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Forget all that cheese. Sure, it's great (especially the curds). But Wisconsin has so much more to offer dedicated diners.
With fresh-off-the-boat fish from two Great Lakes, a constant flow of fresh farm-to-table produce, and enduring traditions like Fish Fridays and supper clubs -- and chefs who aren't afraid to innovate -- Wisconsin has transformed into a bona fide foodie destination.
A wave of German immigrants in the 1850s helped transform Milwaukee into a city that cherishes cold beer and hot bratwurst.
It's still the best place in America to nosh the combo at venues ranging from historic bars and craft breweries to the Milwaukee Brewers baseball diamond.
Many locals claim there's nowhere better than the Milwaukee Brat House, a dive bar near downtown that serves seven different brats (including a delicious Reuben with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut) with sides like cheese curds and giant pretzels. You can also create your own with a variety of toppings and sides.
Lakefront Brewery makes your Milwaukee dreams come true with a fun-filled factory tour (get ready to sing the "Laverne & Shirley" theme song) followed a sausage flight or beer-soaked Usinger's brat and one of their signature suds (try one of the Rabbit IPAs) in the colossal beer hall.
You don't have to be a Brewers fan to relish beer and brats at American Family Field. Overlooking left field, J. Leinenkugel's Barrel Yard offers a variety of local craft beers and three different brat flights.
Wisconsin homey Frank Lloyd Wright designed more than 1,140 structures during a career that stretched from the 1880s to the 1950s. But only one was a restaurant: Riverview Terrace Café at Taliesin in Spring Green.
Open for breakfast and lunch, it's a great place to dine before or after a guided tour of the Taliesin Preserve that America's preeminent architect transformed from the country farm of his youth into an iconic residence and prestigious design school.
The menu offers modern takes on Wisconsin farm-to-table favorites like a cider-braised pulled pork sandwich, cran-apple crunch salad and apple cobbler.
Wisconsin is yet to score its first Michelin star. But several eateries are edging awful close.
Like Bacchus, the crown jewel of celebrity chef Paul Bartolotta's 18-restaurant empire in and around Milwaukee. The experience starts with an elegant setting on the ground floor of the 1907 Cudahy Tower (one of the city's first skyscrapers) and continues with a menu that revolves around elevated New American cuisine served a la carte or part of a three-course set meal or signature chef's tasting menu.
Madison's hippest chow down is Sardine, a lakeshore bistro tucked inside an old tobacco warehouse and ice house along the city's historic Machinery Row. As the name suggests, the menu leans heavily into maritime dishes like oysters on the half shell, seared scallops, wood-grilled swordfish and Pernod-splashed moules frites mussels.
One of the new kids on the Wisconsin eating scene, St. James Social in Bayfield combines funky décor and innovative farm and fish dishes just two blocks off Lake Superior. Sharing space with a cocktail lounge and dance floor on the ground floor of a historic 1884 hotel building, the establishment combines food and fun at regular special events like First Thursday Music + Dinner and Sunday Disco Brunch.
Back in the days when the Catholic Church banned meat on Fridays, many Wisconsin eaters relied on fish as their main dish. The religious rite ended long ago, but the tradition continues at many restaurants around the state.
Guu's on Main, a vintage bar and restaurant in Stevens Point, offers one of the more innovative takes on Fish Friday with dishes like tequila lime and tempura shrimp, a perch hoagie sandwich and clam chowder.
Down in Milwaukee, Lakefront Brewery morphs from brats to fish on Fridays. Naturally, beer-battered cod is the house specialty. They've also got baked cod and fried walleye, as well as a plant-based dish with vegan tartar sauce.
Every day is Fish Friday at Hoop's Fish & Chips Dockside in Bayfield, an open-air eatery at the end of a Lake Superior pier. Their one and only dish is whitefish fillet -- literally fresh off Hoop's own fishing boat -- served with French fries or rice pilaf and coleslaw. Although there is an extensive selection of beers, wines and ciders.
Another Badger State tradition is the supper club. They first emerged between the world wars as places where locals could dine, drink and dance the night away on weekends. And the food was always familiar: fish on Friday, prime rib on Saturday and fried chicken on Sunday afternoon. Always washed down with a brandy-based Old-Fashioned cocktail (another Wisconsin tradition).
With around 250 scattered across the state, supper clubs are still uber popular. Among the more renowned are Schwarz's Supper Club in Calumet County ("Supper Club Capital of the Midwest"), Lehman's Supper Club in Rice Lake, and Ishnala Supper Club on Lake Delton.
Tornado Club Steak House near the state capitol building in Madison offers a modern take on the supper club concept. Sure, it's famous for steaks. But among the other delectable dishes are a decadent Coquille Saint Jacques, Alaskan king crab legs, and pan-fried rabbit.