Ahhhhhhhhh, Wisconsin…
Dairy farms, local beers, cheesehead hats, deer running in front of your car on the highway…
And Supper Clubs!
By definition a Supper Club is a dining establishment, typically found in the upper Midwestern states, and located in rural areas on the edge of town. The Supper Club became popular in the 1930’s and 1940’s as a destination restaurant – meaning you would go there and spend the whole evening in the Supper Club. Typically, you would start out with cocktails at the bar (The Old Fashioned was a favorite cocktail choice), followed by dinner in the restaurant, then back to the bar for a nightcap and entertainment. The menu is typically very limited, with steaks and fish/seafood most popular, and the food is typically made-from-scratch fresh.
So, as we have found ourselves in Wisconsin while Jim gets some work done, and we LOVE local, kitschy places, we just knew that we HAD to find a local Supper Club.
Our choice? The Roxy Supper Club of Oshkosh, Wisconsin! 
Where the leisure suits are bad, but the food is oh so delicious! 
As is typical of a Supper Club, our meal began with soup & a salad. Our soup was Chicken & Dumpling, and the salad was a typical garden salad with (of course) Ranch Dressing. Now, let me tell you the difference between a “southern dumpling” and a “northern dumpling” because there is a HUGE difference. In the south, “dumplings” are made with flour, water, and a little vegetable shortening. They are rolled out with a rolling pin and cut, to almost resemble more of a noodle in looks and consistency. They are lighter in weight than a “northern dumpling”. The Midwest version, or “northern dumpling” is also made with flour, water, and egg instead of shortening. The batter is made much thicker and heavier. These suckers weigh about 4 pounds each! When dropped into your chicken soup, this soup (which is supposed to be an appetizer) is now heavy enough to feed you, your neighbors, and half of your hometown with one bowl full. Maybe it’s because it’s cold as hell up in the north in the winter time, and you need this hearty food to keep you warm? Whatever the reason, this hearty soup was enough to fill me up. However, I had not even had my main course placed in front of me yet! (See that giant ball of dumpling in the middle there? Enough to feed starving children in a third world country. For a week.)
Oh, but lets continue on to the main course shall we? Jim ordered Prime Rib and I got the ham. My dinner came with dressing with gravy, and (guess what?) a DUMPLING! Yes, that thing that’s cut up on the left of my plate is another dumpling! See how thick and doughy it is? Needless to say, I did NOT even come close to finishing this plate full of food! It was delicious, but holy heck, who can eat that much heavy food???
What I loved about The Roxy: The atmosphere/people – the bar area was awesome, with friendly folks all welcoming each other/sitting together/conversing.
The food – If you weren’t full to the top and ready to burst when you left there, you’re a pig – plain and simple.
The bad suits, crumbs on the floor, kitschy small town atmosphere. LOVE me some kitsch!!
Rating: Two big thumbs up! Would totally go again!!
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