Playing Catch Up

Yikes- August 24 was my last post to you guys - I'm sooooooo sorry. This year has been flying by and wedding planning has taken a forefront to my personal writing and downtime lately. But don't worry, I have still gone out and enjoyed many places downtown with friends and family.

Let's start with some upcoming fun, then a quick recap of what I have been up to. And then I PROMISE that I will get more thorough blogs out on each of these topics below before November is over!!!

First off - can you believe we are less than two months away from Christmas! The season is upon us. I recently wrote about the downtown Waukesha happenings for the holidays for the Waukesha Pewaukee Convention and Visitors Bureau. Check out the post here.


Ok - here's a brief recap of what I have been doing.

Salsa Chicken - super simple dinner!

1. I have been experimenting with new recipes and family favorites. I try to cook one new dish a week -- sometimes they are kiddo friendly and other times, they are for more advanced palettes. I also recently completed a 10-day cleanse and it taught me a lot about my food choices and what I should be eating. I would say I haven't had any cooking "fails" lately, so that is always a plus. Meals include chicken salad (two ways), chicken cordon blue pasta, "crack" brownies (seriously so good), salsa chicken and z'paghetti noodles with shrimp.

2. I have enjoyed a few meals out and about with friends and my fiance. Gyros West, Bernie's Tap Room, Meli and Tofte's Table top the list of places I have visited late.

Lighthouse Events Pumpkin Run in Oconomowoc

3. I am really trying to get myself into a fitness schedule in addition to eating better. The wedding is coming up in less than six months and I have some work to do before the big day. I signed up again for the Winter Run Series with Lighthouse Events and just completed my first of the five. I also have been trail run/walking with my friend Tory.

Nature Trails at Retzer Nature Center, Waukesha

White Gull Inn Fish Boil

4. I recently had my bachelorette party up in Door County. We did it early because we wanted to make sure things would be open while we were up there. My MOH picked the perfect weekend and we really lucked out with weather. I ate plenty of cherry items and partook in the famous Fish Boil at White Gull Inn. Upon returning, I checked out Raised Grain's Door County Cherry IPA to reminisce on the amazing weekend. I won't be sharing all the details of that weekend, but it was a great time and we actually hope to make it an annual trip.

Raised Grain beer flight

Oscar H. Hanson Bed & Breakfast - Breakfast

5. My fiance and I just returned from a quick weekend trip to Cambridge and stayed at the amazing Oscar H. Hanson House B&B. The service was stellar and we found plenty to do in the neighboring cities to keep up entertained for a few days. We definitely will return to the B&B and maybe venture deeper into Madison next time.

Ok - so before November is over, I promise my readers will see at least four new posts. I am making a commitment with my fitness to also give myself more person time. Typing, doing crafts, or reading gives me less time to snack and more time for creative outlets.

Daylee Public House

Daylee Public House is the brainchild of Simply Irresistible Catering's owner, Megan Day. She was provided an opportunity last summer to lease a space on the west end of Main Street and expand her catering business into a bar and (soon) restaurant. The space is next door to Waukesha Tattoo Company and Megan did an amazing job with the design and decor. Simplistic but unique.

I apologize for my darker images, but I promise you, it's not that dark inside. She has a great combination of seating space and open areas to accommodate large grounds. This expanded space now allows her to host private parties, which is one way her business is growing. She has been a caterer for a few years and now can host functions in her own location--birthdays, retirements, showers, reunions, and more!

The garage door opens up to a pergola covered deck that can accommodate a great sized crowd as well.

She still has her take-n-bake options in a freezer case near the front of the bar. May I recommend the lasagna, meatballs and glazed carrots - totally drool-worthy! And if you plan to stay for a while, Megan can cook up one of these for your group while you enjoy some libations. Or she might just have some treats ready for you to enjoy!

Daylee Public House has a nice selection of tap and bottled beer, liquor, and wine. There is definitely something for everyone.

One of the many things that draws me to this bar is the fact that it sells pitchers of New Age, only the best summer wine. It's a Tincho and you serve it over ice with a lime for a very refreshing beverage. There was no problem that my friend and I were going to polish off this pitcher.

Megan grills out for the Friday Night Live's in downtown Waukesha, so take a walk down to west Main Street and check out her place. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Wings Around Waukesha: Club 400 Wings

I am a Carroll University (but back in my day College) alum and one of the places that I frequented on a Thursday night, for a few libations to relax after a stressful week of classes, was Club 400. That bar and Mulligans (now Spurs Saloon) were the closest bars to campus for the Carroll community to enjoy. I never ate food there during my college days, but it was shortly after I graduated and started my "real job" that I found out about the upstairs at Club 400 and spent many Thursday nights up there.

On Thursdays and select weekend nights, the upstairs of Club 400 is open to accommodate the increased number of diners. Though I used to go with my coworker and her family and close friends, many of my fellow Carroll alum would be in attendance as well. It was always great to catch up and I made a few new friends as well.

I hadn't been to Club 400 for quite a few years, but recently my fiance and I were looking for a place to eat and he had never been. We arrived early and took one of the few booths across from the bar on the main level. The building is a historic landmark and the itricate wood detailing of the back bar definitely shows off this fact. I walked up to the bar to see how the wings had changed since I had last been there. They now have order forms and you order by the 1/2 or full pound, pick one of the ten sauces, blue cheese or ranch, and celery.

I ordered a pound of teriyaki wings with bone-in and my fiance ordered a half of each garlic Parmesan and Thai flavored boneless wings. We were feeling glutinous and ordered onion rings and sour cream and chive fries too.

It didn't take long for our food to arrive and our little booth for two was completely covered with baskets. They brought over a bucket for wing bones and the table had napkins on it.

We dug in while the food was hot. My wings were just as good as I remembered. They are a decent size wing and just enough sauce. The sauce had great flavor as well. I was able to finish almost all my wings.

My fiance liked his Thai wings better than the garlic Parmesan. Because of my sensitive buds, I only tried once of the garlic Parmesan--it reminded me of Pizza Hut's garlic breadsticks that they used to sell in the PIT at Carroll. Ahhhh the memories!

The sour cream and chive fries were delicious as always with ranch on the side and the onion rings were really big and yummy.

If you are looking for a great wing place in town, Club 400 is the place to go - and non-wing eaters will find plenty on the menu as well.

Club 400 Rating (Max Score of 5): 4.4

Flavors: 4 Drumsticks (10 flavors - many were too spicy for me)

Size: 4 Drumsticks

Taste: 4 Drumsticks

Price:  2.5 Drumsticks on non-wing night 7.00 / 4.5 Drumsticks on wing night $.35 each

Temp: 4.5 Drumsticks - nice and hot

Sauces: Options are Ranch & Blue Cheese

Veggies: Celery is offered

Wet Naps: Not provided with wing order - didn't ask if they had them available but napkins were right on your table.

Raised Grain Brewery

My friend Tiffany works in specialized retail on the east side of Waukesha and Raised Grain Brewery opened very near her job. I met up with her one night after work and we headed over to check the place out.

We ended up going during their Grand Opening celebration and although the place was very busy with patrons, we were able to find some stools at the bar without a problem.


The bartenders/owners were all present and very welcoming. They greeted us as soon as we sat down and got us some menus to review while they waited on other patrons. The menus describe each beer they have available so it took us a bit to get through.

While we read about the beers, I also took in the atmosphere. The bar reminds me of Sweet Mullets in Oconomowoc with a rustic/industrial vibe. Beautiful wood shelves behind the bar, growlers and glasses, and the window behind the taps to see the brew room.

Bar Top - picture doesn't do it justice so go see it in person!

The bar top is an absolutely gorgeous wooden masterpiece that according to their Facebook page, weighs 1000 pounds. My photo does not do the top justice, so please stop in and see it for yourself. The light fixtures and design was all put together by the owners and are very industrial rustic. 

Tiffany and I each decided to do a flight so we could try a variety of their beers. The beers are numbered on a chalkboard and the bartender provides you a mini chalkboard to write down your selections. That mini board is then magnetically stuck to a muffin tin that has your four beers and some pretzel bites..

Tiffany and I shared our flights so we could try almost all the beers. We both chose #3 so #5 was missed this time. But fortunately #3 was excellent and we each were then able to enjoy the full sample.

About the Beer:
Kolsch - nice and light
Spring City Amber - A very good Amber, nice nose and flavor
Imperial Stout - pretty heavy in taste and a lot of coffee - Tiffany really liked this but it was too heavy in coffee for me.
Birdseye Belgium Trippel - This was my favorite and I could drink this all day. It's bold and full of Belgium. But with 9.23% alcohol, I will have to be careful not to overindulge too quickly!
Six Stone Scotch - very easy to drink and much like a Kilkenny for me.
Riggenaut Rye IPA - This one was extremely hoppy for me.
Ah Ha IPA - This one was hoppy as well but I did like it quite a bit.

Between Tiffany and myself, we both thought the Amber was a great beer, Trippel is delicious, and Ah Ha has a unique tastefor a hop-heavy beer.

I overheard the owners talking about having more new beers to try soon (something about a Cherry IPA???)

With all of this great beer available, you need to pair it with more than pretzels. The brewery serves frozen pizzas and jumbo soft pretzels. But on most Thursdays, Smokey O's Food Truck can be found outside serving up their great smoked eats.

The brewery provided us a menu to decide what we wanted to eat and then Tiffany went outside to order it and bring it back in. She surprised us with three selections - pork Banh Mi sliders, pulled pork Panini, and pork Tacos.

The Banh Mi sliders have a solid spice kick but I really liked them. The Kings Hawaiian buns add the perfect amount of sweet to help compliment and calm the heat. Very fresh in flavor too!

The Panini was heavy on the chipotle flavor but still delicious. The crunch of the bread with the melty cheese was excellent.

The Tacos were loaded with fresh ingredients and flavors. They were a little messy to eat but very delectable.

This was a very solid first experience of the brewery and I will be happy to come back again and try more of the beers. And if a food truck isn't available, I read that Raised Grain will let you bring in food from other spots as well to enjoy with your beers.

I also read that they are offering Yoga classes in the brewery. For $10, you get the class and a beer after. Get in your workout and enjoy a delicious beer after. I might just have to try a class!

Clarke Hotel Irish Restaurant

My friend and I recently went to get drinks and dinner at The Clarke Hotel. I had heard great things about the fish fry on Fridays and a few other dishes, so we decided to check it out for ourselves.

We went on a Thursday evening and decided to sit in the bar for a drink before we had our dinner. I went for a traditional Irish beer, Kilkenny that pours from a nitrogen tapper. It was very refreshing and hit the spot.

The bartender told us that the hotel was seeing great occupancy rates and the restaurant was a hit! In addition to being the bartender, he was also the hotel "front desk" that evening and checked a few guests in while we were there.

The bar definitely has an Irish flare to it with beer signs, Irish sayings and the dark paneling on the walls, traditional with other Irish pubs I have visited.

The tappers for beer were lit up and really helped make it easier to read what was all on tap.

We decided to start with an appetizer. Although I'm not a huge Reuben sandwich fan, a friend turned me onto Reuben Rolls a few years ago and I have never looked back. We decided to get those to enjoy while we figured out our dinner selections. They came out quickly and we dug in. The horseradish sauce had a bit of a kick but didn't over power the roll. I could taste each ingredient on its own and it all went together really well. These are probably the best Reuben Rolls I have had.

Then it was time for another drink and our bartender suggested that I try one of the specialty beers. I went for a Magner's Cider with a shot of Caramel Vodka in it - so it became a cool spiced cider. This was amazing! I never thought of this combination, but I'm so glad I tried it.

I wandered around the hotel lobby a bit and enjoyed looking at all the vintage pictures of downtown Waukesha. They also have a banquet hall for meetings and small parties that is available to rent.

When it was time to figure out what to have for dinner, we decided to just stay at the bar because some live music was about to start and we wanted to enjoy it. I really wanted someone to order the Guinness BBQ Sandwich because I wanted to see just how huge the sandwich would be. I mean it has mashed potatoes right on it! But alas, no one had, but I did see a variety of other entrees and pleasant reactions from the other diners. I selected the Shepherd's Pie and my friend went with the Beef Stew.

Everything came out piping hot and I had to move the potatoes on the top of mine so that I could let it cool down before I enjoyed. The Shepherd's Pie was fantastic! I enjoyed every bit of this meal and had half of it to take home because it was so huge. The vegetables were tender, the meat was perfect and the potatoes had a light crisp to the top.

My friend's beef stew was excellent as well. Her dad makes a great beef stew but she said this one comes in second to his. Everything was tender, the meat fell right apart and the flavors were outstanding.

After our meal, the bartender then treated us and other patrons at the bar to a little Irish after dinner drink. I'm not exactly sure what was all in it, but it was minty, chocolatey, and delicious.


The service was excellent - the bartender was extremely knowledgeable and could answer all of our questions and made sure we were enjoying ourselves. The music on a Thursday evening was light enough to be able to have a conversation over, but added to the ambiance of the bar. On the weekends, they also have brunch and traditional Irish music that I want to come back and check out.

I think that we will definitely be back as I want to try other dishes from their menu and hear more of the live music. I highly recommend having a drink and a meal at The Clarke Hotel!

Wisconsin Dells Part 2

This is Part 2 of my blog about my getaway with my guy to Wisconsin Dells. 

Day two started with breakfast on the patio that overlooks the pool at the White Rose Inns. This is something I definitely love about B&Bs --the breakfasts are always so good.

We were provided a few options - quiche, french toast, scrambled eggs or a yogurt parfait. I went with the quiche and my guy chose the french toast.

The patio is covered from the sun and built around a gigantic tree. We were the first ones up for breakfast as we wanted to get an early start on the day so we enjoyed our breakfast in peace with just the birds chirping from the tree overhead.

The quiche was spinach, mushroom and cheese and really delicious, but the potatoes stole the show. Just the right amount of rosemary and butter when they were pan fried, making them the best part of the breakfast. So delicious.

 My guy loved his french toast too and we both cleaned our plates. We spent a short time relaxing a little bit enjoying the morning air.

Then it was off to Devil's Lake. I bought a State Park pass this year and asked my guy if he would mind hiking with me. I promised him the views from the trails would be totally worth it. So we headed off on the East Bluff Woods Trail.

The path was very scenic at the bottom with a crick running next to our trail. We ventured out on a few rocks to take some pictures.

Because I had never been to Devil's Lake before, I knew the trails would be on a incline, but I didn't realize that it was literally up hill the entire way.

 We took some breaks to recover as it was quite the workout.

But like I said, once we got to the top, it was all worth it. The views are just breathtaking. I was so proud of my guy ( a non-hiker) for doing this with me. I'm sure there was a point on the way up that he was contemplating if it was all worth it, but he agreed that the view was spectacular.

And then the walk back down, though long. was definitely much easier (all downhill). We could actually talk to each other. When we got back down to the bottom, we took another break by the crick, took some pictures and just enjoyed each others company and nature.

Then it was back to Wisconsin Dells and time for lunch. I was emailed by a manager of The Cheez Factory in the Dells a few months back and offered a meal in exchange for sharing about their restaurant on my blog. In a post next week, I will give you all the details on lunch. But here is a brief overview. The Cheez Factory is a completely vegan restaurant - something that I have never eaten before. To say that my guy was a little hesitant to eat vegan food would be an understatement, but he said he would try it for me.

The food was incredible and I am so glad that we had this experience. Our minds were completely blown away with the quality and flavors of the food. My guy said that he would even eat here again if we came back to the Dells. Watch for a complete report next week.

 After lunch, we went back to our room and relaxed a bit by the pool. We even went in but the water was just a tad too "refreshing" for us to stay in longer. Maybe if the weather was five degrees warmer outside and less windy, we would have lasted longer.

 We went back to the room, showered and headed down the strip to take in a little mini golf.

The place wasn't very busy so we could take our time at each hole. I haven't mini-golfed in probably 10 years so it took me a little bit to get my swing back. We were pretty much even at the end of the course.

 And again the views from the course were spectacular of the upper dells.

 At the end there was a petting zoo and this little goat was really friendly wanting snacks.

We weren't super hungry but decided to get some dinner. The night before I saw this place called The Cheesey Tomato and on our way to mini golf, we checked out the menu. It sounded really unique and delicious. I was sold at donut grilled cheese!

We ordered and then were told they would come find us and sit wherever. They are renovating the property a bit, but still had tables outside over looking the river. We sat down at one that overlooked the boat tours and took in the views.

My grilled cheese donut was really good and just the right size. It had a dab of jelly in the middle and was  sprinkled with powder sugar. This was a sweet-savory combo that I really enjoy. I would definitely get this again and might try making it at home.

My guy's BLT was on nice buttery, toasted bread and had a really fresh taste. We both enjoyed our meals and then decided to grab a drink across the street at the Showboat Saloon and see if American Pharoah could complete the Triple Crown.

Showboat Saloon had a very diverse beer selection with a few unique firkins and many micro-brews on tap. I got an Oberon and a Ballast Point Sculpin for us and let my guy choose which one he wanted.

Showboat has been in the Dells for many years and I'm sure the building has some great history. I did a little research and found the building is from 1907 and was originally a tavern, then a candy shop during Prohibition, and then back to a tavern after. The same floor is still inside the place today!

American Pharoah did win the Triple Crown and the crowd in the bar was really into it. We finished our beers, walked the strip a bit more, and then headed back to our hotel for some relaxation. Our tired legs needed it after our long day.

The next morning was a little too rainy and chilly to eat breakfast on the patio, so we ate it in the cafe in the basement of the main building at the Inns. We both chose the egg scramble and it was just as good as our breakfast the first morning.

Then it was time to get on the road and head back home. We stopped at a restaurant in Johnson Creek for lunch and finished off the trip with another great meal. Unfortunately I didn't get the name of it and it's not showing up on any maps. It looked rather new and was a great sports bar atmosphere.

The weekend was a great mix of new experiences and relaxing. But most importantly it was time that we got to spend together and really enjoy each others' company. Until our next trip!