Posted by ayersian
, July 02, 2009 23:30
Solly's Grille was our choice to begin our day in Milwaukee, and Nocarolina Bob was waiting for us when we arrived. JRPfeff's family Bobbi, Rachel, and Martin soon followed, as our group took over a significant section of the wraparound counter inside. Solly's famous Butterburger (we ordered ours with cheese and fried onions) was as delectable as touted, and the incredibly fresh banana malt almost stole the show. Bobbi regaled us with tales of the 45 pies she baked for their annual party last month, and overcome with her “sweet talk,” we then drove down the street to Kopp's for the frozen custard of the day: cherry amaretto cheesecake. Impossibly soft and velvety, this custard had chunks of cheesecake and crust mixed in with lots of cherries. Bob convinced us that we couldn't leave Milwaukee without trying Leon's frozen custard for comparison, and their thick and creamy chocolate custard (and vintage neon) was quite satisfying.
We could've easily spent the entire day touring Milwaukee's famed food sites but still recuperating from our Chicago smorgasbord, we decided to push westward to Iowa. Along the way, we made a detour into downtown Madison to visit the statehouse as well as Lane's Bakery. Racine it is not, but we have trouble believing that any kringle could be as sinfully sweet and lip-smackingly good as the pecan variety that we chose. The chocolate donut and Mountain cookie (infused with trail mix) were also top-shelf pastries. We then bid the interstate farewell and took secondary highways to the great Mississippi River. Shortly before crossing the border into Iowa, we happened upon Rural Route 1 Popcorn in Livingston and quickly regretted buying only a small tub of their jalapeno cheese popcorn. St. Olaf Tap in St. Olaf, Iowa boasts the world's largest tenderloin, and that is no false claim: the 16 oz. breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is monstrously large with enough meat for four oversized sandwiches. Their homemade onion rings and fried corn nuggets were also wonderful, and the 1919 Brand Root Beer flowed freely on tap. We dragged ourselves back to Pikes Peak State Park in McGregor and plotted tomorrow's drive across Iowa.
