Lake Geneva recs

Heading out to Lake Geneva & staying at the Grand for one night. We've made reservations for the upscale restaurant in the Grand- I believe it's called Newport Grille. Are we overlooking a better restaurant in town where we can have a relaxed but upscale meal? I've never been to the area so all advice is appreciated.

Someone suggested I try Cafe Calamari in Williams Bay (about 6 miles away).They have a web site. 262-245-9665. Another person suggested the Grandview inn for dinner and Scuttlebutts for lunch. I don't have first-hand knowledge though. Let me know what you discover.

On Wrigley Drive there are 3 restaurants all with a nice Lake view and view of the Pier. Gilbert's is at 327 Wrigley, dinner only, Popeye's is at 811 Wrigley, lunch and dinner and Scuttlebutt's is at 831 Wrigley and is open breakfast through dinner. Popeye's is my favorite, wide varied menu but their big thing is long skewers of chicken, pig and lamb that they make on a big bbq pit next to the building. Gilberts is in a restored old home and is the most upscale of the group.

This is definitely casual bar-food type of place, but stop at Chuck's in Fontana for a beer and a sandwich. Interesting mix of boaters, tourists, lakefront homeowners, and locals. Nice view of the lake, cold beer, pool table, and Grateful Dead on the jukebox makes for a fine afternoon.

They used to let you bring your dog in with you, but I heard someone complained, so they had to stop it. If anyone knows the whole story, I'd like to hear it.

Scuttlebutts has changed over the years, I can't recommend it as much as I used to, but it does tend to be less crowded than Popeyes, which can have huge lines on summer weekends.

Cafe Calamari in Williams Bay is Ok, but nothing to write home about.

A couple blocks off the main drag to the north are Cactus Club, 430 Broad St. Decent southwest/mex food.

There's a Japanese restaurant at 306 Center Street called Tempura, when I was there several years ago it was excellent, and reasonably priced for Geneva.

Another option: Mars, which has fish fries on fridays, and decent supperclubby food. Go west on Hwy 50, and look for the signs to "Mars"

As I live in nearby (15 miles) Woodstock, IL, we head up to Lake Geneva quite frequently. We have eaten there a few times. The only above average meal that I have ever had was at Popeye's.

We have tried a few of the diners on the main drag and the food has been well, nothing special. As LG restaurants tend to be more pricy than those places away from the Lake, we generally go elsewhere.

I would like to make two nearby recommendations. In Genoa City which is about five miles south on WI-120 is Fitzgerald's which is a fish boil restaurant. The food there is pretty good. The only drawback is that the hours that they are open are 5-9pm four days a week (and I am not sure of which ones). The atmosphere is different in that you are served the fish and you help yourself on the sides. The last time I went, it was $14, cash only and they do have a liquor license. The restaurant is located in an octagonal house in the middle of town.

In Hebron, IL., 7 miles south of LG, there is a restaurant called Crandall's that has pretty good broasted chicken. Dinners are $7.95 and it is AYCE on the chicken. They also have a nice Sunday Brunch for about $12 that is pretty good. It is not haute cuisine but good country food.

There is also a pizza place at the light that is really pretty good. Also, there is an old time soda fountain that is open for breakfast and lunch only (in addition to the dairy bar that is on the other corner). If you go into Hebron, watch out for the local constable who likes to nail speeders. I think that he does it so that he has someone to talk to. (g)

I would avoid Woodstock. The two or three "classsy" restaurants in town are so grossly overpriced for the quality and quantity of food that they serve. There are a couple of Mexican places that serve very good food but the front of the house are so filthy that I will not eat there.

Hope that helps.

When I lived in Lake Geneva I used to frequent the Next Door Pub on the north end of town on 120. Popular with the locals and weekend bikers. Great Italian beef sandwiches and good pizza. Fritz the bartender has been there forever. I stop by for an Italian beef whenever I'm passing thru town.

Back from LG.
Popeye's is good as usual, but it's getting a bit pricey. Bluegill filets ($11.95) spent a couple of minutes too long in the deep fryer, but were pretty good anyway. Wife's shrimp salad had more shrimp than she could finish. Good service with plenty of wait staff on duty.
Chuck's in Fontanna serves and excellent Italian Beef with hot Giardinera that actually has some kick to it. That and Warsteiner on tap and I'm a happy camper.
Surprise was that Houlihans at the hotel was actually very good. Wasn't too hungry, but the appetizer combo platter we shared was just right. Great service too.
Breakfast at Scuttlebut's was OK, but pricey since most everything is a'la carte. Fair service; coffee was refilled only upon request, and then only to the requestor, not the whole table, but the waitress seemed like she was a little overloaded.

Revisited Popeye's yesterday for the first time in about a year. The food and service was solid as before but I agree, a little pricey. I had bbq pork sammie, generous and tasty amount of pork on an onion bun and my partner had a small shrimp/spinach salad that was quite large and very generous with the shrimp. My fries were crisp and seasoned nicely. We also took home a pint of skordalia and the waiter threw in the bread ($1.90 extra on the menu). They have added sampler platters which include a slab of ribs, half a chicken, lamb and beef and another variation for about $40. We were told that Sunday is the only day they have pork, lamb, beef and chicken on their grills which smelled marvelous! BTW, we spent Saturday night on the grounds of Aurora University's campus in Williams Bay. They have some rental units ranging from room for 2 to family cottages. We enjoyed a professional companies performance of the Prirates of Penzance as part of their Music by the Lake series which has 1 more show this season.

jlawrence01 wrote:In Genoa City which is about five miles south on WI-120 is Fitzgerald's which is a fish boil restaurant. The food there is pretty good. The only drawback is that the hours that they are open are 5-9pm four days a week (and I am not sure of which ones). The atmosphere is different in that you are served the fish and you help yourself on the sides. The last time I went, it was $14, cash only and they do have a liquor license. The restaurant is located in an octagonal house in the middle of town.

Inspired by these words and seeking a new destination in the Grayslake region, I took the Moms to Fitzgerald's for fishboil dinner. I have never been to Door County. All I know about fishboils I have read about or asked people. Gwiv and pdaane pretty much likened it to tourist trap food with all the good flavor via fish oil going into the fire when boiled over. While they may not like it, I am not satisfied until at least I tried it for myself.

Genoa City is off Route 12 just north of the Illinois border, minutes from Richmond, IL as well as Lake Geneva, WI. The Octagon House is a landmark known to everyone in town. Ask for the street name, our guide gave us a blank look. Ask for the Octagon House, then everything clicked and information flowed.

I love antique houses, so any chance to visit a rare octagon house is simply a treat. There are two additions to accomodate the restaurant's needs, though enough period detail to marvel over. I do quarrel with their landscaping because some is oversized dwarfing the house and diminishing views. The deck's bushes were allowed to get so tall, you cannot see the fishboil fires without purposefully walking to the cooking shelter.

Dinner is paid upon arrival and served buffet style. The selections are:

Fishboil dinner: $12
Chicken dinner: $12
Fish and chicken combo: $12.
Fish, (grilled honey glazed) chicken and (grilled whiskey glazed) ribs: $16.

Side dishes were creamy coleslaw, boiled potatoes, boiled onions, salt rimmed rye bread and apple slice for dessert. Except for coffee included, all drinks are a la carte. They do have a liquor license.

In advance of dinner, I went looking for the fishboil show. No point in going to a fishboil if there is no action to be seen. I found the cooking shelter with one side devoted to grilling chicken and ribs. Over a woodfire, I found two very large cast iron cauldrons boiling over wood fires. They were cooking potatoes and onions upon my arrival. These were removed and the real show about to begin. Fitzgerald's does not use whitefish or trout, which they claim is the Door County tradition. Instead they use North Atlantic Cod, because of the bigger meatier pieces and no bones to pick out. The fish is introduced, then allowed to boil with foam building threatening to flow over. While most cooks would be inclined to lower the temperature, the fishboil master instead throws kerosene into the fire. The pot is enveloped in flames and the fish boils over extinguishing it in a few harried moments. Drama over, the basket is lifted to remove the finished cod.

In a sectioned plastic plate, I was served creamy coleslow, a large boiled onion, two smaller boiled potatoes, two pieces of cod with melted butter poured over the hot food like gravy. Atlantic Cod not being a very strong tasting fish or very oily, the fish and vegetables cooked in the same waterbath had a mild taste. While I don't have anything else to compare it to, it was a nice introduction to an interesting regional cooking style.

Fitzgerald's has been conducting fishboils for almost 20 years at the location. It certainly is closer than Door County to satisfy your curiosity.

Fitzgeralds Genoa Junction Octagon House
727 Main St
Genoa City, WI 53128
(262) 279-5200
Wed & Thurs: 5 PM - 8:30 PM
Fri & Sat: 5 PM - 9 PM
Sunday: 3 PM - 8 PM

No credit cards. This is a cash-only establishment.

I think one of my favorites has to be Kirsch's. The food is outstanding, especially the Kona Coffee crusted Chateaubriand of beef and the crispy duck and mushroom Naopleon. Scuttlebutts for breakfast is also a solid choice.

http://www.kirschs.com/

Cathy2,

I have never returned to Fitzgerald's. The food was pretty good; I just did not like the ambiguity as to how everything worked. Maybe I will have to give it another try.

jlawrence01 wrote:Cathy2,

I have never returned to Fitzgerald's. The food was pretty good; I just did not like the ambiguity as to how everything worked. Maybe I will have to give it another try.

What do you mean by ambiguity?

This was not the best flowing workforce I ever witnessed.

Regards,

1) I walked in the place and noone greeted us.

2) I had to ask "how this worked" because there was no menu and no clue as to how much dinner was going to cost.

3) Sat at the table for ten minutes upstairs until the waitress saw me waving her down.

It reminded me on some of the "hole in the wall" places down South that have no menu because "everyone KNOWS that Wednesdays are fried chicken" days.

It is a really disorganized place although the food was not bad. Like many of the "fish boils" in McHenry Co., they use cod sticks.

jlawrence01 wrote:1) I walked in the place and noone greeted us.

2) I had to ask "how this worked" because there was no menu and no clue as to how much dinner was going to cost.

3) Sat at the table for ten minutes upstairs until the waitress saw me waving her down.

It reminded me on some of the "hole in the wall" places down South that have no menu because "everyone KNOWS that Wednesdays are fried chicken" days.

It is a really disorganized place although the food was not bad. Like many of the "fish boils" in McHenry Co., they use cod sticks.

This hasn't not changed too much. They definitely act like everyone is a regular who knows the system.

The Moms got in before me walking straight to a table. I came in last to find a staircase in the middle, a cashier on the left with the bar and buffet to the right. The cashier wanted a prompt decision and payment, which I was not prepared to do. I wasn't sure what the Moms had done already. Additionally I wanted to know if the fish offered in the Chicken and Fish Combo ($13) was the same fishboil or something else. I got a bug eyed response from the cashier who could not get over my fundamental question. I took the menu to the table, got everyone's consent, then returned to pay.

A waitress came mid meal to get drink orders. Returned only after we asked the busboy for refills, because he said, "Only the waitress could take drink orders." I then learned coffee is free, a refill for iced tea is 75 cents.

Now that you have been there once, you already know what to do! They've got us trained.

Regards,

Long time lurker here. My wife and I went to Northwind Perennials yesterday. We stopped in Burlington, Wisconsin for lunch at her favorite restaurant. This is approximately8 miles north of Lake Geneva.

I was extremely pleased at the quality of food we had at Wentkers. I had a tomato basil soup followed by a chicken pistachio salad on grilled croissant. The soup had chunks of tomato, bits of vidalia onion, and was not overly season with the basil. It was superb. The fries that came with the sandwich were of high pomme frites quality. My wife had the steak salad(MR to R). Instead of croûtons, it had little rectangles of seasoned potato squares.

I would be interested in the opinion of other posters. My family will be drving here for the Friday fish Fry...Baked cod, Fried cod, fried perch, or potato fried shrimp.

http://www.foodspot.com/bjwentkers/

Has anyone had the Tortilla Soup at Gordy's in Lake Geneva? One of my business partners -- who is definitely not a foodie -- not only swears by it but claims that it's the best rendition known to mankind. I'm skeptical but I thought I should at least ask. Here's a picture of it that he took with his cell phone . . .



Anyone?

=R=

Ron,

Thanks for warning us the picture would not be up to your usual standards.

I know nothing about the soup.

Regards,

Does anyone have any updated recs? I'm going to be here on Sunday night for my girlfriend's birthday. We're doing a fancier dinner in Chicago Saturday night, so I'm looking for a more casual place, but am concerned everything will be packed due to the holiday weekend. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Ouch! I wouldn't even try to get into, say, Popeye's on a holiday weekend, unless you go at a really odd hour.
Getting a bit out of town might work -- perhaps the Mars Resort. No, nothing science fictiony, just old-fashioned cooking.

You might consider the Red Geranium near the SR50 and US12 intersection, though you would definitely need a reservation there on a busy weekend so call ahead and see if they have anything. The She crab soup is excellent, and Red Geranium is my second favorite restaurant in the area after Gilbert's (which does not fit the casual bill, unfortunately).

http://redgeraniumrestaurant.com/default.aspx

Labor Day weekend is also the Walworth County Fair in Elkhorn, just north of Lake Geneva to add to the mix.

LikestoEatout wrote:Labor Day weekend is also the Walworth County Fair in Elkhorn, just north of Lake Geneva to add to the mix.

Too bad its a dry fair. Not serving beer at a festival in Wisconsin is pretty lame in my opinion.

I'm going to be in Lake Geneva with my sister (who is not from the area) for a couple of days, and she found a couple places online that she is intrigued by: The Medusa Grille, and The Geneva Chop House. Anyone have any experience with either of those?

Hi,

Are there any thoughts on Moose Creek in Elkhorn?

Thanks,

Tim

jlawrence01 wrote:As I live in nearby (15 miles) Woodstock, IL, we head up to Lake Geneva quite frequently. We have eaten there a few times. The only above average meal that I have ever had was at Popeye's.

Since these threads last for years, I want to make a couple of revisions.

The last two meals that I have had at Popeye's have been very disappointing. I ordered their roasted lamb and there was perhaps four ounces of meat and significantly more bone - for $20. On the prior visit, the chicken was overcooked.

The Chicago pizza place right out of downtown serves a pretty good pizza and some great sandwiches.

heading here for a couple days as well,

any recent feedback on Ryan Braun's or Kirsh's Restaurant @ the French Country Inn?

Went on a fairly large extended family outing to Popeye's this evening. Personally, my meal was OK for what my wife called a tourist trap experience. I had a combo Beef Brisket and Rotisserie Chicken BBQ meal. Agreeing with a previous post (unfortunately read the review after dining there) the chicken was overdone. I'm not sure about the brisket. Despite being paper thin slices, it was still a little tough and did not have that slow cooked melt in your mouth feel that good BBQ should have. That being said, some more lucky family members ordered the ribs and they were without a doubt the first ones done with their meal. All that was left on their plate were some bare bones. Next time around, I would order the ribs or their pork as the pig going round and round on the spit looked like it was being done right. probably more difficult to overcook a whole pig than a little 3-4 lb chicken. Nothing had a smoked flavor and based on their open air outdoor cooking showcase, I don't think smoking meat is something they really do here. Overall, for the area I guess it's OK. While I am not a BBQ master like many on this site, I do feel that I can top anything they do here at home.

How about J W Platek's in Richmond, IL? It's not too far from Lake Geneva.

J W Platek's Restaurant
8609 US Highway 12
Richmond, IL 60071
(815) 678-4078

jpreiser wrote:How about J W Platek's in Richmond, IL? It's not too far from Lake Geneva.

J W Platek's Restaurant
8609 US Highway 12
Richmond, IL 60071
(815) 678-4078

thanks Ill check it out,

I am keeping my dining expectations pretty low for Lake Geneva, if I can get a decent burger, reuben, etc, I will be happy.

We will probably check out Popeye's, Carvetti's and a few other spots. at least for drinks. Kirsch's might be in the running for a dinner.

We are staying @ the Grand Geneva, so I might even drop in @ Geneva Chophouse for some oysters one night.

I am however excited about trying out a place on the way to The Dells from Lake Geneva in Fort Atkinson, WI. called Ken & Betty's Cheesesteak & Hoagies.... perhaps my long search for a decent Philly cheesesteak in the midwest has been answered

http://kenandbettys.com/