I've talked up the Abbey for being massive supporters of the Eat Local wave going through Green Bay, but I had yet to actually eat there. COVID came right on the heels of me starting a new job, and I didn't have time, money or the ability to check out many of the local icons. Now that I do(and the need is so dire), it feels only right to use what I've got to support the people who are struggling most in the pandemic: our small businesses. I’ve made it a goal to not eat another single meal from a major fast food chain for the rest of the year. Everything is going to come from a local-- coffee, sandwiches, pizzas, sushi, pasta-- all of it. This means that I’ll have to spread my net a little wider to find more people to support. Knowing that the Abbey played a major part in my decision to do this, it felt right to start Boycotting Big by Supporting Small with them. My husband got our carryout order and brought it home. We live in Bellevue, so the meal had to survive about a fifteen minute trip from downtown De Pere. It did. When we cracked open the foam takeout boxes, our food was still warm and our fries still crunchy. Being able to enjoy almost the exact quality of a food as it should have in the restaurant is always an added bonus when the carryout goes well. I ordered a burger and fries, while my husband ordered wings. The great test of any bar’s food, however, is their spinach and artichoke dip. As far as I’m concerned, a good bar has to have a good spinach and artichoke dip to keep me coming in the door. So that was of course part of our order, and one we saved until after we finished our entrees. Still, I’m going to tell you about it before I tell you about my burger. Because it’s important.
The styrofoam squeaks, and under the lid rests a bread bowl with spinach and artichoke dip cresting over the edges of the boule. Even after sitting there, waiting for my husband and I to finish our entrees before digging in with the provided tortilla chips, it held some warmth and broke apart happily under the soft pressures of a chip digging into the surface. The cheese, spinach, ‘choke ratio was in harmony, and I could imagine myself sitting at a bar watching a Packers game with one of these. I’d have been the happiest person in the room. It’s a shockingly hard balance to strike for some restaurants, as nearly every bar has the dip on their menu. Dressing it up AND making sure it all plays in harmony is even rarer. A bread bowl of dip pretty much solidified the Abbey as a member of my favorite chips and dip club. I would want for nothing else in a normal world. If you aren’t as obsessed with a bar’s chips and dip as I am, that’s okay. The burgers are grilled and delicious. The wings (all flats) are juicy and tender. The fries are well salted and soft in the center with a little crunch on the edge. They do pizzas too, if you’re ordering or dining in with a crowd. Can’t speak for how they taste, but they look gorgeous on their facebook page. These guys are working hard not just for their business but for many of the local joints struggling amidst the pandemic to stay open. I felt I owed them an order after their many repeated shares of my weekly restaurant updates, and I was not disappointed. With food and people like this, The Abbey is something special in a community. It’s got a long history, and we can’t let it end with 2020. Check out their facebook with daily updates from their owner about specials and hours. You can call for carry out, or use EatStreet for delivery. Show them some love just like they’re doing for our city. Tell them Eating Normal sent you. Takeout Edition reviews will continue for so long as the pandemic grips Green Bay. I’ve only been a member of the community for a year, so if you’ve got some recommendations, throw them my way. I will eat local, and I will write local.
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