It’s A Bloody Adventure – October ’21, Part 2
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!