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Familiar Faces: The Sister Bay Bowl
The old adage “good help is hard to find” might be true when it comes to staffing a restaurant. Of course, there are always exceptions, and the Sister Bay Bowl is one of them. “The Bowl,” as it is called by locals and longtime visiting patrons alike, has long had a reputation for giving ample […]
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Good Taste is All in the Family: The Shoreline Restaurant
Mike and Mary Mead have a saying about how your meal is served at their Shoreline Restaurant in Gills Rock: “First you eat with your eyes.” If that’s true, between “drinking in” the panoramic water view and enjoying the presentation, you could be full before you take your first bite. But the Meads invite you […]
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Donny’s Glidden Lodge Restaurant
The highest praise you can give a restaurant in the county is to say that locals frequent it. That is definitely the case at Donny’s Glidden Lodge Restaurant. You aren’t just going to find locals, though; visitors and summer residents are also very much in the know when it comes to where to find a […]
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Actor, Prankster, Restrauteur & “Mayor”: Fish Creek’s Digger DeGroot
In Door County, the definition of what makes someone a “local” seems to fluctuate depending upon who you ask. For some, it’s a title given to all babies born north of the county line; for others, it’s a designation reserved for those whose family trees have roots on the peninsula through multiple generations; and then […]
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Approaching the Coyote Roadhouse in the high summer season, you are likely to see cars filling the lot, parked amongst the trees and lined up along the roadside. Walk in the door and the place is hopping. Bar stools are occupied, booths are filled with families, friends are mingling at tables on the porch overlooking […]
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Island Resources Equal Sustainable Saveur: Washington Island Hotel and Restaurant
A ship’s captain could take comfort while guiding his vessel through Death’s Door, knowing a nourishing meal and a peaceful night’s sleep awaited him on Washington Island. The Washington Hotel and its kitchen, established by seafarer Captain Ben Johnson in 1904, existed to provide those at helm with reprieve from the ship’s hold. A century […]
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Healthy Casual: Bluefront Café in Sturgeon Bay
With the revitalization of Sturgeon Bay’s downtown area, Third Avenue is bustling with foot traffic through its shops and Jefferson Street has a full three blocks of antique, craft and specialty stores. And let’s face it, all of that shopping can make a person hungry! Off on the quiet end of Third Avenue there is […]
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A Restaurant for All Seasons: Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar
A sage is defined as “one venerated for experience, judgment and wisdom.” Mitch Wise, chef and owner of Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar in downtown Sturgeon Bay, despite the obvious pun on his own last name, is a restaurateur who certainly isn’t lacking in any one of those characteristics. Sage, which opened in 1998, is […]
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I went to dinner at Trio Restaurant in Egg Harbor with two friends in preparation for this article; my intentions were to enhance and refresh my memory of the dining experience, capturing the nuances of the setting, the cuisine, and the service. However, as I savored the last spoonfuls of the orange chocolate mousse, I […]
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A Tiki Bar…Northwoods Style: Fred & Fuzzy’s
The delicious smells of an open grill wafting through the air, the sounds of waves washing upon the shore, sunshine on your face and an ice cold margarita sweating on the table in front of you – no, this is not some Caribbean island fantasy. You are sitting at one of the outdoor tables at […]
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A Restaurant with a View: Dining at The Waterfront
There are many fine dining options in Door County, a handful of which have been good enough to draw attention to their chefs and menus from south of the Bayview and Michigan Street bridges and beyond. A couple of those restaurants have even combined their exquisite menus with limited views of the waters surrounding the […]
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Fireside Dining at Alexander’s
Alexander’s, located at the Hotel Du Nord on the north side of Sister Bay, is open year-round. Beginning at the end of October, Alexander’s serves dinner on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 5:00 p.m. to close, and brunch on Sundays. Chef and owner Bruce Alexander changes his menu toward the end of October to reflect […]
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A Weekend of Tasteful Delights
Tucked in amongst the fish boils, supper clubs and brat fries that are the typical dinner fare in Northeast Wisconsin are numerous opportunities for adventurous and educated palates to do some pretty serious eating. For four weekends in December and January, the quiet Door County town of Fish Creek is transformed into the center of […]
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Summer Soirée: Inspiring Culinary Excellence
Summertime, especially in Door County, means family, friends and (ideally) beautiful weather. Unfortunately, the summer months are all-too brief. Why spend that limited time eating indoors when you can host an outdoor summer dinner party and spend more relaxed time with your loved ones? Entertaining outdoors might be a little more work (although it certainly […]
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The Mission Grille: Creating a Legacy
Polishing off the final bites of my Roasted Maple Leaf Duck with a Door County cherry Bigaraude sauce, my reluctant inheritance of my father’s pun-laden sense of humor rears its head. “heavenly” I mutter. Though the word play proves irresistible as I eat dinner at the Mission Grille in Sister Bay, I manage to spare […]
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A Triad of Chefs: Inspiring Culinary Excellence
The path to culinary excellence is unique to each traveler. Few kids grow up with chef’s coats in their dreams; and, thus for most, the choice of a career in the restaurant business comes late and unexpected. A whim, an inspiration, an accident, a crossroads. Such is the case with three of Door County’s best […]
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Second Story Sophistication: Art and Exotic Fare at Mr. Helsinki
Above Fish Creek’s maddening crowd you’ll find Mr. Helsinki — a restaurant where sophistication climbs up to the second story in hot shoes and hip clothes for eclectic fare, original artwork, fine wine and sassy conversation. Door County tangos with Chicago at the restaurant that has become the place to be seen on the peninsula. […]