Food for Thought 2010

By Alison Fiebig

Our annual review of the dining scene in the Fox Cities.

Just as we are gearing up spring, it’s time to report on the restaurants that have sprouted up in the Fox Cities since last April. The dining scene has seen an inflow of high-end but casual fare, and artisan but modest foods. The universal opinion of Fox Cities restaurant owners is that people still need to eat despite economic setbacks. And what could be more universal than food?

Grand Chute

Causing a sensation in the dining scene since opening in July 2009, Wild Truffle Wood-Fired Pizzeria and Italian Bistro regales diners with its artisan pizzas and pastas.

Before you judge, you should know that this isn’t just “another pizzeria.” Wild Truffle has struck a balance between comfort and sophistication and has a serious hold on the Italian dining scene in the area.

Owner Marc Waltzer saw a need for artisan foods, especially pizzas, in the Fox Cities. Before opening the restaurant, he spent two years developing an artisan pizza crust channeling inspiration from a pizzeria in Seattle, where he lived for many years. “A good business person looks at a down economy as a good opportunity,” he says. “Not all [dining] needs were being met in the last year.”

Wanting to hit on classic, slow-cooked cuisine, Waltzer and head chef, Dave Miller, debuted an entrée specialty menu in February. A selection of new dishes includes Pan-Roasted Chicken Scallopine Bellagio, sautéed chicken breast topped with smoked prosciutto, an apple and arugula salad with a cider vinaigrette and served on a bed of butternut squash-maple purée; a Pan-Seared Fresh Jumbo Sea Scallops, flown in from Maine daily and served on a bed of butternut squash-maple purée and a roasted piquillo pepper-chardonnay sauce with Nueske’s bacon; and Milanese staples Pork and Lamb Osso Bucco, which means “bone with a hole” in Italian.

And what would an Italian bistro be without wine? Each item on the menu has a recommended pairing.

Soup, salad, pizzas and artisan, wood-fired focaccia sandwiches, such as a classic muffaletta, open-faced Tuscan-style crab, and basil pesto chicken, are served for lunch.

This spring, the outdoor patio will undergo changes, such as new lounge seating, a fireplace, and a canopy to cover the entire terrace, to better accommodate guests.

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A paragon of Italian dining, Carmella’s: an Italian Bistro is exactly that: a small restaurant serving moderately priced meals in a modest, European-style setting. Since opening last November, Carmella’s has been a place for light meals and feasts alike. “We go about our business like a fine dining restaurant, but our atmosphere is casual,” says Nicole DeFranza, who owns the restaurant with her sister Kristen. “The energy, loudness and busyness all lends itself to the urban feel.”

Opening a restaurant only seemed natural for the fateful foodie pair. The bistro is named after their grandmother, who according to Nicole served as an inspiration for the sisters’ passion for food, wine and all things social. “This restaurant is a representation of her food,” says Nicole, adding that their father, Larry, also has an influence.

The menu is awash with hearty, layered, yet simple, Italian courses. Start with insalata (salad), antipasti (appetizers) or carne e formaggio (meat and cheese) items and move onto the primi or secondi dishes, panninis and, of course, any selection must be followed by dessert!

A wide selection of pastas includes traditional potato gnocchi (prepared daily) and pappardelle (flat, ribbon noodles). Whole-wheat or gluten-free linguine can be substituted in any pasta dish upon request. Nicole recommends the Saltimbocca, chicken breast in a flavorful “sweet, maple-y sauce,” or the Peppercorn Dusted Sea Scallops.

Several ingredients and products are sourced locally, like Manderfields’ breads, Haen’s meats and gelato from Brewed Awakenings.

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Every day is Fat Tuesday at Po’boy Sandwich Co., which opened in February alongside the Fox River Mall (formally PB Loco) under owners Nick and Dianne Marquardt.

There’s history behind the name. When New Orleans streetcar workers went on strike in 1929, a streetcar-employee-turned-restaurant-owner served the men free sandwiches. The restaurant employees called the strikers “poor boys.”

The smell of N’awlins cuisine elicits Cajun coveters in the Fox Cities. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, the sandwich shop serves its namesake, Po’boys, which are 8-inch baguette-like subs on French bread. The loaf is made locally at Manderfields, who created it exclusively for the Marquardts.

The couple researched recipes for several years before finalizing the menu. The crawfish used in the Po’boys is coated in the shop’s own breading, lightly seasoned and fried. The jambalaya and gumbo are traditional, with a personal touch or two of Nick’s. But it’s the muffuletta sandwich (made daily) that is proving to be most popular.

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In February, a born-and-bred Wisconsin establishment opened its doors. Primarily a take-and-bake and delivery pizza business, Brothers Three Pizza had a strong Marinette following before making its Fox Cities debut. “Many people in the Valley are from Marinette and have been asking for us,” says owner Keith Dau, who bought the business in 2004 from the original brothers. “It worked well to do a take-out and delivery concept using the old Hungry Howie’s building.”

Its signature item is the Brothers Three Deluxe pizza, which has tomato slices on top of the cheese. Other specialty pizzas include the Reuben, Hawaiian, Garlic Chicken Delight and Bacon Cheeseburger. It also offers a create-your-own pizza option, wings, Italian appetizers and light salads.

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A year ago, Solea Mexican Grill unveiled its second location in Neenah. The restaurant opens its third location in the old Tumbleweed building on Casaloma Drive on April 15.

With remnants of its Tex-Mex predecessor, modifications will include adding “Solea colors, big wall murals and furniture in the bar area,” says owner Eduardo Sanchez.

You can expect the same prices and atmosphere as Solea’s two other locations, which is music to the ears of devotees. However, with the opening of its newest restaurant, diners will see 10 regular chimichanga and burrito menu options replaced by new, authentic items influenced by Sanchez’ native region in Mexico, Veracruz. “It’s taken me awhile to change things,” says Sanchez. “There will be even more seafood, chicken and pork items.”

Appleton

Candy Straebel found her niche in artisan foods. A self-taught cook, she dreamed of creating a business that emphasizes her favorite things in the culinary world: olive oils, aged varietal vinegars, specialty meats and cheeses, Rishi teas, salts and seasonings.

Flash forward to October 2009, when Savoré Culinary Artisans opened on the north side of Appleton. “I wanted to give artisans a platform and [this area] the opportunity to experience the best of the best,” Straebel says.

In addition to the retail gourmet food side of the business, Straebel has a chef team of seven, including pastry chef Sue Horvath, who is one in 220 master pastry chefs in the country.

Stop in for artisan breakfast items, such as eggs en coquette, chocolate raspberry crepes, brioche French toast, and Irish steel-cut oats served with fruit and a praline sauce. Enhancements include candied bacon skewers, homemade Idaho Russet potatoes and a calvados applesauce cup.

For lunch or dinner, enjoy leafy-green salads, homemade soups and bistro-style sandwiches.
Straebel took over the space that used to be Dolce Vita Bakery Cafe in January, and this spring she plans to remodel the interior and call it Savoré Bistro and Patisserie. Once finished, she’ll serve a larger bistro menu for dinner.

Another feature unique to Savoré is its afternoon tea service. Enjoy a pot of organic or cream tea with a scone topped with authentic English clotted creme and jam. Splurge on the traditional tea service, which includes a pot of tea and a decadent platter of sweets including tea sandwiches and Fairy Cake, a traditional chocolate cupcake.

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Meng’s Thai is the place to go for Thai-style pho or fried rice cooked like it is in the Old County.

Last April, Meng’s opened in the old Asian Taste space on Calumet Street. Serving lunch and dinner, owner Meng Yang dishes out authentic Thai cuisine, including noodle soup, stir-fried noodles and curry entrées. “I use a different, darker sauce in the Pad thai,” Yang explains. “The curry is spicy but I tone it down with coconut milk, sugar and fish sauce.”

Yang serves Masaman curry in addition to gang gai, green and pa-nang curries. All dishes are served with a choice of chicken, beef, tofu, extra vegetables or a meat combo (shrimp, crab, beef and chicken).

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Appleton welcomed another Thai restaurant, Asian Thai, in February. Located on Appleton’s north side in the same building that holds Koreana and El Azteca, the restaurant serves traditional Thai dishes for lunch and dinner. Owner Amy Chen also serves a variety of Chinese entrées, such as General Tso’s and orange beef, and an abundance of seafood, vegetarian, curry and rice and noodle dishes.

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For years, Fox Citians had to venture north to the Happy Joe’s Pizza in Green Bay. But in November 2009, Green Bay owners, Frank and Terri Hanold, and another couple, Rick and Kerri Gasman, opened a Happy Joe’s on the north side of Appleton. Together, the couples have made families in the Fox Cities very “happy!”

A family-dining favorite, the pizza place serves a variety of toasted sandwiches, oven-baked pastas and specialty pizzas. Try the world-famous Taco Joe, which has a special refried bean sauce, taco-seasoned beef and sausage, topped with lettuce, tomatoes and taco chips and served with Spicey Joe’s® taco sauce.

Frank advises a Happy Joe’s Pizza newcomer to sample the pizza variety and specialty pastas on the lunch buffet.

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Need a burger stat? In September 2009, Mike Verbrick opened the Recovery Room Restaurant and Tavern in the old Jokers bar space. Just a short walk from St. Elizabeth Hospital, the establishment has become a hot spot for hospital staffers. Its take-it-easy environment is good for a quick lunch, Friday fish fry or all-you-can-eat ribs on Wednesday.

The overall theme has proven catchy with Recovery Room servers donning scrubs and menu items named using medical terminology. For a grilled steak sandwich marinated in garlic butter and topped with caramelized onions and melted mozzarella cheese, order the Flat Liner. If you’re craving Creole cuisine, ask for The Doc, a half-pound Angus beef patty seasoned with Cajun spices and topped with jalapeños and Pepper Jack cheese. If you’re a rudimentary burger consumer, have no fear. Simply ask for The Intern, a basic third-pound Angus beef patty with cheese, ketchup and pickles.

Keith Ellis, head chef, spends eight hours baking corned beef briskets for the Reuben sandwich. “The way we do our corned beef sets us apart from the others,” says Verbrick.

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In March, The Seasons An American Bistro and Lemon Grass An Asian Bistro fused to form The Seasons An Asian-American Bistro at its South Nicolet Road location.

“I think we’ve settled some arguments between couples who had a tough time deciding whether to go to Lemon Grass or The Seasons,” says executive chef Dylan Maass.

Maass explains that the new “east meets west” concept will still offer the same American and Asian favorites, as well as a selection of fusion fare. Since opening The Seasons in 1997, owners Bob and Jessica Doller opted to keep both restaurants in a space that is known for its first-class environment.

In addition to Lemon Grass’ primarily Thai cuisine, they will pulling more Asian flavors into the dishes, including Laotian and Chinese. The only real culinary change will be adding one more style of cooking: wok cookery.

The Seasons has also resumed serving lunch Monday through Friday.

Downtown Appleton

The end of summer 2009 brought us a new European restaurant like no other in the Fox Cities: Oslo’s Scandinavian-American Eatery.

Todd and Suzy Weisgerber opened the restaurant in the building that was once Fajitas Mexican Grill and Black & Tan Grille. “Many people think that because Black & Tan used to be in this building, Oslo’s is fine dining,” says Todd. “You can come in wearing jeans and a T-shirt and sit at a table with nice linens!”

The menu has a unique mixture of traditional Scandinavian entrées, Norwegian sandwiches and American burgers, sandwiches and steak and seafood dishes. Todd admits that putting the menu together was a learning process. “I didn’t originally have Swedish pancakes on the menu,” he says. “I discovered that Scandinavians eat pancakes at every meal.”

Many traditional Swedish dishes are prepared using lingonberries, which are served with every Scandinavian entrée, Swedish pancakes and with table bread.

Most popular are Oslo’s Swedish meatballs (three tennis ball-sized meatballs with gravy and served with freshly baked bread and your choice of starch), which are also on the kids’ menu in a smaller portion. They serve lunch Tuesday through Friday in addition to dinner and a family-style brunch on Sundays. They are closed Mondays.

“Because people aren’t quite sure of what Scandinavian cuisine is, it scares them,” Todd adds. “It’s a casual experience, and it’s worth trying.”

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Last July, Cena opened in the space that was once Sirocco’s Mediterranean Tapas and Peggy’s Bistro. While the exposed brick walls, plush furnishings and a seemingly endless bar attracts the area’s hipsters looking for a jazz-casual evening or a pair of lovers looking for a spread of exquisite appetizers, Cena stands apart from its ancestors.

With a dash of Spanish here, a hint of Mediterranean there and a Provençal touch every so often, its menu is globally accented. Sink into the grilled swordfish, topped with a balsamic brown butter over a seasonal vegetable couscous, or bacon wrapped tenderloin stuffed with figs and Gorgonzola, accompanied with maple-glazed apple, almond-stuffed fig and a wild rice pilaf.

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Get a “leg up” on the dining scene and head to the Leg Lamp Lodge, where the decor may be of the past but the food is nothing but fresh!

Crawling with seafood and twists on original bar food, the lodge offers hungry bar-goers a variety of appetizers, sandwiches, salads and a build-your-own pizza option.

Owner Chris Kafka stands by his shrimp cocktail as being the largest in the area. Homemade cocktail sauce and 12 shrimp are served in a martini glass bigger than your head. Other selections include crab stuffed mushrooms, skewered ribs and shrimp, crab cakes and oysters on the half shelf (Friday and Saturday only).

Neenah

In her visits to Milwaukee’s Iron Horse Hotel, Shannon Zambrano was charmed by the old timbers, brick walls and paneled steel fire doors. When the historic Caliban Spirits and Such space (more recently CornerStone Pub) downtown Neenah became available, her dream to bring the Old World atmosphere to the Fox Cities became a reality. In December 2009, she opened 5 Generations Bar and Grill. “We took the Old World charm and combined it with a relaxing, sports bar atmosphere,” says Zambrano.

Besides its masculine draw and past-time pieces, including a Neenah Foundry manhole cover cemented in the floor, the menu is bursting with friendly foods.

Using a 15-year-old recipe, 5 Generations burgers are made with 100% Angus beef, seasoned with a special blend of spices. Another hand-me-down recipe is used for the chili, a balance of hot spice, Angus beef and sauces. “We needed a menu item that set us apart from any other bar and grill in the area,” says Zambrano.

If you are kicking back at the bar on any given night, you’re sure to see a steady pace of pizzas flow from the kitchen. Mixed with Italian seasonings and hand-pressed to under a quarter-inch thick, the handcrafted crust is a recipe developed special for the bar. The dough is made fresh daily. A thick and sweet sauce is combined with premium toppings and cooked in a 40-year-old stone oven.

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While it may be the nosh neighbor to Comedy Quarter in the Town of Neenah, Gilligan’s Tiki Bar and Grill is serious about its food. Guests have reams of classic bar appetizers, burgers, wraps and sandwiches to choose from while dining in a Caribbean atmosphere with funky neon murals. They answer to the Friday night crowds with a fish fry offering all-you-can-eat cod, perch, blue gill, walleye and haddock. Gilligan’s tartar sauce, a decades-tested hand-me-down recipe, is considered crème de la crème in the Fox Cities.

Kimberly

Steve and Ronda Vetter met in the Navy when they were both pollywogs, a term for a sailor who has never crossed the earth's equator on a U.S. Naval vessel. It only seemed natural to name their restaurant Pollywogs Bar and Grill and fill the menu with catchy-named fare.

Try one of the specialty burgers, like the Barnyard (topped with bacon, cheese and a fried egg), the Seahorse (loaded with French fries and cheese sauce served open face on Texas toast) or the Popeye’s Pounder (a full pound of Angus sirloin with spinach and Pepper jack cheese). Other menu items include wraps, pizzas and a Friday fish fry that features frog legs. “As a kid, I used to be able to get frog legs at any place that served fish,” Steve recalls. “Today, they are hard to come by.” The frog legs, which are deep-fried, come in its own basket, or one frog leg comes on the side with the perch, walleye or haddock.

Celebrating 50 Years

In 1960, Tom Grishaber and his wife, Corinne, built a drive-in across from Telulah Park in Appleton after a Milwaukee salesman sold him a package for a fast food restaurant. “People didn’t even know what fast food was at that time,” says Grishaber. “Hamburgers and cheeseburgers were a Sunday treat!” Today, that drive-in business is Tom’s Drive-In, a Fox Cities staple. 

At first, the Appleton restaurant was only open during the summer months. They conducted business through one walk-up window and made only hamburgers, French fries and shakes. Two summers passed before Grishaber had enough money to put glass enclosure on the place, install a furnace and stay open year-round. By 1967, the Grishabers had made enough money to buy a car.

In 1974, Tom opened a second location on the corner of Northland and Oneida. It was the second fast food restaurant in the Fox Cities to have a drive-thru window. “As other drive-ins came to town, we had to come up with other draws,” explains Tom, adding that he and his wife invented the Spanish hamburger, which is similar to a sloppy joe.

At the age of thirteen, their son, Scot, who is now the primary owner, started “putting burgers on the chain.” He had to stand on a box to reach the grill.

Today, Tom’s Drive-In has seven Fox Cities locations “famous for good food,” a slogan that has remained throughout the years. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the fast food favorite has slashed prices for its cones, coffee, hot cocoa, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, quarter-pounder and sundaes.

Other Newcomers

In May 2009, The Flying Dutchman landed in Little Chute in the space that once had been home to Jacks or Better supper club. Owner Michelle Mueller is serving lunch and dinner, which includes a salad bar, fish fry, prime rib, steaks, sandwiches, salads and pizzas.

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Adding to Little Chute’s social scene, Seth’s Coffee and Bake Shop opened in September 2009 and serves baked goods perfect for breakfast or an afternoon sugar binge (cinnamon rolls, cookies, muffins and Chocolate Shoppe ice cream). Seth’s also serves quiches and panini sandwiches.

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Locally owned Pizza King opened another location in May 2009 in the old Fox’s Pizza Den in Greenville. The take-and-bake pizzeria also offers sandwiches and salads.

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In July, Stone Yard Food and Spirits opened a second location in Vandebroek featuring an outdoor patio. Both locations are now smoke-free (the other in north Appleton). They serve a variety of food, pizzas and a Friday fish fry.

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Heavenly Ham became HoneyBaked Ham Co. and Cafe in June 2009 after the company suggested franchisers change the name. The Appleton location serves lunch.

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The Warch Campus Center opened just in time for Lawrence University’s school year, serving its first meal on August 22, 2009. The union has four distinctly different dining venues and is open to the public. Bob and Pat’s Coffee Shop offers Alterra coffee, sandwiches, homemade pastries and ice cream; Kaplan’s Grill, located just off of Main Street, serves hot sandwiches, burgers, appetizers and breakfast items; Andrew’s Commons dishes out all-you-can-eat breakfast, lunch and dinner; Kate’s Corner Store provides grab-and-go snacks, beverages and fresh produce.

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New restaurant owner Al Rexhepi signed a lease to take over Kimberly’s Tootsie’s Cafe in October 2009. Al’s Diner serves classic diner-style foods such as omelets, skillets, sandwiches and roast beef.

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In January, Tom and Nancy Lewandowski took over the space that was Bumpa’s Bagels and renamed it Lewie’s Bagels. Seven days a week, Lewie’s cranks out the traditional bagel with cream cheese and lox and other sandwiches.

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In February, Copper Rock Coffee Co. opened a third café in Encircle Health on Appleton’s north side. While it may be in an unconventional location for those on the go, it offers the same healthy menu and coffee drinks as Copper Rock’s other locations.

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Aspen Coffee and Tea is growing by leaps and bounds in the Fox Cities, revealing this past February that it bought Brewed Awakenings downtown Appleton. Last May, the café partnered with Menasha’s Naut’s Landing to open a coffee bar.

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Joining the commercial development, two Sonic Drive-Ins parked in the Fox Cities in the last year, one in Buchanan and the other in Appleton. With car hops and a drive-thru, diners can get burgers, chicken sandwiches, breakfast items, kids’ meals and shakes... sonic fast!

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Coming soon to Grand Chute is Bennigans, a tavern-themed restaurant with an Irish pub hospitality fit for families.

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Kevin Harbick is opening his seventh Coach’s Corner Sports Club and Grill in the old Hudson’s Classic Grille and Hog Heaven building. It will offer a Friday fish fry and its traditional summer pig roast every Wednesday.

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This past March, chef Santiago Cortez joined El Azteca. Leading the kitchen staff, Cortez added 10 new dishes to the menu, including Camarones ala Diabla, Enchiladas Mazatlan, Queso Flameado and Frijoles Charros.

Recent Closures

• Bates City BarBque (moved to Green Bay), Appleton
• Big Apple Bagels, Appleton
• Big Tomatoes, Neenah
• Bumpa’s Bagel’s (now Lewie’s Bagels), Neenah
• China Dragon Buffet (became China King Buffet), Appleton
• Choices Restaurant, Neenah
• Cobblestone Market Deli & Catering, Appleton
• Cravings, Menasha
• Dafina’s Family Restaurant, Appleton
• The Depot, Town of Menasha
• Dolce Vita (space taken over by Savoré), Appleton
• Grazies/Lucky’s, Darboy
• Johnathan’s Italian Bistro, Grand Chute
• Hog Heaven, Appleton
• Both Hungry Howie’s locations
• Lonewolf, Grand Chute
• Panchero’s Mexican Grill (Calumet St.), Appleton
• Sirocco’s (now Cena), Appleton
• Tootsie’s Cafe (now Al’s Diner), Kimberly
• Villa Magnolia/Red Velvet, Appleton