Dinner outside the grounds

[kmacht]

How about some recomendations for good places to eat dinner outside of airventure. I'm not looking for the standard stuff like Chili's or Pizza Hut. I'm more interested in the locally owned non chain resteraunts that you can't eat at anywhere else. I have a car for the week so anything within about a 1/2 hour driving distance is fair game.

Keith

[CarlOrton]

Wendts On the Lake is on the south side of lake Winnebago. Great fried perch. Great spotted cow. The seaplane base is about midway between it and the show.
Fratellos on the Fox River. Varied menu. Great spotted cow. A bit northwest of the dorms.
The Roxy. Downtown Oshkosh. Great spotted cow. Varied menu.
Kodiak Jacks on 41 just north of the show. Great spotted cow. Seafood and steaks.
Ardy and Eds drive in next to the shore of Winnebago. Roller skating carhops. Standard burger joint fare.

We hit most of these places each year, but scheduling can be an issue with dinners and ceremonies on the field.

[Hal Bryan]

I can recommend TJ's Harbor Restaurant which is also on the water, not far from Wendt's. They opened just before AirVenture last year, if I remember right. The Dockside Tavern on the south side of the river from downtown Oshkosh is quite good, as is Becket's just on the other side of the river. Primo is maybe a little bit off-the-beaten path on the north side of Oshkosh, less than 15 minutes from the grounds, and an excellent choice if you need to decompress over a bottle of wine and a steak or two.

And Carl, I believe they all have Spotted Cow. ;)

Before I moved here, we had three traditional off-grounds spots that we'd try to hit, if not every year, then close to it. Fratello's, as Carl mentioned, and then, further afield, Shepard's Drive-In in Berlin, WI, about 25 minutes west and Lombardi's Steakhouse in Appleton, about a half hour to the north.

Note: these recommendations are mine personally and may not reflect the stuff and the things of EAA, etc.

[CarlOrton]

I guess I need to explain the Spotted Cow references in my post above. My wife and I don't drink much. Not against it, we just don't need it every single day. We'll have the occasional margarita with Tex-Mex, and a cold beer every now and then always goes down well. But in Oshkosh, my wife has to have her Spotted Cow every single night, plus we usually export some back to TX when we drive up. OK, I enjoy it too. ;-) Dunno what it is about the Spotted Cow, but I believe that the brewery must work triple-time in July in order to supply the Oshkosh crowd, cuz EVERYONE who imbibes goes for it during Convention.

[N546RV]

What, no mention of Friar Tuck's yet? Given its proximity to the North 40, I expect we'll eat there at least a couple times over our Oshkosh stay. :)

[Chad Jensen]

I'll second all the above mentioned...especially TJ's...I can offer one more suggestion, but it is right at your 1/2 limit. Up in Hortonville, there is a supper club called The Black Otter. The best, and biggest, prime rib you'll come across. The smallest cut is 32 ounces...

[Hal Bryan]

Up in Hortonville, there is a supper club called The Black Otter. The best, and biggest, prime rib you'll come across. The smallest cut is 32 ounces...

Why am I just now learning about this?!?! :)

[Chad Jensen]

Why am I just now learning about this?!?! :)
REALLY??? OMG. We must go there. Now.

[Floatsflyer]

If you're in the Green Bay area, Zhou's Mongolian BBQ. Fantastic, fresh, healthy and the great variety of ingredients. You choose the ingredients and watch it all made before your eyes...a fun show.

[CJD]

Up in Hortonville, there is a supper club called The Black Otter. The best, and biggest, prime rib you'll come across. The smallest cut is 32 ounces...

And their biggest prime rib is 160 oz, called the Extreme Cut. It's HUGE (I was there one night when someone ordered it). You can see it on their website.

They do have excellent steaks and seafood, and a really nice salad bar.

CJD

[gbrasch]

And for a great custard dessert don't forget Leon's!

[Kevin O'Halloran]

Kodiak Jacks 10 minutes to the north ( north of walmart)
prime rib and salad bar--always good !!

[kmacht]

Lots of great replies so far. Thanks.

The person I am traveling with is a vegetarian. Any suggestions for places that have things other than a salad on then menu for them?

Keith

[Hal Bryan]

Off the cuff, I'd guess that, of the suggestions so far, Becket's would probably have the most vegetarian choices.

Here's a link to their menu:
http://becketsrestaurant.com/beckets_menu.pdf

[BeagleOne]

I'll second the Ardy and Ed's recommendation. It's off the east end of 9/27 so you can get your aviation fix while eating. The train tracks are just across the street and I once saw a train stop long enough for a crew member to run across the street and pick up their order!

If you're up in Neenah and wanting sandwiches or deli fare, Zuppa's has a wide selection. You can eat there or get stuff to go. They're open for breakfast, too. Cannova's downtown has good Italian food and live music some nights.

If you want good steaks, Lombardi's Steakhouse in downtown Appleton is worth a visit. The steaks are excellent and so are the sides, and the portions are huge. IMHO their desserts aren't that great, but you'll probably be so full you won't be able to eat them anyway. Great collection of Lombardi-era Packer artifacts, you could spend most of the evening looking at the things hanging on the walls.

[Skyguy]

:(

- The best vlue in Brats is at CharPit.
- The best value in Pizza is West End.
- The best value in a sandwich is Frier's.

All above are accessible via yellow EAA bus.

[gbrasch]

I just remembered Ratch and Deb's in town, local pub that has the best pizza, and Green Bay Packers stuff from floor to ceiling....

[Charlie Becker]

Lots of great replies so far. Thanks.

The person I am traveling with is a vegetarian. Any suggestions for places that have things other than a salad on then menu for them?

Keith

I have two favorites that will work for a vegetarian and both are in Neenah. No more than 30 minutes from EAA. Bao Ju is my favorite restaurant period. http://baojuneenah.com/ Excellent Chinese food. Open every day but Thanksgiving! Never a wait but no Spotted Cow beer. The other is italian. Cannova's http://cannovaspizzeria.com/ almost always has a wait on the weekends. Worth it with an excellent beer selection.

The good news for your traveling companion is there is going to be a lot more food variety on the grounds this year.
Charlie

[Mike Berg]

I've been known to slip over to Friar Tucks on the EAA bus. Sandwich, fries and a cold adult beverage

[CarlOrton]

Sorry, guys, I don't mean to blaspheme here, but I really don't care for Friar Tuck's. The food is good, and you *are* surrounded by your fellow aviators, but it's just so bloody crowded because it *is* just one of a handful of places within easy walking distance to the field. I've eaten more meals there standing up than any other place. In the evenings, our group likes to hit the different places where we can sit and have good recap conversation about our respective days. Of course, my wife always attends with me, so she's less likely to go for a bar atmosphere, so that probably factors in.

[OldGunbunny]

We like Friar Tuck's for lunch. Evenings are just too crowded, so we opt for someplace outside the immediate environment of the field.

[steve]

If you're going to ride a bus, take the Oshkosh City bus to the stop before the end of the line. Ask the bus driver to be sure. Walk about 4-5 blocks to Roxy's Supper Club. Best food in town and decent prices too.
It's the same bus that goes to the U of W dorms. The dorm stop is the actual end of the line. Reasonable bus fare. It'll be a late evening by the time you get back to camp.