Things truly Wisconsin, or originally Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Green Bay: homes, living, restaurants)

[Trabbz]

I am originally from Wisconsin so my Florida friends and I are always talking about things from "back home". I was trying to think of some things that are either native to Wisconsin, originally Wisconsin, or things that Wisconsin is known for. I will start the list, then you help me out......

1. Culver's. I love Culvers and cannot get it anywhere in Florida.

2. Leinenkugels. I can even get a little taste of Chippewa Falls in some Florida grocery stores.

3. Cheese Curds. Never the same unless they come from Wisconsin.

[MidwesternBookWorm]

Bratwurst just doesn't taste the same anywhere else but Wisconsin. The seasonings aren't right, somehow.

Fish fries! I've never, ever known of any place that has as many wonderful places to load up on high-calorie fried fish on Friday nights, nor have I ever known of any place where people will come nearly to blows when debating who has *the best* fish fry in town.

Leinie's is only one of many excellent Wisconsin beers. There's New Glarus, Capital Brewery, Ale Asylum, and too many more to list.

Of course, there are undeniable benefits to living elsewhere, too. I can't imagine that Florida features many lutefisk dinners, for example!

[KateDaum]

Pizza fries, no one else has them and they look at you like you are crazy when you ask.
Point beer too!

[Averie-Jay]

Everyone is making me homesick!

I also miss Culver's. I used to get chocolate frozen custard with raspberries on top, even during the frosty winters!

Here's what I can add to the list:

1. Hansen's Dairy/Deli - they have the BEST potato wedges!
2. Green Bay Packers (never seen a state love their team more than WI)
3. Deer Hunting Widow Weekend (when male "strippers" came to town - they're pretty "cheesy"!)
4. Fish Boils in Door County
5. The way people say "Dount'chya knouw..."
6. Men who drive their trucks for more than hauling groceries

[quijote]

Sprecher beer and root beer....

Rishi tea....

Milwaukee's Speed Queen BBQ....

Fish boils....

Danish kringle from Racine....

Other places make a big deal out of fish fries, too, but Wisconsin offers perch and walleye, in addition to the basic cod....

Leon's custard is the best....

George Webb's diners....

Butterburgers (from Solly's, Culver's, etc.)....

Cranberry Cheddar Cheese!....

Real Chili....

I never had a Cream Puff at State Fair, but they get lots of press....

"Lobsterwurst" at Dream Dance Restaurant....

Spices and spice blends from Penzey's and The Spice House....

[EnjoyEP]

All things Wisconsin, from more of a Milwaukee metro perspective -

1) Frozen custard
-The best stands are:
Kopps (3 locations in Milwaukee metro), Leons (27th and Oklahoma), Gilles (75th and Bluemound) and Kitts (70th and Capital)

[NOTE: I see alot of Culver's love here, and while they are fine for what they are, let us remember that comparing Culver's to genuine local stands like Kopps and Leons is like comparing the best mom-and-pop Mexican restaurants of the Southwest to chains like Qdoba]

2) Pizza cut into squares (not triangles) with a thin, firm crust

3) Mama Mia's Pizza locations

4) Friday night fish fries

5) Fish boils (more northern WI)

6) Miller Beer (macro brew)

7) Schlitz, Pabst, and Blatz Beers (historic beers of years gone by)

8) Lakefront and Sprecher Beers (tremendous local beers)

9) Brats

10) Tailgating (this is fairly common throughout the US, however, I would say that no one treats tailgating with the religion that WI-ites and Milwaukeeans do...people go to Brewer games just to tailgate!)

11) Driving slow in the left hand lane (often in big Buicks)

12) Deer Hunting

13) Up North (the most annoying phrase to me in all of Wisconsindome)

14) "Tyme Machines" (slang for ATMs)

15) Packers football

16) German potato salad

17) Lutheran churches and taverns on every street corner

18) SummerFest and all other ethnic summer festivals

19) Weekend church festivals

20) George Webb's

[Drover]

One thing I do to keep me occupied when driving through Wisconsin on an interstate is to look for a Platinum Exit. A Platinum Exit is an interstate exit that provides access to all of the following: a Culver's, a cheese shop, a fireworks shop, a supper club and an adult book/movie store. I haven't found one yet but I have found a couple of Gold exits (4 out of 5), a handful of Silver Exits (3 out of 5) and numerous Bronze Exits (2 out of 5). Now, few of these things are exclusively or originally Wisconsin, but there is definitely a high proportion of these things up there.

In the event that I ever do find a Platinum exit, I may have the up the ante and start looking for a Palladium Exit: one that provides access to all 5 of the above PLUS a brewery/brewpub.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by Drover

One thing I do to keep me occupied when driving through Wisconsin on an interstate is to look for a Platinum Exit. A Platinum Exit is an interstate exit that provides access to all of the following: a Culver's, a cheese shop, a fireworks shop, a supper club and an adult book/movie store. I haven't found one yet but I have found a couple of Gold exits (4 out of 5), a handful of Silver Exits (3 out of 5) and numerous Bronze Exits (2 out of 5). Now, few of these things are exclusively or originally Wisconsin, but there is definitely a high proportion of these things up there.

In the event that I ever do find a Platinum exit, I may have the up the ante and start looking for a Palladium Exit: one that provides access to all 5 of the above PLUS a brewery/brewpub.

Good stuff, especially the Supper Club call!

[Drover]

Originally Posted by EnjoyEP

Good stuff, especially the Supper Club call!

Supper clubs are one of my favorite parts of the Wisconsin experience. I love walking into these places that are borderline dumps but have great food and even greater prices. I just ate at Mr. Ed's Tee Pee last weekend (owned by Ed Thompson, local character, political gadfly, previous gubernatorial candiate, former Tomah mayor, current Tomah councilman, brother of former governor and HHS secretary Tommy Thompson) and enjoyed the food immensely. Great people-watching at these places too, checking out all the local characters sidled up to the tavern portion of the establishment.

Funny thing about Ed's election to the city council: he didn't even run. Someone started an Ed Thompson write-in campaign that he didn't even know about. The only vote his opponent got was Ed's own vote.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by Drover

Supper clubs are one of my favorite parts of the Wisconsin experience. I love walking into these places that are borderline dumps but have great food and even greater prices. I just ate at Mr. Ed's Tee Pee last weekend (owned by Ed Thompson, local character, political gadfly, previous gubernatorial candiate, former Tomah mayor, current Tomah councilman, brother of former governor and HHS secretary Tommy Thompson) and enjoyed the food immensely. Great people-watching at these places too, checking out all the local characters sidled up to the tavern portion of the establishment.

Wow, that is great, I would love to hit the Ed Thompson supper club sometime; I volunteered in his gubernatorial campaign and voted for him (despite his far 3rd place defeat).

Originally Posted by Drover

Funny thing about Ed's election to the city council: he didn't even run. Someone started an Ed Thompson write-in campaign that he didn't even know about. The only vote his opponent got was Ed's own vote.

This is beyond hilarious. What a story!