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Finding Comfort at Sticky Fingers Cafe - Kaukauna

10/13/2022

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The first true Fall morning of September, I bravely got in my car to drive down to Kaukauna to enjoy the Produce with Purpose Open House. I turned away from the Green Bay Farmer’s Market early in the morning when I had a strong sense of purpose. That sense of purpose didn’t last long. I hate driving. I have several chronic health issues that sometimes make me scared to leave town on my own.

It scared me so much I spent the entire drive to Kaukauna having a panic attack, and I pulled into the downtown area in search of a nice breakfast to help me come down. I stumbled upon Sticky Fingers Cafe, open early enough for someone like me just trying to find a comforting meal and a safe place to relax. When I found them, two other people were on their way out with coffee in hand. 

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Destination Dining at The Shed- Santa Fe, NM

7/26/2022

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Not far from the Palace of the Governors in downtown Santa Fe hides a 2003 James Beard award winning restaurant recommended to us by my brother-in-law. We spent our second day in Santa Fe operating on midwestern hours in a mountain time city, and we arrived ahead of the crowd to be seated with our party of four without any trouble. While we sat with our drinks and meals, the line grew so long outside it spilled into the mercado. I have never been so happy to get so hungry early.

We were seated toward the back of the restaurant’s interior, and I ordered my first margarita of the trip made with a Herradura Anejo tequila. There are few better liquors on the planet than a well aged tequila, and this was one of them. The Shed’s margaritas lean toward the tart end of the spectrum, just how I like them. ​
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Fire & Hops in Santa Fe Brings the Heat

6/13/2022

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One’s first meal in Santa Fe, New Mexico should probably come from any of the taco stands and southwestern restaurants all over the historical town center, but ours came at the Fire and Hops gastropub not far from where we would be staying for our vacation. I saw it on the map while looking up where we would be for the weekend, and after a look at the menu, I couldn’t resist.


Dishes that come from disparate inspirations come together to form the Fire and Hops Menu. It’s unusual for any part of the world. My husband sat down without having looked at it an expressed some concern that we wouldn’t be getting much of a southwestern experience at the establishment, but there are some hidden places that the flavors of the region come into play– most notably in their dessert section. But that’s for later.
We began our meal with a bowl of their buffalo chipotle organic popcorn and a side of fries to jump start our appetites after a day of travel. The popcorn fulfilled its purpose and arrived to the table hot and fresh, but most importantly, the level of spice delivered by the combination of buffalo and chipotle did not overwhelm the midwestern palette. It kept us thirsty for beer, and the three beers that we finished each by the time the meal was over spoke for themselves.

​The fries arrived shortly thereafter and were accompanied by a simple garlic aioli and ketchup. The cool aioli served the hot and crunchy fries well by bringing down the temperature and adding flavor. Even in the southwest, a good bowl of fries tells me a lot about a place. They cared about those fries.

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Townhall in Cleveland-- Worth the Hype?

2/12/2022

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A late post from Thanksgiving 2021 Travel to Cleveland, Ohio. A  few more are still in the backlog-- but local content takes priority. Enjoy!
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Another morning came during our visit to Cleveland, Ohio where my husband and I would be on our own while his siblings slept in to enjoy their holiday to its fullest. We didn’t know where to go for breakfast, but we most certainly did not want to be the types that went to Starbucks while on a mini vacation. A cursory google search for favorite brunch restaurants in town lead us to Townhall down by the West Side Market. It appeared on every list I checked, and it provided us an opportunity to stop by one of our favorite locations in the city again if we wanted to bring something along for the Ohio State game that afternoon.


Townhall has been around long enough that I have vague memories of driving by the front of the restaurant and staring at it longingly. It was a very superficial fascination with the decor out front more than anything, because I had no idea what was inside it. This trip, I was able to find out because my husband left me in charge of these outings. We walked around the market and into the cafe side of the restaurant to order.

This is where it can get somewhat confusing if you’re an out of towner. There is a dedicated restaurant side which I believe has a wider menu and an easier way to order alcohol if that’s your thing during brunch. We didn’t realize that, and we went through the cafe line by ordering at a kiosk. We couldn’t get our drinks through the kiosk, so my husband went to the front to get himself a coffee and myself a Great Lakes IPA-- I am the type that wants a drink at brunch.



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Townhall has a great menu with options for all types of eaters, including vegans. That variety is certainly what catapults the restaurant up to the top of many lists across the internet. We went for two of the most common types of brunch dishes, eggs benedict and the egg sandwich. Both can be ordered with rosemary roasted potatoes which are only available during actual brunch hours. We decided to go that route.

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Schlafly Highland Park - Highland, IL

1/12/2022

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Going home for Christmas often provides the unique opportunity of reviewing restaurants outside of my traditional coverage area, and this year was no exception. It’s the first time in three years that I’ve been home. The universe gave me a gift: Schlafly Brewery of Saint Louis opened a location in the family’s ancestral home of Highland, Illinois during Christmas week. 

After coming to the USA from Switzerland, the founders of the craft brewery first put down roots in a small town not far from where I would be staying this Christmas. I saw the news of the opening through the old television station I got all my news from as a kid. It struck me as unusual for many reasons. Saint Louis, while not far away, so rarely extends the tendrils of its businesses out into these rural communities. It wouldn’t be until I actually visited that I’d find out the historical significance of the choice. It also promised a dining experience to an area often underserved.

So I planned Christmas Eve lunch with my father and my husband at the new restaurant, and we arrived ahead of the doors opening to make sure we could get a table. The location wasn’t taking reservations– and they may never. That wasn’t particularly clear. What was clear, however, was that we were not the only people in the region with this idea. Even ten minutes early, car after car arrived to park along Highland Square and wait their turn to walk into the doors of the old bank turned brewpub.

When you enter, it’s obvious that the place was once a bank. They even kept the vault around as decoration behind the bar. The high ceiling and long dining room feel like the sort of place you once might have stood in line waiting on a bank teller. The wide windows on the right side of the room look out into the renovated yard, which will soon serve as an outdoor dining and entertainment area. There are tables with chess boards permanently part of them and concrete cornhole boxes set into the yard. We can’t wait to see it full of visitors in the summer.
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Scratch Restaurant - Independence, OH

12/13/2021

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The morning after Thanksgiving, it can sometimes be hard to have an appetite. My husband and I had a little time to ourselves, however, and with his father at work and his young siblings still in bed, we took the suggestion of his family to visit a little place called Scratch Restaurant not too far from our hotel. We checked the menu before leaving the hotel and decided this would be the one for us that morning.

​We arrived to a little restaurant in a short strip, filled with other families and couples stopping in for breakfast that morning while they had their loved ones in town. Only one waitress was on staff in the small dining room, but she worked hard to get everyone seated and cared for despite her position. My husband and I were seated at a high top with our coffee, and we had some time to look over the menu while the waitress took care of other customers.​

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