Supper Club???? (Milwaukee, Wausau, Lakewood: live, restaurant, moving to)

[Signora]

Just a quick question from someone not familiar with the area, but moving to WI.... What exactly is a supper club? Is it different from a restaurant in some way?

[EnjoyEP]

Your timing on this question is amazing.

I just yesterday was reading an online article that was written by the biggest restaurant critic in Wisconsin (he is located in Milwaukee, WI and writes for the big newspaper there) back in 1995 about the supper clubs in WI...it was very fascinating, informative, and interesting regarding what supper clubs are in WI, and what the good ones do. Here is the link to the story - this will answer your questions!:

http://www2.jsonline.com/onwisconsin...p?format=print

[Signora]

Thank you!

I will go check it out. It's funny because I have been meaning to ask and kept forgetting....

[Drover]

A supper club is Wisconsin-speak for a restaurant that is open for dinner only; no breakfast or lunch. The focus of the menu is standard meat dishes like steak, burgers, chicken, and particularly in Wisconsin, fish dishes; typical side dishes include baked or mashed potato, French fries, various fried goodies such as fried chees curds. It's a special treat if you can find a supper club that serves fried walleye cheeks. (And no, "walleye cheeks" is not a clever name for some prepared dish. It really is chunks of a walleye's face, deep fried.) In other words, the menu is pretty straightforward American Diner-style food with a Lakewoods tilt.

Supper clubs are typically found in small towns. They are family-run mom-and-pop businesses. A supper club typically has a full-service tavern attached. Some serve buffet-style; most (even those that have a buffet) do tableside service. Many if not most have Friday Night Fish Fry specials, often all-you-can-eat. Despite the name implication, supper clubs are not private or members-only establishments. They are open to the public.

IMO the supper club is one of Wisconsin's greatest institutions. It packs so much of Wisconsin's "everyday Joe" culture into a single establishment. If you ever want a crash course in rural Wisconsin culture, find a good small-town supper club, eat there, and then hang out in the tavern for a while.

[amax41]

Supper Club - an establishment with anywhere from bad to good food of which you won't notice because in almost all cases you order at the BAR and wait for a table to be seated - ergo - drink drink drink drink...get the picture?

short for of definition - Wisconsin's reason to drink before dinner

[Drover]

Gee, that's funny... I've been to numerous supper clubs and have almost never ordered from the bar. And neither do most people. Only once have I done so, and only because the seating was full.

It's one thing to not like where you live, but your constant lashing out is, frankly, childish. You're getting out, so put it behind you already.

[Signora]

Wow. Mine was just an innocent little question about supper clubs.... I didn't realize it would inspire such a reaction.

I personally am looking forward to our move to Wisconsin and have found the Wisconsinites at the forum and the people we have been in contact with for the job/move extremely helpful.

Thank you for the information.

Does anyone know of a good supper club near the Wausau area?

[amax41]

Well Drover in looking at your location you must be going to the ones in Southern Wisconsin rather than northern.... of which just as in fish fry there IS a difference. So from 1 Chicagoan to another BIOYA.

[Drover]

No actually, most of the supper clubs I've been to are in the Northern half of the state. In fact I don't know that I've actually been to one in the southern part. And from one Chicagoan to another... grow the hell up.

[amax41]

laughable at best Drover ....doesn't even dignify a response