Camacho Watcho

I know this is old hat to many of you, but I just wanted to share my excitement that Maxwell’s is back! It seems unbelieveable that just seven months ago, Maxwell’s was shut down due to a fire that started on the third floor in a storage area (as reported by Ed here), where there were a few apartments as well. It saddened so many regulars who loved Maxwell’s and even prompted a facebook group to be started “Mourning Maxwell’s Pub - We Must Rebuild!”

I’ve read some great reviews on Maxwell’s re-opening including this one from We Got Served, but I had to go myself to see what the new Maxwell’s was all about. It was lovely to see the sign lit up again and walking through the door was just like old times. Everything looks the same, with the exception of the two new pictures above the bar and the new (and improved) bathrooms.

We ordered pints of Summit and then just sat and relaxed. I’m looking forward to more Thursday nights at Maxwell’s. It is so good to be back!

Have you ever asked your friends “if you were stranded on an island and could have only five foods, what would they be?” I asked this to friends a few times and I’ve thought about that question myself even more. I’m pretty set in a few of my food needs, but others may vary slightly each time I think about it. Staples for me are bread and cheese. The fruit (usually strawberries) and the veggie (usually tomato) may vary slightly but I never waver on the need for bread and cheese. If you’re curious, I usually am also pretty set on my need for eggs. There you go, if I were stranded on an island and could eat only five foods, they would be bread, cheese, eggs, strawberries and tomatoes.

To feed my need for cheese I frequent the Surdyk’s cheese counter, where heaven awaits me. I am amazed at the cheese mongers’ knowledge of cheese, not only to recommend but also to identify and describe almost each cheese perfectly. Amazing! I love to try as many samples as I can (without being obnoxious), narrowing down to 2 or 3 kinds to take home with me.

Although I love cheese so much, I had never visited a cheese factory or even paid much attention to the many dairy farms as I’ve driven through Wisconsin. This inspired Kyle and me to go out of town for an overnight trip through the dairy land of Wisconsin. Hence the motorcycles part of the title…we went on Kyle’s motorcycle. We had some great recommendations for cheese factories (thanks Jim!), but we found that many cheese factories are not open on the weekends. We did get to go to three cheese factories and we enjoyed ourselves a great deal, but unfortunately, we did not get to see any cheese being made.

The first cheese factory we visited was Bass Lake Cheese, just outside the Twin Cities in Somerset, WI. Bass Lake is a small factory and cheese store located in the rolling hills of western Wisconsin. We tried several cheeses, thanks to the friendly woman behind the counter, and we walked away with three lovely varieties of cheese involving truffles, merlot and cranberries. I recall an hour after we left Bass Lake, I leaned forward to tell Kyle that I could still taste the truffle cheese from our tasting. Strong, stinky and oh so good!

After Bass Lake, we drove to Chippewa Falls and stopped for lunch at Lucy’s Delicatessan. Located right on the main street in Chippewa Falls, Lucy’s has a great selection of hot and cold sandwiches, pizzas and salads. I decided on the carnitas tacos with a side of black bean salad. The tacos were good, although I thought the pork was a little too sweet tasting. And I noted that this is first time I have ordered tacos and had them served with a toothpick in them. Very interesting spin on making tacos into a deli counter item. We stayed to rest a bit and to plan the next part of our drive and then headed out on our way.

The next cheese shop, Lynn’s Dairy, was located in Granton, WI. There really is not much to see at Lynn, but I loved the simplicity of it. This is not a cheese factory that is catered to tourists in any way. It is simply a cheese factory and a counter to sell their cheese. There is not much customer service and there are definitely no tastings. We couldn’t leave empty handed, however, so we bought a feta and a blue cheese for the road.

Our overnight in Marshfield was a very pleasant surprise, both with the inn where we stayed and the microbrewery where we grabbed dinner. If you can believe it, there are not many choices for hotels or bed and breakfasts in that part of the state (not great restaurant choices either!). We had previously checked most of them out and were planning to just settle for a Motel 6 or something just to have a place to rest our heads for the night. Luckily, however, we stumbled upon Anna’s Inn. Located just outside of Marshfield, Anna’s Inn is one room for rent in an addition above the garage of a farmhouse. The room is spacious and the grounds are beautiful, with a barn, firepit and small pond right in back of the house. Every detail had been considered by the owner from the white robes hanging on the back of the door to the fully stocked refrigerator and basket of goodies for us to eat. We loved how relaxing and perfect our stay was and we even loved being woken up by the roosters the next morning. It sure beat the Motel 6 or any other place we were looking at to stay!

The next day we drove southwest until we hit the river just north of Winona. We followed the river on the Wisconsin side, stopping only in Nelson to go to Nelson’s Creamery for lunch. This was our third cheese factory that we visited and we loved it as well. Just the opposite of Lynn Dairy, this is a more commercial setting with a full lunch counter, large wine and gourmet food store and lovely patio out back where you can enjoy lunch under the shade trees. We shared a pizza, chatted with some great people we just met to compare notes of restaurants and other places to try in western Wisconsin, and then headed on our way. The day was perfect for a motorcycle ride, which was evidenced by the many motorcycles we saw as we were out.


All three cheese factories were unique and interesting to visit. I would love to go back on a day when cheese is being made and I can see the process in action. Regardless, a couple days out on the motorcycle with the wind in you hair and sun on your face is a fantastic way to spend a weekend. It truly was a lovely weekend of cheese and motorcycling through western Wisconsin.

Straight from our Minnesota State Fair binge, we went to our Cooking Club on Friday night. The menu was set by RJ and Katie - a good old fashioned seafood boil! The ingredients for the boil were crab legs, shrimp, andoullie sausage, carrots, onions, potatoes, and corn. The accompaniments to round out the menu were cole slaw, cornbread and semifreddo for dessert.

Seafood boils are a ton of fun! You get a big ‘ol pot of water, add plenty of seasoning and then boil the ingredients…voila! RJ and Katie have a huge pot and propane stand made especially for this type of thing, but we ended up bringing it inside and putting the pot on the stove to speed up the boiling process. Nevertheless, it worked great!


One of the best things about a seafood boil is that it is just plain messy. Between cracking the crab legs open, dipping the meat in melted butter and the eating the corn, you end up with greasy, yummy fingers…and no one cares! You can choose to use silverware for the potatoes, carrots and sausage, but everything is cut bite size anyway, so you also have the choice to just eat with your hands. Which is exactly what I did. Sitting outside on a warm August night while eating a messy seafood boil was just perfect.

Kyle and I were in charge of making the dessert, a lemon semifreddo with summer berries. It was a lot of fun to make and, wow, was it good! Light and airy, with just a bit of tartiness…yum! I would definitely make it again!

To kick off the long Labor Day weekend, Kyle and I headed to the Minnesota State Fair on Friday afternoon. We hadn’t been to a fair in years and here we were hitting our second state fair in a month. The grease, the sun, the beer…borderline body abuse.

Since there were only two of us at this fair, we were not able to sample as much fair food as we had on our list, but we still ate quite a lot. We had a pronto pup, corn dog, cheese curds, deep fried pickle slices, fried fruit on a stick, and a nectarine. Okay, that does sound like a lot of food actually.

The first debate we had was whether we preferred the pronto pup (below) or the corn dog (above). Before moving to Minnesota, I had never heard of a pronto pup. It’s basically the corn dog’s cousin, but made with a flour batter instead of cornmeal. Both are fried and served with ketchup and mustard, but we both decided we prefer the corn dog. It’s firmer, heartier, and a bit sweet, which tastes great alongside the hot dog.

As for the other food we sampled? Best cheese curds I had ever had! They were crispy, greasy (a requisite) and the cheese tasted really fresh. The fried fruit on a stick was a let down. It just tasted like warm fruit in a doughnut batter, which sounds good in theory but really doesn’t execute well. Deep fried pickle slices…these were good. They were crisp and served with a side of yummy ranch. Unfortunately we preferred the deep fried pickle spears at the Iowa State Fair (they were a bit lighter but just as crisp and they had dill in their batter!), so I can’t say they were the best I’ve ever had. Lastly, the nectarine. We were trying to decide how to end our state fair eating and were thinking of mini donuts or cookies…then we walked by the Global Market fresh fruit stand and decided that a fresh (non-fried) nectarine would be the perfect ending. Juicy and sweet, it hit the spot.

Minnesota vs. Iowa State Fair
I’ve gotten a few questions of how the Minnesota State Fair compares to the Iowa State Fair and which I like better. Historically, they are about the same age. The Iowa State Fair has been held since 1854 while the Minnesota State Fair has been running since 1859. The Iowa Fair sits on 400 acres (160 acres is campsites) and the Minnesota fairgrounds is 320 acres. The Minnesota Fair’s record attendance is more with about 1.68 million in 2007, while Iowa’s record was in 2004 with 1.05 million. (Information from Wikipedia).

As far as attractions go, it is a tough call, but I have to go with the Minnesota State Fair. Overall, the exhibits are beautiful and really interesting (horticulture building and the miracle of life buildings are amazing) and the International Bazaar, with its ethnic food and displays, is right up my alley. I also loved that the Minnesota State Fair had recycling bins everywhere and a corn cob compost center. Although I do prefer the Minnesota State Fair, both fairs were fun and I would definitely go back to either…but with all the fried food, thankfully they are only held once a year.

There is much to do around town when it’s summer in the Twin Cities and this is especially true in the Mill District. I’ve enjoyed road races, light shows, and outdoor concerts this summer, but the most enjoyable event for me is the farmers market.

The Mill City Farmers Market is held every Saturday through October 18th from 8am-1pm. Bring your farmers market basket and a hungry stomach…with fresh, seasonal fruits and veggies and the many food stands you won’t leave hungry.

It’s no secret that I absolutely loved the three months I spent in Uruguay! I shared many a story last year on my blog about it and I continue to long for the good times and good food that I had there. Therefore, when I heard that Anthony Bourdain had travelled there this past February and No Reservations would be airing the show in late July, I was excited! I DVR’d the show and sought out some friends for an Uruguay party!

The scene was set to happen at my house this past Sunday with our friends Ed and Carly. They had joined Kyle and me for the last ten days of our trip and had travelled in Uruguay and Argentina with us. We were prepared to eat and drink like Uruguyans and to enjoy the show! In true Uruguayan fashion, we started out the night with some beverages and appetizers. The wine was a Sauvignon Blanc from Pulenta Estates in Mendoza, Argentina. We had drank that wine in Mendoza as we stood under a trelise in the dappled sunlight, looking out at the Andes Mountains in the distance. Ahhh…that was the life. Our appetizers were twofold, a chorizo wrapped date wrapped in bacon and the typical melted provolone with oregano. Sweet and salty - I love that combination! If you’re wondering, the provolone platter was a purchase in Uruguay; you see these everywhere there!

We then started the show and began our asado (the Uruguayan terminology for grilled meat fest…my translation). A few tears came to my eyes as I watched Anthony drive around La Plaza Independencia, where I ate lunch every day when I was there. And we were overall happy with his choices for locations - Punta del Este, Jose Ignacio, Cabo Polonio, Montevideo (of course). I longed to be there with him. I was a little disappointed, however, that he kept hooking up with non-Uruguayans to get his tours and information. He made a comment at one point that he had not met any true Uruguayans…uh, try talking to some of the locals. I promise, they are very friendly and many speak English. The best part of it all was he and his brother eating at el mercado del puerto…at the same parilla where Carly, Ed and I had eaten just eight months prior! The show ended and our food fest began.

A quick overview of the food we grilled and how we prepared it. A true asado is not really a grill like we know it. I wrote about it last year when I was invited to an asado by an Uruguayan, so if you’re interested in the grill and technique, I’ve linked to it here. In true Uruguayan fashion, however, we did keep the preparations simple. Just sliced some veggies (peppers, onions, sweet potato) and threw them on the grill (parilla) along with corn on the cob, a large steak and some sausages. Although we were missing the typical blood sausage and sweet breads, we were pretty proud of how our asado turned out.

We broke open the second bottle of wine, a cabernet sauvignon from Finca Familia Cassone and again we were taken back to our wine tour in Mendoza. We had wondered if the wine would taste as good as it did that day in the sun, and we were not disappointed. Wow. For dinner, we served up our food family style, with a big platter of veggies, a platter of meat and, of course, a side of chimichurri. I am in love with this chimichurri (I’ve included a link to the recipe here). The food was simple and delicious.

The only non-South American part of the evening, besides the fact that the party ended at 10pm instead of the usual 4am that would happen there, was the dessert. I had previously bought some key limes that I didn’t want to go to waste. So, although this is not typical to Uruguay, we ate homemade key lime pie for dessert. And I have to admit that it was good!

A trip down memory lane on a wonderful Sunday night. Both Kyle and I said that we can’t wait to go back to Uruguay. Punta del Este…here we come! Well, maybe not now…but soon.

I know, I know, I know…The A to Z Produce Pizza Farm has been written about a lot lately. But I had plans to go there to see what all the fuss was about and I am glad that I did. So in the spirit of sharing experiences, I decided to go ahead and write about it from my point of view.

Last night we headed to in Stockholm, WI for some pizza made at the home of A to Z Produce. We had heard about this originally from S4xton, who went to the farm a few months ago and then returned again recently. This is a working farm that opens to the public for brick oven pizza production on Tuesdays. Since it is located an hour and a half outside of Minneapolis we needed to plan ahead. We picked a random Tuesday a month or so out and set a date. We were a little disappointed by the rain that fell on the morning of our outing, but then decided to continue with our plans anyway. Our thought was that perhaps the rain would keep away a lot of the crowd. In hindsight, this did not happen and I’m glad for it. The crowd is simply fantastic; but I will get to that later.

We left Minneapolis around 3:30pm loaded down with picnic baskets of wine, blankets, plates, cups, napkins, forks, etc. (you have to bring everything in and you take it out with you as well). A quick drive on 94 into Wisconsin and then several miles winding through Wisconsin farmland and we were there. We arrived a little after 5:00pm and, thankfully, beat most of the crowd. Staring up at the menu board and knowing that most of the ingredients were raised or produced on the very farm upon which we were standing was a great feeling. We chose two pizzas - one with sausage (happy pigs!), Kalamata and green olives, tomatoes, red onion and fresh mozzarella and the other with Kalamata olives, tomato, garlic, basil and Bulgarian feta. They told us it would be 15-20 minutes, but to come back 5 minutes early.

We took the time to wander the farm and to set up our picnic area. Actually, I wandered the farm while I let my friends set up the picnic. Around the farm are several buildings, including a small barn that is empty but for a picnic table in the middle. I could just imagine having a soiree there on a cool fall evening with a big group of friends…that sounds pretty good, actually. There was also abandoned farm equipment and wagon and a shelter with cows and chickens.

I also took some time to watch the pizza magic happen. The basic production was for the order to be taken outside and run into the kitchen where the pizza would be prepped. It was brought out to one of two brick ovens, where it was fired for a few minutes, turned and fired again. When it was ready, one of the workers would go out and yell the person’s name, who would then rush over to pay and retrieve their pizza. They have this down to a science, including the part where they ask the person if they want to take a picture of their pizza before they slice it. Very nice touch!

Returning back to the main lawn, I found our picnic area set and my friends working through a bottle of rosé. I plopped down, poured some wine and continued snapping some photos of my friends, other tables and the cats that were wandering around the area. It was all so perfect and, oh, so relaxing. We watched as more and more cars arrived and people unloaded their picnic supplies to set up. There were definitely newcomers like us to arrive with a couple of chairs and a blanket. Then there were those who could make a living of pizza farm picnicking. These were the groups with tables, tablecloths, small picnic tables for their kids…the works. My favorite was a group of ten ladies with a table, chairs, chandelabras, and large floral arrangements. When I went over to ask if I could take their picture, they agreed and told me that they were celebrating a couple birthdays (one was the cute lady in the front with the white hat). I hope when I’m older that my girlfriends and I can come back and celebrate life like these ladies were.

After a few minutes, Carly and I decided to go up to the ovens to wait for our pizzas (we are both very punctual and really didn’t want to make them shout our name above the noise). We arrived with a few minutes to spare and were rewarded with the opportunity to see our pizzas come fresh out of the oven and into our pizza boxes. Wow.

Back at the picnic blanket, we dug into our treasures. Overall this pizza was good…how could it not be when the ingredients are the freshest around and it was made not even 2 minutes ago? A surprise to us was the wheat crust, which was tasty but not consistently cooked (a little overdone on the edges and a little soft in the middle from the tomatoes). The toppings, however, were fantastic. Salty olives, crumbly feta, and sausage that was sweet and flavorful…delicious! It didn’t take long for us devour almost all of the two pizzas and then sit back, full and satisfied. (As a note, Kyle and I discussed that next time we would bring some small appetizers like cheese or olives to eat while we wait and split just one pizza…next time).

We packed up and left, noting how many cars there were lining both sides of the road outside the farm. We took a different route home and cut directly over to the river and drove along it on the Wisconsin side. It did take us a little longer to get home, due to a stop in Maiden Rock for a beer and a stop in Hastings for DQ, but that route is definitely the better way to go.

The Pizza Farm experience is definitely worth the trip and our goal is to make it an annual affair. Fresh food, good wine and great friends…that is something to celebrate.

A to Z Produce (Pizza Farm)
N2956 Anker Lane
Stockholm, WI

Our recent visit to the Iowa State Fair was a first for me. Although I have been to the Minnesota State Fair, I felt the need to go to Iowa to visit the only state fair listed in the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. With the hype of that book, as well as our friends’ build up, we had some pretty high expectations for both the food and the spectacle.

We ate a LOT of food - steak sandwich, fried pickle spears, funnel cake, pork chop on a stick, taco, corn dog, pork tenderloin sandwich, and corn on the cob - and washed it all down with several beers, very large diet cokes, and the occasional sip of water. Besides the food, we also saw the animals, including a 1,250 pound boar, many cows, sheep and the largest bull. And the people watching…oh what a spectacle!

But back to food…the highlight of the trip was the corn dog. I don’t know why I always think something is going to be better, but time and time again the corn dog pulls though. Other good eats were the steak sandwich, funnel cake, fried pickle spears, corn and pork tenderloin. The disappointments were the taco and the pork chop on a stick. There was nothing special about the taco, certainly not the “best in taco in Iowa”. After trying it, my friend John said he’d had better at Taco John’s (yikes!). The pork chop had potential, but ours was a bit dry. That just doesn’t cut it when eating pork in Iowa.

All in all, we left the fair happy…six hours, lots of grease, sunburns, $80 spent in food/beverage and full bellies…our high expectations were definitely fulfilled by this weekend getaway. Check that off the list of things to see before I die.

Addendum: I realized after posting this, that I forgot to mention the cheese curds we ate. These were actually the most disappointing…lightly breaded and hardly fried. They were also yellow cheese - overall not good…at all.

Most people think that living in Minnesota is nine months of unbearable cold and three months of unbearable hot, humid weather. Add to that statement brisk, clear fall days and cool, wet spring afternoons and that more accurately describes Minnesota weather. But this does not mean that the weather is bad, it is the extremes in weather that make each season uniquely its own for enjoyment.

While I do enjoy each season in its own right, what I want to talk about is summer. Minnesotans love the summer. It is inevitable that if it is a nice day, most Minnesotans will be outside enjoying life…exercising, lounging around, doing water sports, you name it. But one of the favorite weekend activities for Minnesotans is going north to a cabin for a weekend getaway.

We were recently talking to some friends from Atlanta, describing this “going north” concept and they said, “isn’t Minnesota north enough already?” I had never thought of it like that before. And yes, that is true that Minnesota is pretty far north, but if you journey just a bit farther you will find a cabin subculture where Minnesotans go to play.

This past weekend was the scene for an annual cabin party event with good friends. Each year 15-20 friends gather at a cabin just outside Alexandria for good times. We eat, drink, ski, tube, play games, laugh…I won’t go any further in describing the weekend than that. (Although there are many a good story to be told). We’ve celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, marriages (Way to go Luke and Georgann for spending the first part of your honeymoon with us this year!), and friendship. It’s a tradition that has lasted 10 years and will hopefully last for a long time to come.

So when you think of Minnesota weather, don’t just picture the cold, winter days. Think of all the Minnesotans up north on a lake in the summer, drinking a cold beer and hanging out with good friends.

Life is full of lessons. Sometimes you have to search for the meanings they bring us and other times they almost reach out and smack us across the face. Who would have known that there was a little life lesson in handling rental car keys? Not me.

Kyle and I recently returned from a week long trip to Hilton Head, where we sat by the pool, drank beer and grilled dinners for seven straight days with our friends John and Kate and their son Ben. Life was good; it was the ultimate in relaxation. Little did we know that life was lurking in the shadows, just waiting to teach us a lesson on our last day.

Our last day brought us an early getaway from Hilton Head and the need to hang out in Savannah, GA before our 7pm flight. We arrived to Savannah with visions of a relaxing drive through town to view the historic homes and a long, very late lunch. Those sweet, sweet naive dreams….

We parked the car and decided to walk through the historic district, which consists of about 8 or 9 plazas hinged along subsequent blocks. Roughly 25 minutes and 8 blocks later, we were on our way back to the car when the sky opened up with lightning, thunder and a sheet of rain that caused us to seek shelter in the doorway of the nearest building.

Okay, so you’re thinking…what does this have to do with rental car keys? You guessed it…as soon as the rain cleared, we headed back to our car. Upon the approached I noticed Kyle frantically searching his shorts pockets and the backpack he was carrying. I knew we were in trouble when he turned to me and asked, “um…did I give you the keys the car?”

The next hour is somewhat of a blur, consisting of huge claps of thunder, lightning streaking the sky and a total downpour of rain. I recall calling the Savannah Welcome center, the police and Budget rental. I recall standing alone on the front steps of a large, historic building getting pelted by rain and trying to save our computers and camera from being ruined. I then recall giving up and walking out in the somewhat lessened downpour to continue the search for the missing keys…I must have looked like a mad woman pacing around getting drenched, but not noticing since I was staring at the ground in search of the keys. All the time I kept remembering the Camacho family story of losing our car keys at the bottom of the Wisconsin River…I couldn’t believe it was happening again!

I then recall calling Kyle to ask how his search was going…only to find out that he was still seeking shelter a few blocks away because he didn’t want to get wet. Let me say that again…he was still seeking shelter because he didn’t want to get wet. Very quickly after hanging up with me, he was out in the rain in an earnest search for the car keys. It is truly unbelievable that Kyle found the keys. As a last resort he wandered into a tea shop where we had previously stopped for about 2 minutes and asked if they had found any keys…and they had.

The lesson learned is really this…when renting car do one of two things: 1. Remove the second key from the key ring and put it in a secure place (not inside the car) or 2. Put a contact phone number on the key ring so that someone can call you if they find your keys.

Quite the drama to end our week of relaxation. So life goes…