The sign at
Erv's Mug also says, "Casual Fine Dining." And, after partaking in a Friday fish fry there, I would tend to agree. The well known Milwaukee area eatery and watering hole first came on my radar screen after viewing Ron Faiola's documentary,
Fish Fry Night Milwaukee .
Heide had been saying, "We've got to venture out of our little Janesville area bubble a bit more. I thought I was the one pushing the Milwaukee area for eateries, but in 30 years of marriage, even ideas are the object of ownership. Be that as it may, I have a list of several places we can head out to at a moment's notice. And, poetically, the night we headed for
Erv's, a family issue required us to be over to the east side of Wisconsin as well - go figure.
Erv's looks like one of those supper clubs that has been added on to now and then over the years. But, the outside structure is neat and tidy. It is tucked at the corner of two busy boulevards in Oak Creek. I smiled after I dropped Heide off at the front and when I parked the car, I could smell the good fish fry emanating out of the building.
Inside there is a humble bar area with neatly stacked ligure bottles and polished spotless bar top. There is a collection of beer spigots on the ceiling. You should notice two big dinning rooms. A couple large limestone fire places put a regional geological asterisk on the interior design. But your first impression of the joint, should be all the tons of square and rectangular framed mirrors. The types of mirrors with beer advertising et cetera. There are every size and shape imaginable.
The parking lot was full at 5:30 p.m. but we got seated immediately. As the saga evolved it became evident why we got right in. The staff functions as a well oiled machine. The service was quick and efficient. Several attendants besides the waitress doted over our table. No stone was left unturned, and no detail was left to having to be re-asked, re-ordered, or re-done. It all came out right on the first shot. Hence, quick turn over of seating.
Although the place has a tavern timbre, the tables had cloth table cloths with cloth napkins. No plastic silverware this night. The tools were real. For a dollar more, I chose the three-piece deep fried Cod. It came in huge gently curled tender chunks with slightly crisp breading. Heide ordered the combo of fried and baked Cod. She made her famous comment that the baked passed the Heide litmus test of being tender and flaky enough to fall apart on the fork. Nothing irritates her more than having to cut baked Cod with a steak knife.
For the second week in a row, I got a premium bowl of clam chowder. I talked Heide into getting the cheesy French onion soup so we could each try both. I went for the German potato salad with an ample amount of red potato mixed in. Heide opted for the mashed potatoes with bacon and cheese. The cole slaw had a dark texture mixed in a thick tasty dressing. Yet, it still had that good cole slaw crunch. Our meals were topped off with thick slices of marble bread.
This type of fish fry is the kind you will frequently find in the Milwaukee area. I call it "a heap of fish fry." It fascinates me how Milwaukee joints can serve up the same chow as eateries in any other part of the state, but the Milwaukee shtick comes in an abundant heap of food. They just have a handle on the fish fry props.
I have no way of knowing if being one of the joints headlined in a documentary has put some extra expectations on
Erv's. But regardless of media attention, they have a system to their thoughtful fish fry presentation that exceeds any expectations.
Erv's Mug is cool with Cool Dadio. Find them at 130 West Ryan Road, in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. They are not too far off I-94 just south of Milwaukee. Call (414) 762 - 5010. Or, visit their Website at
http://ervsmug.com .
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Marine Lance Corporal Jacob Alexander Meinert, 20, Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, died on Sunday, January 10th, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Meinert was killed from injuries received the day before, when a roadside bomb was detonated near his position during combat operations. Lance Corporal Meinert was a radio telephone operator assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, out of Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. He served in Iraq from August 2008 to March 2009 and had been in Afghanistan since late 2009.
The Wisconsin State Journal notes that Meinert was born in Racine. He moved to Fort Atkinson around 2004. Jacob was remembered as being quiet, having a sense of humor, being a leader, and being well liked. He was a music enthusiast. He also liked to fish. Jacob graduated from Fort Atkinson High School in January 2007; he played lead trombone in the jazz band, was in the marching band, the pep band, and show choir accompanying combo. He started the enlistment process into the Marine Corps after finishing high school a semester early.
Meinert's military awards include the Purple Heart; National Defense Service medal; Global War on Terrorism Service medal; the Afghanistan Campaign medal; and, Iraq Campaign medal.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned that Jacob was also a member of the school chess club. Another Marine and British journalist Rupert Hamer of the Sunday Mirror were also killed in the incident that killed Lance Corporal Meinert. They were near the town of Nawa. The Journal Sentinel in a follow up article noted Jacob's fellow Marines had given him the nickname "Slim." He also played guitar, and earned a Black Belt in tae kwon do. Meinert was said to have had a plan to go to college and return to the Marines as an officer.
The Journal Times maintain Meinert had stepped on a landmine. In the Lake Michigan city of Racine, Jacob was remembered for his love of sailing. One of his grandfathers had also been a Marine.
The Daily Jefferson County Union notes Meinert was known as "Jake." The Union also noted the incident that killed Lance Corporal Meinert was due to a landmine and that it happened in Bastion, Afghanistan. He was said to have had a long interest in the military. His grandfather Richard Meinert had also served in the Marines.
The Website legacy.com posted an obituary via information from the Racine Journal Times noting Jacob was born June 24, 1989, in Racine. He attended Red Apple Elementary School and Jerstad-Agerholm Middle School in Racine. He later moved to Fort Atkinson where he graduated from high school. At the time of his death Jacob Meinert was survived by his father Brian Warzala; his mother Krista (Michael) Edquist; sister Randi Meinert; step-brother Mitchell Edquist; brother Larson Edquist; maternal grandparents Richard (Donna) Meinert; paternal grandfather Robert Warzala; paternal grandmother Darlene Warzala; three aunts, Michele (David) Breheim, Sheryl (Bob) Petersen, and Pam (Nathan Schulz) Warzala; his uncle Ben Warzala; and, family dog Bosco. Lance Corporal Jacob Meinert was the 17th Wisconsin Military service person to be killed in Afghanistan since October of 2001.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
101,060 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,950 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,457 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1582 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
318 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
892 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
1 American/Coalition casualty in Libyan "Operation Odyssey Dawn" since March, 2011
32,102 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
11,541 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
107 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
31 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
3 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in the U.S. related to "The War on Terror" since October, 2001.
148 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
5 journalists (regional and independents) have been killed in Libya since March, 2011.
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.
