Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Everybody has an opinion on who has the best fish fry, but, truthfully, how many
ways can you deep-fry a perch (or one of the other species variants—haddock, wal-
leye pike, and cod)? You can find broiled options at times. I've always preferred the
ones in church basements.
Generallysetupassmorgasbords(sometimesincludingplatefulsofchicken,too),
the gluttonous feasts are served with slatherings of homemade tartar sauce and a rel-
ish tray or salad bar. The truly classic fish-fry joints are packed to the rafters by
5:30pm. Some even have century-old planks and hall-style seating.
Consideryourselftrulyblessedifyougettoexperienceasmeltfry.Thislongtime
tavern tradition has pretty much disappeared; in the old days, smelt—milk-dipped,
battered, and even pickled—were the thing.
For fish fries in Milwaukee not in this topic,
www.onmilwaukee.com
and
www.jsonline.com
(just search for “fish fries”) are two good sites to search the
many available options. For the rest of the state, go immediately to
www.classicwisconsin.com
and hit the link to “Fish Fries”—it's irregularly updated,
but it is informative and very funny.
Don't miss
M
Bacchus
(925 E. Wells St., 414/765-1166, 5:30pm-9pm Mon.-Thurs.,
5:30pm-10pm Fri., 5pm-10pm Sat., $11-22), which rivals Sanford in quality, but is the an-
tithesis of stuffy. Small-plate menus in the bar are as memorable as the dining room (which
itself is lovely).
Something you'd never expect: How about a remarkable meal in a Milwaukee casino?
Indeed,theelegantandcreativefareatPotawatomiBingoCasino's
M
Dream Dance Steak
(1721 W. Canal St., 414/847-7883,
www.paysbig.com/dining
, 5pm-9pm Tues.-Thurs.,
5pm-10pmFri.-Sat.,$26-39)isworththetripevenforthenon-slotsplayers.Thecasinohas
two other restaurants that make foodies woozy:
RuYi
(414/847-7335,
www.paysbig.com/
and
Wild Earth Cucina Italiana
(414/847-7626,
www.paysbig.com/dining
, 11am-3pm
and 4pm-10pm Tues., 4pm-10pm Wed.-Thurs., 4pm-10:30pm Fri.-Sat., $13-24) has out-
standing food based on Italian cuisine, but taken in infinite directions.
Vegetarian and Health Food
Fortakeawayhealthfood,anumberofco-opsandnatural-foodsstoresareinthedowntown
area.Thisauthor'sfavoriteisdefinitelythevegan-friendly
Riverwest Co-op
(733E.Clarke
