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Who’s Picking? The ‘Foodie’ Mogul
Producer Arthur Ircink scours the state for food content for “Wisconsin Foodie,” the TV show he created in 2008. Here are places he can’t stop thinking about:
Osteria Tre Tassi
ELLISON BAY
In 2024, chef/co-owner Robin Brown took over the former Wickman House, a restaurant in a historic building and farm, and transformed it into this osteria focused on handmade pastas and more elaborate dishes such as chianti-braised beef cheeks.
Born and raised in Naples, Italy, Brown had only moved to Wisconsin five years prior, to be executive chef at San Giorgio Pizzeria Napoletana in Milwaukee – and fell for Door County on motorcycle rides across the state. He has a small crew up there, living and working on the 5-acre property. “We’re growing everything as local as we can,” says Brown, who plans to reopen for the season this month. $25-$43
Bootleggers Lodge
TOMAHAWK
Located inside a 1920s resort overlooking Lake Nokomis, this recent renovation exudes a high-end lodge aesthetic. The menu combines twists on classics like fettuccini alfredo with upscale steaks, including their claim to fame – The Tomahawk Experience, a giant rib-eye for two with a bone that sticks out the side like a handle. “It’s done so well,” says Ircink. $22-$150
Chef Shack
BAY CITY
Owners/chefs Carrie Summer and Lisa Carlson operate this 12-seat seasonal restaurant 40 miles southeast of the Twin Cities and a block from the Mississippi River. The couple – who started with food trucks in Minneapolis – spend their winters traveling (this year, Japan) to inspire the menus. Open Fri-Sat nights, reservation only, prices vary.
Town Council Kitchen & Bar
NEENAH
Chef John Horan’s 45-seat dinner spot in the Fox Cities relies on local sourcing to bring character to his New American cuisine steered by classic French techniques. The menu changes often but might feature duck breast, whole roasted trout and vegetable curry. Says Ircink: “I really never see [Horan] get the attention he deserves.” $19-$40
Hmong’s Golden Egg Rolls
LA CROSSE
Wisconsin’s growing population of Hmong are adding their voice to our immigrant foodways. A good example of that is this unassuming spot, which serves egg rolls (as you’d expect), pho, deep-fried tilapia and Hmong-style sausage with sticky rice. “It’s our favorite place to stop if we’re cruising around that area,” says Ircink. $12-$20
Who’s Picking? Our Staff
HobNob
RACINE
The HobNob is more than a dinner out; it’s an adventure in time travel. Follow the hostess to the main dining room, with its curved bar and white leatherette seats, and be transported to 1954, the year the restaurant opened. While some supper clubs lean rustic, this one oozes retro glamour. Start with a martini or a Manhattan, order a steak, prime rib or grilled salmon for your entrée, and end with a grasshopper ice cream drink. $24-$116. – Carole Nicksin
Ahan
MADISON
The first time I visited Ahan was shortly after it opened, while I was working on the “Foodie Road Trip” in our August 2022 issue. I’d heard great things about this imaginative Asian concept, and I was blown away by the food. The summer rolls, drunken noodles and Lao beef salad were all things I’d eaten in some iteration before, but here they were so fresh – transcendent. Last summer, I visited again at its current, larger location on Williamson Street. The expanded menu is even more delicious. I want to drive back just for the Lao papaya salad with lemongrass fried chicken thighs. $17-$29. – Ann Christenson
The Breakfast Club & Pub
LA CROSSE
An homage to the 1985 John Hughes movie, the casual spot serves breakfast all day (it closes at 2 p.m.) and leans into its ’80s pop culture inspiration. I love the memorabilia, from the menu item names to the posters in the restrooms. They have the original movie running on TVs (DVD, apparently!), and you can play trivia at your table while waiting for your food. It’s a great place for families. Reasonable pricing, very good food and service. I’d definitely go there for the atmosphere alone. $7-$15 – Sophie Yufa
Kroll’s East
GREEN BAY
Packers fans may know this name from the big Kroll’s West (different ownership, long story) restaurant across from Lambeau Field, but this old-school lunch counter serves up the same simple, juicy burgers in a throwback setting I much prefer. The chef’s kiss on these burgers – a pat of butter – predates Culver’s butter burgers by decades, and that history comes through best at Kroll’s East. (Try the spaghetti-laced chili, too.) As the clock sign outside says, it’s always Lunch Time here. $5-$16 – Chris Drosner
Who’s Picking? The Supper Club Expert
Few people know Wisconsin supper clubs like Ron Faiola, who’s the man behind a 2011 documentary on the subject and a series of books. Here are some of his favorite stops of all types around the state:
Fredrick’s Supper Club
MILTON
Chef Brian Cherry serves generous portions of everything from a tasty prime rib to succulent shrimp de Jonghe, which is made with massive eight-to-a-pound shrimp. “You won’t leave hungry,” Faiola says. $18-$65
Pete’s Hamburger Stand
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN
In the warmer months, Faiola likes to stop for two burgers with their poached, thinly sliced onions, and eat them at nearby Lawler Park on the Mississippi River. $7
Norske Nook
OSSEO, RICE LAKE AND DEFOREST
It’s famous for pie, but the Ultimate Potato Pancake breakfast is a plate-sized potato pancake topped with strips of bacon, two over-easy eggs and then finished with hollandaise sauce. When Faiola stays at a hotel near one of the Nook locations, it’s a dish he’d gladly “skip the complimentary breakfast for.” $7-$16
Maricque’s
GREEN BAY
It’s all fish fry here – real lake perch fillets and a “Belgian sandwich,” a buttered piece of rye bread topped with a slice of raw onion. “Eating with your hands is de rigueur,” he says. $11-$30
