Wisconsin Eateries

We recently took a two-day roadtrip to Wisconsin. We left bright and early on a Friday morning and returned home by Saturday night, but made time for plenty of good food in between. Our first stop was Frank’s Diner in Kenosha, WI. On Labor Day 2008 we had hoped to eat at Frank’s on our way to Milwaukee for a Brewers ballgame, but hadn’t thought to check into whether they would actually be open on the holiday – they were closed. So, we were glad to finally make it back to Frank’s during their regular business hours.

Frank’s Diner was featured on the Food Network series Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, which is how we discovered it. On this particular Friday morning, the small diner was filled with locals as well as tourists, probably as a result of this TV show. We were in a hurry to make it to Racine, WI for a tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed SC Johnson headquarters, so we quickly placed our order. The food was good for a diner and the  atmosphere was charming and energetic. In fact, the original part of the Diner is an old wooden train car.  In hindsight, we probably should have ordered one of their garbage plates which is what they are most well-known for. We  would definitely stop at Frank’s again when passing through Kenosha – a great halfway point between Chicago and Milwaukee.

Frank's Diner in Kenosha

Frank's French Toast + lots of cinnamon!

Frank's Biscuits and Gravy

Our next stop was the County Clare Irish Inn and Pub in Milwaukee, where we were guests of both the inn and pub.  They have a menu full of traditional Irish Pub fare, but with more flavor.  The pot roast had a nice Guinness gravy and the fish-n-chips was pretty standard. The next morning we had breakfast with other overnight guests down in the pub, which included eggs, bacon, hashbrowns with grilled onions and peppers, potato cakes with syrup, and a side of fresh fruit.

County Clare's Pot Roast

County Clare's Friday Fish Fry

And, finally, our last Wisconsin eatery was Alterra at the Lake, a coffee shop and cafe located in the historic 1888 Milwaukee River Flushing Station.  Their menu is compiled using seasonal ingredients from local farms and includes soups, sandwiches, wraps, freshly-baked goods, and breakfast all day. We were tempted to order their Local Yolk-el breakfast dish just for its name, but settled on lunch instead. Scott ordered a hot sandwich with Usinger’s naturally smoked turkey, tomato basil cream cheese, spinach, provolone, and bruschetta mix melted on rosemary ciabatta. Lauren ordered a cold wrap with curried chicken salad – a sweet and spicy blend of chicken, craisins, walnuts, onion, celery, honey, and cayenne pepper with fresh greens. Both were delicious and Scott especially liked  the fresh crispy bread.  And, before we departed to head back towards Illinois, we stocked up with some whole bean Brazilian traditional dry roasted coffee,  rose melange tea, and a couple of cool Alterra t-shirts.

Alterra  Rose Tea and Cappicino

Alterra’s Rosemary Turkey Sandwich

Alterra’s Curried Chicken Salad Wrap