Saz's State House

When I was in Milwaukee recently on a Friday, my sister said she knew the perfect place for a family get-together and a great fish fry. She was right! We had a really good Fish Fry at Saz's State House. I sure wish they had a branch in Lake Mary! We had a very nice Fish Fry here and I'd return in a moment.

Saz's is somewhat known locally in Milwaukee for their Ribs and for their participation in sporting events--they are blocks away from Miller Park, the home of the Milwaukee Brewers. But we went there on a Friday night specifically for their Fish Fry and we were not disappointed. 

There were about a dozen of us and we had a reservation, so no waiting, though when we left they were busy and I'm told that sometimes there is a long wait. But not for us. After taking and delivering our drink orders (mostly beer--we were in Milwaukee, WI after all!), we ordered. I had the fish fry and I have to say, my fish was perfectly breaded and deep fried--to perfection. The fish was moist and flaky, the breading was not greasy at all. I had the coleslaw and potato pancakes. The potato pancakes were fairly thin and a bit overcooked as a result--thicker would have been better. The coleslaw was a bit dull--it could have used a bit of acid, I thought. And one thing never made it to my plate--the bread. Yes, the waitress should have noticed this but did not. One or two of our party had to ask for missing items, but I figured I had enough to eat, and i was right. In general it was good, but the Fish--for which a Fish Fry is named--was the highlight and was wonderful. I would return again, just for the fish.

Balistreri's Italian-American Ristorante

All I can say is, be careful what you order at Balistreri's Italian-American Ristorante, because if you order a large pizza, you will get one huge, gigantic, full sheet pan sized pizza...and a danged good pizza to boot! I was in Milwaukee visiting family, and a group of about six or seven of us went out to eat in Wauwatosa. Our first choice was closed for a vacation, so we came to Balistreiri's as a second choice, but it turned out to be a great choice. Not only were the pizzas large and good, but the beer was good and cold. It was a hot June day in Milwaukee, and we had a great meal here. 

For each of the two large pizzas we ordered, we ordered half-and-half pizzas, then had great fun sampling all four varieties. Which was my favorite? All of them, they were each excellent. As you can see in the photo, each pizza took up a full half-sheet pan (we barely had room on the table for our plates and beer glasses)! The crust was excellent, and nice and thin. The various toppings were good and plentiful, but not so much that they weighed down the pizza. They were both cooked perfectly. And, can you believe it, though there were only 6 of us, we ate it all! Every last slice. And it was all good. I'd certainly go  eat here again, in a heartbeat!

Randy's Family Restaurant

My sister and I were driving from Milwaukee to Eau Claire on my last visit "up north," and we were hungry, so we decided to stop in at Randy's Family Restaurant in Eau Claire for a late lunch. As soon as I saw one particular thing on the menu, I knew I had to have it: Deep Fried Cheese Curds! Now, fresh cheese curds are definitely a "Wisconsin thing." They are simple fresh cheese curds, before they've been pressed into a block and aged. The have two definite characteristics that prove they are fresh: they squeak when you eat them (at room temperature, of course!), and they are a bit salty. Well, in Wisconsin, they've learned how great they are when they are battered or breaded and deep fried. And indeed they are wonderful. The ones we had at Randy's were very good, definitely fresh cheddar cheese curds, and fried nicely. Yumm.

For my lunch i had the mahi sandwich with a salad. The salad was average and, so was the sandwich, overall. The fish itself was a nice large portion, lightly blackened and fried to perfection. But it seemed to me a waste to put such a nice piece of tasty fish on such an ordinary bun! I guess if the bun is my worst complaint, it can't be all bad, and that's true. So, while the sandwich was good and the fish excellent, it could have been made better by a more tasty bun. But overall, we had a very pleasant lunch at Randy's Family  Restaurant and found the service good and the food decent at a very affordable price. Yumm!

Crabby Dave's

I was "back home" visiting family in June, and of course on a Friday it was required that we go out for a Fish Fry. So about 18 of us gathered at Crabby Dave's in downtown Marshfield. And what did we have? Well, a Fish Fry, of course. 

I have looked all around central Florida, but nowhere have I found the perfect "Wisconsin style" Fish Fry. I had it at Crabby Dave's in Marshfield, Wisconsin, however. Tender, battered, deep-fried fish is, of course, the star. Along with that there is the requisite coleslaw, french fries, and bread (note that i substituted more coleslaw for the fries, as seen in the photo. And don't forget the tartar sauce.

Everything was great here but the fish was indeed the star. Now, I will say that the fish portions appeared a bit on the small size, I'm glad I ordered the 3-piece dinner, but they were cooked perfectly, nice and tender and flaky, and not over-battered. The whole meal was wonderful, and made more so by the fact that my family was there: parents, brother, sisters, spouses, nieces and nephews and their families as well, down to my parents' "great-grands." It was a wonderful meal and a great time, and so nice that Crabby Dave's was able to accommodate a group of our size on a busy "Fish Fry" Friday evening. Well done! 

Country Aire Bar & Banquet

We journeyed from to Country Aire Bar & Banquet in Stratford as it was the only place that we could find to accomodate our party of 17 on somewhat short notice. And it turned out to be a good choice as they have an excellent fish fry--that was our whole reason for going there.

So on the Friday after Thanksgiving, a large group of my family made the 10 mile journey there and had a great Fish Fry--exactly what a Wisconsin Fish Fry should be. I was in luck, they also had a seafood buffet, and it included the beer-battered, deep fried haddock that is the staple of Wisconsin Fish Fries. And it had a bit more, it had some Haddock with cheese (strange combination, but it was actually quite good) and popcorn shrimp. So I got to sample quite a bit of stuff and it was all good. But I got to sample all the staples of a Fish Fry: the deep-fried, beer-battered fish, french fried, cole slaw (excellent, too) and rye (or in this case, marble) bread. It was all very good.

The facility is rather large, with a large dining room on one side, a bar in the middle, and a large banquet hall on the other side. I'd imagine they do lots of wedding. No matter, it was a good choice, they were very accomodating, our waitress was fast, friendly, and efficient, and we had a great family outing, a great family time here.  Yumm, definitely good eats!

Daily Grind

We stopped by Daily Grind on a recent Saturday. It was lunchtime but we found they were only serving breakfast. No matter, we decided to stay. And it was a good thing because our meal was fantastic!

Daily Grind is a small, somewhat eclectic place in the heart of downtown Marshfield. It's really a coffee bar that serves a limited breakfast and lunch menu. With free WiFi and a cozy atmosphere, it's a great place to just hang out with friends, I'd thing. Tommy and I were shopping and called my sister Donna to join us. We got over our "breakfast only" initial disappointment and all settled on the breakfast burrito--it was a very good choice as it was excellent! A large tortilla was stuffed--and I do mean stuffed--with all sorts of goodness. It had a definite Tex-Mex feel to it, chilies, cheese, olives, bacon, onions, and all manner of good things. It was awesome, we all agreed. It was topped with some shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. All in all, this was great and I'd have it again. 

Susie's Home Cooking

Is there really "home cooking" at Susie's Home Cooking? You bet! We made a good choice when we decided to stop here. Warm and inviting, it feels like (and is) a small town diner inside--with great food.

We had to start with the deep fried cheese curds. They were all they should have been, with a nice beer-batter coating, fried and tender and delicious.

For his meal, my friend Tommy tried the Pasty. A Pasty is an upper Michigan treat, a pie dough of sorts that's stuffed with all sorts of goodness. This was stuffed with meat, onions, celery, and rice. It was excellent--really very, very good. I would go back to Suzie's just to have the Pasty again--it was that good. I wish I could have gotten a dozen frozen and taken them back to Florida on the plane with me. Yes, it was that good.

I started with a salad, and it was pretty typical, iceberg lettuce with a few bits of red cabbage and carrots for coloer. Nothing too special, but what you'd expect to find in a diner. however, the dressing was homemade, a raspberry viniagrette, and very good.

For my main course I had what I consider to be a diner staple, a Patty Melt. It was all I expected it to be. The patty appeared to be hand made and it was cooked perfectly. The grilled onions and the cheese made it just perfect. I loved it.

So, next time I'm driving from Milwaukee to Marshfield and need a bite to eat, I will remember the food at Suzie's. Definitely worth stopping for.

Lammar's Smokehouse BBQ

I was surprised to find a BBQ joint in Marshfield, so I had to give it a try. Lammar's Smokehouse BBQ is fairly new, opened in a space next to a gas station/convenience store formerly occupied by a Subway. It's relatively new and not all that fancy, but what true BBQ place it. The proof is in the taste of the "Q" and I would say it is a success!  Yes, there were a few rough edges, but we enjoyed our lunch here. We had sandwiches with their sides for lunch. The pulled pork was delicious, though a bit overly juicy, and the bun it was served on was overpowered by the juice. But the sandwich itself was delicious with a nice smoky flavor. The brisket was pretty good too, but jsut a bit fatty. The coleslaw was delicious, abosolutely a hit. The potato salad was OK.

The deep-fried mac 'n cheese for me was a bit of a disappointment. I'm not sure why. perhaps it was a bit overcooked? I am not really sure, but it was just not the spectacular side I'd expected. If i were them I'd do a little better on the breading and fry them just a little less, so they were a lighter brown. The mac n cheese itself was just a bit dry. Maybe the secret is to make it a bit creamier. however, it sure has potential.

One of the best things I found here, in addition to the smoked meats, were the sauces. They make their own and they were very good, each in its own regard. Maybe they should bottle and sell them? I think that would be a hit. There were a few I really liked, but I suggest if you go, you give them all a try, each is different, each is unique. Overall, I enjoyed the BBQ here and was surprised to find such a place in Marshfield. Next time I'm in town, I'll be sure to stop in again!