Wisconsin Supper Clubs – An Old Fashioned Experience

Supper club cannot be defined. It is more than the sum of its slabs of meat and mounds of fried walleye. It’s a vibe and feeling you get when you walk into the dining room, sit down, order a martini and forget the hustle of the world at large. It’s a place that lacks pretense, is incredibly consistent with food, a good value and worthy of a trip unto itself.

This is a fun little documentary about eateries that are near and dear to me and my family. Being from the Midwest, the supper club has been part of our restaurant repertoire since day one. I remember the salad bar at the Pelican Supper Club in Pelican Rapids MN, the steaks at The Stage Coach and roast duck at the Colony House in Wilmot WI, Ishnala’s amazing views near the Dells, the chopped liver in the relish tray at the Delavon Supper Club and the Greek chicken at Nite N’ Gale in HIghwood. There are countless others but those are the ones closest to me.

I have been on the road away from the Midwest for 25 years. This piece made me miss the kitsch and community, which I shared as a kid growing up in this part of the world. I have incredible memories of chasing pike in the north woods, skiing on ice covered mounds of landfill (Wilmot Mountain), fishing through the ice in the winter, snowmobiling over frozen lakes and seeing the northern lights on chilly summer nights; all of which would be previewed or followed by a plate of hot and hearty food.

Fer Cripes Sake!!