Like so many lakes in Wisconsin, Delavan Lake is replete with lake area taverns.  One such tavern is a long standing structure now called South Shore Bar & Grill. This particular version has just gotten up and running recently.  It has been many names over the years. They tell me it was last called Tigers Too. 

    I suppose you could tag it as the typical lake area tavern construct.  There is a parking lot out back amongst the foliage. The road out front is traveled by the occasional lake people and the weekend tourists.  The inside has the usual big bar area.  There will be some picture windows looking over the neighborhood.  This night they had tables set up off to the side of the bar in a multi purpose area.  Everyone was friendly.  Why be grumpy while in the lake area...., in summer?

    The current operators seem to defer to family, and family recipes.  The whole presentation had a homemade timbre.  They boasted up their hand-breaded Cod.  The cook came out of the kitchen to answer a question about the cole slaw for us and some of the said hand-breaded evidence was on his apron.  He did not have to come out to talk to us, and it was a nice gesture that he did. The cole slaw in question had a unique taste.  It caught us of guard so we queried.  

    "A family recipe," the cook warmly offered us as an explanation.  It seemed to have a different ingredient, like perhaps, say peanut, or olive oil.  At any rate, he did not offer the secret.  But, it was uniquely tasty. It definitely had a beckoning jib to it.  

    The meal was not all-you-can -eat, but they would dish up more if you wanted a specific item.  The potato pancakes were definitely homemade. They had a lighter texture than some recipes. Our meals came with buttered rye bread.  For a tavern, we were served our meals up on real plates. Heide has been focusing on that nuance lately - must be a girl thing.  Lots of the hand-breaded deep-fried Cod were heaped on our plates.  The tarter was homemade as well. Heide thought perhaps they favored an egg recipe for that. 

    The experience was very well-rounded; we definitely left with our stomachs full and some good converstation.

    South Shore Bar & Grill is cool with Cool Dadio. Find them at W6763 South Shore Drive just south of Delavan, Wisconsin. Call (262) 725 - 6681 for more information. 

Note: You can find a chronological list at the Cool Dadio Media Fish Fry Page of these fish frys as we have visited them.  The list presents the most recently visited fish fry at the top, in lieu of alphabetical order.

                        Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
    (each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin Service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)

    Army First Lieutenant Daren Miguel Hidalgo, 24, Waukesha, Wisconsin, was killed Sunday, February 20, 2011, near Mama Kiriz, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. He died of wounds he sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device (roadside bomb). Hidalgo was assigned to 3rd Platoon, Ghostrider Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, out of Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany.
    The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted Daren was the youngest son in his family. He was a 2009 graduate of West Point and on was his first deployment in Afghanistan. Hidalgo had been wounded in an earlier bomb attack. Both his brothers also joined the military. Army Captain Miles Hidalgo, 26, also a West Point graduate had four tours in Afghanistan, and Marine Captain Jared Hidalgo, 28, served in Iraq. First Lieutenant Daren Hidalgo was serving as a platoon commander with his unit when he was killed. Early in his career he had completed Army Ranger School. 
    The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel went on to mention Daren's dad Jorge Hidalgo was a 1981 West Point graduate and had immigrated to America from the Dominican Republic when he was seven years old. Daren's family moved often due to Jorge's work. Daren Hidalgo was born at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. He attended Wales Elementary School in Wisconsin and Kettle Moraine middle and high schools in Wisconsin and then finished high school in Pennsylvania. Daren Hidalgo was a high school wrestler, a trumpet player, and a racquetball player. His degree from West Point was in Spanish. 
    An article from the York Daily Record found on pennlive.com notes Daren was a 2005 graduate of Dallastown Area High School in south-central Pennsylvania. 
    The Huffington Post posted an Associated Press piece that explained that Hidalgo was the 81st West Point graduate to be killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The article added that Daren also liked rock climbing among his other aforementioned interests. 
    The Second Cavalry Association News Center posting on dragoons.org mentioned Daren had been a championship wrestler, National Honor Society member, and a trumpeter in the school marching band in Dallastown, Pennsylvania. He graduated near the top of his class at West Point. He was deployed to the Maiwand District of Afghanistan in October 2010. 
    First Lieutenant Daren Hidalgo was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster. He was laid to rest in West Point Cemetery in New York. 
    The Web site legacy.com posted an obituary from the Journal Sentinel Online which notes Daren is remembered for his assessment abilities, his positive attitude, his inspiration to others, a strength of character, an empathetic manor, "a winning smile, and engaging personality," and being, "a jokester and a prankster." 
    At the time of his death Daren Hidalgo was survived by: his parents Jorge and Andrea; brothers Jared (Jenny) Hidalgo, Miles (Caroline) Hidalgo; sister Carmen (Mike) Spellman; nephews Wade and Carson; and, his niece Lexie. 
    Army First Lieutenant Daren Hidalgo was the 28th Wisconsin military service person killed in Afghanistan since October 2001. 

            As of this blog entry's posting date:

    102,165 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003 (actually documented).
    
    10,125 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.

    4,477 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003. 

    1738 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.

    318 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.

    935 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001. 

    1 American/Coalition casualty in Libyan "Operation Odyssey Dawn" since March, 2011.

    32,165 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003. 

    592 Wisconsin Service persons have been wounded in Iraq since Spring 2003.

    13,164 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001. 

    192 Wisconsin Service persons have been wounded in Afghanistan since October, 2001.

    107 Wisconsin Service persons have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.

    34 Wisconsin Service persons have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.

    3 Wisconsin Service persons have been killed in the U.S. related to "The War on Terror" since September, 2001.

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

    21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since September, 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 .