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Fox River Valley – Kaukauna/Appleton

It was a cool and overcast Thursday when WiscoMaryMJ and WiscoMaryChristin headed to the Fox River Valley area.

The Valley is a large area, so they had just a few destinations in mind, deciding to explore more on another day.

The first stop was in the Kaukauna area to a bar called Two of a Kind (W3220 Dundas Rd.). When the ladies walked in, Rochelle, the Bar Manager, greeted them warmly, as did Joanne, the Bartender. From the kitchen, Linda, the Bar Owner, came out to greet them as well. 

The bar has been around for about 10 years. About 6 years ago, Linda said her son told her, “Mom, you have to have a really great Bloody Mary.”

So they played around and now have an award-winning (Best Bloody in the Fox Valley) Bloody! The Ultimate Bloody Mary is available on Saturdays and Sundays only. Their mix is a secret recipe, and the garnishes, well….

The garnishes consist of a cheeseburger slider, fried onion rings, a stalk of celery, a boiled shrimp, a pickle spear, a meat stick from Forest Floor, cheese strings from Simon’s Specialty Cheese, a boiled shrimp, pickled Brussels sprout, pickled mushroom, green olives, an asparagus spear, and an egg – your choice of hard boiled, pickled, or spicy pickled made by Bay View Packing. It also comes with a beer chaser of any of their tap beers. Fabulous!

WiscoMaryMJ had the spicy pickled egg, while WisocMaryChristin had the regular pickled egg. Neither lady particularly cares for thick onion rings, but both found the onion rings perfectly crispy with a hint of salt that was very pleasing. The mix itself is rich without being thick, and very tasty. The vodka is rail, but can be upgraded.

“The key”, said Linda, “is to eat the hot stuff first, then nibble at the rest.” 

Two of a Kind’s regular Bloody is always available, and is garnished with a pickle and green olives, and also includes the chaser.

Because they are so popular, and the kitchen is small, wait times for both food and Bloodies on the weekends can be upwards of an hour. “We get really busy.” said Linda, and Rochelle and Joanne agreed.

Then it was time to head out to the next stop.

Haen Meat Packing (600 County Rd KK) in KauKauna was bustling. The place smells wonderfully of smoked meat when you walk in. They offer a large selection of fresh, cured, frozen, and smoked meat, including game meats. They also have sauces, spices, and cheese. WiscoMaryMJ picked up some braunschweiger, pineapple teriyaki snack sticks, peppered bacon, and jalapeno cheddar summer sausage. WiscoMaryChristin bought raspberry chipotle bacon, BLT bacon, and a variety of meat sticks and sausages.

After experiencing the cheese strings from Simon’s Specialty Cheese in the Two of a Kind Bloody Mary, WiscoMaryMJ decided Simon’s should be the third stop, so the ladies headed to Appleton.

Simon’s Specialty Cheese (2735 Freedom Rd.) does not just sell cheese. They sell All Things Wisconsin. Local meats, cheeses, wine, liquor, beer, candy, and clothing for the Milwaukee Bucks, Brewers, Green Bay Packers. There is a deli in the back making fresh sandwiches and other food, as well as selling local coffee. WiscoMaryMJ and WiscoMaryChristin had a great time wandering around looking at everything, as well as loading up baskets of cheese, meat, popcorn, fudge, and Bloody Mary items from Arty’s Legendary Cocktails, based in Clintonville, WI. When WiscoMaryChristin picked up a jar of pickled quail eggs, an employee stopped to talk, and offered the advice that they were great for Bloody Marys! Well! That set off an entire conversation, as you can imagine. 

After that, the ladies decided to stop for a very late lunch, or early dinner, at Victoria’s Italian Cuisine (503 W. College Ave), a place WiscoMaryChristin fondly remembered from her days attending the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Although they did have Bloody Marys on the menu, the pair opted for a glass of wine instead. WiscoMaryMJ ordered Capellini with Fruitti di Mare sauce, and WiscoMaryChristin had the Gnocchi Pistachio. They also could not resist ice cream drinks for dessert!

Then it was time to head home, another Bloody Adventure done!

Cheers!

Wisconsin Dells

On a bright and sunny Thursday, WiscoMaryMJ and WiscoMaryChristin hopped in the car and headed to the Wisconsin Dells area.

The drive was beautiful, the leaves were displaying their colorful glory, and the WiscoMaryLadies were on a mission! 

They pulled into Lake Delton and decided that having breakfast along with the first Bloody Mary of the day was the best plan. 

The Wintergreen Grille & Bar (100 N. Gasser Rd.) beckoned to them, just as the sunny day turned cloudy and rainy. 

A small, locally-owned restaurant attached to a hotel, The Wintergreen Grille was welcoming, and the service was friendly and prompt. Both of the WiscoMaryLadies opted for eggs, but WiscoMaryChristin had the side of their rightfully-famous buttermilk pancakes, while WiscoMaryMJ opted for hearty marble rye toast with orange marmalade.

The Bloodies that they ordered were substantial, made with A-1 Steak Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, pickle juice, Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, and Nikolai Vodka. Both WiscoMaryLadies thought they were rich and full-flavored. 

As they were leaving, they discovered their next stop, The Beef Jerky Experience (75 Gasser Rd. Suite F), was right across the street, so they headed over to check it out. 

The store is stocked with hot sauces and (of course) beef jerky in a wide variety of flavors, including a Bloody Mary flavor!

William, the Manager, was happy to give them samples of the Bloody Mary, Cajun Crawfish, Sweet Bourbon, and more. The WiscoMaryLadies stocked up on a variety of jerky, and then headed back out into the rainy day. 

From Lake Delton, the WiscoMaryLadies headed to Baraboo, and the Driftless Glen Distillery (300 Water St.) to meet with Bethany, the Marketing Manager. 

The Distillery broke ground in 2012 and started distilling in 2014. They currently distribute their products in 20 states. Driftless Glen makes 16 products, including bourbon, rye, brandy, a “Wisconsin” gin, and only available in-store moonshine. And, of course, VODKA for Bloody Marys! The two vodka flavors available are cucumber and lemon.

Bethany was very gracious and personable and took WiscoMaryMJ on a tour of the Distillery. WiscoMaryMJ was excited to view the tapping of a barrel of their exclusive Port Finished Bourbon, which is their bourbon finished in Ruby Port barrels from Portugal.

The WiscoMaryLadies then enjoyed a really excellent Bloody Mary at the bar. Made with Jimmy Luv’s mix, the Bloody sported a pickle, 2 green olives, a slice of cucumber, a lime wedge, and a slice of Nueske’s bacon. It was finished with a housemade citrus salt rim, which was extremely tasty and worked well with all the flavors of the Bloody. They were also treated to small tastes of the bourbons, rye, and Wiscongin. 

The WiscoMaryLadies were very impressed with the exclusive bottle design of the bourbon. Made in France, each side of the bottle sports an imprint of the fingerprints of the two owners – Brian & Renee’ Bemis. Both of the WiscoMaryLadies bought a bottle to take home, as well as a couple bottles of Wiscongin and S’mores Moonshine.

The rain let up at last, WiscoMaryMJ and WiscoMaryChristin left Driftless Glen and took a drive past the Wisconsin historical site of the Baraboo Circus World (550 Water St.) grounds. A Bloody Mary-less detour, but fun and interesting, nonetheless! 

Heading towards the Devil’s Lake area, the WiscoMaryLadies made their way to their final stop of the day, Tumbled Rock Brewery & Kitchen (S5718 State Rd. 136 & DL). 

The parking lot is flanked by a building housing the brewery and another with the bar/kitchen, and in between a spacious patio. 

The WiscoMaryLadies went into the kitchen side and took a seat at the bar. Our bartender, Jamie, was very peppy and friendly. WiscoMaryChristin ordered their version of a Bloody Mary, called The Devil, made with ZingZang mix, Doundrins Pepper Vodka, Cholula Hot Sauce, a spicy pickle, and two green olives. WiscoMaryMJ ordered a Michelada, made with ZingZang and their own beer, Jimmy D’s Mexican Lager. 

The food menu looked amazing, and the pair could not help ordering food to snack on, as well as to-go. WiscoMaryMJ ordered the Clam Chowder with Smoked Salmon, the Brussels Sprouts Chips, and the Charred Portobello Mushrooms. WiscoMaryChristin could not resist the pizza made with olive oil, Gorgonzola Cheese, pears, prosciutto, and topped off with Mike’s Hot Honey. 

Thus fortified, the pair headed for home, and another Bloody Adventure was in the books! 

Cheers!

WiscoMaryMJ and WiscoMaryChristin