1
00:00:06,740 --> 00:00:08,175
is a co-production
of Wisconsin Public Television

2
00:00:08,242 --> 00:00:11,278
of Wisconsin Public Television
and University Communications

3
00:00:11,345 --> 00:00:15,249
at the University of Wisconsin-
Madison.

4
00:00:17,050 --> 00:00:19,486
? ?
[conversations in background]

5
00:00:19,553 --> 00:00:22,556
[conversations in background]

6
00:00:24,691 --> 00:00:27,828
>> I think that it's
just an experience

7
00:00:27,895 --> 00:00:29,997
that is like no other.
>> Oh, I think it's awesome.

8
00:00:30,063 --> 00:00:32,533
It's Midwest,
definitely Wisconsin.

9
00:00:32,599 --> 00:00:34,801
You know, you go out of state
and-- I don't know-- you don't

10
00:00:34,868 --> 00:00:37,437
find many Supper Clubs.
>> We moved out to Wisconsin

11
00:00:37,504 --> 00:00:41,742
12 years ago,
and the Wisconsin supper clubs

12
00:00:41,808 --> 00:00:44,678
were something that people
knew about in New England.

13
00:00:44,745 --> 00:00:47,347
And it was something
we kind of sought out.

14
00:00:47,414 --> 00:00:50,517
>> I always like to think "Wow!
You know, everybody in the state

15
00:00:50,584 --> 00:00:54,421
is kind of sitting down with me
at the same table."

16
00:00:54,488 --> 00:00:57,991
We are Wisconsinites.
We go to supper clubs.

17
00:00:58,058 --> 00:01:01,428
>> They're a culinary tradition
in the upper-Midwest.

18
00:01:01,495 --> 00:01:04,431
Hometown restaurants
that serve hearty helpings

19
00:01:04,498 --> 00:01:08,802
and carry on Wisconsin heritage.
Spend enough time in Wisconsin's

20
00:01:08,869 --> 00:01:11,205
300-plus supper clubs,
and you'll learn about

21
00:01:11,271 --> 00:01:13,440
the state's history...
its culture...

22
00:01:13,507 --> 00:01:17,277
and the cutting edge research
preparing its future.

23
00:01:17,344 --> 00:01:19,313
>> There's a ton of science
behind what we eat,

24
00:01:19,379 --> 00:01:21,048
especially at a supper club.
>> They're definitely

25
00:01:21,114 --> 00:01:23,383
an experience.
[laughter]

26
00:01:23,450 --> 00:01:26,119
A very unique experience.
? ?

27
00:01:32,359 --> 00:01:37,297
crowded race where
[water bubbling and flowing]

28
00:01:37,364 --> 00:01:40,934
[water bubbling and flowing]
>> For half a century,

29
00:01:41,001 --> 00:01:43,937
the Hobnob restaurant has stood
near Lake Michigan between the

30
00:01:44,004 --> 00:01:46,807
cities of Racine and Kenosha.

31
00:01:49,276 --> 00:01:53,847
designed the building itself
The original owner

32
00:01:54,982 --> 00:01:57,584
that he saw in California.
from a restaurant

33
00:01:57,651 --> 00:02:00,187
off the beaten path.
It is kind of

34
00:02:00,254 --> 00:02:04,124
view and beautiful scenery.
Kind of remote with a beautiful

35
00:02:04,191 --> 00:02:07,160
independently-owned restaurant.
>> It is an

36
00:02:07,227 --> 00:02:10,264
A little over the top
It's been around for 50 years.

37
00:02:10,330 --> 00:02:12,399
Somewhat retro,
in the style.

38
00:02:12,466 --> 00:02:15,469
here and there.
a little Art Deco

39
00:02:17,304 --> 00:02:17,971
So that describes it.
That's a good word to call it.

40
00:02:18,038 --> 00:02:20,941
That's a good word to call it.
? ?

41
00:02:23,677 --> 00:02:26,813
>> Northwest, in the town
of Plover, is the Sky Club...

42
00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:28,815
a family business
now run by brothers

43
00:02:28,882 --> 00:02:31,218
Eric and Patrick Freund.

44
00:02:32,186 --> 00:02:35,155
but back in the '30s,
this is now it's 80th year,

45
00:02:35,222 --> 00:02:37,724
>> It's been in our family
it was an old gas station.

46
00:02:37,791 --> 00:02:39,593
We're the third generation
since 1961.

47
00:02:39,660 --> 00:02:41,328
to have it.

48
00:02:42,930 --> 00:02:47,634
generations of customers.
So, not only our regular

49
00:02:47,701 --> 00:02:50,938
customers, but also their kids,
their kids' kids.

50
00:02:51,004 --> 00:02:53,841
I mean it just goes on.
>> Toast.

51
00:02:53,907 --> 00:02:56,743
Cheers!
>> Oh God, it's like family!

52
00:02:56,810 --> 00:02:58,946
There's still people
coming out here

53
00:02:59,012 --> 00:03:01,815
that, when I was a kid,
thatsed to come out here.

54
00:03:01,882 --> 00:03:04,551
>> Continuing north,
in the smaller community

55
00:03:04,618 --> 00:03:07,988
of Minocqua, is the Red Steer,
a restaurant recently bought

56
00:03:08,055 --> 00:03:10,390
by Brad and Alison Kusek.

57
00:03:12,326 --> 00:03:15,696
>> It's been a supper club for
for approximately 86 years.

58
00:03:15,762 --> 00:03:18,565
at least 50 years, if not more.

59
00:03:19,566 --> 00:03:22,436
as a hunting shack.
So, it's pretty cool that

60
00:03:22,503 --> 00:03:25,005
we get to tell that story
when customers come in.

61
00:03:25,072 --> 00:03:28,008
>> The fireplace is
made of river stone.

62
00:03:28,075 --> 00:03:30,410
There is a woman that came in
with her husband and her two

63
00:03:30,477 --> 00:03:34,781
kids, and she had told me the
story of her grandfather

64
00:03:34,848 --> 00:03:38,185
and three of his friends
had gone up to Superior

65
00:03:38,252 --> 00:03:42,222
and hand-picked the river stone.
And they came back

66
00:03:42,289 --> 00:03:46,827
and built the fireplace.
>> I would say at least once or

67
00:03:46,894 --> 00:03:49,396
twice a week we get customers
that come in and say,

68
00:03:49,463 --> 00:03:51,465
"I've been coming here
for 40 years, 30 years,

69
00:03:51,532 --> 00:03:54,001
what have you.
Thank you so much

70
00:03:54,067 --> 00:03:56,870
for taking over the place and
keeping the nostalgia going."

71
00:03:56,937 --> 00:03:59,740
You know, they just love it.
? ?

72
00:04:01,975 --> 00:04:05,646
>> Each place is unique...
but each is considered

73
00:04:05,712 --> 00:04:08,549
a supper club.
Just what that means

74
00:04:08,615 --> 00:04:12,452
depends on whom you ask.
>> Supper club, I believe,

75
00:04:12,519 --> 00:04:16,123
is a family-run business
that's not a chain.

76
00:04:16,190 --> 00:04:18,358
And you have unique family
recipes and unique regional

77
00:04:18,425 --> 00:04:20,427
recipes to that area.

78
00:04:22,296 --> 00:04:26,333
You come here to relax.
Obviously, it's not fast food.

79
00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:31,104
your friends or your family.
You come here to visit with

80
00:04:31,171 --> 00:04:34,942
>> But supper clubs mean
staff, two lieutenant

81
00:04:35,008 --> 00:04:39,079
just what is eaten there.
so much more than

82
00:04:39,146 --> 00:04:43,350
specialness, togetherness.
There's this sense of

83
00:04:43,417 --> 00:04:45,853
where everybody's welcome.
Supper clubs are a place

84
00:04:45,919 --> 00:04:48,822
young... old.
Rich... poor...

85
00:04:49,690 --> 00:04:51,825
Everybody's welcome.

86
00:04:53,227 --> 00:04:56,864
and you see a full bar,
a big bar in a supper club,

87
00:04:56,930 --> 00:05:00,033
with a great bartender
behind the bar,

88
00:05:00,100 --> 00:05:02,803
[liquid flows quickly from tap]
that's what supper clubs are,

89
00:05:02,870 --> 00:05:05,606
I feel.
>> There are some traditional

90
00:05:05,672 --> 00:05:07,741
things that go along with
most supper clubs:

91
00:05:07,808 --> 00:05:11,078
several courses...
>> And that'll be a good start.

92
00:05:11,144 --> 00:05:15,616
>> Nice comfortable atmosphere,
nothing rushed,

93
00:05:15,682 --> 00:05:18,585
everything made from scratch.

94
00:05:19,152 --> 00:05:21,822
Well, it's a club
doesn't it?

95
00:05:22,356 --> 00:05:25,025
but it's kind of like a
that you can have supper in

96
00:05:25,092 --> 00:05:29,663
eat a nice meal,
nice club that you can come in,

97
00:05:29,730 --> 00:05:32,799
and it's just got
there's live music

98
00:05:32,866 --> 00:05:35,335
a very lively atmosphere.

99
00:05:36,370 --> 00:05:38,572
rather than just going to get
something to eat.

100
00:05:38,639 --> 00:05:42,543
It's a two-hour,
three-hour experience.

101
00:05:44,011 --> 00:05:46,947
>> University of Wisconsin
folklorist Jim Leary

102
00:05:47,014 --> 00:05:50,417
says the term "supper club"
was first used to describe

103
00:05:50,484 --> 00:05:52,819
informal social groups.

104
00:05:54,855 --> 00:05:59,927
that barred drinking,
before the Volstead Act of 1919

105
00:05:59,993 --> 00:06:02,829
clubs where they would go
we know that there were actual

106
00:06:02,896 --> 00:06:05,232
they would go to
once a month or something,

107
00:06:05,299 --> 00:06:07,768
such and such place to eat.

108
00:06:08,402 --> 00:06:10,971
things changed after that
all around food.

109
00:06:11,038 --> 00:06:13,974
>> Food writer Terese Allen
says the term soon took on

110
00:06:14,041 --> 00:06:17,878
a different meaning.
>> Supper clubs really started

111
00:06:17,945 --> 00:06:21,849
showing up in the United States
as a name of

112
00:06:22,349 --> 00:06:25,652
a dining establishment
sometime in the 1920s.

113
00:06:25,719 --> 00:06:29,590
And they were sort of
destination places.

114
00:06:29,656 --> 00:06:33,794
And then they really got popular
in the 1950s and '60s and

115
00:06:33,861 --> 00:06:36,864
that's the time frame we tend
to think of supper clubs.

116
00:06:36,930 --> 00:06:39,533
This was the time when supper
clubs were really a little bit

117
00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:43,136
fancier, when it was not a place
to go just for the meal;

118
00:06:43,203 --> 00:06:46,306
it was a place to go for a
whole evening of entertainment.

119
00:06:46,373 --> 00:06:48,041
? ?

120
00:06:51,778 --> 00:06:54,548
>> Those evenings of
entertainment often began

121
00:06:54,615 --> 00:06:58,485
with a trip to the bar...
and a drink that's become

122
00:06:58,552 --> 00:07:01,788
a supper club staple.
>> It's the

123
00:07:01,855 --> 00:07:03,690
Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet.
>> The Old Fashioneds.

124
00:07:03,757 --> 00:07:06,159
Yep.
It's a Wisconsin thing,

125
00:07:06,226 --> 00:07:08,529
I believe.
>> Oh yeah, you got to have

126
00:07:08,595 --> 00:07:11,298
an Old Fashioned here.
Yep, Brandy Old Fashioned Sweets

127
00:07:11,365 --> 00:07:13,500
are very popular.
>> A large part of the

128
00:07:13,567 --> 00:07:16,637
19-century immigration
to this state was from Europe,

129
00:07:16,703 --> 00:07:19,940
especially Northern Europe.
And those countries have sort of

130
00:07:20,007 --> 00:07:23,911
a sense of drinking spirits,
especially on the sweeter side,

131
00:07:23,977 --> 00:07:25,979
and so they brought
that tradition here.

132
00:07:26,046 --> 00:07:27,848
>> Voilą.
All done.

133
00:07:30,184 --> 00:07:32,286
>> Lately, another drink
has been gaining ground

134
00:07:32,352 --> 00:07:34,755
at the bar.
>> Draft beer

135
00:07:34,821 --> 00:07:36,557
is definitely increasing,
especially with the boom

136
00:07:36,623 --> 00:07:38,659
with all the crafts
and small brewers.

137
00:07:38,725 --> 00:07:41,895
We actually have
four brewers in the county.

138
00:07:41,962 --> 00:07:45,566
>> Supper clubs are seeing
and playing into

139
00:07:45,632 --> 00:07:48,435
the local foods movement,
and the local foods movement

140
00:07:48,502 --> 00:07:51,238
is about being proud
of what is grown and produced

141
00:07:51,305 --> 00:07:55,776
and sold and made locally.
>> The number of beers

142
00:07:56,443 --> 00:07:58,979
made in Wisconsin is growing...
and so are the opportunities

143
00:07:59,046 --> 00:08:02,616
remarkable economic
for budding brewers.

144
00:08:02,683 --> 00:08:03,750
and as you begin to see
it's a growth industry,

145
00:08:03,817 --> 00:08:05,953
all those new breweries show up,
and as you begin to see

146
00:08:06,019 --> 00:08:08,956
whether it's really people who
whether it's brewpubs or

147
00:08:09,022 --> 00:08:10,724
beer for packaging,
are going to be manufacturing

148
00:08:10,791 --> 00:08:12,793
that requires staff.

149
00:08:14,795 --> 00:08:18,498
of food science at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison.

150
00:08:18,565 --> 00:08:19,600
>> One of the things that we're
Republicans who voted

151
00:08:19,666 --> 00:08:22,002
trying to do is train brewers
to go out into that industry.

152
00:08:22,069 --> 00:08:25,639
We get these students in
the brewing program as seniors.

153
00:08:25,706 --> 00:08:28,575
And really, we're integrating
the entomology, the chemistry,

154
00:08:28,642 --> 00:08:31,078
the microbiology and
the engineering principles

155
00:08:31,144 --> 00:08:33,514
that they've learned as they
come through the program.

156
00:08:33,580 --> 00:08:36,650
>> University researchers
are also providing key insights

157
00:08:36,717 --> 00:08:38,952
to those working
in the beer industry.

158
00:08:39,019 --> 00:08:42,356
They're even investigating
one of the key building blocks

159
00:08:42,422 --> 00:08:45,459
of beer: yeast.
>> What we'd like to be able

160
00:08:45,526 --> 00:08:47,694
to provide, of course,
is a yeast strain

161
00:08:47,761 --> 00:08:50,497
to the industry that provides
new and unique flavors.

162
00:08:50,564 --> 00:08:53,667
There is a strain that
we've isolated from Wisconsin

163
00:08:53,734 --> 00:08:55,702
that is one of the two parents
of the lager strain.

164
00:08:55,769 --> 00:08:58,772
And that strain
we've made beer with now

165
00:08:58,839 --> 00:09:01,008
a couple of different times.
It's a different,

166
00:09:01,074 --> 00:09:04,077
very unique flavor.
Kind of reminds you of a lambic

167
00:09:04,144 --> 00:09:06,513
or something similar.
It's not quite like a lambic,

168
00:09:06,580 --> 00:09:09,383
but it's more like a lambic than
would be a traditional lager,

169
00:09:09,449 --> 00:09:13,520
and a very interesting beer.
[beer pouring into glass]

170
00:09:13,587 --> 00:09:16,790
>> Back at the bar,
new brews are only

171
00:09:16,857 --> 00:09:19,826
part of the picture.
And for supper club regulars,

172
00:09:19,893 --> 00:09:22,496
the company they keep
is even more interesting

173
00:09:22,563 --> 00:09:25,332
than the beers they drink.
>> It comes with the atmosphere

174
00:09:25,399 --> 00:09:28,368
of a supper club.
It invites you just

175
00:09:28,435 --> 00:09:31,605
to sit down and relax
and just have a cocktail

176
00:09:31,672 --> 00:09:34,408
at your leisure.
>> You enjoy family time.

177
00:09:34,474 --> 00:09:37,511
Enjoy the people you're around.
>> Don't be in a rush.

178
00:09:37,578 --> 00:09:40,147
>> Yeah, don't be in a rush.
Just do it how it's done.

179
00:09:40,214 --> 00:09:43,016
Just eat, I guess.
>> Make an evening of it. Yep.

180
00:09:43,083 --> 00:09:46,420
[conversation in background]
>> It's the experience.

181
00:09:46,486 --> 00:09:48,856
It's just come in and relax,
and have a good time.

182
00:09:48,922 --> 00:09:51,091
Still to come...
>> Medium rare.

183
00:09:51,158 --> 00:09:53,327
Medium rare.
>> Sizzling steaks and

184
00:09:53,393 --> 00:09:56,330
flaky fish take center stage
in supper clubs.

185
00:09:56,396 --> 00:09:59,266
But before the main course,
we'll take a look at

186
00:09:59,333 --> 00:10:00,801
two Wisconsin traditions
these proposals, including

187
00:10:00,868 --> 00:10:03,537
that make eating your vegetables
oh-so easy.

188
00:10:03,604 --> 00:10:05,272
? ?

189
00:10:10,010 --> 00:10:12,012
? ?
>> After soaking in

190
00:10:15,249 --> 00:10:17,851
the character of the place,
catching up

191
00:10:17,918 --> 00:10:20,554
with a few old friends,
and enjoying a trip to the bar,

192
00:10:20,621 --> 00:10:23,323
the meal can finally begin.

193
00:10:25,292 --> 00:10:27,995
Supper clubs traditionally
follow a core menu of

194
00:10:28,061 --> 00:10:30,731
a relish tray, salad bar
or other appetizers,

195
00:10:30,797 --> 00:10:34,001
a hearty main course,
and a sweet dessert

196
00:10:34,067 --> 00:10:36,603
if you still have room.
But they all share

197
00:10:36,670 --> 00:10:39,006
one key ingredient...
? ?

198
00:10:40,607 --> 00:10:42,709
>> If you're going to
come to a supper club

199
00:10:42,776 --> 00:10:45,679
and you're going to have a
two- to three-hour experience,

200
00:10:45,746 --> 00:10:47,915
I think the food
should be fresh.

201
00:10:47,981 --> 00:10:50,184
>> We cook everything fresh
from raw, scratch

202
00:10:50,250 --> 00:10:52,052
in a supper club.
>> We can't just pull something

203
00:10:52,119 --> 00:10:53,387
really strange.
out of the freezer quickly

204
00:10:53,453 --> 00:10:55,923
and prepare it
or zap it in a microwave.

205
00:10:55,989 --> 00:10:58,325
It's all made right here.
>> Majority of the foods

206
00:10:58,392 --> 00:11:01,628
that we do bring in
are made here in Wisconsin.

207
00:11:01,695 --> 00:11:04,631
>> We are a farming state
so we draw from all kinds

208
00:11:04,698 --> 00:11:06,567
of different traditions
around food.

209
00:11:06,633 --> 00:11:09,203
? ?
Lots of places still have

210
00:11:11,572 --> 00:11:15,776
the quintessential relish tray.
Just some cut vegetables.

211
00:11:15,843 --> 00:11:19,446
>> You've got root vegetables,
or hearty ones that will keep

212
00:11:19,513 --> 00:11:22,783
like carrots, radishes,
and celery.

213
00:11:22,850 --> 00:11:24,718
>> Not even a dip.
Just a little salt, you know,

214
00:11:24,785 --> 00:11:27,387
to dip the vegetables in.
Very simple,

215
00:11:27,454 --> 00:11:30,357
and really good to begin a meal.

216
00:11:31,859 --> 00:11:34,394
for example, the relish tray,
vegetables that you see,

217
00:11:34,461 --> 00:11:37,531
of Wisconsin's Ag industry
those have been an integral part

218
00:11:37,598 --> 00:11:40,067
since the very beginning.

219
00:11:42,803 --> 00:11:44,771
grew in Wisconsin, so did
especially in divided

220
00:11:44,838 --> 00:11:47,875
the size of those relish trays.
But how do you show off

221
00:11:47,941 --> 00:11:50,077
all of those veggies
and keep them fresh?

222
00:11:50,143 --> 00:11:52,145
? ?
The Sky Club claims

223
00:11:55,349 --> 00:11:58,485
they found the answer.
>> The first ever salad bar

224
00:11:58,552 --> 00:12:01,488
was created, invented
here in Plover

225
00:12:01,555 --> 00:12:05,626
at the Sky Club in 1950.
Louie and Evelyn Schnittger,

226
00:12:05,692 --> 00:12:09,496
the previous owners, had asked
Russell Swanson from Swanson

227
00:12:09,563 --> 00:12:12,933
Bars to manufacture something
that could keep their relish

228
00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,336
trays and their vegetables cold
because they were spoiling.

229
00:12:16,403 --> 00:12:18,539
He created this little
salad bar.

230
00:12:18,605 --> 00:12:20,807
It's nothing like
the one we have right now.

231
00:12:20,874 --> 00:12:22,776
It kept your carrots and your
relishes and your potato salads

232
00:12:22,843 --> 00:12:25,612
and coleslaws cold in,
I guess, what you would call

233
00:12:25,679 --> 00:12:27,881
an "ice bath."
So, that's one thing that

234
00:12:27,948 --> 00:12:30,884
our family is extremely proud of
is being the first-ever

235
00:12:30,951 --> 00:12:32,753
salad bar in the United States.
>> Today, the salad bar

236
00:12:32,819 --> 00:12:35,756
is rooted in abundance
and can often resemble an

237
00:12:35,822 --> 00:12:38,825
entire meal, in and of itself.
? ?

238
00:12:40,894 --> 00:12:42,563
>> We have romaine lettuce,
regular chopped lettuce.

239
00:12:42,629 --> 00:12:44,565
>> We've got
different pasta salads.

240
00:12:44,631 --> 00:12:47,167
Giblet mold,
and that's an oldie.

241
00:12:47,234 --> 00:12:49,536
>> Cheese spreads, carrots,
cauliflower, creamy cucumbers.

242
00:12:49,603 --> 00:12:52,272
>> Shredded cheese, onions,
bacon bits.

243
00:12:52,339 --> 00:12:54,842
>> Jell-O.
>> Only in Wisconsin

244
00:12:54,908 --> 00:12:56,877
will you see Jell-O
on a salad bar.

245
00:12:56,944 --> 00:12:59,112
[laughter]
>> Oh, yeah,

246
00:12:59,179 --> 00:13:01,215
we've got beets, too.
Pickled beets.

247
00:13:01,281 --> 00:13:03,250
>> We have the best
pickled beets around.

248
00:13:03,317 --> 00:13:06,186
>> Lots of good stuff.
>> All of those things

249
00:13:06,253 --> 00:13:08,689
have been mainstays and
you'll see those in abundance.

250
00:13:08,755 --> 00:13:11,692
And a lot of that
is locally-produced material.

251
00:13:11,758 --> 00:13:14,094
>> We've also seen this
big trend from farm-to-table.

252
00:13:14,161 --> 00:13:16,296
We actually have our own garden
in the back.

253
00:13:16,363 --> 00:13:18,332
We do grow
some of our vegetables here.

254
00:13:18,398 --> 00:13:20,467
We'll be like
a little test market, too.

255
00:13:20,534 --> 00:13:22,402
We've got some of the farmers
and distributors,

256
00:13:22,469 --> 00:13:24,204
they're dropping off
new styles of potatoes.

257
00:13:24,271 --> 00:13:26,640
And they'll say,
"Try these out".

258
00:13:26,707 --> 00:13:28,308
And we'd be happy to do that.
We'll do something, and then,

259
00:13:28,375 --> 00:13:32,246
we'll give our information
back to them.

260
00:13:32,312 --> 00:13:34,915
>> Sharing field research
is at the heart

261
00:13:34,982 --> 00:13:38,151
of the University of Wisconsin.
Horticulture Department Chair

262
00:13:38,218 --> 00:13:39,620
Irwin Goldman
develops that research

263
00:13:39,686 --> 00:13:42,756
get immediately trashed,
into real-world applications.

264
00:13:42,823 --> 00:13:45,626
>> We breed new cucumbers
for pickling.

265
00:13:45,692 --> 00:13:48,061
We breed new carrots
for processing

266
00:13:48,128 --> 00:13:51,899
and we also breed beets.
We're studying aspects

267
00:13:51,965 --> 00:13:54,301
of those crops that relate to
something the consumer

268
00:13:54,368 --> 00:13:55,702
can benefit from and, also,
media.

269
00:13:55,769 --> 00:13:59,406
the farmer can benefit from.
So, for the consumer side, we

270
00:13:59,473 --> 00:14:02,109
might be interested in breeding
for flavor, or breeding for

271
00:14:02,176 --> 00:14:04,711
color, or breeding for shape.
Something that people can

272
00:14:04,778 --> 00:14:08,148
interact with directly.
In the case of the farmer,

273
00:14:08,215 --> 00:14:10,317
we're interested in developing
something that has more yield

274
00:14:10,384 --> 00:14:12,786
or disease resistance.
>> We can buy it fresh

275
00:14:12,853 --> 00:14:15,189
from them.
And it's nice that we can bring

276
00:14:15,255 --> 00:14:17,891
that experience to the customer.
>> There's a really nice

277
00:14:17,958 --> 00:14:19,927
connection between
the supper club and

278
00:14:19,993 --> 00:14:23,797
the Wisconsin Ag history.
[cows mooing]

279
00:14:25,165 --> 00:14:28,569
>> A state whose Ag history
is no stranger to the dairy

280
00:14:28,635 --> 00:14:32,439
industry and leads the nation
in cheese production.

281
00:14:32,506 --> 00:14:35,876
John Lucey is Professor
of Food Science and Director

282
00:14:35,943 --> 00:14:40,480
of the Center for Dairy Research
at the University of Wisconsin.

283
00:14:40,547 --> 00:14:41,448
has led to improvements
that we've done here

284
00:14:41,515 --> 00:14:43,851
in cheese flavor.
has led to improvements

285
00:14:43,917 --> 00:14:46,987
that was discovered here and
One of the actual cultures

286
00:14:47,054 --> 00:14:49,223
probably used in almost every
used for cheese making is now

287
00:14:49,289 --> 00:14:51,959
cheese plant across the U.S.

288
00:14:54,161 --> 00:14:57,865
in new varieties of cheeses and
flavors, often making their way

289
00:14:57,931 --> 00:15:00,634
into different appetizers
at supper clubs.

290
00:15:00,701 --> 00:15:02,970
>> Dairy has been around
forever, but it's always

291
00:15:03,036 --> 00:15:06,039
kind of reinventing itself
with slightly different flavors,

292
00:15:06,106 --> 00:15:08,141
slightly different textures,
different diversities,

293
00:15:08,208 --> 00:15:10,344
and that's what you see
in the supper clubs as it

294
00:15:10,410 --> 00:15:11,945
slowly percolates into menus
attention to something

295
00:15:12,012 --> 00:15:15,983
and items that people have.
>> Steak carpaccio.

296
00:15:16,049 --> 00:15:19,620
I make a bleu cheese mousse,
which is bleu cheese

297
00:15:19,686 --> 00:15:22,956
and cream cheese mixed in.
It's got shallots and garlic.

298
00:15:23,023 --> 00:15:23,991
and Gorgonzola mousse.
I made a smoked Gouda

299
00:15:24,057 --> 00:15:26,293
and Gorgonzola mousse.

300
00:15:27,394 --> 00:15:31,331
little pots of cheese mixtures
and so forth.

301
00:15:31,398 --> 00:15:34,134
It can be interesting
if they have wine

302
00:15:34,201 --> 00:15:36,537
or strange stuff in them.
that's probably deceiving

303
00:15:36,603 --> 00:15:38,539
Well, it's good Wisconsin cheese
legally called special

304
00:15:38,605 --> 00:15:41,775
mixed up into a spreadable...
for crackers and stuff.

305
00:15:41,842 --> 00:15:43,810
I'm not going to tell you
exactly how it's made

306
00:15:43,877 --> 00:15:47,181
because it's, you know,
it's our, kind of, secret.

307
00:15:47,247 --> 00:15:49,249
? ?
>> What's no secret

308
00:15:50,817 --> 00:15:52,352
regular session. It's
is the access supper clubs have

309
00:15:52,419 --> 00:15:55,255
to fresh cheese.
>> Our cheese curds

310
00:15:55,322 --> 00:15:57,291
are from a cheese factory
right down the road.

311
00:15:57,357 --> 00:16:00,594
>> Since we are in Wisconsin
and we have so much

312
00:16:00,661 --> 00:16:02,596
dairy products made here,
it doesn't have to

313
00:16:02,663 --> 00:16:04,565
be shipped very far.
So, we have an advantage

314
00:16:04,631 --> 00:16:06,967
in our supper clubs
being able to source

315
00:16:07,034 --> 00:16:10,637
high quality, great tasting,
fresh products.

316
00:16:10,704 --> 00:16:13,774
>> It's nice to make
everything on the menu homemade.

317
00:16:13,841 --> 00:16:16,109
And to be able to have
the fresh ingredients,

318
00:16:16,176 --> 00:16:19,179
it just makes it better.
>> Fresh, regional ingredients

319
00:16:19,246 --> 00:16:22,482
make up the supper club menu,
but what's on the plate

320
00:16:22,549 --> 00:16:25,552
for the main course
comes down to history and

321
00:16:25,619 --> 00:16:28,522
which night you decide to dine.

322
00:16:34,494 --> 00:16:37,030
? ?
>> While drinks, relishes,

323
00:16:37,097 --> 00:16:39,867
bread and butter
may be supper club traditions,

324
00:16:39,933 --> 00:16:42,769
it's the main course
that steals the show.

325
00:16:42,836 --> 00:16:46,306
Each night has its own star,
and on Friday

326
00:16:46,373 --> 00:16:49,643
the spotlight falls on fish.
>> Friday at a supper club

327
00:16:49,710 --> 00:16:52,179
generally means fish fry.

328
00:16:52,980 --> 00:16:55,516
or culinary customs,
one of my favorite customs,

329
00:16:55,582 --> 00:16:57,117
if you will, in this state.

330
00:16:57,184 --> 00:17:00,821
situations where all kinds
It's one of these unusual

331
00:17:00,888 --> 00:17:06,827
create the fish fry tradition.
of things have come together to

332
00:17:06,894 --> 00:17:08,395
If you look at this state,
geographically

333
00:17:08,462 --> 00:17:11,231
geographically
you see water everywhere.

334
00:17:11,298 --> 00:17:14,768
>> Wisconsin has
about 15,000 lakes.

335
00:17:15,502 --> 00:17:18,205
We've got the Mississippi River.
We've got two Great Lakes

336
00:17:18,272 --> 00:17:21,275
that we border on.
>> Our history

337
00:17:21,341 --> 00:17:23,410
is really about fishing.
Then, of course,

338
00:17:23,477 --> 00:17:25,913
we have a historically-large
Catholic population.

339
00:17:25,979 --> 00:17:30,150
Catholics for many, many decades
did not eat meat on Fridays.

340
00:17:30,217 --> 00:17:31,952
And then Prohibition
also had an effect.

341
00:17:32,019 --> 00:17:33,687
? ?

342
00:17:37,491 --> 00:17:41,061
began to really take off.
the Friday night fish fry

343
00:17:41,128 --> 00:17:42,362
concerned.
could no longer serve alcohol

344
00:17:42,429 --> 00:17:47,167
could no longer serve alcohol
during Prohibition,

345
00:17:47,234 --> 00:17:49,803
they needed to get people
into the doors in some way.

346
00:17:49,870 --> 00:17:53,473
So, they would offer free
or very cheap meals of fish

347
00:17:53,540 --> 00:17:55,209
on a Friday or a Friday night.
motivate his Republican

348
00:17:55,275 --> 00:17:58,045
And whole Catholic families
would come in.

349
00:17:58,111 --> 00:17:59,713
moderate voters and
So, then, of course,

350
00:17:59,780 --> 00:18:03,250
by the time Prohibition ended,
we had kind of already gotten

351
00:18:03,317 --> 00:18:06,453
used to eating these fish fries.
>> Typically, you would be

352
00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:10,224
eating yellow perch, bluegill,
walleye, a lot of local fish

353
00:18:10,290 --> 00:18:13,560
that people are familiar with.
But, when you go to your typical

354
00:18:13,627 --> 00:18:17,297
fish fry these days, you're
probably going to be eating fish

355
00:18:17,364 --> 00:18:21,335
from outside of Wisconsin.
>> Kathy Kline is an

356
00:18:21,401 --> 00:18:23,937
Education Outreach Specialist
with the University of Wisconsin

357
00:18:24,004 --> 00:18:26,006
Sea Grant Institute.

358
00:18:29,076 --> 00:18:33,313
problems like overfishing,
started to dwindle because of

359
00:18:33,380 --> 00:18:36,783
in the Great Lakes and
but also environmental problems

360
00:18:36,850 --> 00:18:39,653
A lot of invasive species
changes in the food web.

361
00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:45,526
basically, what's eating what.
moved in and they've changed,

362
00:18:46,360 --> 00:18:48,228
is helping restore and maintain
the health of Lake Michigan

363
00:18:48,295 --> 00:18:51,698
the health of Lake Michigan
and the other Great Lakes.

364
00:18:51,765 --> 00:18:54,268
>> The research that we're
supporting is looking at

365
00:18:54,334 --> 00:18:57,404
what's going on in Lake Michigan
and Lake Superior

366
00:18:57,471 --> 00:18:59,973
to our commercial fisheries.
Then, we're also supporting

367
00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:02,376
research to find out
how to raise some of these

368
00:19:02,442 --> 00:19:05,345
typical fish that
Wisconsin people like to eat.

369
00:19:05,412 --> 00:19:08,982
A good example is yellow perch.
Yellow perch used to be

370
00:19:09,049 --> 00:19:11,919
a very common fish
in Lake Michigan, especially.

371
00:19:11,985 --> 00:19:14,555
So, we've been working on this
for several decades

372
00:19:14,621 --> 00:19:18,158
and it's paying off.
We've been partnering with

373
00:19:18,225 --> 00:19:21,161
Growing Power in Milwaukee.
They've been raising yellow

374
00:19:21,228 --> 00:19:25,032
perch in aquaponics systems.
Aquaponics is fish and plants

375
00:19:25,098 --> 00:19:28,001
living together
in a closed system.

376
00:19:28,068 --> 00:19:30,671
Growing Power has been raising
yellow perch with their plants.

377
00:19:30,737 --> 00:19:32,606
They sell their plants
to local restaurants.

378
00:19:32,673 --> 00:19:34,575
They've also now been
selling their fish

379
00:19:34,641 --> 00:19:38,312
to a local restaurant.
So, you can go now

380
00:19:38,378 --> 00:19:41,114
to a restaurant in Milwaukee
on a Friday night and

381
00:19:41,181 --> 00:19:44,685
eat yellow perch that was grown
right there in Milwaukee.

382
00:19:44,751 --> 00:19:46,820
>> Fish may be
a Friday tradition,

383
00:19:46,887 --> 00:19:50,891
but on Saturday nights
beef rules supreme.

384
00:19:51,658 --> 00:19:52,593
>> Beef is king and
U.S. is king at beef.

385
00:19:52,659 --> 00:19:54,561
U.S. is king at beef.

386
00:19:55,495 --> 00:19:59,233
That's what defines them.
or their prime rib.

387
00:19:59,299 --> 00:20:00,367
the steak in a skillet.
>> Big steaks.

388
00:20:00,434 --> 00:20:02,302
>> Big steaks.
Our New York strips,

389
00:20:02,369 --> 00:20:04,638
our bone-in rib eye.
Prime rib.

390
00:20:04,705 --> 00:20:07,274
We have a phenomenal prime rib.
>> We brought back

391
00:20:07,341 --> 00:20:10,277
a 20-ounce cut prime rib.
>> The Emperor Cut.

392
00:20:10,344 --> 00:20:13,013
>> It's hard to go wrong.
It's hard to go wrong

393
00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:16,483
with anything here.
>> Making the best steak

394
00:20:16,550 --> 00:20:19,953
possible means starting with
the best meat possible.

395
00:20:20,020 --> 00:20:22,222
>> If you don't have
a nice piece of meat, then

396
00:20:22,289 --> 00:20:24,892
you're not getting a nice steak.
>> The higher quality,

397
00:20:24,958 --> 00:20:27,794
obviously, more tender,
more flavor.

398
00:20:27,861 --> 00:20:30,731
>> Marbling is very important.
More marble the better,

399
00:20:30,797 --> 00:20:33,734
definitely, more flavor.
The white specs of fat

400
00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:36,503
that's in the meat.
Fat is really, really important

401
00:20:36,570 --> 00:20:40,140
for meat products because it
provides flavor and juiciness.

402
00:20:40,207 --> 00:20:44,745
>> Jeff Sindelar is an associate
professor of animal science

403
00:20:44,811 --> 00:20:47,381
at UW's Meat and Muscle Lab.

404
00:20:48,382 --> 00:20:50,884
at a very molecular level
that's being conducted

405
00:20:50,951 --> 00:20:56,390
the quality of meat products.
to understand how to improve

406
00:20:56,456 --> 00:20:58,258
degrading of meat and trying to
extend its life, so that

407
00:20:58,325 --> 00:21:01,261
extend its life, so that
we can utilize it the best

408
00:21:01,328 --> 00:21:05,299
before it spoils and goes bad.
[hum of machinery,conveyer belt]

409
00:21:05,365 --> 00:21:06,366
[grill sizzles]
If you order a piece of meat,

410
00:21:06,433 --> 00:21:09,136
If you order a piece of meat,
steak, or a sausage

411
00:21:09,203 --> 00:21:12,439
there's a very high likelihood
that those products

412
00:21:12,506 --> 00:21:15,609
are coming from Wisconsin.
There's some supper clubs

413
00:21:15,676 --> 00:21:20,113
that will purchase never-frozen,
only fresh beef products.

414
00:21:20,180 --> 00:21:22,015
>> We have marvelous steaks.
They're all trimmed and cut

415
00:21:22,082 --> 00:21:24,318
in-house.
>> We're starting from

416
00:21:24,384 --> 00:21:26,720
a big chunk of meat,
cutting it up, trimming it up,

417
00:21:26,787 --> 00:21:29,122
and putting it on the grill.
Love it.

418
00:21:29,189 --> 00:21:31,859
Love it.
You get hands-on, you know.

419
00:21:31,925 --> 00:21:34,895
>> When you go to a supper club
and you order a meat product,

420
00:21:34,962 --> 00:21:37,764
you know first and foremost
that that product represents,

421
00:21:37,831 --> 00:21:40,934
really, the fabric
of the state of Wisconsin.

422
00:21:41,001 --> 00:21:44,638
>> At the University,
researching food and drink

423
00:21:44,705 --> 00:21:47,307
is serious science.
>> The University of Wisconsin

424
00:21:47,374 --> 00:21:50,344
has been involved in
helping people produce food

425
00:21:50,410 --> 00:21:54,248
ever since the university began.
That's been a big part of what

426
00:21:54,314 --> 00:21:57,117
the university is all about.
>> At supper clubs though,

427
00:21:57,184 --> 00:21:59,820
food and drink are responsible
for something else...

428
00:21:59,887 --> 00:22:03,223
not so serious,
but just as important:

429
00:22:03,290 --> 00:22:06,093
bringing people together.
? ?

430
00:22:09,429 --> 00:22:11,532
>> We've gotten to know people
over the years and

431
00:22:11,598 --> 00:22:14,001
you keep seeing the same people
over and over again

432
00:22:14,067 --> 00:22:16,470
on Friday nights,
which is, I think,

433
00:22:16,537 --> 00:22:19,106
part of the Wisconsin tradition.
>> It's like "Cheers."

434
00:22:19,173 --> 00:22:21,141
It's where everybody
knows your name.

435
00:22:21,208 --> 00:22:24,511
>> It's going back in the time
of hobnobbing and

436
00:22:24,578 --> 00:22:28,115
getting to know your neighbor.
>> It really has been

437
00:22:28,182 --> 00:22:31,885
70 years, 80 years
of growing up with these folks.

438
00:22:31,952 --> 00:22:34,621
>> It's community.
It's pretty cool.

439
00:22:34,688 --> 00:22:39,026
>> In short, supper clubs serve
much more than supper.

440
00:22:39,092 --> 00:22:43,830
Which could be why so many
see so much hope for the future

441
00:22:43,897 --> 00:22:47,501
of this Wisconsin tradition.
>> I think they're going to

442
00:22:47,568 --> 00:22:49,937
be here for a very long time.
I think for as long as

443
00:22:50,003 --> 00:22:52,506
Wisconsinites are calling
themselves Wisconsinites.

444
00:22:52,573 --> 00:22:55,409
>> You definitely go in there
for the experience, from

445
00:22:55,475 --> 00:22:58,045
the minute you walk in the door
to the minute that you leave.

446
00:22:58,111 --> 00:23:01,915
>> Between the ambience,
the view, the customers

447
00:23:01,982 --> 00:23:05,752
that come in, nothing's better.
>> And when you combine that

448
00:23:05,819 --> 00:23:09,656
and you look at our history,
and you see how many different

449
00:23:09,723 --> 00:23:15,395
crops, products, meats, fish
are grown here, are produced

450
00:23:15,462 --> 00:23:19,066
here, are gathered here...
You have a state that has

451
00:23:19,132 --> 00:23:23,670
an incredible history of, and
an incredible culinary culture

452
00:23:23,737 --> 00:23:26,373
around our foodways.
>> And that really

453
00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:29,643
sets the stage for discovery.
And that goes on everyday here

454
00:23:29,710 --> 00:23:32,779
at the University of Wisconsin-
Madison, and I expect that

455
00:23:32,846 --> 00:23:37,150
to continue for years and years
and years to come.

456
00:23:37,217 --> 00:23:40,220
>> Look at what's local
and what's regional, and ask

457
00:23:40,287 --> 00:23:44,024
what it says about that place.
Any kind of understanding

458
00:23:44,091 --> 00:23:46,894
of that, I think,
connects you a little bit more

459
00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:49,930
to the geography of the place;
it connects you to the people.

460
00:23:49,997 --> 00:23:53,567
>> Hopefully, we can create
a lot of special memories for

461
00:23:53,634 --> 00:23:56,436
everyone, now and in the future.
>> It is truly

462
00:23:56,503 --> 00:23:58,839
a Wisconsin experience.

463
00:24:03,210 --> 00:24:04,878
? ?

464
00:24:29,870 --> 00:24:33,307
>> I enjoy the history
and the memories.

465
00:24:33,373 --> 00:24:35,108
My mother and dad brought me
here for the first time

466
00:24:35,175 --> 00:24:37,511
with my brother.
I was eight-years-old and

467
00:24:37,578 --> 00:24:40,347
I still remember our suits
and our bow ties.

468
00:24:40,414 --> 00:24:42,416
When I come in here,
I see my mother and dad.

469
00:24:42,482 --> 00:24:46,486
I see my brother.
I see. I can see where we sat

470
00:24:48,288 --> 00:24:50,757
25 years ago, 40 years ago.

471
00:24:51,225 --> 00:24:52,893
? ?

472
00:25:18,719 --> 00:25:22,189
>> Literally, this supper club
looks like my grandparents'

473
00:25:22,256 --> 00:25:24,825
house use to look, so coming
here brings back a lot of

474
00:25:24,892 --> 00:25:28,061
memories of what it was like
when I was his age going over

475
00:25:28,128 --> 00:25:30,197
to their house for dinner.
They actually have the

476
00:25:30,264 --> 00:25:33,133
same carpet and tile out front
that I was used to seeing

477
00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:35,035
when I was growing up.

478
00:25:35,102 --> 00:25:36,770
? ?

479
00:26:01,995 --> 00:26:03,830
>> You said you guys
come and have cocktails.

480
00:26:03,897 --> 00:26:05,666
What kind of cocktails
are you having?

481
00:26:05,732 --> 00:26:07,801
>> Um, sometimes...
>> Shhh.

482
00:26:07,868 --> 00:26:09,903
We're on camera, remember?
[laughter]

483
00:26:09,970 --> 00:26:12,372
>> Sometimes, I'll have
a blackberry tea,

484
00:26:12,439 --> 00:26:15,375
or when I'm in
a really fancy mood

485
00:26:15,442 --> 00:26:17,277
I'll usually have
a Shirley Temple.

486
00:26:17,344 --> 00:26:19,012
>> Yeah.

487
00:26:20,314 --> 00:26:21,982
? ?

488
00:26:28,021 --> 00:26:29,690
? ?

489
00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:35,863
>> The preceding program
has been a co-production

490
00:26:35,929 --> 00:26:38,398
of Wisconsin Public Television
and University Communications

491
00:26:38,465 --> 00:26:42,369
at the University of Wisconsin-
Madison.