industry.
Inside the crisp pastry puff is a mountain of sweetened Wisconsin whipped cream. This year, the fair is also offering some centennial promotions, the best of which happens every day of the run: a free pastry for the first 100 people in line at the Cream Puff Pavilion.
– Dana Spandet, executive chef and founder, Flour Girl & Flame
Nesting Doll Restaurant
In early 2024, Brandywine in Cedarburg opened a second space they’re calling The Apartment or The APT. It’s intimate, communal dining at its finest.
By reservation only, APT seats 14 diners at one large table on the building’s second level, which is also the location of the restaurant kitchen. Before guests sit down, they’re served canapes and cocktails in the reception area, where they can see executive chef/co-owner Andrew Wilson preparing their meal.
His wife/co-owner, Rhiannon, says they wanted to capture the feeling of a small dinner party. The four-course prix fixe menu changes every few weeks depending on what’s in season, and has featured creations like sunchoke agnoletti with morels and boudin blanc. The cost is $75 per person, with wine pairings for an additional $40. W61 N480 Washington Ave., Cedarburg.
DONUT MONSTER’s three locations (donutmonstermke.com) now serve lunch, specifically sandwiches. • Thursday nights at Thiensville’s THE CHEEL (105 S. Main St.) offer a departure from the restaurant’s Nepalese fusion menu. Previous Thursday Travels menus have highlighted New Orleans and East African cuisines. • In recent closings, Riverwest’s COMPANY BREWING (735 E. Center St.) abruptly closed its doors in late May, not long after its ninth anniversary. And MAYA OPHELIA’S, a vegan food truck in Bay View (2301 S. Logan Ave.), was due to shut down June 30, the owners explaining that “the immense support from our community has not reflected in our sales.” • JACKSON’S SOUL FOOD REDEFINED (4519 W. Center. St.), open since 2023, is eyeing an express location to serve catfish, smothered porkchops and more on 61st and Fond du Lac.
