One of the last things we did before we left the Chicago area was to have one of the most authentic experiences in the Midwest: a classic fish fry at a Wisconsin supper club. M went to grad school in Wisconsin, but somehow we managed to escape this tradition over the years. Sure we had fish frys before, but not a real, official, down-home Wisconsin fish fry at a supper club with all the fixins. We are talking all-you-can-eat fish. Our friend K had recently moved to Wisconsin so we figured she would be the perfect person to experience a fish fry with. K did some research (we knew we were good friends for a reason) and she found the perfect place: the Colony House (25811 119th St, Trevor, WI 53179), located 45 minutes south of Milwaukee.
Colony Club is located pretty much in the middle of nowhere in a white wooden house, and when we arrived on Friday night it was pretty crowded. Colony House couldn’t have been more Wisconsin-y if it tried: when you walk in, you will think you have stepped back in time into a 1960s supper club. We arrived a little bit early for our reservation, so we sidled up to the bar. K got the official cocktail of the Wisconsin supper club, the Old Fashioned, which she deemed excellent. Before too long we were led to the basement dining room for our fish fry experience. The basement kind of looked like the interior of a grandma’s house – with wood paneling, nautical-style chairs and tables and tchotchkes. To be honest, it was perfect! The photo below is of the upstairs dining room since the basement was too dark. The upstairs room is a little more subdued.
There were other things on the menu, but of course we were there just for the fish fry. The Friday fish fry at Colony House comes with a few options – you can get all you can eat Icelandic Cod ($9.95), or a set portion of other fish for a slight up-charge (Perch, Pike, Bluegill or Smelt $10.95-12.95) – any type of fish selected can be beer-battered or fried. For the side dishes you get potato pancakes or fries along with applesauce, family-style sides of sour cream (of course), rye bread and coleslaw. We got an order of Cod alongside Perch and Bluegill, both fried. Everything we sampled was delicious – the fish was moist, the batter was golden brown, light and crispy, and the potato pancakes were surprisingly scrumptious. If we had to choose again we would have probably all gotten the Cod with the potato pancakes. We were really happy with our experience at Colony House, it may not have had the best fish of all time, the but fish fry itself was just what we needed. Colony House was the perfect place for a relaxed night out with friends, and a real piece of Wisconsin history.
Eating The World 