The Fireside

My mom told me fun stories of this restaurant as we dined. She told tales of supper clubs in days past that were just like this. They served a relish tray, something I'd never heard of or seen before at a restaurant. Pickles, olives, carrots, celery, peppers, and even pickled herring. I ordered the fried avocado as an appetizer. It wasn't what I expected at all. It wasn't a heavy food after being fried and served with a sauce. Instead, the delicacy of the avocado was preserved and it was perfectly seasoned. (From the website: Deep fried avocado stuffed with crab meat and served with an orange emulsion sauce.) Fresh rolls arrived with a small boat of three condiments. Butter, seasoned olive oil, and something that looked like, and tasted like, green olives with pimento, but finely chopped. All three were delicious on the rolls! The salad was not the typical bagged, chopped lettuce. Instead, it was fresh greens adorned with carefully placed, thinly sliced carrots. The presentation was so elegant! And the dressing was not overwhelming even though it wasn't served on the side. The salad was small, but as a course in the whole meal, it was perfect. I ordered the risotto with shrimp. Truly amazing! Everything was perfect. My mom had the pork medallions. They were so tender and the cranberries with it made for a range of sweet and tart with the pork. It was a perfect pairing of flavors. After all of that, I wasn't hungry, but the food was so delicious I really wanted to try a dessert course, something I rarely order at a restaurant. I was torn between the chocolate mouse and the lemon dessert. I went with the lemon one. I don't recall what it was called. It had lemon curd, a layer like a soft, dense cookie, vanilla ice cream on top, and blueberries with dots of raspberry sauce decorating around the edge. Oh, my! Definitely worth ordering! The Fireside is expensive. It's not family-friendly prices. But, the food is fine dining that will rival any large city fine restaurant. ....just without the need to dress up in fine clothing. This is the woods in NW Wisconsin where folks are camping and vacationing while wearing shorts and t-shirts, not suits and diamonds. I wouldn't go in wearing my clothes I wore while painting the cabin, but I felt completely comfortable in a pair of shorts and a short sleeve top. Bonus, not hassle of driving into the big city and dealing with traffic and expensive parking. Here, all you do is pull up right in front and then step inside. We met and spoke with the chef on our way out. He grew up eating there and knew the former owner. He was a chef in Chicago (if I'm remembering correctly what he said). He was happy to chat with us and reminisce with my mom about another time she ate there about 20 years earlier.
8 years ago (31-07-2017)

The chef specials and soups are to die for! Basically everything on the menu is amazing, the duck is always delicious. Quality of meals puts upscale urban dining to shame. I rank it in my top 3 best dinner restaurants in Wisconsin.
7 years ago (17-08-2017)

Good food, atmosphere ok, kind of pricey but good for up north
7 years ago (03-09-2017)

Nice high-end restaurant to dine at, very friendly staff and very nice food!
7 years ago (10-09-2017)

An excellent swipe at fine dining in an otherwise friend cheese heavy area.
8 years ago (29-06-2017)