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The Cannery Reopens - And I try Honey + Cream Cafe

7/24/2023

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The Cannery recently reopened in their new test kitchen format on Broadway, and this past weekend, I visited the morning concepts after the Saturday Morning Market to get in early. Entering from the Fox River side of the building that also contains Titletown Brewery and Voyageur Sourdough can lead to an experience not unlike trying to get through a maze. The Broadway entrance is far less difficult, however, and leads right into the location.
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The bar, managed by Titletown, opens at 8 am for those that like a little tipple to go with their Saturday Morning Brunch. Not all concepts are ready to start service in the am hours, however, so knowing what you’re going for before you leave will save you headaches. Honey + Cream Cafe opens at 7 am to serve the breakfast crowd while all other current tenants open at 11 am. For that reason, we only had the opportunity to try Honey + Cream on this visit, but individual reviews for each tenant will be coming over the next month.
All concepts operate out of the same kitchen, so when I arrived at about 10 am, most of the kitchen staff was already hard at work preparing for their opening or serving the breakfast crowd that came into visit. A tablet setup is available at the center of the room for you to put in your order with the kitchen tenants, key in your phone number, and when your order is ready, you receive a text message letting you know that your order is at the window.
On this particular morning, Honey + Cream cafe delivered the order to our table by hand rather than either myself or my friend having to go up to the window to pick up our matching breakfast plates– hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, and sausages. These classic breakfast plates are symbolic of the other offerings coming out of Honey + Cream Cafe such as omelets, pancakes, and breakfast sandwiches to play into their classic American Breakfast concept. 

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Can you get these sorts of meals elsewhere? Sure. Denny’s exists. It isn’t a local chef creation, however, and that shows in the quality of the food that arrives at the table. I’m personally a fan of a good hard scramble, which is just what I got out of the kitchen during my stay. Warm, well seasoned hashbrowns with a little ketchup can’t be beat when they’re done well. The sausages as well satisfied.
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If you’re running around Broadway earlier in the day and looking for something new to try among the many delicious breakfast and brunch options, check out Honey + Cream Cafe in the Cannery to support a growing food business.

Check back soon for more Cannery reviews!
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Scott's Subs - a Local Alternative to Fast Food Subs

4/17/2023

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April 7th, a bad crash on I-41 diverted my plans for the afternoon with detour traffic that could make the most patient driver’s head spin. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I pulled about a block or two off the detour route I decided on to stop into the De Pere location of local sandwich chain, Scott’s Subs. They’ve expanded into Green Bay East and Hobart in the last few years, but despite that growth, I never made it in for a sandwich.

Turning a bad afternoon into a better one with a decent sandwich sounded like a great idea. The De Pere location was smack in the middle of an unusual area for a restaurant, but it got me out of the detour traffic taking over the Lawrence area. I was surprised to see that more of the folks caught in the slow moving traffic away from the I-41 accident that afternoon hadn’t done the same. 

The De Pere location offers sandwiches and pizzas made in house as well as ice creams from a few Wisconsin producers. I kept it simple with a Turkey Avocado sandwich and a bag of buffalo chicken wing potato chips. While I waited, however, I got a craving for the ice cream that I saw several other customers order in the meantime. I took a pint of Kemps Cake and Ice Cream home with me, and I found in that short amount of time, I was able to chart a path home through the detour traffic that didn’t take much longer than usual.

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Enjoy Big Burgers at Brickhouse Craft Burgers and Brews

4/10/2023

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Sunday afternoon is a busy time in downtown De Pere. The city’s restaurants are all full– especially with the weather being on the warmer side compared to most of March. I arrived at the building that Brickhouse shares with Julie’s Cafe to find that there wasn’t a single parking spot available in the lot. I considered it a good sign for the meal I would have inside the doors, so I found another spot in the downtown area to walk back down to the restaurant.

During the height of the pandemic, I ordered a burger for delivery from Brickhouse, so I had some idea of what to expect. Big burgers and tasty fries were still fresh in my memory. Little did I know that they developed a rotating monthly menu that included a limited offering poutine, burger, and sandwich. On another visit, I would love to try the buffalo chicken poutine. This visit wasn’t that visit, however.
I’ve neglected downtown De Pere since moving closer in the last year. I had my eyes on trying the same burger that I enjoyed during the pandemic from inside the restaurant rather than after a delivery. I did not expect to sit down at my table and be offered a plate of their house made pickles– sweet, dill, and spicy. Both for snacking and the burgers to come, the wait staff offer them at the beginning of the meal like chips and salsa. As a pickle lover, I appreciate that.

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​Taking home leftovers will allow you to take home cups of these pickles for future use if you’re as enthusiastic about pickles as I am. The number of sandwiches and wraps I made with the three types of pickles that Brickhouse delivers to the table first thing cannot be over exaggerated. Their spicy pickles especially became a welcome component for grilled cheese once I brought leftovers home with me. 
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Sweet Willow Wellness Re-Opens in De Pere

4/3/2023

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Sweet Willow Herbal Wellness was a welcome addition to downtown De Pere– sustainability options for everything from your laundry detergent to reusable kitchen wraps. And for whatever reason, I didn’t make it down there as much as I wanted to at their old location. Little did I know that their business evolved to include vegan and vegetarian dining options for carry out and delivery over the years. Their new location just across the river has allowed them to further expand those options.

The Grand Re-Opening at the new location took place on an overcast, but pleasantly cool Wisconsin morning. I arrived to find a full house of eager diners and shoppers packed in from wall to wall. A number of free samples for visitors were available in the new cafe area, and I helped myself to several of them while I surveyed the cold cases. 


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Eating Bay Area Burger Co's Lenten Special

3/4/2023

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I have long loved the Bay Area Burger Company. It’s often been hard to get my hands on their smash burgers since their inception in the middle of the pandemic, but it is a testament to how good those burgers were that they now stand in a brick and mortar location on Broadway. I’m admittedly late to the game, paying them a visit. I rarely make my way into the Broadway district anymore now that I live in De Pere. I had to be in Green Bay’s downtown for less than savory business, but I knew exactly where I could find a savory lunch.
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And I deserved it, didn’t i? 
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To Your Health Juicery Joins the Revolution

2/15/2023

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It’s not often anymore that I can treat myself to the local goodies I used to savor. Now, most of my shopping has to take place in the discount grocery stores I’m familiar with from my childhood like Aldi. Once a month, I allow myself a treat– and this month, I made my way down to the Revolution Market for the first time in the New Year. They’ve added a new vendor since my last visit, and this was my first chance to meet them.
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To Your Health Juicery took up residence inside the market after the farmer’s market season ended this year. I saw them every Saturday, and I’ll be honest– I kept walking. I was never a juice woman. I’ve tried multiple times through Bona Fide to become the pinnacle of health and supplementing my diet through their juices. It didn’t stick.
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To Your Health Juicery has set up in a way that is accessible to people like myself that are skeptical of the operation. You can sample anything and everything before you buy. The lovely lady at the counter that Saturday morning explained everything as I drank my way through their available juices that day.

Root Chakra – their beet based offering, combines with carrot, apple, lemon and ginger to served as my introduction to what they had for shoppers that morning. I expected an earthy, somewhat unpleasant taste when I took my first sample like a shot. Earthy? Yes. Bitter? No. The combination at work lends itself to a sweeter tasting experience.

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Cocoon Brewing's Open for Business

2/7/2023

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Cocoon Brewing has been long anticipated in the Ledgeview area, and it's finally open. Their soft opening in the first weekend of February was the first rumbling of a formal date with the following Monday opening their doors to the public. I was planning on being in the area anyway, so I diverted my afternoon to stop in and see what they have going on so early into their new business.

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Firstly, it is somewhat difficult to see from the highway. If you don’t know where you’re going, it would be easy to go right past it. I suspect more signage is to come over the Brewery’s life. The building is striking when you turn off onto Kaftan Way. Google Maps will get you that far, so if you come with a mission, you’ll find it just fine.
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The interior of the building is bright and vibrant in a way that the exterior, modern architecture does not betray in the slightest. It felt cozy, comfortable, and welcoming, to belly up to their short bar and order. The bartender guided me through the early modifications to their business model set to get them through the first month or so.

​As of the writing of this article, their own beers are not yet available, and their taps are loaded with guest breweries from throughout the region. The bartender on staff during my visit reported a likely early March date for their own beers to begin trickling into the line up. Until then, house cocktails are available as well. If I hadn’t started out with a beer, I would have definitely been ordering from that.


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The Drift Inn- Budget Friendly Burgers

1/23/2023

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Living on the west side affords me plenty of new experiences even with my health difficulties, and among these new experiences was the chance to visit the Drift Inn on Ashland. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the unassuming little building not far from the De Pere roundabout. Their burgers are considered some of the best in the Green Bay area. We have no shortage of delicious burgers, so I had to find out for myself.

Upon arrival, you know you’re going to get something good due to the number of cars in the parking lot. I arrived not thirty minutes after opening on Saturday afternoon for lunch to every spot in the paved parking lot in the front of the building filled. There was no Packers or Bucks game that day. This crowd was here for the food and the food only. My expectations rose immediately.

I sat myself at a small two top table in the corner when I arrived to get a good look at things. Tables are first come, first serve. I imagine that on a Friday night, it can be difficult for a group to find a spot. Only two tables were left after I sat down at noon on a Saturday. This could be a problem anywhere else, but I watched skilled waitstaff turn tables within twenty minutes start to finish.

The kitchen moves quickly here, especially if you come in for the chili advertised on their signage outside. A group beside me ordered chili and had it within minutes.  Clean bowls and empty glasses, and they were gone just as my own burger arrived. That’s a feat no matter what kind of restaurant you are. Pulling that off in a pure sit down environment is an achievement.

Unrelated– but how did spaghetti with chili make it to Green Bay? I thought that was a Cincinnati thing. Someone owes me an explanation as a born and raised FIB.

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Cozy Up to the Bar At Plank Road Pub and Grill

10/18/2022

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I used to regularly drive along the frontage road where Plank Road Pub and Grill sits alongside the highway to Appleton. For years, I’ve driven by and wondered what brought the crowd to it’s large parking lot, and yet, I never made the attempt to cross town from my old living space to give it a visit. Shortly into October, I moved to the west side of the Green Bay Metro Area, and I decided to satisfy my curiosity with my soon-to-be ex-husband.

A friendly dinner after a day of moving at a location neither of us had ever visited before harkened us back to easier times. He often sat across the table from me when I dined for articles like these. Fortunately for us and the other patrons of the restaurant that night, there was little different on this night than any other. We ordered our drinks, and I did what I always do.

Plank Road Pub and Grill has a menu familiar to me in any bar-restaurant setting. I would never personally call it original. Every bar-restaurant has a spinach and artichoke dip, mixed french fry platters, etc. A compact burger menu positioned beside a sandwich menu is precisely what you can expect from a place like this when you drive up. It was a friday in Wisconsin, so of course there was a fish fry menu.
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The best part of this somewhat predictable menu is knowing precisely what you want even as a first timer. As a spinach and artichoke dip connoisseur myself, I ordered it for the table to share with my ‘new’ friend. The least predictable element of the common bar appetizer was its arrival with both pita chips and toasted baguette. I often see only one or the other. A blanket of bubbly mozzarella shielded the dip itself from the dipping bread, but with effort, we enjoyed a rather traditional bar dip.​

​It kept us thirsty for a second round of drinks while we waited on our entrees. The staff were attentive to us and the other tables surrounding us. The crowd at the bar appeared to also be well taken care of. Empty glasses were not common. Low light provided by the decorative Edison bulbs throughout the restaurant gave it a warm, welcoming feeling. Families had their children with them at the table. All are good signs at a place like this.

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When our entrees arrived, I was pleased with my choice of a perch sandwich on a fish fry evening. At nearly half the price of their perch platter, it proved to be a good way to gauge the quality of the fry and the fish itself without committing too much on my first night out at Plank Road Pub and Grill. The single plank of perch among a well toasted bun and common sandwich accoutrement such as lettuce and red onion was somewhat lost flavorwise. However, looking at the fish and tasting it separately, it was clear to me the perch is well cared for and cooked here.

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The accompanying tartar sauce and trio of fries served here satisfied me well. There are few things that make me happier than a variety of fry options, and Plank Road serves a mixture of traditional french fries, waffle fries, and sidewinders on every burger and sandwich platter. Sidewinder fries are especially comforting to me with a strong association to a favorite restaurant in Iowa,
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I left Plank Road with a ticket of around thirty bucks despite ordering two drinks, the appetizer, and my entree. A strong tip for the attentive staff pushed me into the forty range, and despite the concerns I have of going out on my own into the world for the first time, I didn’t regret a cent. Plank Road is a comfortable location for friendly dinners, and with reasonable price, it is much more accessible than some of its restaurant genre compatriots in town.

Plank Road is accessible via the Scheuring Road exit off of highway 41, and their daily specials offer an opportunity to try much of their menu at reduced costs. Their frequent live music acts are announced on their facebook page. Thank you to the staff for a delicious, comforting meal after a hard day of moving!
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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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