One of Cool Dadio Media's tenets is pealing back the layers of the culture of the Wisconsin Friday fish fry. And, it is always irresistible to delve into marginal connections with said culture. Remember, in my style of writting, it is not always about the fish. Other tid-bits of the event make it what it is - the building, the people, the bar, perhaps a lake, the venue such as a tavern versus a supper club versus a cafe versus a deli. And, sometimes there are actually family connections.
From time to time, we haunt the lake country of Walworth County were Heide grew up. Down on the North Shore of Lake Come are a gaggle of taverns. Decades ago, Heide's grandparents used to own one of them. And her Dad's cousin's family owned another - decades ago during World War II. Said cousin's Dad built the place, his name was Binder; local lore has it burning down at least once, then rebuilt.
My Father-in-law Bob remembers it used to be a typical 1940's tavern, complete with small grocery store and bait shop. He worked there a couple of summers during World War II in the complex days of War Rationing.
It has had a few owners since. In the Drink Bar & Grille is the latest incarnation of said "cousin's old bar."
There is a dandy veiw of Lake Como from the big row of picture windows facing south. There is a beckoning hairpin bar adjacent to those big windows. I counted seven raised tables in the open area next to the bar. There is a side room with pool table and more tables if needed.
Lake people and lake visitors don't even bat an eye at the casual summer lake culture. A gaggle of kids in swim suits, with mom and grandmother trying to be in charge, noisily played pool; or, at least tried to play pool. An old acquaintance of my Father-in-law's wandered in - cigar in tow - a boat fixer-upper guy, and chatted for awhile. Our cute young flip-flop footed waitress in tight summer shorts doted over our every need.
I tried the fried and breaded Walleye Pike which came in two giant hunks. Father-in-law Bob and my Heide tried the deep-fried, beer-battered Cod. It was three pieces of ample, hardy, and crispy hunks of Cod. There was so much fish we did have to put a bit in a to-go box.
Bob and I got the beer-battered French fries. Believe it or not, beer-battered fries is not a ubiquitous offering these days. It was a nice departure from the usual tavern fries. Heide got the potato pancakes. They were not homemade, but tasted pretty close.
Heide pointed out they served up the grub on real plates with real tools. Must be a girl thing, guys can eat from baskets with their hands if needed. The cole slaw was classic tavern tart. A slice of marble bread came with each meal finishing off the presentation.
Heide got her consummate root beer, Father-in-law Bob got his Miller Genuine Draft, and I my glass of Miller Lite.
In the Drink Bar & Grille is cool with Cool Dadio. Find them at W3860 Lake Shore Drive, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, ( on the North Shore of Lake Como ). Call (262) 248-8855 for more information or visit their visually pleasant Web site at http://inthedrink-lakecomo.com/ .
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Army Specialist Scott Thomas Nagorski, 27, Greenfield, Wisconsin, was killed on Tuesday, November 14, 2010, in Kunar province, Afghanistan. He was one of five soldiers killed during a six-hour firefight that began when insurgents attacked their unit with small-arms fire during an operation to clear out Taliban militants and weapons caches near the Pech River in the Watahpur district of Kunar province. Specialist Nagorski was assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
The Web site militarytimes.com notes the area of the battle where Specialist Nagorski was killed was in the volatile Watahpur valley in eastern Kunar province along Afghanistan’s eastern border with Pakistan. It was part of Operation Bulldog Bite to search out militants and weapons caches near the Pech river.
Scott Nagorski was born on November 13, 1983. He was a was a 2002 graduate of Franklin High School, in Franklin, Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned that as a young man Scott bought a 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 and fixed it up and brought it to weekly gatherings of hot rod enthusiasts. He eventually sold the car but had hopes of getting another. Nagorski had joined the Army in 2006. The Journal Sentinel went on to say Nagorski died the day after he turned 27. And, four days after his death, Nagorski's daughter celebrated her 1st birthday. Nagorski's maternal grandfather was an Army veteran of the Korean War. Nagorski had re-enlisted in the service.
Some of Specialist Nagorski's military awards and medals include: The Army Achievement Medal; the National Defense Service Medal; the Iraq Campaign Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; the Army Service Ribbon; and, the NATO Medal.
At the time of his death Scott Nagorski was survived by his wife Nadine (nee Zrinsky); daughter Melodie; parents Karen (Jasinkski) and Scott Kurath; father Jeffrey Bignell; sister Nichole Jasinski; grandfather Ernie Nagorski; father-in-law Robert (Tracy) Zrinsky; mother-in-law Laurie (Greg) Brandon; and, step-brother Kyle Bignell.
Scott Nagorski was laid to rest at Wood National Cemetery near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Army Specialist Scott Nagorski was the 26th Wisconsin military service person to be killed in Afghanistan since October of 2001.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
102,013 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
10,119 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,477 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1680 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
318 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
931 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
1 American/Coalition casualty in Libyan "Operation Odyssey Dawn" since March, 2011
32,158 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
12,877 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
107 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
34 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.
149 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
