Curds
Summer in Wisconsin is a time for festivals. Last weekend was the end of Summerfest, which is a huge annual event in Milwaukee with a dedicated festival grounds on the waterfront downtown. Until last weekend we had never been, probably because of the amount of effort required to plan ahead, get tickets, find care for Everett, etc. However, on Sunday from noon to 3pm they had free admission so we took Everett and had a pretty good time for about 15 minutes until he got too bossy and we wouldn’t obey him and he went into a tailspin that he could not recover from and we had to carry him out of the park screaming, after which he cried all the way home. Rough. So we still haven’t really attended Summerfest.
Another festival that we haven’t attended is the Annual Cheese Curd Festival in Ellsworth, Wisconsin. However, we have heard good things about it based on this report (even if you don’t read the article make sure you watch the video). For those of you who haven’t tried cheese curds, let me provide the following reviews from local experts.
Chris: “Seriously? What is all the fuss about? I don’t like foods that squeak, and cheese curds don’t taste like anything. The only way to eat them is deep fried at the State Fair.”
Melissa: “If they are fresh then they are squeezy and squeaky and tasty. They come in bite size shapes and they are perfect and you can just pop them in your mouth. The better kind are deep fried, which is molten cheesy hot perfection. They are delicious.”
At least the experts agree on the deep fried part! Speaking of which, I would like to alert everyone to the fact that the Wisconsin State Fair is coming up from August 2-12. The following is the list of the 57 new foods this year. Our loyal readers may recall that foods that are fried and/or on-a-stick command a high premium. If you search the list for the word “stick” there are 21 matches, and for the phrase “deep fried” there are 15 matches. Of these, Chris will be eating the Reuben Brat On-a-Stick with a side of Deep Fried Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots On-a-Stick (though the Irish Beef Sundae is tempting). Melissa will be trying the Chocolate Covered Cheese and the Fat Elvis On-a-Stick (Peanut Butter Cup in Banana Batter with Bacon). We will report back with expert reviews on these new culinary delights.
FOOD | VENDOR | LOCATION |
Apple Raisin Stuffed Pork Chop Tips (Pork Chop cubed with Apple Raisin Stuffing and Glazed with Apple Whiskey Sauce) | Machine Shed Restaurant | Corner of First St. & Wetley Way |
BBQ Egg Roll (Egg Roll stuffed with Rib Meat, Cheese and Cabbage) | Pitch’s | Corner of First St. & Central Mall |
Beer Floats (Craft/Import Beer and Ice Cream) | Slim McGinn’s Irish Pub, Slim McGinn’s West and Lakefront Brew Pub & Eatery | Corner of Grandstand Ave. & Second St.,Corner of First St. & Badger Ave. and Big Backyard |
Big Daddy Sub (Cappacolla Ham, Coteghino Bologna, Genoa Salami, Ham, Pepperoni, Provolone, Black Olives, Pepperoncinis, Lettuce, Onions, Tomatoes, Parmesan Asiago, Oregano, Oil, Red Wine Vinegar and Mayo) | Cousins Subs | The Cousins Subs Amphitheater |
Bourbon Cheeseburger Sliders | Miller Lite Sports Bar | Corner of Grandstand Ave. & Second St. |
Brewer Brat (Beer Brat Dipped in Stadium Sauce with Sauerkraut) | Leadfoots Bar & Grill | Grandstand Ave. (Mid) |
Brewton On-a-Stick (Deep Fried Won Ton filled with Chicken, Cream Cheese, Pepper Jack Cheese, Jalapeno’s and Scallions) | Water Street Brewery | Corner of Central Mall and Second St. |
Cake Pops | Lehmann’s Bakery | Wisconsin Products Pavilion |
Chicken BLT Sliders | Miller Lite Sports Bar | Corner of Grandstand Ave. & Second St. |
Chicken Patty | L&M Concessions | SpinCity |
Chocolate covered Cheese (Mozzarella Cheese Stick dipped in Milk Chocolate, sprinkled with Sea Salt) | Ultimate Confections | Expo Center Booth 313 and Wisconsin Products Pavilion |
Chocolate covered Cranberries On-a-Stick | WI State Cranberry Growers Association | Wisconsin Products Pavilion |
Cookie Dough Cone or Sundae (Layers of Cookie Dough, Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Soft Serve) | Emma’s Cookie Kitchen | Grandstand Ave. (South) |
Custard | Granny’s Real Wisconsin Custard | Big Backyard |
Deep Fried Bacon (Bacon Chunks battered, Deep Fried and served with Dipping Sauce) | Madison Sportservice | Grandstand Ave. (Mid) |
Deep Fried Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potato Tots On-a-Stick | Jayme’s Chipstix | Big Backyard |
Deep Fried Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots On-a-Stick | Jayme’s Chipstix | Big Backyard |
Deep Fried Brownie On-a-Stick | Callie & Cole’s Taste of Chicago | Dairy Ln. between Main St. & First St. |
Deep Fried Cheesecake | Granny’s Cheesecake and More | SpinCity |
Deep Fried Cookie Dough | Emma’s Cookie Kitchen | Grandstand Ave. (South) |
Deep Fried Ice Cream | Leadfoots Bar & Grill | Grandstand Ave. (Mid) |
Deep Fried Pizza On-a-Stick with Marinara Dipping Sauce | Brew City | Grandstand Ave. between Second St. and Benno’s Micro Alley |
Deep Fried Shortcake | Granny’s Cheesecake and More | SpinCity |
Deep Fried Stuffing On-a-Stick | Rupena’s | Corner of Center St. & Central Ave. |
Deep Fried Twinkies | Granny’s Cheesecake and More | SpinCity |
Deluxe Deep Fried Bacon Wrapped Cheddar Hot Dog On-a-Stick | Apollo Gyros | Center St. between Badger Ave. & Wetley Way |
Donut Holes | Lehmann’s Bakery | Wisconsin Products Pavilion |
Dragon Wing On-a-Stick | Wok in the Park | Center St. between Badger Ave. & Central Ave. |
Egg Fu Young Bites | Wok in the Park | Center St. between Badger Ave. & Central Ave. |
Fat Elvis On-a-Stick (Peanut Butter Cup in Banana Batter with Bacon) | Lakefront Brew Pub & Eatery | Big Backyard |
Firecracker Chicken On-a-Stick (Mesquite Jalapeno Cornbread Batter-Fried Chicken On-a-Stick) | Machine Shed Restaurant | Corner of First St. & Wetley Way |
Fruit Rangoon | Joey’s Tempura Fruit & Vegetables | Badger Ave. between Main St. and Center St. |
Galaway Chicken Salad | Slim McGinn’s Irish Pub | Corner of Grandstand Ave. & Second St. |
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough with Gluten Free Chocolate Coating | D&T Concessions | Main Street in the Big Backayard |
Goldfish Cheesecake (Goldfish waffle filled with cheesecake) | Wok in the Park | Center St. between Badger Ave. & Central Ave. |
Grilled Chicken On-a-Stick | Chan’s Concessions | Corner of Grandstand Ave. & Main St. |
Homemade Chip Platter (Homemade Chips topped with Shredded Beef, Sour Cream, Chives, Tomatoes and Cheese) | Miller Lite Sports Bar | Corner of Grandstand Ave. & Second St. |
Irish Beef Sundae | Slim McGinn’s Irish Pub and Slim McGinn’s West | Corner of Grandstand Ave. & Second St. and Corner of First St. & Badger Ave. |
Italian Chicken On-a-Stick | MaMa Mary’s Italian Deli & Pizza | Central Ave. between First St. & Second St. |
Lakefront Beer Flights | Lakefront Brew Pub & Eatery | Big Backyard |
Mega Dog On-a-Stick (18″ Corn Dog | Super Dog | SpinCity |
Pomme Frites (Twice Fried Natural Cut Potatoes with Gourmet Dipping Sauces | Madison Sportservice | Grandstand Ave. (Mid) |
Pork Donut (Sugared Bismark Stuffed with BBQ Pork) | Madison Sportservice | Grandstand Ave. (Mid) |
Pot Roast Burger | Machine Shed Restaurant | Corner of First St. & Wetley Way |
Red Velvet Funnel Cake with Cream Cheese Drizzle | G&G Gyros | Grandstand Ave. (North), First St. between Wetley Way & Badger Ave., and the Big Backyard |
Reuben Brat On-a-Stick(Corned Beef, Swiss Cheese & Sauerkraut Bratwurst) dipped in Rye Batter, Deep Fried and served with Thousand Island Dipping Sauce | Slim McGinn’s West | Corner of First St. & Badger Ave. |
Sciortino’s Cookies On-a-Stick | Slim McGinn’s Irish Pub and Slim McGinn’s West | Corner of Grandstand Ave. & Second St. and Corner of First St. & Badger Ave. |
Shrimp Fried Rice | Chan’s Concessions | Corner of Grandstand Ave. & Main St. |
Sicilian Steak On-a-Stick | MaMa Mary’s Italian Deli & Pizza | Central Ave. between First St. & Second St. |
Sprecher Soda Sorbet (Grape, Root Beer & Orange Dream) | Sprecher Landing | Center St. between Wetley Way & Badger Ave. |
Stuffed Fish On-a-Stick | Door County Fish Boil | Center St. between Wetley Way & Badger Ave. |
Sweet Chimi-Nutella (Banana, Nutella, Cinnamon, Pecans and Powdered Sugar wrapped in a Flour Tortilla) | Burrito Xpress | Westside Marketplace |
Sweet Potato Fries with Marshmallow Dipping Cream | Budweiser Pavilion Patio & Grill | Corner of Central Ave. & First St. |
Waffles (Plain or with Blueberry or Strawberry Sauce) | West Allis Shrine Club | Original Cream Puff Pavilion |
White Chocolate covered Cranberry Cookie On-a-Stick | WI State Cranberry Growers Association | Wisconsin Products Pavilion |
Wisconsin Cheesy Chicken Sub (Chicken Breast, Sauteed Onions, Green Peppers, Sharp Yellow American Cheese and Lettuce on Italian Bread) | Cousins Subs | The Cousins Subs Amphitheater |
Wisconsin Steak & Brat Sub (Thinly Sliced Steak topped with Bratwurst Slices, Cheddar Cheese, Sauteed Onions, Brown Mustard and Pickles on Onion Cheddar Bread) | Cousins Subs | The Cousins Subs Amphitheater |
Did I miss the deep-fried beer stand?