<![CDATA[Eating Normal - Restaurant Reviews]]>

<![CDATA[Eating Normal - Restaurant Reviews]]>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:04:44 -0600Weebly<![CDATA[Brunch at Delilah's is Another Perfect Weekend Treat]]>Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:20:59 GMThttps://www.eating-normal.com/restaurant-reviews/brunch-at-delilahs-is-another-perfect-weekend-treat

It feels like ages ago when Delilah’s opened in downtown Green Bay, and for whatever reason, I never made it out there despite countless Farmer’s Market Saturdays taking me within blocks of the location. Perhaps it was because I loved their sister location, Toast and Co., in East De Pere so much that I expected to find very similar things at Delilah’s. This past weekend, however, I shook those expectations to visit with some friends when they came up to Green Bay for Memorial Day.

The proprietors of Delilah’s made the most out of the small restaurant space by setting up a bar for those that come to dine alone, and the table arrangement allows for a variety of party sizes to be able to enjoy brunch together. We were able to get in without a wait when we arrived around 8 am, but throughout our meal, the crowd waiting for tables grew. The Farmer’s Market season brough more diners behind us as we sat down to the glasses of water poured for us by the hostess.

Delilah’s serves both lunch and breakfast items much like their sister location, and they had a shareable menu if that’s how you want to approach brunch. Donuts, pimento cheese dip, and a plate of pork related goodies are all there for you to choose. The lunch menu offers everything from a simple grilled chicken sandwich to a lobster roll. If you want a more traditional, substantial breakfast after a trip to the market, those options are there for you with everything from the classic American breakfast to a big ol’ plate of pastrami hash.

It was that pastrami hash that I chose for myself that day. That plate comes with two eggs cooked to your liking and a buttermilk biscuit, both of which are welcome palate cleansers alongside the strong pastrami hash that features poblano peppers as well. I often employ ketchup with my hashbrowns at most locations, but this hash was so well composed that I didn’t feel the need for it. Sweet vidalia onions balanced out the pastrami and the peppers in nearly every bite.

After having enjoyed breakfast at Delilah’s, I now feel like I need to order something from the lunch menu on another occasion to see if I’ll enjoy it just as much. I caught myself looking at the oyster mushroom po’boy and the gumbo on offer that morning, and I’m still thinking about them now. The intriguing options will keep me coming back now that I’ve finally broken through, and I think that may be the same for you.

Delilah’s also has a drink menu featuring local coffee producers and brunch cocktails if that’s more your speed on a Saturday morning. I’ll be covering that in detail over in our Green Bay Coffee section. Consider Delilah’s for your next weekend brunch and check out their menu on their website to plan your visit today.

]]><![CDATA[The Pizzas at this Ledgeview Brewery Are Worth the Trip]]>Wed, 26 Mar 2025 11:38:10 GMThttps://www.eating-normal.com/restaurant-reviews/the-pizzas-at-this-ledgeview-brewery-are-worth-the-trip

It’s been two years since Cocoon Brewing first opened in Ledgeview on the far southeastern end of Green Bay. Back then, I walked in during one of the first weeks in business and had high hopes for its future. I have, unfortunately, not been back since. That changed one cold March afternoon, and I finally got myself back in the doors to see how time had treated the little baby brewery. A hankering for pizza and a lunch with a friend made for the perfect excuse to visit again.

Improvements have been made on all fronts. The private shacks they call cocoons have increased in number. New art and signage has been added to the entryway of the building. Just the day before my visit, they added additional seating toward the back of the dining area. Even better, the spring menu was only a few weeks old. The rotating menu set to feature as many seasonal ingredients as possible is still one of the defining features of their pizzas to me.

They may be a brewery, but they also feature a robust bar program for cocktail aficionados and those visiting the location with friends that may be avoiding alcohol. I had a yuzu margarita during my visit that was refreshingly tart and a perfect foil to the rich pizzas I ate that afternoon, and they employ Non-Alcoholic spirits in most of their feature cocktails if you request it. If you prefer to drink a Non-Alcoholic beer at the brewery, they carry what I consider to be the best brand in this front, Athletic.

With a drink chosen, there was nothing left to do but select the meal for the afternoon. Two people don’t need two pizzas, but my friend and I were both interested in trying more than one option. We decided on the burrata and prosciutto pizza as well as their Spring Green pizza in order to try one from the seasonal menu and one from the traditional menu. It was a hard choice to make, but we got there.

@eatingnormal I have another Green Bay restaurant review for you, and this time it's Cocoon Brewing out in Ledgeview. If you're in the area next month for the draft and are looking to eat well beyond the bright lights of Lambeau, these unique pizzas are just a short drive away. Escape the sports bars and dine well with the lovely folks at Cocoon Brewing. A full written review is available at eating-normal.com! #pizza #restaurants #eatlocal #dinelocal #reviews #greenbay #greenbaywi #greenbayeats #greenbayfoodie #wisconsin #NFLdraft ♬ original sound - Eating Normal

The burrata and prosciutto pizza is one of their long term pizzas for the menu this year, and it's gorgeous. When the pizza is finished cooking, burrata is laid cold on the pie with slices of prosciutto, pistachios, basil, and a drizzle of hot honey. The combo of the sweet honey against the fattiness of the cheese and meat made this my favorite pizza between the two. What leftovers I took home were gone before the end of the night.

The Spring Green stood out to me as one of the more unusual offerings on their seasonal menu. I consider potatoes on a pizza to be one of the greatest challenges for a place to pull off efficiently, and they once more appeared on this pizza’s list of ingredients when I had tried a pizza with potatoes on it during my first visit. Of course, I had to see if they managed to nail the cook between pizza and potato. I can safely say that this time, they did.

The purple potatoes used to bring a pop of color to the Spring Green were shaved so thinly that they cooked in the short amount of time that a pizza of this variety needs in the tremendous, custom pizza oven that Cocoon Brewing has in their brewhouse. The pesto that gives the Spring Green its namesake is acidic and bright to counterbalance the heavy cheese, and the pea shoots add a pleasant, fresh pop to the slice.

Green Bay has no shortage of great pizza on offer, but Cocoon has proven itself to be able to stand among some of the best in town. Whether you’re a local looking to try something new or a visitor trying to branch out beyond the lights of Lambeau, it’s worth giving Cocoon Brewing a try. You can find their hours and any menu changes on their website, cocoonbrewing.com, or at their facebook page.

]]><![CDATA[The Pancake Place is Diner Breakfast]]>Mon, 28 Oct 2024 13:05:04 GMThttps://www.eating-normal.com/restaurant-reviews/the-pancake-place-is-diner-breakfast

Fifteen time Best of the Bay Breakfast recipient, The Pancake Place, has been on my list for a long time. It is, however, just far enough from my apartment that I often don’t choose to make the trip. On a crisp October morning, I finally stepped out of my comfort zone and drove past Mason Street for once to check it out before the sun had even risen. It’s lucky I left that early. By the time I was finished, the restaurant was nearly full.

The restaurant serves both breakfast and lunch all day. However you want to eat, you can eat, and I tested that by ordering an appetizer sampler for myself and my friend. It’s quite the simple offering that you’d expect from an appetizer platter– battered french fries, chicken strips, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, and fried cheese curds. For ordering these at seven am, each item was crunchy and a perfect vehicle for the requested ranch and honey mustard. They’ll revive well in the air fryer, and that was all to plan.

Despite being named The Pancake Place, they offer some incredible house specials that go beyond special flavors of pancakes. I was fascinated by the stuffed hashbrowns concept on the menu. I saw pictures on their facebook page and thought myself prepared. When the plate landed on my table, I realized that even a half order was too big for me. A mountain of hashbrowns were delivered piled over sausage and scrambled eggs. Country gravy buried that too.

I couldn’t get through it, but I do consider the stuffed hashbrowns to be the most unique item on their menu and a good way to find out what The Pancake Place is all about. Biscuits and Gravy fans like myself can decide from this plate if the gravy is for them. Hashbrown connoisseurs like myself can decide in the hashbrowns are for them. The possibilities are endless from there with a variety of different stuffed hashbrown combinations on the menu such as chili cheese and gyro.

It helps that the waitstaff are wonderful, accommodating people. They’re happy to see you when you walk in the door. They take care of you when you sit. It seems to me that they remember every customer. Sitting by the door, I saw more than one exchange with new customers involving friendly ‘welcome backs’ and small reminders that they were remembered and valued in that little diner. That’s part of what makes a good American Diner Breakfast. The Pancake Place remembers that.

If you’re a coffee drinker like myself, they bring a carafe and a bowl of assorted creamers and sweeteners to the table to keep you going for your whole visit. No need to stop in to refill when things get busy– not that the ladies weren’t visiting often enough to refill a coffee if necessary. It’s the perfect way to sit down for a long overdue coffee chat with an old friend or family member you haven’t seen in a long time with zero expectations. Simple coffee. Simple environment. Great food.

The Pancake Place has won Best of the Bay fifteen times for a reason. You don’t need me to tell you that, but if you haven’t stopped in yet yourself, consider this article a reminder to plan your visit soon. Beat the rush by getting in as early as you can! Tell them Eating Normal sent you.

]]><![CDATA[Rebellions Truly are Built on ‘Ope at Cheesesteak Rebellion]]>Wed, 02 Oct 2024 12:34:01 GMThttps://www.eating-normal.com/restaurant-reviews/rebellions-truly-are-built-on-ope-at-cheesesteak-rebellion

Green Bay’s Broadway District is a flagship location for a number of the town’s hottest bars, restaurants, and breweries, but Broadway Street keeps going long past the Mason Street bridge. A number of hidden gems can be found if you just keep driving, and Cheesesteak Rebellion is one of these restaurants. Their little bar has been on the receiving end of some online publicity from tiktok creator Wonderfully Wisconsin in recent weeks with a video that has garnered more than 200,000 views as of the writing of this article. Before this video, I had never been.

I had heard of Cheesesteak Rebellion. I was vaguely aware of its existence in the dark recesses of Broadway Street’s many residential areas between factories, but I never stopped. Without company or cause, a cheesesteak is a hard sell for me. Even when I lived on the east coast and could visit Philly at the drop of the hat– I just didn’t want to eat a cheesesteak. I had both company and cause after the Wonderfully Wisconsin video– my father was in town. My father started me on Star Wars before I knew how to read.

So of course, I took him to Cheesesteak Rebellion for a late lunch during his visit. I expected a smaller crowd at 2 pm, but the lunch rush hadn’t yet ended! We did not have to wait long as a group of two, and we were seated at the bar among a cluster of other parties of two in order to keep the tables for bigger groups and families. We got cozy, ordered drinks, and settled in with the menu.

@eatingnormal Trying a video format for my restaurant reviews this time around. Is this something ya'll would be interested more? Please let me know. I clearly need to work on my filming technique here. Shoutout to @wonderfullywi for bringing the joint to my attention! #greenbaywisconsin #greenbayeats #foodblogger #wifoodie #greenbaywi #food #greenbay #greenbaywieats #restaurant ♬ Cantina Band (From "Star Wars") - Die Musikstudenten

Cheesesteak Rebellion is built into the bones of a neighborhood dive bar. If it weren’t for the Star Wars memorabilia on every available surface, you’d have a hard time convincing me to think of it as anything but another Wisco dive. Our dive bars are special, sure, but every neighborhood has one. Not every neighborhood has a Cheesesteak Rebellion.

They muddle their brandy old fashioneds, and if you sit at the bar, you can watch the cooks crank out every order with efficiency. I could have used the time we waited on our order talking to my dad about a hundred things. I couldn’t look away from the order counter, however. Watching cheesesteaks, burgers, and fried sides fly from the hands of the nearest cook and awaiting a hard working barstaff to take them to their tables was a mesmerizing experience for me.

These people were clearly overwhelmed. I have to imagine that they hadn’t had a chance to breathe since the doors opened that morning if the 2 pm crowd was anything to judge by. They didn’t appear to let it get to them, and they busted their asses to take care of the folks that showed up that Saturday before the Packers game the next day. You’ve really got to give it to the folks working weekends out there during this heightened exposure online.

Garlic ranch cheese curds, curly fries, and a cheesesteak with pepperjack landed in front of me by the time I was on my second old fashioned. I took one bite from the garlic butter basted Amoroso roll encased cheesesteak and understood I made a mistake by not going sooner. They had those traditional Philly rolls. The meat was cut thin and piled high. It was going to feed me for at least two days.

Their garlic ranch cheese curds were a fun twist on what you can get at almost any bar in town, but they weren’t the appetizer that most had my attention. They sell fried pickles wrapped in wonton skins and cheese that I will have to get the next time I go. I just couldn’t convince my father to venture into fried pickle territory. Next time I drag a visitor in these doors, they’re getting ordered.

They rotate a specialty fry selection each week and also keep a selection of soups in the kitchen for folks that want to eat something lighter. I didn’t get a bowl of soup, but the few that I saw leave the serving area looked delicious that day. There will be something for anyone in your party if you decide to trek down Broadway to visit the folks at Cheesesteak Rebellion.

Affordability is a concern at any outing these days, and the folks here seem to know that. A cheesesteak and a basket of fries will run you around 15 bucks depending on which variety of sandwich you get. For someone like me, that turned into two meals. This was yet another example of being able to eat well at a local restaurant for less than the cost of going through a fast food drive thru per meal.

You can get the Philly experience in Green Bay Wisconsin at Cheesesteak Rebellion. It’s a midwestern rebellion against an east coast ideal, and I for one fully support it. To plan your own visit, watch their facebook page for specials and hours. Let them know that Wonderfully Wisconsin and Eating Normal sent you.

]]><![CDATA[Great Breakfast for a Great Price at Black Honey Hashery]]>Mon, 30 Sep 2024 12:59:30 GMThttps://www.eating-normal.com/restaurant-reviews/great-breakfast-for-a-great-price-at-black-honey-hashery

The meat lovers omelet special at Black Honey Hashery

Black Honey Hashery has been on the list for a long time. Their lines are out the door every time I’ve tried to go to brunch on the weekends. All of those times, I was already too hangry to wait. This time around, I finally had the ability and the pleasure to show up on a Friday morning while other people were at work. My father came into town the night before, and I knew this was our chance. So we got in the car and went in search of the restaurant tucked away off of route 32 south. I’ve driven past it a hundred times before without ever knowing it was there. It had to be good if it survived the pandemic AND stayed in that cozy location.

When we arrived, it was the first time I never had to struggle for parking. We managed to get in at their actual parking lot and be seated well before the hangry rage kicked in and made me go elsewhere. I once made it a goal to go in search of the best traditional american breakfast in Green Bay, but this wasn’t the visit for that. I wanted myself a plate of biscuits and gravy and a good cup of coffee.

First came the coffee. Collectivo out of Milwaukee is a common choice for a lot of the breakfast joints in Green Bay that do not also roast their own beans, so the standard cup at Black Honey Hashery is a familiar one in town. It does the job. It wakes you up, and it keeps you busy while you wait for your meal. Given that we came in early on a weekday, there wasn’t much waiting to be done.

The BHH potatoes notated on their menu are neatly cubed and gently pan fried so that you get a mixture of textures. Fluffy centers like home fries and crunchy edges like hashbrowns. These potatoes too survived a night in a styrofoam leftovers container, revived the next morning in the airfryer. There is something to be said for that in an era where fast food breakfasts are so expensive.

Almost all meals on their breakfast menu come with your choice of eggs and their signature potatoes. The biscuits and gravy arrived steaming and accompanied by these accompaniments. The classic white sausage gravy draped over garlic cheddar biscuits proved to be a good way for me to start a busy morning exploring town with my father. The biscuits held their own under the weight of the gravy, refusing to sog out entirely over the course of the meal. I took my leftovers home to enjoy the next morning, and by replacing the biscuit with one of my own, I managed two meals.

Their feature for the weekend was a meat lovers omelet, which had my father’s attention immediately. The omelet came stuffed to the gills with ham, bacon, and polish sausage and served beside a plateful of those BHH potatoes. Their features rotate almost every day, so it may be awhile before you see the meat lovers’ omelet again. He couldn’t finish it in one sitting. His appetite is much greater than my own. Black Honey Hashery proved the value of its meals twice over by feeding us both for two days.

A meal at Black Honey Hashery can run you anywhere between ten and fifteen dollars depending on the choice you make, and that meal can last through two days rather than one at a fast food chain for nearly the same price. Supporting local in the mornings is becoming more and more preferable even if your finances once kept you in the drive thru lane.

They are now open seven days a week from 6 am to 2 pm with lunches available as well. If ever you are in De Pere and feel the call to get breakfast outside of your own kitchen, consider Black Honey Hashery. Their menu is available for viewing on their facebook page if you want to plan ahead, and they announce their specials for the day first thing in the morning on their facebook as well. Their outdoor seating remains open while the traditional Fall chill remains mysteriously absent in Northeast Wisconsin. Take advantage of that while you can at all of our local restaurants.

]]><![CDATA[Breakfast To Go At Two Birds Bakery Cafe]]>Sun, 11 Aug 2024 12:14:40 GMThttps://www.eating-normal.com/restaurant-reviews/breakfast-to-go-at-two-birds-bakery-cafe

Tucked away just one block from Main Street in De Pere is Two Birds Bakery Cafe, a small breakfast location that I drove past often and yet never stopped at to try. There is something odd about the building when you only know it from sight– clearly a bank at point point. Is it drive thru only? Do you order at the window? What’s there?

I now have the answers to those questions. You can go inside to order. You can also order at the window. There are a variety of breakfast options, baked goods, and drinks to try out from their menu to please any pallet. Upon first visit, it’s certainly hard to decide on what to get. I recommend checking out the online version of the menu ahead of time if you want to go inside to order. The indoor waiting area is tiny with almost all of the interior of the building dedicated to their cookspace. It’s a sight to see.

I live close by, so ordering to go and taking my breakfast home did not result in any kind of texture loss in the bacon breakfast burrito that I ordered for the morning. It’s very well wrapped by the staff, and it took them practically no time to get it to the counter for me. Thirty seconds passed between the arrival of my dragonfruit lemonade and the burrito after that. In the amount of time it took me to get out to my car, there were multiple cars in the drive thru that also appeared to be moving through their orders quickly

I took the burrito home, unwrapped the foil, and discovered that they did the hardest part perfectly. This fully loaded burrito was not only stuffed to the gills, but also cut in half so I didn’t have to eat through multiple layers of tortilla at the end before getting to the filling itself. It was like eating a traditional breakfast of bacon, egg, home fries, and cheese in a handheld package. Well seasoned on its own, I treated it like any other american breakfast with a liberal application of ketchup from home.

The lemonade itself is handmade in the building, and that delicious work was augmented wonderfully by the flavored dragonfruit syrup that I ordered with it. The 24 ounce container carried me through til noon, and I caught myself wishing I ordered a larger size to have it to sip on for longer skill. Their drink menu rotates frequently, but this dragonfruit variety appears to be available at nearly all times.

And this was my very limited breakfast order. They also serve quiche, strata, and a myriad of other baked goods alongside an extensive drinks menu. I’ve heard good things about this little gem for some time now. I regret not making my way to such a nearby location sooner. I’ll be back to try out their other offerings, but in the meantime, I can only encourage you to do the same if you’re often in the West De Pere area of town.

]]><![CDATA[Bao and More at Koi Poke and Ramen]]>Wed, 24 Jul 2024 13:07:05 GMThttps://www.eating-normal.com/restaurant-reviews/bao-and-more-at-koi-poke-and-ramen

Yeah, you read that right. Bao and More at Koi Poke and Ramen-- there is no shortage of noodle joints in Green Bay. The vast majority of these focus on the phenomenon that is Pho. Koi Ramen has appeared on the scene to provide classic styles of japanese ramen and udon (as well as poke and dumplings) in an area of town that sorely needs the variety. They brought their business to Oneida street and opened their doors in June, and it took me this long to get there.

Upon walking in, I was met with welcoming and helpful staff willing to walk us through the process of ordering their poke and ramen at the bar. I came in focused on their dumpling menu specifically. I have never had the pleasure of enjoying bao buns made by professionals, only those that I made myself and struggled on the pleating. While Ramen is in the name of the restaurant, these smaller offerings were most important to me from the onset.

A good friend joined me for the meal, so we ordered a variety of items to eat together over the visit. Chicken karage and Japanese croquettes. Pork bao and steamed beef dumplings. These were all items made for a table of quietly gossiping women discussing life after months of not seeing each other– little bites that don’t get in the way of the stories we had to tell one another.

Chicken karage, a Japanese iteration of small fried chicken bites, comes out of the kitchen served with a container of the spicy mayo we are used to seeing on sushi here in Green Bay. This is a perfect accompaniment to the tiny bites of lightly battered chicken that is otherwise lightly seasoned. They’re a vehicle for the mayo, and that’s okay. Some sushi rolls wind up the same way.

The croquettes, however, were a different eating experience entirely. Japanese croquettes are often larger than their europeans inspirations, and the filling can vary in terms of the mix-ins. The croquettes here are on the sweeter side with carrots, peas, and corn mixed into the panko crusted mashed potato patty and drizzled with what tasted like tonkatsu sauce. These come in an order of two, and this was perfect for two women sitting down together.

Their bao and dumplings are all hand made in the kitchen to order, so if you visit for this purpose, expect a slightly longer wait on their dumpling menu. In truth, this wait is hardly anything when you sit down with a few appetizers to enjoy first. The rest of their kitchen moves so quickly with the poke bowl and ramen set up in the front that this wait is, perhaps, by comparison lengthy.

The first of these two to come out were the beef dumplings. Anything from their dumpling menu appears to come out in the steamer and served with a thin dumpling sauce. We split the dumplings down the middle and happily interspersed them with our appetizers. I have made steamed dumplings at home many times, and yet I found the texture on the skin of these dumplings to be much better than the premade wraps I’ve used in the past. I can’t say for sure that they make their dumpling dough by hand, but it certainly seems that way.

The steamed dough around the bao filling was also well wrapped and well steamed with a texture far beyond anything I have until this point been able to replicate at home. Tasting the difference between professionally done and homemade is well worth the visit.

You can choose the filling of your dumplings upon ordering. Almost all of the bao and dumplings available at Koi Ramen can be beef, pork, or chicken, and the type of dumplings you can order are in huge variety. Shumai, larger bao buns, potstickers, and water-fried dumplings are also available for purchase if you would prefer to go this route rather than taste their namesake dishes like I did on this first visit.

I will certainly be going to Koi again to take part in their ramen bowls. They are open seven days a week, and you can find their menu on their website, https://www.koipokeramen.com/

]]><![CDATA[The Green Bay Diner Breakfast Hunt Begins - At Julie's Cafe]]>Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:14:38 GMThttps://www.eating-normal.com/restaurant-reviews/the-green-bay-diner-breakfast-hunt-begins-at-julies-cafeThe diner breakfast has been a special part of my life for as long as I can remember. Whether at Denny’s or a small, local place wherever I lived, sitting down for a plate of hashbrowns and pancakes on a Saturday morning brought me back. That’s something that I haven’t tried to find in Green Bay just yet, even after all this time living here.

What makes a diner breakfast here at Eating Normal?

Hashbrowns (or homefries), eggs, and sausage are expected at a minimum. Pancakes as an add on or base are a bonus, but we will try them at every location they are available. Many of Green Bay’s breakfast locations that I have already visited do not serve these as a single meal, but rather as ‘extras’, and will also be considered.

What About Coffee?

Green Bay is blessed with a variety of local roasters and coffee houses– this will be a separate segment. Diners aren’t best known for having amazing coffee, and therefore, we’ll look elsewhere for coffee.

Where will I be going?

Anywhere within the Green Bay Metro area that offers a diner style breakfast is a possibility. At reader suggestion, I’ll go as far as Appleton– but anything I seek out on my own will be within the Green Bay area.

We are starting with Julie’s Cafe in De Pere.

There was a point in my life where I drove by Julie’s every single day on my way to and from work. I no longer have to go through downtown De Pere to get to work, but Julie’s has been at the front of my mind to try for breakfast for the last few weeks. Fast food breakfasts are getting expensive, and if I’m going to spend ten dollars on a breakfast, I may as well do so at a local business instead.

Julie’s Cafe has locations in all four corners of the Green Bay Metro area, making it easy to find and try no matter where you live in town. Their breakfast menu is wide and varied despite being based on many of the classic American breakfast items. All of these meals are reasonably priced in the current environment. The Meat, eggs, and potatoes plate comes in at 11 dollars during normal hours. If you’re an early bird like myself, you can get this meal for 7 dollars before 7:30 am. That’s cheaper than my Mcdonalds’ breakfast burrito and two hashbrown patties.

I set out on an unseasonably warm morning in search of this breakfast with a friend of mine. We were seated and served quickly. The waitstaff were all wonderful, exactly what you expect of a Saturday morning diner team. I felt cared for in that restaurant. Most seats in the diner were full on my arrival, but we didn’t wait for very long. The kitchen had a well established rhythm.

I’m not a scrambled eggs or sunny side up girly, so you’ll see that every place I order, I will be ordering hard fried eggs. Terrible of me, I know. These came out in perfect little circles, slightly crisp on the edges, with a cooked yolk and well seasoned whites.

Julie’s offers home fries as well as hashbrowns, but I much prefer hashbrowns on my breakfast plate. I find a lot of variation on the cook of hashbrowns no matter where I go, and Julie’s is no exception. These had some crispy bits, but were largely a softer cook than I normally prefer. Still, the hashbrowns were well seasoned and enjoyable with a little ketchup on the side.

Julie’s also offers sausage links or sausage patties depending on your preference. These are savory breakfast sausages rather than a maple breakfast sausage like there are in some places. As far as I could tell, there was no casing. I don’t mind that at all. It provides a hand rolled texture to the links that I absolutely love.

At Julie’s, pancakes are included as part of their traditional diner style breakfast at no additional cost. You can substitute muffin tops or toast if that is your preference. I’m choosing pancakes every time. The pancakes at Julie’s came to the table with a dappled brown surface and very fluffy interior. Add ins such as berries or chocolate chips are an option even at this level, not just when you order pancakes separately.

I came home with more than half of my breakfast. The leftovers lent themselves to a frittata for my Sunday morning. I left a decent tip on my order, so this breakfast came out to a cost of fifteen dollars while providing more than one meal for me. For comparison, I spent almost nine dollars the day before on a sausage burrito and two hashbrowns from Mcdonalds. This easily makes Julie’s a win in the cost department. Their website claims that all ingredients are locally sourced and produced, and if that remains true, I am even more proud to spend Mcdonalds level money here for my better than Mcdonalds breakfast.

It feels like a diner inside. The decor. The service. The white plates. It takes me right back to every little hole in the wall breakfast joint I’ve ever been to in my life. These are good memories. I don’t think I’ll ever go to Julie’s in De Pere and be met with a bad day. It’s on the short list for any day that I wake up too early for work and also don’t want to make my own breakfast. Julie’s sets the baseline expectation for all other diner breakfasts in Green Bay. We will return to this article at the end of the year to create a ranking of all diner breakfasts I’ve tried across town at the end of the year.

Thanks to the staff at Julie’s for a delicious, memorable breakfast and for inspiring this idea in the first place.

]]><![CDATA[Vintage Rose Brings Breakfast to Lawrence]]>Mon, 04 Sep 2023 15:49:51 GMThttps://www.eating-normal.com/restaurant-reviews/vintage-rose-brings-breakfast-to-lawrence

Summer of 2023 has given rise to a number of new restaurant concepts in the Green Bay area, and among the newest of these is Vintage Rose Bakery and Sandwich Shop in Lawrence. A short jog off the Scheuring Road exit on I-41, it’s not in the first place I’d think to find breakfast. Most of the businesses in this portion of Lawrence are corporate centers and manufacturing, less so restaurants and shopping. Vintage Rose fills a necessary role for some of the local neighborhoods, however: local coffee and housemade food.

Vintage Rose sports a large sign along Mid Valley Drive to help you find it, so if you find yourself on the hunt like I was on a chilly Monday morning, you should be fine. Trust the sign. The building looks like it ought to be more offices, but there’s food in there. I promise.

When I arrived shortly after 8 am, I was the only customer at the time. My Madagascar Vanilla Cold Brew came out quickly, and I had time to look at Vintage Rose’s other offerings while I waited for Adam’s Hash Wrap to come out of the kitchen. A small stand of JSA Roasting coffee beans out of Seymour, WI takes up some space in the ordering area. A cold case of the day’s baked goods is also there for you to choose from if the hot breakfast menu isn’t speaking to you that day.

I took my breakfast to go with every intention of sitting down to do more work on Eating Normal with my free Monday, and when I unwrapped a toasty warm, spotted burrito, I knew I was in for a treat. Sealed on the grill, the cheddar cheese advertised inside the burrito was completely melted into the potatoes, eggs, and sausage. While not a spicy form of the breakfast burrito, it delivers the classic ingredients of an American breakfast in a delicious, well seasoned format.

This is just the beginning of what Vintage Rose has to offer. The cold case of baked goods rotates every day, and you can find out what they have for the day at their facebook page ahead of their own trip. I happened to overhear that the danish that day had to rise a touch longer due to the temperature in the building, and that told me what I needed to know about what they’re doing in that unassuming building to guarantee I come back.

Several danish recipes online use a premade puff pastry. They don’t do that here. They’re making their pastry from scratch, a process that has betrayed many a home cook and Great British Bake Off Contest in its time. The pastry chef is knowledgeable enough to know how to adapt to the weather, and rather than sacrifice quality, they allow the product do to what it has to do to come out its best. I’ll be back for one of those danishes in September, for sure.

Vintage Rose is open Monday through Saturday from 6 am until 2 pm. As I mentioned earlier, you can see what is on the pastry menu for the day at their facebook page. Their website contains their menu and an online ordering option if you prefer to order ahead on your way to work in the morning. I don’t live far, so I suspect this will be a common stop for me now that I have got my foot in the door.

As always, thank you to the staff for what you’re doing. Congratulations on your new business!

]]><![CDATA[PhoComa Relieves A Serious Pho Craving]]>Wed, 02 Aug 2023 15:38:04 GMThttps://www.eating-normal.com/restaurant-reviews/phocoma-relieves-a-serious-pho-craving

The Wednesday Night Farmer’s Market on Broadway has a variety of food stalls to try each week, but sometimes, one just wants to sit down inside and watch the world go by in the window while they have dinner. Pho Coma on Broadway allows you to do just that if you circle their food stall on the block and enter the building for a bowl of their delicious noodles.

I had the pleasure of hosting a friend from Kansas this past week, and he hadn’t had the opportunity for a bowl of Pho (his favorite meal) in years. Green Bay has no shortage of places to get Pho. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to eat at Pho Coma that evening as the rain threatened to drop on us during our visit to the farmer’s market.

Pho Coma has a relatively small store front compared to some of the other restaurants along Broadway. Their stall out front diverts some of the traffic you’d likely see on a normal day at the shop, and therefore we were able to have our pick of tables after putting in our order. A bowl of pho and crab rangoons was certainly enough for us, and we ordered from their custom drink menu two pomegranate lemonades.

A good bowl of pho can be refreshing even on a warm day, and the normal bowl at Pho Coma fulfilled that role. Herbaceous, deeply flavorful broth saturated the noodles, beef, and Hmong sausage that come on the bowl as standard. A plate of thai basil, jalapenos, and bean sprouts are served on the side so that you can customize the bowl to your own liking. I recommend starting with two leaves of the thai basil before taking it any further.

The Crab Rangoon, shaped in the common triangle that most of town’s Asian adjacent restaurants serve them in, arrived hot and fresh. They gave me a fatty, creamy treat to break up the few bites of the pho that I stole from my friend over the course of our visit.

Service was quick inside the restaurant despite the staff also needing to support their Broadway Farmer’s Market tent. The pomegranate lemonade was tangy and served in to-go cups in order for us to take them along while we wandered through a thankfully unsoaked market. Their custom drink menu is extensive, and as a result I did not miss the customary cocktail or beer that I often order when I go out for dinner to sit down.

They also deliver via Eatstreet if you don’t feel like coming to the Broadway district during the week. I have not done my due diligence in finding the best pho in town, but Pho Coma has quickly climbed the ranks after my visit.

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