Cool Dadio originally wrote about The Owl's Club on September 1, 2006. Last Friday Heide and I hopped in the Dadio Mobile and headed back out to my old stomping grounds between Whitewater, Fort', and Milton. 

   The Owl's Club is located a few miles north of Milton, Wisconsin on the corner of Highway 26 and County N. Some sort of tavern called the Owl's "Nest" has been there as long as I can remember. That's at least 50 years. There is still an old sign with the "Nest" reference down by the road.  The current owners are Greg Godfrey and Tami Fitzmaurice.

   One of the reasons they make the Cool Dadio Friday fish fry list is they tend to a couple small details other places have let slip by the wayside. They have a neat little salad bar that comes with the fish fry. The potato salad, cold slaw, and seven-layer-salad have a home-made presentation about them. Anybody that bothers to make a seven-layer salad can't be all that bad. It's hard to describe home made, but you know it when you see and taste it. Rolls and butter also abundant on the salad bar. 

   They offer fried Walleye, beer-battered Cod, fried Perch, and fried Catfish. Any of the aforementioned fish dinners are eight Dollars. This is interesting because many places try to get a couple extra bucks for Walleye and Catfish. The Walleye I can understand but Catfish for extra cash is a stretch. The tartar sauce is smooth and not too tart. A lemon slice comes with the deal. That may not impress uppity supper club goers but it is a small detail that is often over looked by many places. 

   You can get potato pancakes or cheesy hash browns with your fish. Both have a home made timbre about them. Potato connoisseurs should not be disappointed. 

   All the fish is fried to the right crispiness. It is one thing to offer all those fish options, it is another to cook them correctly. And for a tavern, the Owl's Club does better than a lot of places in a more expensive category. 

   One more little note is that no matter when I've been there and no matter how busy they are, the folks at the Owl's Club are always pleasant. You don't have to worry about being served by a sourpuss. Often, while the fish fry is wrapping up, a band is warming up. So if you're in the area and you don't need your wallet beat to death, give the ol' Owl's Club a try. You shouldn't be disappointed. 

   The Owl's Club is cool with Cool Dadio.  They also offer a Sunday game-day basket of fish, wings, and fries for free until noon.  Make sure you buy an adult beverage to make it fair.

   They serve the fish on Fridays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and then again from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Phone:  (608) 868  -  3413) for more information. 

   This week's Wisconsin soldier to remember is Army Major Christopher J. Splinter, 43, from Platteville. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel stated Splinter believed Iraq would one day be a model state in the Middle East. Major Splinter died the day before Christmas December 24, 2003, when his vehicle struck a bomb on Highway 1 near the city of Samarra, which lies north of Baghdad, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Splinter was assigned to Headquarters Company, the 5th Engineer Battalion, 1st Engineer Brigade, based at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. Splinter graduated from Platteville High School in 1979. He later attended and earned a degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and also joined the ROTC program. According to the Journal Sentinel, Splinter graduated and earned his commission in 1990 and had been on active duty in the Army since then. Major Splinter had shipped out to Iraq in July 2003. Splinter had been married to his high school sweetheart, Penny (Barton) Splinter, for 18 years. The couple have two children: a son, Mitchell, 13, and a daughter, Rachel, 10. Major Splinter was the ninth Wisconsin soldier to die in the Iraq war since Spring 2003. 

   3,501 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.

   25,830 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring 2003.

   75 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.

   105 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.

Soldier of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; and, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.