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$9-27). Seriously, I've even had persnickety foodie types rave about these 'zas. They taste
incredible.
Fish boils are a must here. Fish Creek's choice is the boisterous
Pelletier's
(Founder's
Square, 920/868-3313, $17). You'd do best to stick to that, though the other food, family
style meat andpotatoes, isless expensive than most other restaurants intown.This isalso a
great spot that doesn't mind a crowd of kids.
Initially, when I saw “fondue” and “Asian” in the same restaurant description, I balked.
I now love
M
Mr. Helsinki
(Main St. above the Fish Creek Market, 920/868-9898,
5pm-11pm daily, $7-22). This international fusion bistro specializes in everything from
crepes to a dash of Latin and a lot of Asian tastes, and it does it well, right down to
homegrown kaffir limes and Mexican epazote spice. You can even get a luscious vegan
squash curry. It's a bit funky and irreverent and a whole lot of something else.
Gibraltar Grill
(3993MainSt.,920/868-4775,lunchanddinnerdailyMay-Oct.,$7-20)
is an absolutely unpretentious place with above-average fare from sandwiches to seafood
risotto. Where else could you eat high-quality food in shorts and a T-shirt with your pooch
outside and not be out of place? They've also got lots of live music and, kudos to 'em, an
all-electric shuttle to ferry guests to and from the establishment. How's that for service?
DOOR COUNTY FISH BOIL
Just when travelers think they've come to understand Wisconsin's predilection for
fish fries, Door County throws them a curveball on the fish fetish—the fish boil,
which is not at all the same thing.
Though Scandinavian immigrants came with their own recipes for fish soups and
stews, the fish boil likely came from pure practicality. Door County had few cows or
pigs, but it was rich with whitefish; potatoes and onions, hardy vegetables, were also
abundant.
The modern version is a different story. As some tell it, the proprietor of Ellison
Bay's Viking Restaurant concocted the first modern fish boil back in the 1960s, os-
tensibly searching for something unique to serve at the restaurant. It was an imme-
diate hit that snowballed into the de rigueur culinary experience of Door County.
Whatever the historical genesis of the boil, it has become a cultural linchpin for the
peninsula community, almost a county ordinance.
