Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
times seems as if the state charter requires every Badger State community to have one. It's
the social and culinary underpinning of Wisconsin. Indeed, though supper clubs exist in
many Midwestern states, their density here is difficult to fathom.
Equal parts homey, casual meat-and-potatoes restaurant and local kaffeeklatsch (better
make that “brandyklatsch”), supper clubs traditionally have a triumvirate ofobligatory spe-
cialties: prime rib, always on Saturday, although some serve it every day; homestyle chick-
en; and, invariably, a Friday-night fish fry. No fish fry, no business. Most menus feature
steaks in one column, seafood in the other. Regional variations buttress these basics with
anything from Teutonic carnivore fare to Turkish food. This being Wisconsin, venison oc-
casionally makes an appearance. One side dish will always be a choice of potato. If it's a
true supper club, a relish tray comes out with the dinner rolls. On it, you'll find everything
from sliced vegetable sticks to pickles to coleslaw—and sometimes an indescribably weird
“salad” concoction such as green Jell-O with shaved carrots inside.
No two supper clubs look alike (the only prerequisites are an attached bar and perhaps
fauxwoodpanelingsomewhere),butallcanbepartiallycoveredbyclichéssuchas“rustic,”
“cozy,” and “like someone's dining room.” Nicer supper clubs will have crackling fire-
places; low-end joints feel more like run-down family restaurants, in both decor and menu.
The coolest ones have animal heads dangling above the diners; the tackiest ones feature
overdonenautical decor.Dressiscompletely uptoyou.Wearasuitandyou'llbeconspicu-
ous.Jeansareperfectlyacceptable.Inmanyplaces—especially Madison—Badgerredisde
rigueur on football Saturdays. Beware impostors: In recent years, the words “supper club”
havebeenadoptedbyfancyrestaurantsonbothcoasts,butaco-optedsupperclubisnotthe
real thing. If you ever see a dress code posted, you're not at a real supper club.
One book I love is Wisconsin Supper Clubs by Ron Faiola (Agate, 2013); I've never
read a book that gets it as right as his.
Alcohol
While living in Korea, I had an expat friend once say, “Korean men drink like mad, don't
they?” To which I could only think, “Well, not really.” For, you see, I'm from Wisconsin.
Yes, Badgers drink a lot. Alcohol is the social lubricant of the state, and many out-of-
staters are a bit wide-eyed when they move here. We rank fourth nationally in per capita
consumption;that'stheonlyplacewedon'tfinishfirst.Justover69percentofthedrinking-
age population report participation in legal imbibing: first in the nation. Madison and sur-
rounding Dane County have one of the highest percentages of binge drinkers in the United
States, but Milwaukee actually took the crown away in 2009. (The state is of course first in
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