A buzz-worthy food and beverage scene awaits tour groups in Wisconsin

Were you one of the millions of viewers who watched last year’s 12 Wisconsin episodes of Bravo network’s “Top Chef” series?

The popular TV cooking competition spotlighted Wisconsin attractions, restaurants, specialty grocery stores, and food favorites as 16 contestants from around the world demonstrated their kitchen skills in shows filmed in Milwaukee, Madison and Spring Green. They were tasked with using cheeses, sausages, cranberries, cherries,s and other Wisconsin products in their dishes. The chefs also had to design menus featuring staples of the fish boil and supper club meals that are so much a part of Wisconsin dining traditions.

While the state has long been serving up delicious dishes, the culinary scene has been heating up in the past few years, and the world has taken notice. In recent years, many Wisconsin chefs and restaurants have been named semifinalists for the James Beard Awards, often described as the Oscars of the food world.  A growing number of farm-to-table establishments have been showcasing the bounty from Wisconsin farms.

As all Madison chefs know, a prime place to shop for fresh, local produce is the Dane County Farmers’ Market, the largest producers-only farmers’ market in the U.S. “Top Chef” head judge Tom Collichio called it “one of the best farmers’ markets in the world.” Contestants on the show raced through the assemblage of nearly 300 vendors that sell everything from vegetables and meat to honey and hot sauce. The market is held on Capitol Square every Saturday from mid-April through early November.

Say Cheese

Wisconsin churns out billions of gallons of milk every year, most from family farms. About 90 percent of the milk turns into cheese, at least 600 kinds of it, and Wisconsin cheesemakers routinely win more national and international awards than those of any other state.

When it’s time for a nibble, head to Monroe’s Alp and Dell Cheese Store, attached to the Emmi Roth USA cheese plant. Morning is the best time to watch cheesemakers from the glass-walled viewing hall. Stock up on a wide variety of cheeses and enjoy the free samples.

Henning’s Wisconsin Cheese, a fourth-generation cheese factory, store, and museum near Kiel, has been in business since 1914. On weekday mornings, groups can see cheesemakers tending to their massive stainless steel vats. A short video describes the whole process, from the time milk is received from 20 small dairy farms to the finished product—cheddar, colby, mozzarella, gouda, squeaky cheese curds, the list goes on. For a fun gift, consider a wedge of cheddar in the shape of a cow or Wisconsin map.

At LaClare Family Creamery in Malone, sample goat cheeses, treat yourself to ice cream made from goat’s milk and watch the goats on the 26-foot-tall climbing silo.

Supper Clubs

What could be more Wisconsin than cheese? Maybe a supper club.

Though it may offer some low-key entertainment on weekends, a supper club is not a nightclub. It’s not a country club either. Actually, it’s not a club at all—you don’t have to be a member, and there are no dues to pay.

A supper club is generally a homey, old-fashioned restaurant with rustic decor and a meat-and-potatoes American menu that has stood the test of time. It’s a comfort zone where locals gather for special occasions or just a relaxing night out. Some supper clubs are now in their third generation of family ownership, and you’re likely to meet one of the owners or their children while you dine. There’s a feeling of warmth and coziness that’s not unlike being in a friend’s dining room. The convivial bar is just the place to have a brandy old-fashioned, unofficial state cocktail.

Food-wise, supper clubs emphasize home cooking. This is the place to get a good juicy steak with all the trimmings. The menu also will feature seafood and chicken, with walleye often a popular entree as well. The Friday night fish fry is a tradition, and some clubs have prime rib Saturdays. Besides meat, the meal includes soup or salad, a basket of bread or rolls, and a choice of potato (baked, hash browns, au gratin, french fries). Guests often start with a classic relish tray of fresh veggies and dip, and many places have a salad bar.

The Wisconsin Dells vacation area is blessed with some great supper clubs. Tender, hickory-smoked baby back ribs bathed in a secret sauce is the signature item at House of Embers, a fixture on Wisconsin Dells Parkway since 1959. In a specially designed smokehouse, the ribs are smoked over hickory logs for a half hour before being basted and slow-cooked in an oven for three hours. Across the road, the Wimmer family has been feeding folks at The Del-Bar since 1943. The menu standout is the prime-aged steak, followed closely by the pan-fried walleye. A Friday fish fry features North Atlantic cod (batter-fried or panko-broiled). The Del-Bar’s Prairie-style architectural touches reflect the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright protégé James Dresser, who designed the wood-paneled rooms adorned with geometrical details.

While supper clubs tend to be the treasures of small towns, some are in urban areas. Kavanaugh’s Esquire Club is a premier choice in Madison. “Top Chef” contestants served their supper club meals at The Harvey House, a historic Madison train depot building turned restaurant. In Spring Green, west of Madison, the chefs offered architecturally inspired fare at Riverview Terrace Cafe, part of Frank Lloyd Wright’s landmark Taliesin estate.

On the shore of Lake Winnebago in Pipe, group-friendly Jim & Linda’s Lakeview Supper Club is famous for its prime rib and seafood. The outdoor patio offers beautiful views of the lake and is the perfect spot for watching the sunset. Entrees range from Pesto Crusted Salmon to the Balsamic & Bleu Burger.

Supper clubs in the Fox Cities include Mark’s East Side, Black Otter Supper Club, Colonial House Supper Club, The Red Ox Seafood and Steakhouse, George’s Steak House, Out-O-Town Supper Club, Village Limits Supper Club, Marty’s Place, Lox Club, Heiting Place, Dick & Joan’s Supper Club, and Granary Supper Club.

Sausages

In Wisconsin, top-quality sausages, especially bratwurst, are ubiquitous. Sheboygan has been the world’s official Bratwurst Capital since 1970, when, in a grueling duel, it won out over Bucyrus, Ohio. In Sheboygan, the bratwurst sandwich is made the Sheboygan way. First of all, brats there are fried, not grilled, and they are served, with onion and brown mustard, on a hard roll, not an oblong hot dog bun. Among classic places to have brats in downtown Sheboygan: Rupp’s Downtown, an old-school supper club, and Sly’s Midtown Saloon & Grill. Many of the sausages served in Sheboygan are from Miesfeld’s, a family-owned meat market that’s been around since 1941.

Johnsonville Marketplace, a popular shopping stop near the Sheboygan Falls plant of sausage manufacturer Johnsonville, sells not only the company’s many varieties of bratwurst but its summer sausage, breakfast sausage, jerky, and other meat products as well. The store also stocks Johnsonville-branded grilling tools, clothing, drinkware, golf balls, and even cornhole sets, plus other Wisconsin-made food specialties.

Contestants in last year’s “Top Chef” competition served their sausage-based creations at American Family Field, a nod to the Famous Sausage Race, the between-innings highlight of every Milwaukee Brewers ball game. Dishes were inspired by the five racing sausages—bratwurst, Polish sausage, Italian sausage, hot dog, and chorizo.

Cranberries and Cherries

The cranberry is Wisconsin’s state fruit, and for good reason, the state leads the nation in cranberry production, accounting for more than half of the country’s output. In central Wisconsin, following the Cranberry Highway’s 50 miles from Wisconsin Rapids to Warrens and Pittsville to Nekoosa is best experienced during harvest season in late September and October when the cranberry bogs are blazing red. Groups can learn about the tart red berries at Discover Cranberries, a museum housed in a former cranberry warehouse in Warrens. Its old-time ice cream parlor, complete with a marble counter from the old Steele’s Drug Store in Tomah, offers five flavors of cranberry ice cream.

Cherries, another round red fruit, is the pride and joy of the Door County peninsula. Shops purvey all kinds of cherry-infused foods and drinks, from jams and candy to wines and juices. Bakery items include cherry donuts, muffins, strudel, and cookies. Orchard tours can be arranged for groups, and pick-your-own opportunities are available during harvest season, from mid-July to mid-August.

Fish Boils

Many Door County establishments offer a fish boil. A tradition started by Scandinavian immigrants in the 1800s, the festive event began as an economical way to feed hordes of lumberjacks and fishermen, then became popular with social and church gatherings at beaches and parks. When the huge kettle full of salted water is boiling over a bonfire, the boil master adds a basket of baby red potatoes and onions. Then, mild whitefish steaks, fresh from Lake Michigan, are lowered in.

At just the right moment, the boil master tosses kerosene into the fire, creating a blaze causing the water to boil over, dramatically carrying off the fish oil that has collected on top and leaving the fish perfectly done, steaming hot and ready to serve. Top off the meal with a slice of Door County cherry pie.

Wine, Beer and Cocktails

Door County also abounds with wineries. The state’s largest, Door Peninsula Winery, makes more than 50 wines from grapes, cherries, apples and other fruits. It is one of eight stops on the Door County Wine Trail between Lake Michigan and Green Bay. Von Stiehl Winery in Algoma, 38 minutes east of Green Bay, is Wisconsin’s oldest licensed winery and maintains historic aging cellars in a limestone building dating back to 1868.

In Baraboo, groups can savor the fruit of the vine at Baraboo Bluff, Balanced Rock and Broken Bottle wineries. Baraboo’s Driftless Glen Distillery offers a variety of spirits made in small batches, from bourbon and rye to vodka, gin and brandy. Bailey’s Run Vineyard, nestled in the rolling hills of New Glarus, commands one of the most scenic views of any winery in Wisconsin. In the Mississippi River Valley around La Crosse, the Coulee Region Craft Beverage Trail includes 10 wineries, four breweries and a distillery.

Milwaukee once had more than 80 breweries, earning it the nickname “Beer City.” For a fun behind-the-scenes tour, groups should consider Lakefront Brewery. Filled with facts and lore sprinkled with plenty of jokes, the entertaining 50-minute experience includes four eight-ounce ours and a souvenir pint glass. Lakefront’s spacious Beer Hall restaurant has 18 taps dispensing beers like Hazy Rabbit IPA, Bumble Bear brown ale and Riverwest Stein amber lager.

Milwaukee Food & City Tours offers a variety of bus and walking tours, including the “Craft Breweries & Cocktail Tour” and “Tacos & Tequila Tour.” The latter pairs Mexican favorites with margaritas and other tequila-infused cocktails at three stops in the Walker’s Point neighborhood, home to one of Wisconsin’s largest Latino populations. Other themed tours focus on pizza, chocolates, bakeries, Christmas and frozen custard.

Sweet Indulgences

Rich and creamy frozen custard—don’t call it ice cream—is a Wisconsin favorite, and Milwaukee is called the Unofficial Frozen Custard Capital of the World. The city has more custard stands per capita than anyplace else, among them the iconic Gilles, Kopp’s and Leon’s. But you can find freshly made frozen custard (unlike ice cream, it’s made with eggs, in addition to cream, sugar and flavoring) throughout the state. Wisconsin-based Culver’s, a national fast-food chain with more than 100 Badger State locations, is famed for its frozen custard, fried cheese curds and ButterBurgers.

A discussion of Wisconsin foods is not complete without mentioning two other iconic sweet treats: kringle and cream puffs. Racine’s five kringle bakeries produce the oversized, oval Danish pastry ring hand-formed from 48 delicate layers of dough and hand-coated with white icing after being baked to a golden brown. Pecan, almond, raspberry and apple are popular fillings in kringle, the official state pastry.

The Original Cream Puff is a must-have at the annual Wisconsin State Fair. It has been a fair staple since 1925, when Wisconsin’s farmers and bakers came up with a way to promote the wheat and dairy industries. More than 350,000 Original Cream Puffs are sold at the 11-day event in the Milwaukee suburb of West Allis (July 31-August 10, 2025).