Friday Fish Fry at the Supper Club

The Friday Fish Fry, we learned, is a long tradition in Wisconsin.  One of our conversation hosts, Robert, filled us in on this important fact via Facebook messaging before we even left California and graciously invited us to join him at his favorite Supper Club for a Friday Fish Fry.  Not understanding exactly what he was referring to, but nonetheless appreciative of the gesture, we showed up at The Buckhorn at 5:30 on Friday evening, hungry.

The Wisconsin Friday Fish Fry Tradition

The Catholic Church established that meat (“representing the flesh of Christ") should not be eaten on Fridays.  This began the tradition of eating fish on Fridays instead of meat began in Wisconsin in the Green Bay and Milwaukee Catholic strongholds. The practice spread across the state and featured both “imported” cod and local walleye, catfish, pike and smelt.  By the time of Vatican II (1966) when the Catholic Church revised the rule to only apply to Fridays during Lent, Catholics in Wisconsin maintained the tradition year-round.

...Served at the Supper Club

Supper Clubs are an old fashioned dining experience.  Robert gave us the backstory. They are not membership “clubs” per-se, but public restaurants.  Typically, however, they are only open for dinner (thus “supper") and in the case of The Buckhorn, it is only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Dave, Robert and our Brandy Old Fashioned Sweets

The “clubs” seem to have become popular during prohibition where it was (was it?) legal to serve wine at a private club with dinner and dancing.  Over time the clubs became public, the dancing seems to have gone by the wayside, the wine has turned into a full, well stocked bar and we have today’s Wisconsin Supper Clubs.

Brandy Old Fashioned

When we arrive, Robert is with his wife and friends in the lounge which includes a large wrap-around bar and tables.  We order the traditional drink -- a Brandy Old Fashioned. “Where else can you get a brandy old fashioned?” Robert asks, proudly.  I don’t have an answer.  But it goes down very nicely, thank you.  And our evening is off and rolling. Since we met the day before, Robert has read many of our blog posts and is full of additional ideas, anecdotes and a few more “if you had ONE magic wand” answers. Meanwhile, cheese curds have arrived.  These are batter fried bits of cheese curd.  We dip them generously in ranch dressing, following Robert’s lead.

Eventually, our hostess comes to lead us to our table in the dining room. The patrons in the large lounge and adjoining dining area are a combination of local regulars from Rock County and visitors who may be vacationing in the area.  Robert seems to know many of them as we walk to our table.  Most supper clubs are run by the owner and their family. This is the case at the Buckhorn. Robert promises us the “owner,” Chico will come out and meet us while we were eating. Jessica is our server and Robert and she have a lovely banter back and forth.  They’ve vacationed together and he asks about her new house.  She works a couple of jobs, it turns out, while working on a graduate degree in counseling. Robert speculates that paying off her recent wedding in Madison might be part of the motivation.

We order the Fish Fry.  I choose the “all you can eat” option with baked potato (“all the trimmings, please”) and draft local Rock County Ale.  What comes is a generous portion of what I think of as “fish and chips.”
Chico and Paul (Ryan)

Chico (4th from left) and Paul

Soon enough, Chico comes by.  Chico tells us about Paul Ryan’s visit a couple of Fridays ago.  It turns out this is Ryan’s favorite Club.  We see him in several of the photos on the wall -- smiling with Chico and other dignitaries.  Chico and Robert speculate that tonight he is in DC working on the new tax legislation.  Chico’s son and daughter are both working in the family business now, son in the kitchen, daughter out front. The Buckhorn is located on the lake (part of the Rock River) outside of Janesville and during the summer there are monthly Lobster boils and lakeside parties.

Back out into the rain

Robert is clearly a good friend of Chico’s.  We learn he provides wood from his backyard forest to the Buckhorn.  Robert regales us in a story which includes him jumping up to stand on the corner of the bar to sing “Happy Birthday” to Chico’s daughter.  Robert continues with the story -- a photo was taken of his performance and framed in poster-size work of art which hung on the wall (near Paul Ryan?) for several years before being “retired.”  Robert seems to know where the photo is...my guess is it may end up back on the wall some day.

Jessica brings out a dessert tray -- I choose a huge slice of rich, peanut butter pie -- on Robert’s recommendation, and a cup of coffee.  Finished, Dave and I say thank you to Robert and step out of the Buckhorn and into the pouring Wisconsin rain, stuffed and feeling the warm hospitality and friendship for which the Supper Clubs are famous.

-- Peter