52 Supper Clubs in 52 Weeks

We decided to head north to Black Creek to try Brick’s Club 47, a place neither of us had been for a long time.    Years ago, Brick’s was a favorite for a group of guys I worked with at Appleton Papers.   They called themselves the “Men of Bricks” and challenged each other to eat mega steaks, which caused them to suffer from severe meat “hang-overs” the following day.   Paul recalled going there for all you can eat crab legs with his dad in the late seventies. It was surprisingly quiet.   To be fair, it was a Wednesday night and we didn’t get there until after seven and several people were leaving as we arrived, but there were only two other couples in the place.   It appeared to us that Brick’s had not been updated in many years, inside or out.   Let’s just say the place looked well worn.   We sat at the bar in the quaint but dark barroom.   The bartender greeted us and took our drink order, BOFS for Paul and BOFP for me.   Th...

Winter Storm Evelyn just got upgraded to full-fledged Blizzard status so why not head out to a supper club for dinner?   It looked like there would be a few hour break in the snowfall so we decided to try Mark’s East Side. In 1967, Bill and Jan Doherty purchased the building that formerly housed the Normandie, a restaurant established in 1948, and opened Chef Bill’s. The Normandie had three different owners and a few fires over its 19 year history before Bill took ownership. Bill and Jan’s son Mark took the business over in 1982 and he changed the name to Mark’s East Side in 1987.   The restaurant has undergone several extensive remodeling projects since 1967 and continues to be one of the best fine dining establishments in the area.         Mark’s really doesn’t fit the true definition of the traditional supper club as they are open for lunch daily, but since they have been named Best Supper Club in the area numerous times over the years we decid...

We’ve stopped in Freedom many times over the years on the way home from Lambeau Field, at the Home Tavern, Leap Inn and/or Beaver’s Hut but always passed by the Colonial House.   Tonight we thought we’d give it a try. Eugene and Ethel Vande Hey opened The Colonial Lanes and Supper Club in 1968 with a small dining room and 6 lane bowling alley. In 1978 they expanded the building with a 9000 square foot addition and changed the name to its current Colonial House Supper Club and Banquet Center. Gene and Ethel’s son Mike and his wife Lynn bought the place in 1994 and they continue to run the family business today. We arrived around 6:30 to a fairly full parking lot. After checking in with the hostess we headed to the bar and ordered the usual, brandy old fashioneds.   They were just right.   The Colonial House features a huge but comfortable bar and barroom with ample seating as well as two large dining rooms. It would definitely be a good place to go with a large g...

We decided to try Marty’s in Kimberly on a Wednesday night.  It had been many years since we had been there.   Marty’s has been around forever.  The current owners have owned the place since January 2017 and kept the menu pretty much the same as we remembered.     The small bar was busy, but as others moved to their tables we were able to get some seats.   We ordered a BOFS and my new choice, a BOFP (p for press – half seltzer, half sweet).   The drinks were good and strong.   There was a nice friendly atmosphere in the bar.   As with many supper club bars, I could have sat there for several hours and enjoyed the atmosphere and conversation.     In true supper club fashion, our waitress came to the bar and took our food order.    She returned when our table was ready.   The salad bar was good, and they had crumbly bleu cheese which I love.   They had a superior method for serving the salad dressing...