In my travels working in a publishing production plant I keep seeing a weekly ad for
Foley's Bar & Grill in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. So, in my recent theme of heading east to the Walworth County lake country to hunt up eateries,
Foley's gets the nod for our Friday Fish Fry pilgrimage. By the by, the place also goes by the moniker
Foley's Irish Woods Food and Spirits. Now it is important at this point to mention I was in the structure once before way back about 40 years ago. I do not remember what the place was called back in those days but it was just an old Wisconsin tavern then with a wood floor and a pool table. I am not even sure they had a television back then. No matter, I and my partner at the time were on a quest to hit every bar in Lake Geneva. I was to be married soon and the task was on my to-do-before-wedlock-list. We made it to about ten places before we were too smashed to continue the mission. That left about 50 places never checked off the list. Perhaps I could finish the list someday. But I digress.
The Foley's of today is tuned up from what I remember. The bar area is Wisconsin for sure with some sports bar flare but keeping the theme of ruddy tavern. The new restaurant area in the back is what is interesting. They have adapted the recent neo-Irish-bistro-pub construct you will find at various eateries nowadays.
The eating area is cozy, yet they have not overcrowded it with tables. The ceiling is high and the restaurant area is in the shape of the old tall and octagonal barn design once used in some parts of Wisconsin. There is a good view of some lake area wooded area out the many picture windows. But as always, we are here to talk fish, not architecture.
The meal started out with good salted wheat bread and Irish soda bread. We each got our own butter dishes. Attention to detail is often a capstone of the bistro construct. We each got a different soup. Heide tried the shrimp corn chowder and I went for the potato leak. Both were excellent.
Now the meal gets interesting. I am always amazed when after going to hundreds of fish frys over the years, someone can still slip in a new spin. The fish was Haddock. Now Haddock is not one of my favorites but Foley's brought me back into the fold again with the excellent preparation of this fish. They used the old English style of fish and chips wrapped in newspaper. The meal came in a wire framework with three conical holders. In each wire holder there was a simulated newspaper wrap (I suspect real newspaper is no longer acceptable) with our fried fish, our fries, and some tasty fried breaded apple rings.
This whole fish presentation was a pleasant surprise. It took me back to my many visits to the British Isles while I was in the Army. We lived on fish and chips because we were...always broke. Vinegar and salt are a key element of those old offerings back then.
Foley's got it right with the good crisp salty preparation of the Haddock and the special vinegar bottle waiting for us on the table.
Our waitress doted over our meal and service. I suspect this might be a good and safe place to take a date, if that is something one still might have a fancy to do nowadays.
Foley's Bar & Grill is cool with Cool Dadio. Find them at W3935 State Road 50, just west of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Call (262) 245 - 6966 for more information.
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Private First Class Timothy Robert Hanson, 23, Kenosha, Wisconsin, died on Monday, January 7, 2008 in Salmon Pak, Iraq. PFC Hanson was killed from enemy small arms fire while on guard duty in southeast Baghdad. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Benning, Georgia. His job was as a mortar man. Hanson was born on June 15, 1984. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted Timothy grew up in Kenosha and attended Roosevelt Elementary School and McKinley Middle School before graduating from Indian Trail Academy High School in 2003. He studied history at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside but decided to enlist in the Army. Hanson is known for having lost 35 pounds in just a few months to meet the Army's weight requirements. Hanson entered the Army in April 2006 and was deployed to Iraq in March of 2007. Hanson had been a Boy Scout in his younger years. People remember Timothy as having acquired a fond interest in cinema; a definite movie buff; he was known to enjoy a vast spectrum of movie genres from foreign to romantic comedies. He took many movie DVDs along with him to Iraq. The Journal Sentinel went on to mention that during high school Hanson had a newspaper route for the Kenosha News; during college he worked as a ride operator at Six Flags Great America; and, he also worked in the dairy department at a Kenosha Pick 'n Save. After high school he attended Northern Michigan University for about a year before transferring to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. He was remembered as a quiet kid but being very conscientious, mature, and passionate.
At the time of his death Timothy Hanson was survived by his father Robert Hanson; mother Susan (Woodworth) Hanson; sister Jennifer Clope; and, brother Andrew Hanson. Private First Class Timothy Hanson was the 85th Wisconsin military service person to die in Iraq since the spring of 2003.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
99,712 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,830 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,439 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1476 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
318 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
852 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
32,039 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
10,351 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
103 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
27 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
145 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; www.defense.gov/news/casualty.pdf; and, icasualties.org.
