Wisconsin **** (Original list compiled 2013-2014 with others added on the dates indicated. All restaurants are in business in 2023)
Appleton–OB’s Brau Haus-523 W. College Ave. (German) Dinner only Tue.-Sat. Sauerbraten, bratwurst, jaegerschnitzel
Green Bay–Plia;s Kitchen–1300 S. Webster Ave. (Lao) Closed Sat & Sun. Has Hmong egg rolls. Food is highly rated. (3-6-24)
Hazel Green–Kall Inn Supper Club-4089 Sandy Hood Rd. (American) Supper club dinner-relish tray, steak or other meat, lemon tart or pumpkin pie for dessert. Across the river from Dubuque.
La Crosse–New Taste of India-1812 Jackson St. (Indian) Closed Mon. Good food-big city quality.
Madison–Bandung-600 Williamson St. (Indonesian) Lunch Mon-Fri. Dinner Mon-Sat. Sambal goreng durang, krupuk udang. Good reviews from Indonesian people for the dishes mentioned.
Madison–Lao Laan Xang-2098 Atwood Ave. (Lao) Dinner only (closed Sun). Some say the food is Americanized, but I think this happens when you get the default food and not the spicy or Lao version.
Madison–Naples 15-15 N. Butler St. (Italian) Dinner only (closed Sun). Full menu Italian restaurant where the pizza is authentic Neapolitan style. (Dining room is open 3-2-23)
Milwaukee–Mader’s-1041 N. Martin Luther King (German) Open Daily. Serves Usinger’s bratwurst (recommended coarse ground type-not the one emulsified like a hot dog). Note: a century old well known beer hall, but some say the German food is not the best-prob. just get the bratwurst.
Milwaukee–San Giorgio-838 N. Old World 3rd St. (Italian) Dinner only (closed Sun & Mon). Italian restaurant where the pizza is authentic Neapolitan style. (Dining room is open 3-2-23)
Milwaukee–Three Brothers-2414 S. St. Clair St. (Serbian) Dinner only (closed Mon & Tue). Award winning-should get reservations on weekend. Burek, Serbian salad (one of the best restaurants anywhere). (Dining room is open 3-2-23)
Milwaukee–Usinger’s-1030 N. Martin Luther King (German) Closed Sun & Mon. Usinger’s store (for take-out only). Famous for bratwurst.
Osseo–Norske Nook-18304 W. 7th St. (Norwegian) Open daily for breakfast & lunch. Regional chain with Norwegian & American specialties. Pie is what diners especially recommend.
Racine–O & H Danish Bakery-4917 Douglas Ave. (Bakery) Closed Sun evening. kringles (blueberry, cherry, raspberry). (Dining room is open 3-2-23)
Rice Lake–Norske Nook-2900 Pioneer Ave. (Norwegian) Cod, clam chowder, pie (apple is most popular), lefse (potato shell)
Sheboygan–Il Retrovo-515 S. 8th St. (Pizza) Closed Sun. Has authentic Neapolitan style wood-fired pizza. (Dining room is open 3-2-23)
Sheboygan–Rupp’s Downtown-925 N. 8th St. (Steak House) Dinner only (closed Mon & Tue). Has a wide variety of dinner items, but the Sterns recommended it for a local specialty, the “Sheboygan Brat,” immersed in beer and cooked over coals. (Dining room is open 3-2-23)
Sister Bay–Al Johnson’s-10698 N. Bay Shore Dr. (Swedish) Breakfast & lunch only (open daily). Swedish pancakes, Swedish meatballs.
- This is an Abbreviated List, compiled from a limited number of sources.
- Original list came primarily from Urbanspoon.com in 2013-2014.
- Newer listings are indicated by the date of their latest update.
Jane & Michael Stern, “500 Things to Eat Before It’s Too Late”
This work by the Sterns, published in 2009, focuses on individual dishes and “the Very Best Places to Eat Them.” Although the list is dated by more than a decade, it is worth taking a look at the choices which include the following in Wisconsin(partial list and edited for places that have closed–Bold for No. 1 recommendation in the U.S.):
- Apple Pie Baked in a Bag—Elegant Farmer (Mukwonago)
- Burek—Three Brothers (Milwaukee)
- Butter Burger—Solly’s Grille (Milwaukee)
- Kringle—O&H Danish Bakery (Racine)
- Sheboygan Brat—Horse & Plow (Kohler), Rupp’s Downtown (Sheboygan), Schulz’s (Sheboygan)
Sources:
James Beard Foundation (America’s Classics Award Winners)
Jane & Michael Stern, “500 Things to Eat Before It’s Too Late,” 2009, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcort.
Urbanspoon.com (former web site which I used for preliminary research)