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Supper clubs that are a cut above prime time

By Dennis Getto
Journal Sentinel dining critic

October 8, 1995

Fads come and go through some big-city restaurants like tenants through a boardinghouse. In the past few decades, for instance, cheese fondue briefly found its way to American tables. Chefs who had never visited Louisiana blackened everything from catfish to tenderloin.

But supper clubs, which took root along America's byways as early as the 1920s, have outlasted them all. These unassuming dining establishments have remained faithful to a core menu of meat, specifically steaks and prime rib, with trimmings such as relish trays and savory potatoes.

Just what is a supper club?

A precise definition still eludes me, even after a couple thousand miles and about 50 dinners' worth of research, but I can offer generalizations.

Unlike their city cousins, supper clubs are destinations, where patrons head for an entire evening rather than as a prelude to other entertainment. Generous portions justify dining as the main event.

The mood is casual. While some patrons may dress up for special occasions, clothing runs the gamut from jeans and shorts to jackets and ties. The relaxed atmosphere puts families - even those with young children - at ease.

Another hallmark is a relish tray, which, in its simplest form, has carrots and celery sticks, radishes, olives and pickled peppers. Then there's cheddar cheese spread, that brilliant gold mixture that helped define us as the Dairy State. Served with crackers in various flavors and forms, scooped onto an appetizer plate or served in a small crock, it smooths the way for the rest of the feast.

Probably the most definitive feature is a simple menu. This is not a place to find delicate little entrees with edible flowers or citrus sauces. Top billing goes to thick, juicy steaks and prime rib, though on Fridays you'll inevitably find a fish fry. Fried shrimp, barbecued ribs, pork and lamb chops typically round out the menu.

The steaks are at their finest when adorned with sauteed mushrooms or onion rings (these might cost a buck or two extra, but it's money well spent). Prime rib served in its own juices, with an occasional dollop of horseradish sauce, satisfies a primal hunger. Surprisingly, the steaks were better prepared than the prime rib in most clubs I visited. The latter had a good, robust flavor, but it seldom was tender enough to cut with a fork.

Meat is of prime interest on the supper club circuit and, not surprisingly, so are potatoes. You'll find them baked, boiled, diced, shredded and fried. Avoid boring baked potatoes and french fries, which usually are pre-cut and frozen. Instead, select hash browns or American fries; at most of the places I tried them, these boasted crisp edges and creamy insides.

Desserts get less emphasis - maybe because stomachs have a lot to contend with after the hearty entrees - but you'll usually find cheesecake. More often, the patron who wants to leave with a sweet taste selects an ice cream drink such as a grasshopper, velvet hammer or brandy Alexander.

Speaking of drinks, don't look for a fancy wine list, since most supper clubs are bastions of beer and brandy old-fashioneds.

What follows is a sampling of some of our state's better supper clubs. It would be presumptuous to call it comprehensive, since clubs often are family-owned and little-known outside their immediate vicinity.

Jimmy's Del Bar, 800 Wisconsin Dells Parkway, Lake Delton (608) 253-1861

It's a busy Saturday night and pianist Tommy Sheridan has the dining room crowd just where he wants it. The former Milwaukeean, who played with Lawrence Welk in the 1930s and '40s, has lulled it with easygoing tunes such as Elton John's "Candle in the Wind" and Cole Porter's "Night and Day."

Suddenly, Sheridan pushes his bench back from the grand piano and springs to his feet. Pounding the keys and singing, the 77-year-old does his best Jerry Lee Lewis impression with a rocking rendition of "Great Balls of Fire." After each stanza, the Del Bar's diners shout, "Goodness gracious! Great balls of fire!"

You can expect a strong performance from the Del Bar's kitchen staff, too. Jimmy's famous slow-roasted prime rib ($16.90 for 12 ounces, $19.50 for 20), steaks and other items have made it one of the most popular restaurants around Wisconsin Dells. Even with 300 seats, waits of up to an hour are common on weeknights during the busy summer season. The Del Bar has expanded steadily since Jimmy and Alice Wimmer opened it in a converted single-family home in 1943.

My dinner there in early July ranks as one of the best of the summer. Jimmy's prime rib was good, but it was outdone by a filet mignon Jim ($24.50) wrapped in bacon and drizzled with a wonderful bearnaise. Steamed broccoli with hollandaise complemented each entree.

The meal started out well, with an order of deep-fried calamari Monterray ($4.90) served with a deliciously spicy Mediterranean tomato tartar sauce. A tossed salad of lettuce, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes comes with entrees, but for $2.90 extra my dinner companion instead got a great Greek salad with salty feta and black olives.

Our desserts were exceptional. Key lime pie ($3.50) was appropriately tart, and tiramisu ($4.75), an Italian concoction of mascarpone cheese and ladyfingers, was perfectly laced with coffee and chocolate.

Tommy Sheridan performs Thursday and Saturday nights; the rest of the week, Mary Ann Durand takes over the piano.

The Plantation, Highways 51 and 70, Woodruff, (715) 356-9000

When it opened in 1938, this North Woods club in Vilas County had elaborate floor shows, a casino with slot machines, crap tables and horse betting, and a reputation for great fried chicken.

The floor shows and casino are long gone. The place folded within a year, after an armed robbery and shooting death, then went through several incarnations before former Milwaukee restaurateur Wally Gumhold bought it in 1970. His son, Thomas, now runs it with wife, Lynn.

Fortunately, the Plantation still has great chicken - and more.

We tried wonderful specials: a combination of excellent fried chicken and barbecued pork ribs ($13.95), and fork-tender prime rib ($12.50 for 8 to 10 ounces, $14.95 for 12 to 14 ounces and $18.95 for 18 to 20 ounces).

Dinner began with an appetizer tray of fried chicken wings, cocktail sausages with tomato sauce and small slices of rye bread topped with melted Swiss cheese. Later, cream of asparagus soup had just the right amount of the pureed vegetable, and tossed lettuce salad had been dressed up with carrots, red cabbage and croutons.

The fine food is complemented by an elegant decor, right up to the elaborate blue, white and burgundy enameled chandeliers. Fresh flowers brighten the tables.

Chuck's Black Bear Supper Club, Highway 27 North, Augusta, (715) 286-2687

Owner Chuck Witte has expanded on the notion of the relish tray, practically turning it into a main course. Besides the standard items, his includes peas, beets, rice pudding and sharp cheddar and horseradish spreads, plus fresh rolls and crackers.

Just remember that there's plenty of food to follow. Barbecue pork ribs ($8.95 for a half rack, $10.85 for a full rack) were quite respectable, especially with lyonnaise potatoes, which were fried with onions. The larger cut of prime rib (14 ounces for $12.95, 12 for $10.95) was more than I could finish. I also tried a Greek salad ($1.95 with dinner or $4.25 separately), which had plenty of feta cheese and black olives.

Witte bought his 165-seat restaurant not once but twice. He operated it from 1975 to 1987, then sold it, leaving to work for a hotel group in Washington, D.C. Two years later, Chuck, who grew up in the Eau Claire area, returned and was lucky enough to find it on the market.

The jackpine log structure, built in 1946, has a 19th-century pressed tin ceiling that Witte salvaged from a nearby bar. But its most obvious decorations are the four stuffed black bears from which it gets its name. The largest was shot in Michigan's Upper Peninsula by a hunter named Pork Warner. Then there are two cubs, whose presence concerns some diners, Witte said. He explained that several years ago, their mother had been killed by a car so they were euthanized by a local veterinarian and sent to a taxidermist.

The Black Bear is mobbed on weekend nights; there was a wait by 5:15 on the Saturday we visited. Reservations are accepted.

The Rustic Mill, Highway 54 West, Black River Falls, (715) 284-4913

I stop in Black River Falls on every trip to northwestern Wisconsin or the Twin Cities. By the time I get there, my legs need a stretch and the car needs gas. That stop is going to be even more delightful since discovering this wonderful supper club in an old grist mill 2 1/2 miles west of town. Its thick stone walls, stone fireplace and wagon wheel hanging from the ceiling were a perfect backdrop for a couple of folks dancing to country music in the bar on the Friday evening a friend and I visited.

The mill is known for its prime rib ($8.95 for 7 ounces, $10.95 for 11, and $13.95 for 16). I couldn't resist piling it on a warm roll. The beef was so tender I could bite through without ruining the roll.

Combination dinners pair tenderloin steak with lobster ($24.95), shrimp ($14.95), scallops ($14.95) or frog legs ($13.95). I tried frog legs, which were light and sweet, and I remembered the good old days when they were much easier to find on restaurant menus.

The Rustic Mill shines in other areas. Its beef barley soup was excellent, hearty enough to qualify as dinner by itself. And on some evenings, the dessert list includes a local specialty, apple-cranberry pie.

Green Acres, Highways 78 and 12, Sauk City, (608) 643-2305

Owner Ted Klein knew he was inviting some funny comments when he named his supper club after the wacky television comedy, but he had no idea how far some people would go with it.

One night, Klein said, "three guys came into the bar with a cardboard cut-out of a cow and sang all three verses to the 'Green Acres' theme song, then left. Nobody knows who they were or where they came from. And to know all three verses was really something. I've only heard the first two verses of the song."

Comedy is only one small part of the supper club business that Klein and his wife, Amy, have built up over the last nine years. In 1986, Klein moved in to renovate and manage the supper club, which had been built as a tavern and dance hall at the turn of the century.

Romance also figures into the equation: Ted and Amy met when she began working as a cocktail waitress. Now she's co-owner of the supper club, whose popularity is reflected by a parking lot jammed nightly.

The menu lists seven steaks, and the two we tried - the 20-ounce Porterhouse ($14.95) and the 10-ounce filet mignon ($12.95) - were terrific, as were homemade hash brown potatoes. The restaurant also outdid itself with strawberry la bomba ($3.50), a strawberry cheesecake with a creamy texture and sweet crumb crust.

Green Acres is one of the few supper clubs that still offers a salad bar. The small lineup includes iceberg lettuce, cucumber slices, tomato wedges, red onions, sliced green peppers, chopped cauliflower, shredded cheddar, croutons and bacon bits, with a large chunk of cheddar cheese and a cheese slicer at the end.

There's a fish fry on Friday night and prime rib on Saturday and Sunday. And there's always a sense of humor, some of it sparked by the sitcom that aired from 1965 to '71. From time to time, someone at the bar asks for Arnold the Pig.

"We just tell them that the nightly special is pork chops," Ted Klein joked.

The Shack, 3301 Belknap St., Superior, (715) 392-9836

As I walked into this popular supper club, two things surprised me: The first was a waitress preparing a Caesar salad at a cart rolled up to a table. The other was a pleasantly bright interior with garden-like wood partitions trimmed in red, white and green floral print fabric.

Fourteen years ago, Paul and Gloria Heytens expanded their bar and liquor store business by adding a supper club. Since then, the Shack has become a top dinner destination in the twin ports of Superior and Duluth. These days, it's run by the Heytens' son, Patrick, and his wife, Rene.

The Shack has made its reputation with prime rib, barbecued ribs, fried chicken and the Caesar salads. The fried chicken was perfectly done, with a golden, crispy crust. The prime rib ($9.99 for 6 ounces, $12.99 for 10 ounces and $15.99 for 14 ounces) was fork-tender and flavorful. The Caesar salads were suitably lively. Caesar salad with chicken ($6.99) is available as a light entree.

Homemade soups and freshly baked whole wheat bread make the Shack a pleasant stop on the state's supper club circuit.

The Butterfly, 5246 E. County X, Beloit, (608) 362-8577

Remember when a night out meant dinner and dancing? Well, that's still on the agenda weekend nights at The Butterfly, where a three-piece combo performs in the lounge and couples sometimes crowd the dance floor.

Built in 1924 as a road house, The Butterfly was destroyed by fire in 1972, but quickly rebuilt as a spacious club that seats 180 diners. Eighteen years ago, Ric Camboni took over the restaurant, whose large picture windows overlook farm fields.

A rooftop sign shouts "STEAKS," and The Butterfly's filet mignon deserves the acclaim. A friend and I tried it ($18.95 for 10 ounces, $15.95 for 8 ounces, $12.95 for 6 ounces) and found it among the best anywhere. Less striking was the prime rib ($15.95 for 12 ounces, $12.95 for 10 and $9.95 for 8), which was a little tough.

But we were pleased with most aspects of the meal. For appetizers, there were barbecued pork ribs ($5.95) and escargot ($5.95) enriched with garlic butter. Chocolate cake ($3) was as good as any I've eaten. The Butterfly also dedicates a full page of its menu to well-selected wines.

The daily menu encompasses everything from walleye pike to pasta to chicken stir-fry, and there are reasonably priced nightly specials including roast turkey ($7.95) on Sunday, fried chicken ($7.50) on Tuesday, and fish fries ($7.25) on Wednesday and Friday.

Voight's Supper Club, 12010 Highway 42, Ellison Bay, (414) 854-2250

Built a half-century ago, Voight's supper club advertises itself as the "northernmost nightclub on the peninsula." Its interior is vintage Door County, with walls trimmed in knotty pine, white tablecloths, Danish modern chairs and small Viking helmets carved into some of the wood partitions.

Lisa Daubner said she and her husband, Randy, expect good fortune here in 1995 "because we're the seventh owners and this is our seventh year."

A major attraction is a fresh fruit bar. Along with cole slaw, flavored gelatins and other typical salad bar entries, it offers seasonal Door County specialties such as cherries and apples, plus watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, kiwi and more.

There's also a relish tray and choice of soup or salad, so gauge just how much room to leave for the main course. Combination dinners allowed my friend and me to try two great combinations. One was prime rib and perch ($17.95), which provided a welcome contrast between the lighter fish and heavier meat. The other was an excellent filet mignon with whitefish ($18.95), which wasn't on the menu but which the kitchen prepared upon request.

Chicken noodle soup and potatoes au gratin were high points, and we ended the meal with a piece of great Door County cherry pie ($3.50).

Alaskan Supper Club, N6084 Highway 42, Alaska, (414) 388-2483

This is a popular spot for golfers who play the adjacent Alaska Golf Course and with travelers en route to or from Door County. The house specialty is steak, hand-cut by Don Zellner from Iowa beef. Zellner and his wife, Rita, have owned the club since 1980.

Nightly specials include lobster on Monday ($18.95), a German buffet ($9.95) on Tuesday, fresh lake perch or walleye ($7.95) on Friday and prime rib on Saturday and Sunday.

I was pleased with the generous king size prime rib ($13.95 for 20 ounces, $11.95 for 16). My friend tried chicken cordon bleu ($10.95), an excellent fillet of white meat stuffed with cheese and ham, then breaded and sauteed.

There were other positive aspects to our dining experience. We were seated in a recently recarpeted and wallpapered dining room near a window overlooking the golf course. And we were pleasantly surprised by lemon slices in our water glasses, a detail usually reserved for ritzier places.

Going north to Alaska doesn't take all that long if it's the Wisconsin community 5 1/2 miles north of Kewaunee. The Zellners haven't capitalized on visitors' frequent requests for postcards to send from Alaska, but they do offer souvenir sweatshirts.

Eve's Supper Club, 2020 Riverside Drive, Green Bay, (414) 435-1571

The last place you'd expect a Wisconsin supper club is on the top floor of an office building, but that's where the Haltaufderheid family established theirs 28 years ago. The top-floor location and picturesque vistas of the Fox River give this supper club a definite urban feel.

No wonder tables beside the picture windows are requested most.

The supper club is named for co-owner and hostess Eve Haltaufderheid. Her son Rick is the executive chef and son Jerry works as bartender. Jerry's wife, Jareth, serves as a waitress.

Eve's has six combination dinners on its menu, and the kitchen staff was willing to prepare still another upon my request for perch and prime rib ($18.95). It was well worth the price. And when my friend's New York strip steak ($10.95 for 7 ounces, $17.95 for 14 ounces) arrived overdone, our server erased it from the bill.

In past visits, I've sampled fresh whitefish ($10.95) and lake salmon ($12.95). Both were simply done and so good that I'd gladly pass up the steaks for them on future visits.

Norton's Supper Club, S. Lawson Drive, Green Lake, (414) 294-6577

Owned by members of the Mockus family since 1972, the restaurant offers diners a charming view of Wisconsin's deepest inland lake and maintains two piers for diners who arrive by boat. In fact, it's the only supper club on the lake that is reachable by water.

The 100-seat dining room has a nautical theme, incorporating weathered wood pier posts and other marine collectibles as decorations.

Norton's is best known for broiled Canadian walleye ($15.95), which was simple and wonderful, with only a few bones, and for Alaska king crab legs (market price).

There's also a solid lineup of custom dry-aged prime steaks, which I couldn't resist. The eight-ounce filet mignon I ordered may have cost $19.95, but was worth every single delicious bite.

We tried two other memorable specialties. Roast duck ($15.50) featured moist meat and a crispy skin beneath its thick raspberry sauce. Seafood fettuccine ($15.75) had more than a dozen medium shrimp and half a dozen tender scallops in its creamy sauce.