52 Supper Clubs in 52 Weeks

It’s Pi Day, so what better way to celebrate than to head out to a supper club! Tonight we decided to try Dick and Joan’s Supper Club. Located on Lynndale Avenue and opened in 1966, I believe the restaurant was actually on the edge of town back then, long before the development of East College Avenue out to and beyond the Fox River Mall. Pat Williams and a business partner, Dale Lesselyoung, purchased the restaurant in 2003 from Pat’s parents, Dick and Joan. They considered changing the name but since Dale’s parents were also named Dick and Joan it seemed like a good idea to keep it. We arrived around 6:30 and found the large u-shaped bar full. We ordered a couple brandy old fashioneds, one press and one sweet, and took a seat at one of the side tables.   When two stools opened up at the bar we moved in and found ourselves sitting next to someone Ann used to work with, so they had a chance to catch up.   The dining room was only about a quarter full and the bart...

I learn something new every day, and Sunday at the Out-O-Town Club was no exception.   For a change, we decided to try a supper club on a Sunday evening.   To my surprise, the parking lot was packed when we arrived shortly before 6 pm.   Perhaps the Sunday special contributed to the large crowd. The Out-o-Town club has a nice large oval bar with the floor dropped in the middle, which allows patrons to sit in normal height comfy chairs at the bar instead of getting up on a barstool.   I don’t need it yet, but I guess when I’m older it’ll be nice not to have to get up on the barstool.    Everyone at the busy bar seemed to be having a good time.   A couple of friendly folks quickly volunteered to move down a seat at the bar to make room for us.    The woman next to me ordered a BOF Press.   What was that?   I learned that the BOF Press substitutes half of the sweet soda with seltzer.   Coincidentally, I had been ...

This evening we ventured to the village of Stockbridge, about 20 or 25 miles from Appleton on the east side of Lake Winnebago, to the Gobbler’s Knob Supper Club.    We found Gobbler’s Knob on what I assume to be the main street in this small town.   There happened to be exactly two seats open at the small and comfortably busy bar when we arrived.      We were greeted by a friendly bartender and ordered the usual, two BOFS.   They were good and strong.   Everyone at the Gobbler’s Knob bar was drinking a version of the old fashioned - whiskey or brandy, sweet or sour.   Gobbler’s Knob was established in 1949 and has been owned by the Levknecht Family for over 30 years.   The bartender informed us that one of the women sitting at the other end of the bar had been the owner, and that she had passed the business down to her son, who was vacationing in Mexico.    Menus arrived and we were told to let the bartender know w...

WOW – What a great experience.      On two previous visits the Lox Club was so busy we decided not to stay, but on this particular Saturday night there was a space or two open in the parking lot.   We arrived about 6pm and the cozy barroom was buzzing.   We found two seats at the circular (or maybe oblong) bar, so typical of Supper Clubs.     We were greeted by the bartender and ordered two brandy old-fashioned sweets.   They were excellent, and a bit stronger than most.   Crackers, cheese spread, and liver pate’ were available in the barroom and did not disappoint.   I tried all of them.   The atmosphere was fun and the clientele spanned all generations.    If we weren’t hungry, we might have sat there for hours.   One of the owner’s, Cindy, was the hostess and she stopped by to see how we were enjoying our drinks.  Cindy is the daughter of the original owners, “Butter” and Betty Vander Wyst.  B...