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It’s Friday evening and I just got back from a hectic meeting out of town. I should probably rephrase that; I live in Rhinelander and everything is out of town. Anyway, I asked the Little Marinara where we were going to eat and without missing a beat she proclaimed Lurv’s Kosy Korner.
The Kosy Korner is located just outside of Rhinelander on County Road W, or as I am told …just down from Country Fest. I am finally getting used to the idea that specific directions involve large rocks, trees or someone’s barn. It’s a short drive and when we arrive the parking lot is looking packed and the building is looking small. Fortunately there is room at the bar, we order and shortly the Martinis arrive and that warm fuzzy feeling starts coursing through my veins. This place has a great back bar and is indeed Kosy. Not too many dead animals on the walls, just some fish and old signs, tame for a Northwood’s establishment.
 We both order the Walleye Fish Fry, which comes with Fries, Cole Slaw, Potato Salad and Rye Bead. After about 10 minutes our waitress brings us a plate with the slaw and potato salad. Mine appeared to be dumped on the plate and was hard to tell apart (Pretty scary eh) The Little Marinara’s on the other hand came from a different person and looked very appetizing. Another 10 minutes go by and the walleye and fries appear. The fries are standard freezer fare and the walleye had a very thick crusty batter that I did not care for. I have to admit that the fish did not have much flavor and after removing the batter there was not much left of the fish. Our waitress dropped off our check and never appeared again. This is a pet peeve of mine – I like the waitress to pick up the check for payment.
 The little Marinara summed up the evening when we got into the car, she said ‘Well now we have been there and do not have to go again.”
The Big Ragu gives this joint a 2 outa 5.
I am no longer a virgin! At least not a cheese steak virgin! I admit I may have had a few flings with some pseudo Wisconsin sandwiches that claim to have been cheese steaks, but it wasn’t until this last week that I broke my cherry pepper and wrapped my lips around a warm succulent bun filled with onions, thin sliced rib eye and wiz in one of South Philly’s better knows steak shacks.
 How to Order! The competition and varied opinion on South Philly cheese steaks is as diverse as a Wisconsinite’ s opinion on a Fish Fry, everyone has their favorite and for a multitude of different reasons. Pat’s and the main competition Geno’s face off against each other in the steak and customer challenge. You can tell the difference – Geno’s is covered in neon lights and Pat’s looks like a refuge from a Deniro movie. Looking back into cheese steak lore it appears that Pat’s was the first on the scene and was probably the creator of the sandwich, as it is now known. Both places are well known gold mines and it appears that they have both become tourist traps, but who cares the food is good and they have a huge island full of cherry peppers that you can help yourself to.
Driving to either one is half of the adventure, if you have never driven in South Philly you can’t even begin to appreciate the skill it takes. The roads are narrow, they park on both sides and many times in the middle of the road, I was behind some bachagalupe who just stopped in the middle of the street and left his car. Add a snowstorm and this could make me love the subway.
Anyway, there appears to be a language associated with the steak like “gimmie a steak wit” which is a steak with onions, Pat’s has the reputation of trying to intimidate the customer into ordering the correct way, and they even have a sign telling you how to do it. The entire time I was there I never heard a local use the term ‘wit’, if fact as I looked at the clientele I am pretty sure no one would be correcting their ordering technique. Geno’s on the other hand has a sign telling you that you need to order in English – there is a part of me that really likes that – talk about stones.
I can tell that this cheese steak adventure will take some serious research and a lot of napkins so I will return in August to wet my beak on some wiz and pop some more cherry peppers. If you have a favorite place I should know about – leave a comment.
The Big Ragu doesn’t have a good frame of reference to rate this place, so for now I will just say it’s the best I have been to.
 Solly's Malt The Little Marinara and I were in Milwaukee the other day and fortunately it was around lunchtime. We both had the urge to clog our arteries and what better place to do that than at Solly’s on Port Road. Solly’s in some respects is a timeless institution. Originally started on Green Bay Ave it is now in its third location on Port Washington Road, just South of Hampton. The Little Marinara has been going there since she was a young tomato and I have been going there with her for the last 30 years. The building may change but the employees and food are iconic. Kris and Anna have been working there for over 35 years and it is always fun to discuss our kids and the old days. I love the sign over the cash register; “Our credit manager is Helen Waite, if you want credit go to Helen Waite.” This came from the Green Bay Ave location; however, times have changed, Solly’s now accepts credit cards. Progress – you be the judge!
Solly’s is not a fancy restaurant, it is a lunch counter, you wait in line until a seat opens up and then sit down. This is part of the unique character of the place. On any given day you can find the full demographic of Milwaukee sitting next to each other enjoying some of the best burgers know to man.
 Solly Burgers For Wisconsin this is a close as it comes to diner food. To be very honest in the 30 years I have been going there The Little marinara and I have always ordered the same thing – two cheeseburgers with onions, fries and a chocolate malt. So why do we crave these little bites of heaven? Just look at the pictures while I deconstruct what I consider to be the best burger on the planet. In my opinion it is all about the onions. They stew their onions in their own juice in a double boiler – no additives. The burger is always of a consistent size and fried on the hot top, then the onions are ladled on top; it is covered in one slice of American cheese and then covered with a pot top until the cheese is melted, in the interim the bun is lightly toasted. Here is the best part. The completed burger is placed on the bun and it is topped with at least two tablespoons of salted WI butter, the top is put in place and it is sliced through the middle. Simple but complex in flavor, add to this great fries and a homemade chocolate malted milk – we are talking real ice crème and real malt, served with the blender cup. If you are watching you weight you can get a Fanta Red Cream Soda to wash down the butter. Actually if your are concerned about your weight don’t come here, go to some organic shop and munch on a salad with yogurt dressing.
If you have butter running down you arms it was a good day at Solly’s. I am sure that at the end of the day when they close there is a sigh of relief from every cardiologist in Milwaukee. If I were going to die tomorrow this is what I would want to eat. Two Cheeseburgers with – on one – with fries and a chocolate malt. Like the Little Marinara says “If this isn’t the best cheeseburger in world I don’t know where the hell you will find it.”
This Big Ragu gives this a 5 outa 5 and will throw in a coupon good for a discount bypass on your 10th meal.
I was in Wausau the other day for a meeting. When we concluded we decide to go to the Peking for lunch, this is always a good choice in my opinion. I have enjoyed lunch and dinner at the Peking many times, but today I had something different. In fact it was so good I felt the urge to share it with all of you.
First some history: The Peking has been open for business in Wausau for approximately the last 25 years and located in the Landmark building. The restaurant features all the usual suspects found in Chinese restaurants, however they have some unique specialty items such as their Potstickers, Strawberry Chicken and East meets West. There is an interesting bar, which is well known as a place to meet after work.
 I have heard about their Szechuan Noodle Soup and was anxious to try it. The soup comes in the following combinations: Pickled Cabbage and Pork, Beef, Chicken, Pork and Shrimp, and Vegetarian. Additionally you order it by the following heat levels: mild, medium and hot. I am told the hot will bring tears to your eyes and skin. I ordered the Pickled Cabbage and Pork in medium heat. Our waitress outfitted us with a bib and we were ready to enjoy. The soup was excellent, crunchy veggies, tender noodles and tender pork. I ordered the soup in medium, which I found to be just right, it had a mild burn that was not overpowering to the ingredients, I also noted a slight finish of cilantro. The portions were large, but what the hell we will be starving in an hour – wrong? It was the perfect way to wind up a successful meeting.
The Big Ragu gives this a 4 outa 5
On this side of the Cheddar Curtain things can sometimes get a bit weird, probably from something in the bubblers, or perhaps the cows have mad cow disease it taints the cheese. Anyway, this happened on Highway K near Ogdensburg, WI. The winters may be cold and long but we still maintain our warped sense of humor. This probably also explains the low turn out by the deer for the annual 2009 deer gun season.
THE STORY
A deer was hit.
The couch was dumped there previously.
Day two the deer was on the couch.
Day three the end table and lamp showed up.
Day four the TV and TV stand showed up.
The County Sheriff’s Department had to call WI DOT because of all the people stopping to take pictures.
The cardboard sign in front of the deer on the couch reads,
“Sorry Hunters.
Obama ruined healthcare.
We can’t afford to have injured hunters on our conscience,
so I’m staying home!
Sorry,
the Deer.”
 The Big Moose Wisconsin is kind of like Texas! We like things big – at least if those things are giant fish, loons, chickens, cheese, mice, pink elephants or in this case a moose. For some strange reason we feel the need to put large fiberglass critters on top of or in front of our Northern restaurants. I think it’s an old trick to try to entice the tourists from South of the Cheddar Curtain into thinking this is standard Northwood’s décor, and for some strange reason will make your food and dining experience better. The really sad part about this is for years it worked. Tonight the Little Marinara and I were with our niece Tracy from the Twin Cities, who by the way is in her early thirties with two kids and still a hottie. They wanted to know where we were going to eat and I told them I couldn’t remember the name but it had a big moose in the front yard, hence the original name The Big Moose Supper Club.
We pull into the parking lot and note that we are only the second car to arrive – bad sign on a Friday evening, but what the hell it’s early. At least we can get a spot at the bar and I can smoke a cigar. We cross the threshold and the balance of the evening is a cross between the twilight zone and three-ring circus. Our bartender is friendly but doesn’t know squat about cocktails or pouring tap beers, The Little Marinara and Tracy go into ‘chick’ mode and immediately notice and comment on the bartenders extra tight, low rise jeans that work well to accentuate and showcase her muffin top and butt-crack. Of course being the gentleman that I am I just ordered a martini (she had to look awhile to find the vodka) and light a great stogie. About this time a waitress, with most of her teeth, came in with a drink order. Muffin Top hereafter referred to as MT was having problems locating the Canadian Whiskey, I help her out again, point her in the right direction describing it by location and color of the label. Tracy then orders another beer and MT pulls on the tap handle and it just gurgles and spurts foam, I told here the keg was empty and she finally grasped that idea. About now the circus arrives. MT locates the guy who must have been the owner to change out the keg a waitress comes over to watch; they pull the line and all three of them are covered in foam. Honest to god you can’t make this crap up. Another car pulls into the parking lot so we figure we should get a table before they are all gone – right.
 Big Moose Friday Perch As we walk into the dining room we note that the entire place has just been remodeled, it is clean and smells new. We are directed to a corner table below one of the numerous velvet paintings adorning the wall. I thought I died and went to a special place in hell reserved for people who poke fun at HGTV.
A menu arrives and I notice they have jalapeño poppers, I ask our waitress (ours had all her teeth) how many are in an order, bad question. We get the deer in the headlight look and she says “I don’t have a clue.” As it turns out this is the usual response to most of the questions. So we order the Poppers, and I have the Perch and the girls order the Fish Fry (Cod). The Poppers arrive and are fried so hard they could be bounced a foot off the floor. The fish arrives and is standard pre-breaded fare with freezer frys and warm slaw. It is not over cooked like the poppers, but average in flavor. I notice several steam tables tucked in the corner and asked our waitress if they served a buffet, she said no, buffets cost too much money so they don’t do it anymore. I guess costs are a concern as there were only three tables counting us in the dining room. As we pulled out of the parking lot I notice the Big Moose had a few tears in his eyes, probably constipated from the poppers. This club has been here since I was the Little Ragu and I can remember when we drove past there telling my Father we should stop and eat. I didn’t know it then but he imparted some sage advice when he told me “Son never eat at restaurant with jumbo fiberglass animals in the driveway.” The old man was right on this one. The Big Ragu gives this a 1 outa 5
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The Big Ragu’s Rating System 1 outa 5
· I can't believe I paid money for this!
· I would rather starve to death!
2 outa 5
· Somewhere there is a trucker that will like this!
· I only ate it to live!
3 outa 5
· If you are close and cheap I may come back!
· At least I didn't get sick!
4 outa 5
· I will drive out of my way to eat here!
· I will tell all my friends about this place!
5 outa 5
· This is the last place I want to eat before I die!
· I would eat here every day!
The Bada Bing Rating: This place is a dump but for some reason I like it and will come back.
The Little Marinaras Guide on How to Cook Anything!
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