Ørkenoy

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Nordic Inpired Brews and Bites in Humboldt Park 

The brewery scene in Chicago has exploded over the last decade and the city is now commonly mentioned among the country’s best for beer. There was a time when Goose Island on Clybourn was a new and exciting place where you could try beer that wasn’t available at your local liquor store but these days the city is home to what seems like a countless number of breweries and the liquor stores carry many of their products. There’s so many breweries I sometimes forget todays stop exists. Ørkenoy opened in 2020 which might be another reason I forget about it as that wasn't a good time time for breweries or anywhere that depends on crowds. But Humboldt Park’s first brewery has managed to survive the headaches and the setbacks that most spots have faced since the pandemic.

Locals Favorite in Humboldt Park 

Ørkenoy’s location inside in the Kimball Arts Center right off the 606 trail gives it a good feel as do the sunny and colorful Nordic vibes on the inside. It’s a good place to day-drink even though they don’t have a patio. If you’re in the area or walking along the 606 and looking for a place to grab a beer and or a bite it’s a good spot to stop. They brew farmhouse style beers while serving up Scandinavian style Smørrebrød plus small bites and shareable plates. Smørrebrød are small open faced sandwiches made with ingredients like smoked salmon, cucumbers and capers. The options are endless as the creations at Ørkenoy suggest. I loved the “Fry Life” which is High Life battered whitefish with cabbage and remoulade. The fish was perfectly fried and would make for a great lead in a Friday Fish Fry, something this city lacks. Both the potato pancakes and the beet pickled eggs made for great bar snacks with the pancakes being just as well fried as the fish and dressed for success with a dill crema and roe. The pickled eggs are painted with chili oil which makes everything better. I’m not well versed enough in beer to tell you this is one of the city’s best breweries as I tend to like them all as much for the good vibes as the beer itself. But I was impressed with the food for a brewery as there’s no burgers or fried chicken sandwiches on the menu. Ørkenoy also serves up tiki drinks made with Nordic ingredients which is another good reason to head over this time of the year.

Smørrebrød, Potato Pancakes, Pickled Eggs 

Ørkenoy
1757 N Kimball Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(312) 929-4024
Website

Bar Food in Wisconsin

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties 
- Bar and Supper Club Grub in Wisco

Over the years there's been more than 300 restaurants from Wisconsin featured on this site (close to 90 posts total). Today we add five more spots in the form of dining destinations that double as bars.

 

Random Bars in Wisconsin

_______________________________________________

The 615 Club (Beloit)

I've had the chance to grab dinner at The 615 Club a couple times over the years. It's located in downtown Beloit which is the first spot in Wisconsin you enter when traveling north on 90 from Illinois (about an hour south of Madison). The 615 Club is a Beloit landmark going back to 1936. The type of spot you go to celebrate a promotion or anniversary and the likes. The Saturday night hotspot so to say. It checks all the boxes for a classic Wisconsin Club starting with a relish tray which can be seen above. The building, bar and dining rooms are all old school with photos of the past hanging on the walls. You can never really go wrong with the prime rib at a place like this and def try an order of the onion rings which have a sweetness in the batter like that of a donut. Good cinnamon rolls too. 

Saturday Night Supper at The 615 Club 
_______________________________________________

 

Nite Cap Inn (Palmyra)

Next Stop: Friday Fish Fry in Palmyra (pop. 1781) at The Nite Cap Inn in the Scenic Kettle Moraine State Forest. This place is a step back into time with it's wraparound bar, curtain covered windows, Old German menu (Saturday’s only) and the vintage blast from the past dining room. The building itself dates back to 1857. The first restaurant opened here in 1938 and Nite Cap Inn has been occupying the space since 1988. Cod is all you can eat but walleye is where it’s at. Served with your choice of fries or what many consider the best potato pancakes in the state. The recipe comes from the lady who owned the previous restaurant in this building which she opened with her husband in 1974. Betty Betenz was the area’s Potato Pancake Queen until her passing at 93 in 2016 but her legacy lives on in these housemade potato pancakes that live up to their billing as some of the best anywhere. Even better they’re all you can eat with your Friday Fish Fry. So good I took four to go (extra charge). The fried walleye was pretty much perfect as well. The homemade dessert list features German torte including one that's not well known outside of Wisconsin. Schaum Torte is the German equivalent of Pavlova. Lots of old Sconnies of German descent make this meringue topped with fruit and ice cream for special occasions, like Friday Fish Fry. A contender for best fish fry in the state.  

Friday Fish Fry at Nite Cap Inn

_______________________________________________

Clifford's Supper Club (Hales Corner)

Here's a spot I visited a few years back. One of the many cool things about Wisconsin Supper Clubs is you can pretty much count on them being the same place they were on your last visit whether that visit came last year or more than a decade ago. Clifford's has been a mainstay in the Milwaukee area since 1959. They're commonly mentioned when the best fish fry's in the area are discussed. But they don't do any of the lake favorites which is what I prefer. Still I had a fun Friday night when we sat at the bar during what was Christmas season at the time. These places always have festive crowds but the holidays make them even moreso. One plus about spots that serve cod is it's usually AYCE. 

Friday Fish Fry at Clifford's Supper Club 

_______________________________________________

Mibb's & Vivs (Lannon)

About 15 minutes outside of Milwaukee is the small town of Lannon. It seemed like a pretty sleepy place but like so many other small towns in Wisconsin it comes alive on Friday night. The building that houses Mibb's & Viv's has been home to a bar for more than a century. You can feel the history inside. It's an old school spot with a friendly small town atmosphere though some of the regulars seemed to be easily swayed by the likes of Fox News and Facebook. The waitresses here make the rounds around the bar taking orders for Friday Fish Fry. Cod seems to be popular but walleye is a better bet though the breading is different. Fish Fry comes with your choice of potato and I always choose pancakes if it's an option. I thought these looked like the store bought kind but I was wrong. One of the best potato pancakes I've had alongside a fish fry. They also make a really great German potato salad (served warm). The rest of the fish fry was very traditional down to the buttered bread. This is one of the Milwaukee areas best fish fry experiences. Saturday is broasted chicken night. 

Friday Fish Fry at Mibb's & Viv's

_______________________________________________

Buckhorn Supper Club (Milton)

If you want to experience some serious Saturday night supper club vibes than head to this contender for best supper club in the state. This spot hits all the high notes when it comes to classic Wisconsin Supper Clubs. It’s got the retro looks and feel, it sits on a lake, and the food is fantastic as far as supper club grub goes. Sure there’s no relish tray but gimme perfectly medium rare prime rib, fried blue gills with Old Fashioned's, and some of the best onion rings anywhere all paired with cheap cold beer. About two hours from Chicago and an hour north of Rockford. Serving the area for 90+ years.

Dinner at Buckhorn Supper Club 
_______________________________________________

See ya next time @chibbqking

Wisconsin Breakfast Stops

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- AM Eats in America's Dairyland

I've long been a proponent of the Wisconsin food and drink scene. They have their very own style and it involves lots of not so good for you things. They dont do veggie dogs, they do brats. The salads here are accompanied by 4 or 5 other relish condiments and come with about a cups worth of dressing. Wisconsin does all of the All-American things really well. This includes breakfast. No matter where you are in the state there's always a good breakfast spot nearby. Here's five to try.
________________________________________________________________________________

The Coffee Pot 

The towns of both Kenosha and Racine offer us Chicagoan's some pretty good food options for when we're driving thru. If you ever find yourself going North on 94 and want something to eat in downtown Kenosha than the Coffee Pot is a spot you should check out. It's a great breakfast stop.

Kenosha, WI

Breakfast was at the Coffee Pot which won out over Frank's due to a wait. We were able to snag some seats at the counter and having heard some good (and bad) things about their Corned Beef Hash I was ready to try that. She went with half of a "perk-o-lator" which is basically the same thing as a garbage plate down the street at Frank's. Egg's, sausage, onions, peppers, hash browns and cheese all thrown together into one. The large which I've had before is massive, a half order with their top notch made in house toast will be more than enough.

Perk-o-later Plate (1/2 order)

I had the perk plate last time I was here and it's a signature sconnie style breakfast that will not let you leave hungry. I like it although I'm not sure it's better than Frank's version aka a "Garbage Plate". A taste off might have to happen. The CBH was pretty good. I didn't think it was top notch but the fact that it was homemade makes it comforting but they could of used a little more corned beef. The beef to potato ratio was off. But that toasted homemade bread which is given a healthy dose of butter is really, really good. Breakfast sandwich with that bread next time. It's so money. 

Corned Beef Hash Breakfast

________________________________________________________________________________

Jo's Cafe

I'd known about Jo's Cafe in the Brew City for some time since it's featured over on roadfood. But despite countless trips to Milwaukee over the years I had never been to Jo's until now. I spent a few days up there doing some things and opted not to stop at the Coffee Pot in Kenosha while en route choosing instead to start my day at Jo's and see what was up.

Milwaukee, WI

From the outside Jo's as you can see is a real no frills type of place. I got the feeling that everyone in there was a local regular as both the waitress and the man behind the grill whom I believe was Jo chatted it up with those coming in to dine and others taking orders to go. Its small inside with there being a few tables which were taken by local families and a counter with maybe eight seats right in front of where all the action takes place. It felt a little like Moon's up in there. 

The view from the counter

Jo's is all about the home cooking and watching him work the grill you can see he's a pro. I was impressed with how he used every last inch of space both on the griddle and in terms of storing stuff. The fresh baked buns for burgers and breakfast sandwiches were really tempting me to go one of those ways as was the daily special spaghetti plate. I usually wouldn't think I'd be interested in eating spaghetti at 10:30 in the morn but the plates they were bringing out for others smelled great. I went with their signature dish the Hoppel Poppel (or is it hoffel poffel?) which is also a signature breakfast dish of the city served elsewhere. At Jo's they take big hunks of potato browned with onions, and add scrambled eggs and chunks of spicy salami with cheese on top if you want. Very comforting and VERY filling. It's definitely a sconnie style breakfast no doubt about that. I'd go back.

Hoppel Poppel for Breakfast

________________________________________________________________________________

Harry's Diner

I had breakfast at the locally loved Harry's Diner in the Bratwurst Capitol of the World recently and enjoyed my visit. Upon rolling up you'll immediately notice the reflecting silver exterior of this 1950's style diner.

Sheboygan, WI

The inside of the space isn't as charming as the outside but they do serve beer so this is a popular stop for folks looking for breakfast and booze. Quite a few people were dining in on this visit and all the ladies working the tables were running around making sure it was going smooth as the manager tended to the cash register near the entrance. I don't think this place has been around since the 50's but they did a good job of making it feel that way.

a peek inside

Harry's is only open until 3p each day (Closed Mondays) so most people are here for breakfast though they do have a lunch portion to their menu too. I'd heard good things about their pancakes and in particular the potato ones so I knew going in I'd be trying those, it was just a matter of seeing if there was some sort of combo that included some of Sheboygan's finest encased meat to go with it. Lucky me they had a potato pancake served with bratwurst and two eggs done your way platter for $8.50. The pancake comes with your choice of apple sauce or sour cream and I'm a fan of the latter so I went with that. Excellent recipe. This was a thicker well minced blend with plenty of diced onion inside. Of course the split brat to go with it was what you expect from the town that makes the best.

Potato Pancake, Bratwurst and Eggs for Breakfast

________________________________________________________________________________

Mickie's Dairy Bar  

If you attended the University of Wisconsin you know all about the local icon that is Mickie's. Chances are even if you didn't go there but been to Madison you know about it. The town favorite has been a student hang out since it first opened in 1946. To this day it feels like the 1950's on the inside.

 Madison, WI

Mickie's gained much if it's cult following with the sheer size of it's meals. It's a place that you can fill up past full and walk out having spent about $10. Thus it's favorite for everyone from newly arrived freshmen to the offensive line on the football team as well as longtime residents of the city. It's most always packed and that's because there's always groups of friends eating inside. The menu boasts all the classics you'd expect to find at a popular breakfast stop as well as the typical lunches.

A Peek Inside (menus old and current)

While everyone has their favorites there are some things that Mickie's will always be remembered for. First and foremost, aside from the size of each plate, is the corn cakes. These massive cousins to the pancake taste just like piping hot cornbread. When smeared with butter they really are delicious. Unless you're starting at right tackle for the Badgers this upcoming season I see no reason you need the regular order of two but at just $1 less for one you may want to bring home breakfast for the next few days. What's great about group dining at Mickie's is you get to eat these and something else.

Mickie's Famous Corn Cakes 

Other popular items include the scrambler which is pretty much a little bit of everything mixed in with what I think was four, maybe five eggs, something ridiculous that only a college kid fresh off a 15 hour library binge followed by bong hits could enjoy. Something commonly on special is the pork chops with eggs. That's what I got on my most recent visit in this past summer. The pork chops have always been cooked until well done but when chopped up into little bits and mixed with the potatoes and eggs this is a very good, and of course filling, breakfast.

 Pork Chop and Eggs

________________________________________________________________________________

Delta Diner

I spent some time up in Bayfield and as always did a little research on where to eat while en route. Somewhere along the line I came up with a rec for the Delta Diner which is far, far north. It's about 20 minutes SW of Ashland which sits on Lake Superior. If there were ever a place I ate at that sits in the middle of nowhere this would be it to date. Surrounded by lakes and a few gravel rocked roads with packs of wild turkeys along them.

Mason, WI

First off if you look this place up on google, theres like six different towns they say it's in. My GPS was no help at all as it wanted us to turn down a narrow snowmobile/ATV path that would of wrecked the bottom of my car. But if you're lucky enough to have a signal on your cell phone (I didn't, she did) then google maps will get you there. But you'll go down unpaved roads for about 10 miles and wonder with each passing minute whether you're going around in circles en route to nowhere. In the end though, it's all worth it.

A feel of the East Coast hidden in the Northwoods of Wisconsin

The Delta Diner was born in 2004 and if you want the entire story about how it was born and became about you can check their website HERE. The owners decided to restore what they were told is an old 1940's Silk City Diner. They wanted to put the diner in the locally historic site of the old Delta General Store which is written about in "Growing up in a Country Store: Memories and History of Delta and Ino, Wisconsin " According to that book the town and the general store came about at the same time in 1924.

Views from the counter

I'd urge all to read the link from their website about the story of how this diner came about and the history of the land it stands on. To try and sum it up in a few quotes though. "Having an authentic diner was very important to us"

"In early 2003 we contracted for a “frame-up” restoration of a 1940 Silk City Diner, due for completion in the fall of that year"

"The Delta Diner was about 90% complete in the middle of October of 2003. Living in far Northern Wisconsin we were facing a dilemma...The restorer agreed to ship the diner for completion on site so that we could complete excavation and concrete work prior to the ground freezing. In the end we cut it close, but got it done! It was quite a sight seeing the Delta Diner coming down Bayfield County Highway H in one piece on a semi-trailer"

"We expected that our chapter to the story of the “Delta Diner” would take many years to develop. Many ingredients contribute to the story of a diner. The building, its location and possible past locations, the characters that make up its customer base, the owner or owners, and its eclectic staff all paint the picture of a diner. It can take many years to have an intriguing story unfold. Without knowing it, our diner may have come prepackaged with intrigue"

"Where did the Delta Diner come from? Where did it operate prior to being abandoned “in a field somewhere in New York?” What can the identification tag on the original frame (if still on the frame) tell us about our diner? What did it look like when it was removed from the field? These are questions that can only be answered by our restorer. While we were provided a brief verbal version of our diner’s history, the promised written and photographic record has not been delivered. We have a contract that states we purchased a “restored 1940 Silk City Diner”. However, despite our efforts to obtain verification, we have yet to receive it."

A peek inside from the front/back

So to this day they dont know the exact history of what's supposed to be an old real deal restored Silk City Diner adding to the intrigue of this place. I'm not a diner expert but if this is indeed a rebuild of an original it's a damn fine copycat job. They try to make the experience as authentic as possible so this includes no menus. Everything available is on display and when your waitress comes to take your order she'll explain what EVERYTHING on it is. Her description of the Norwegian pancakes was like that of a big money making saleswoman so she had me sold on those which came recommended cooked with chopped jalapenos inside.

Norwegian Pancakes with chopped Jalapenos

Pancakes ala Norwegian are a larger more thin and airy type of pancake, similar to crepes. These were served with bacon from a local butcher in Ashland that was really thick and full of porky flavor along with a sprinkling of powered sugar and lemons. The chopped jalapenos inside worked really well. Our waitress was dead on with that one. The item I had read people praising was their PBLT which is a BLT with a piece of fried yellow lake perch on top. This too was very good. Served on locally sourced bread from the Ashland Baking Company with fresh in season tomatoes and that same great bacon, it made for a really tasty brunch paired with the pancakes.

PBLT Sandwich

I thought the food was great and even though they may not have much history as of today, you can see/feel that they're well on their way. Whether or not the restored diner was a real one or a restoration of a restoration it had that charm both from the atmosphere and the staff and also great food. One thing that caught my eye was Monday is "burger day" and that's all they serve as it's only time they're on the menu. Beef is ground fresh in house and I imagine buns come from the same baking company. I bet it's really good. The piece of homemade coconut cream pie to finish it all off sure was. Dude in the red Camaro should have rolled thru here by now.

I hope to make it back one day soon...see y'all next time

________________________________________________________________________________

The Coffee Pot
4914 7th Avenue
Kenosha, WI 53140
(262) 653-8849

Jo's Cafe
3519 West Silver Spring Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53209
(414) 461-0210

Harry's Diner
2504 Calumet Dr
Sheboygan, WI 53083
(920) 458-5200

Mickey's Dairy Bar
1511 Monroe St
Madison, WI 53711
(608) 256-9476

Delta Diner
14385 County Highway H
Mason, WI 54856
(715) 372-MMMM 

Indianapolis Eats

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- More from Indianapolis

I've already covered more ground in Indy than most any other site and or publication out there. You can check up on past reports HERE and also HERE and HERE. Today I have five more spots to add to my Indianapolis dining guide. If you've never been then you probably don't know. Get familiar.

________________________________________________________________________________

Milktooth

Located in the Fletcher Place Neighborhood 

Perhaps the hottest restaurant in the Midwest, at the very least in Indy, is this boozy brunch spot that was recently named one of the 10 best new restaurants in the Country by Bon Appetit. Normally I tend to stay away from most brunch spots but the recognition along with the menu got me to stop in.

a peek inside

Milktooth is a daytime only operation and they open early for both coffee and pastries. Neither of which I tried on my two separate visits as I'm not a big morning sweets guy and I do not drink coffee. Instead I went straight to the food. The menu consists of a few sections. One is 'Classic Stock' which includes their takes on a bunch of breakfast classics. Another section is titled 'Of the Moment' which lists that days specials. Then theres the 'sides and sweets' section which is just what it reads.

Top: Potato and Yuca Latke - acorn squash jam, local sour cream, scallions Bottom: Himalayan Red Rice Grits - add egg, bacon, and scallions

The cooking style here is very hipster and I mean that in the best way possible. Open air kitchen with guys in beards doing the cooking and having a good time while doing so. Some of the concoctions they come up with are spectacular. Take the potato pancake pictured up above. By adding on a few fancy toppings they made this the best potato pancake I ever came across. Never had Himalayan Red Rice Grits so I'm not sure if they're a real thing or an outstanding creation. So full of flavor.

House Cured Trout with Homemade Cream Cheese on a House English Muffin

My two main courses at Milktooth have both been winners. On my first trip this past summer I wanted something semi light and opted for the house lox served atop a toasted English Muffin. This was the best breakfast sandwich I've had in sometime. The lox was deep in flavor and the muffin had perfect crunch. Then there's the Cuban Lamb Frita Burger. The menu does switch but this winner has remained on it thru time. It takes a wonderful lamb patty and tops it with a fried piece of pineapple and sweet chile ketchup and white American cheese which when molded together makes for a fantastic bite. I suggest you add an egg allowing yolk to slide down into your mouth with each taste.

Cuban Lamb Burger

________________________________________________________________________________

Jamaican Style Jerk

Northeast Indy

Despite going to and or thru Indy countless times over the last couple years I never got the chance to go try this well known Jerk Stand that I put onto by a friend of mine at LTH. This is a real city and there's stuff to eat other than burgers, pizza and breaded tenderloins. This place is part of the proof. The owner is from Jamaica and goes back yearly. Always a plus to see the smoke pit on display.

Jerk chicken attached to a liquor store in a parking lot

One day this past summer I was able to head over here right as they were getting started. The friendly owner said what up and told me I came at the perfect time as he just pulled the meats from the smoker. I opted for a lunch special which includes 1/4 chicken and a couple jerk ribs. Rice and Peas and plantains come on the side. All this below was like $7 and it was some of the better jerk chicken I've had in the States. Anything but dry. The ribs were just tender enough to pull easily off the bone and had plenty of smoke in them. My minor complaint was the sauce was slightly off. Other than that, it was still pretty good, this place is a gem that the people of Indy are lucky to have.

Jerk Chicken and Ribs

________________________________________________________________________________

Love Handle

Pogue's Run Neighborhood

The people behind this semi-new sandwich spot have a history in Indy. They ran this place before moving to Milwaukee where they eventually broke the locals hearts and closed only to move back to Indy. They bring with them a little bit of a different approach this time around as most everything is made in-house, as opposed to by Smoking Goose, which is where owner once worked. I stopped in for a snack and tried the days biscuit ($3). It had an excellent piece of pork belly cooked just right topped with pickled red onions placed on a very soft and semi loose biscuit. I was not expecting the biscuit to be as good as it was as I would've been satisfied with the product if I was down south in Nashville or somewhere like it. This might be the best snack under $5 in town. Check them out.

Pork Belly Biscuit

________________________________________________________________________________

Punch Burger

Downtown

This popular downtown burger joint is in the mold of many other modern burger shops. It reminded me of both Shake Shack and also Company Burger in New Orleans. Local fresh ingredients, locally brewed beers, walk up place your order and take a seat etc. Here they're doing medium sized griddled patties with some traditional and also some not so normal toppings. Menu has quite a few specialty options or you can build your own burger. I went with the burnt cheeseburger off the specialties as its description was something new to me.

Burnt Cheeseburger

The griddled patty is topped with a mold made of three slices of cheddar cheese cooked on the flattop. The result is a crispy extreme cheeze-it taste along with the other traditional flavors of a classic cheeseburger to cut some of the saltiness of the burnt cheese. The bun was nice and pillowy and the beef flavor was there. Damn good burger.

The insides

________________________________________________________________________________

Kimu Restaurant 

The Suburb of Greenwood

En route home from Louisville last year I had my eye on this Burmese spot which has been on my radar for a couple years now. All Burmese clientele on my visit, good start. The lady behind the counter was telling me her specialties and finished with mentioning the pork with pickled mango as her most famous dish thus I was sold. I went with an order of samosas to start.

Samosas

Excellent eats. These were just stuffed with potato and spiced with curry but they were extra crispy on the outside and really smooth inside. I'm not that familiar with Burmese cuisine, other than this excellent cover story over at LTH the only familiarity with it I have was trying a place recommended in Moline, IL. and also a spot in San Francisco and a coming soon with a place in Fort Wayne. That said I loved the meals I ate in Moline and San Fran and enjoyed this dish below every bit as much. It wasn't spicy at all, just full of flavor from the pork and mango, the former of which was maybe the best prep of meat I've ever had at an Asian place. It was extra thin and oh so tender. I'm not sure when life will allow me to make it to Burma, but over in Fort Wayne they have the highest concentration of Burmese people in the States which equates to a few restaurants serving their native cuisine. More on that soon. Hope you enjoyed today's journey. See ya next time my friends.

Pork with Pickled Mango

________________________________________________________________________________

Milktooth
534 Virginia Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46203
(317) 986-5131

Jamaican Style Jerk
3355 N Keystone Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46218
(317) 926-1110

Love Handle
2829 10th St
Indianapolis, IN 46201
(317) 430-5004

Punch Burger
137 East Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 426-5280

Kimu Restaurant
1280 South U.S. 31
Greenwood, IN 46142
(317) 893-2221