I am a big fan of supper clubs, and I would be even if I wasn’t a native of Wisconsin where they are relatively prevalent and part of our culture. I like the idea of people going to a restaurant and spending the entire night there not just for sustenance, but for social purposes. Today’s supper clubs are the closest I’ll ever get to experiencing the nightclubs of the 1920s through the 1940s where dining and live entertainment were mixed every night–think Rick’s Cafe Americain in the movie, “Casablanca.” (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘supper club’
Book review: What a Swell Party it Was
Sunday, February 25th, 2018Travel Wisconsin Supper Club
Sunday, January 17th, 2016
Head to a basketball or hockey game at the Kohl Center, and you’ll find something surprising in the concourse outside section 112: a supper club.
The Wisconsin Department of Tourism opened the Travel Wisconsin Supper Club on Dec. 12, and I was invited to check it out. This opportunity intrigued me, as I typically avoid eating at the Kohl Center–the concession stands serve fairly average food–and eat at nearby restaurants and bars instead.
According to Joe Carney, director of operations for Levy Restaurants at UW Athletics, the supper club is part of a series of concession stand upgrades planned for the Kohl Center. The concept was developed through the combined efforts of the Dept. of Tourism, Badger Sports Properties, Levy Restaurants and UW Athletics.
“Supper club dining is about atmosphere and simple, authentic meals,” Levy Restaurants Chef Jason Steidle said in a statement. “To bring the concept together in a sports venue was a unique challenge, and we hope the result will delight fans and inspire continued interest in the decades-old supper club culture for years to come.”
Every day of the week has a special–for example, pot roast with mashed potatoes ($8.50) on Tuesdays and fish fry ($9.75) on Fridays. On Wednesday, patrons can try the stuffed shrimp ($8.50), which is filled with Monterey Jack cheese and served over waffle fries. I thought the fried shrimp perfectly combined a crunchy exterior with a soft, gooey interior, and I probably could have eaten at least a dozen of them.
Do what you can to visit on a Saturday, when the prime rib sandwich ($14.75) is featured. The prime rib by itself is freshly sliced in front of you, and it’s tender and incredibly flavorful from roasting for 1.5 hours.The bread holds the ladle of au jus really well, and the cooked onions and dab of horseradish on top make for the best sandwich ever served at the Kohl Center (and I’ve eaten in the media room and in the suites).
Of course, there are every-day menu items, too. The cheese curds ($7) had a nice, fried flavor, but the cheese was fairly hard because the curds were sitting in the warmer for a tad too long. Meanwhile, the onion rings ($5) were crispy and not too onion-y (which I appreciated).
The daily soups ($6) include clam chowder and cream of potato. Despite being so thin, the cheese soup was really satisfying in taste, as the cheddar cheese was accompanied by bacon and bell peppers.
The only item on the menu I wouldn’t recommend is the spaghetti and meatballs ($8.50). That’s because the dish reminded me of cafeteria spaghetti, and the frozen taste of the meatballs is obvious.
And one other thing to note, and this is no fault of Travel Wisconsin, but there are very few tables near the concession stand, and it’s hard to eat while holding a plate of food. On one visit, there was one high top and only one other table a section over. On a second visit, that one table had been removed from section 112, so I had to set my plate down on the condiment table.
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See more photos in our Travel Wisconsin Supper Club Flickr album.
Otto’s Supper Club
Saturday, June 20th, 2015
Otto’s Supper Club in Wisconsin Dells opened in 2013 in the space formerly occupied by the long-closed Newport Steakhouse. Compared to the more visible and better-located Del-Bar and Ishnala supper clubs–Otto’s is located east of the Wisconsin River near the Big Sky Drive-In theater–Otto’s provides decent fare without the tourists.
To get there from Lake Delton or Wisconsin Dells, you’ll have to go through downtown on Hwy 13 and turn right onto Hwy 16. Along the 2.7-mile stretch, you’ll see the river and the occasional train, along with the aforementioned drive-in, on your right.
I tried all the staples of a supper club, including an Old Fashioned (good strength), coleslaw (super creamy), clam chowder (wonderfully hearty), potato pancakes (a bit bland), cheesy hash browns (yum!) and the all-you-can-eat deep fried cod ($15). This fish was light and flaky with a batter that provided a delicate fried crunch–definitely worth ordering again.
Grilled items weren’t a hit, unfortunately. The ribeye ($19 for 12 oz., $25 for 16 oz., $33 for 24 oz.), while tender and super juicy, had a weird char taste, almost as if really old coal was rubbed on parts of the steak. In fact, the hamburger ($8) was the same way.
Other items on the two-page menu include pickle chips ($5), pizza, jager schnitzel ($14/$16) and chicken marsala ($18). From the “Wisconsin-ville” section, I tried the frog legs ($15). Out of the three times I’ve had frog legs, these were the toughest, but at least the batter–which bore a slight resemblance to KFC’s original recipe–was good.
Otto’s Supper Club is open Thursdays-Mondays beginning at 4 p.m. Like most supper clubs, there’s a big bar here in case of a wait, though note that the biggest TV is behind where the patrons sit, for some reason.
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See more photos in our Otto’s Supper Club Flickr album.
