Highway 39 revisited (portage to Wausau)

This is a frequent drive for me and in an effort to eat at other than the chains I have begun to try some non-chain places. I am tired of Big Macs and Culver burgers. I would be surprised if I find a place that makes it worth the drive just to eat there, but would like to find a few places along the way that at least give me a meal that ain't the above. I have found a few places. In Portage there is a decent bakery that serves breakfast and lunch and makes some good brownies, Kristas Kitchen is a decent place in downtown Portage. The sandwiches are the Corner Bakery type, the only complaint was paying 10.00 for lunch and being charged another 1.50 for internet access. I had the Garbanzo bean spread sandwich (it was Friday). The sandwich was good, maybe very good and I will make the stop again. The brownie was fantastic. After stopping there Business 51 will take you past the Tractor Supply company and I got three Carhart flannels there for 9.99 each.

In Mosinee (my hometown) there is another decent sandwich place Beatitudes that is worth the rideoff the Highway to. (they have free internet) Again the sandwiches are the Corner Bakery/ Panera style but sure beat hitting Mcdonalds. Its a nice place that also sell books. If they have the wild rice soup it is real good.

For breakfast up in Wausau i like the Eagles Nest. The food is pretty good and warning if you order the hash browns one order will feed 4. Again you are not in Chicago so its no Patty's but way better than Denny's or the other chains. I like the Denver Omlette.

Also while in Wausau, if you are not into label jeans but ones that last go to Fleet Farm and pick up a pair of Field and Forest jeans for 9.99. Mine usually last at least a year each.



http://www.kristas-kitchen.com/

Beatitudes 421 4th st Mosinee

The Eagles Nest 2105 Grand Ave Wausau

Hi,

I hope you will update this with new finds, because eventually someone will follow your tracks.

Regards,

If you really want something off the radar (but not off the map), I can recommend the Tak Yee eggroll factory in (more or less) Stevens Point:

http://www.macraesbluebook.com/search/c ... any=543569

Tak Yee Products
4477 County Road J
Stevens Point, WI

You'll need to call in advance to let them know you're interested in stopping by, but they have frozen boxes of really damned good eggrolls, homemade Chinese preserves, and Chinatown-quality baked goods if you're there at the right time. They supply most of the decent Chinese restaurants in Wisconsin (akin to the number one polka band in Sheboygan, I suppose). They aren't really set up as a direct-to-consumer shop, but relatives of mine in the area have a good relationship with them and they've always been accommodating to us with an advance call. I've had the eggrolls as recently as December and they're still great; the stopping-in-the-shop datapoint is about a year old at this point, so YMMV.

The Blue Plate Supper Club is a pretty fun little stop in SP as well:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/blue-top-supper ... vens-point

This is a "they have what they have" type of place - very inexpensive, sometimes fresh caught walleye and smelts, occasional venison, simple sandwiches to fall back on if nothing else. They are open for lunch (or have been historically).