The Creamery Serves Up Brunch by the River

New Years Day, we had a group of friends with us for the holiday. Brunch options were limited on the holiday, and the group of football fans descending upon the city for the Packers game the next day already began to arrive. We walked up and down the streets of downtown trying to find a table that we could get into in less than an hour. The Creamery, on that day, was not that place. The line was out the door. The wait was longer than an hour for four people.

It was not that way when my husband and I returned a week later during one of the coldest days of the winter so far. We were seated immediately, and upon truly entering the restaurant, I understood why it was such a popular destination New Years morning. The windows look out over the river walk, and the snow from the week before created a perfect winter morning. I began my meal as I often do in Green Bay, with the Old Fashioned off the menu, and we ordered a bowl of fries as an appetizer.
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The large bowl of fries can come plain or served with a number of toppings. We went for the pesto, parmesan, and balsamic reduction combo that we have enjoyed at other locations in town. It served as a proper introduction to the restaurant and let me know what to expect from my meal. Crunchy fries and potent flavors were a sign of what was to come.

We sat beside a couple and their young daughter who overheard my husband and I struggling to decide what we’d eat as our actual meals, and the husband suggested the Skillet Baby Red Scramble. He claimed to order it every single visit, and the empty cast iron in front of him on the table served as evidence enough to prove it. He recommended it with ham and bacon, peppers and onions to fill the choices of the meal. I changed out the ham for sausage, but otherwise followed his suggestion. A hard fried egg to cut up on top was my own twist on the meal.

I overate on the bowl of fries that we had as an appetizer before our actual meals arrived, so I didn’t get through much of my scramble. It was apparent to me, however, why this was the regular order for our neighboring diners. The combination of the peppers and onions played well with my chosen meats, and the potatoes within were well cooked. They didn’t go soggy in the scramble as is often the case even when I try to achieve something similar at home. The cooks know what they’re doing, that’s for sure!

My husband ordered an omelet with their crab cake on top. It looks like a very unassuming plate when you think of a big, masterful brunch. Cut into that crab cake, however, and it is as my husband said. The crab cakes at the Creamery are the best we’ve see and eaten outside of the Chesapeake Bay region. The Creamery does not rely on filler. The lumb crab inside is obvious.

​The Creamery is listed online as one of Green Bay’s top brunch locations, and it is clear to me why even after a single visit. I am determined to get those same friends that missed out on a meal there during New Years Morning back in when they next visit, and it’s certainly worth dropping in on any downtown visit that early in the day.

The menu has a wide variety of options for all types of diners, including vegetarian and vegan options. While those options are limited, they exist beyond a plate of iceberg lettuce. That isn’t often the case in midwestern restaurants. We love our bacon and our sausage, and the localization of those meats at this restaurant makes it an even greater choice for people like me looking to eat more local food in the new year. 

You can visit their website to get a look at the menu ahead of your visit. It helps if you’re indecisive like my husband and I. Hell, I sat there waiting for my husband to come home from work that morning with the menu on my laptop, and I still couldn’t decide once I got into the door. Their facebook page is also a great source of information. I encourage you to give them a like if you intend to make a visit. Specials and changes to hours are announced there. Restaurant closures can happen at a moment's notice. Know before you go by hitting that like button.