Thanks all who attended the Wisconsin Historical Society Event on Supper Clubs at Hudson Brewing Company!

I felt perfectly at home -- in my hometown brewery in front of a wooden beer barrel -- giving a presentation on the wonderful history of St. Croix Valley Supper Clubs for the Wisconsin Historical Society once again. Some event pix are here.

A special  thanks to John Warling and his dad, Wayne, who put icing on the cake of the presentation with some artifacts from the old Country House, which grandfather/father Vern founded in 1955. It burned in 1974 and to hear why, well, you would have had to attend the presentation. John and Wayne also had quite the stash of old menus from Twin Cities and Valley supper clubs including the Blue Horse, on University Ave. in St. Paul, which Vern bought for Wayne's brother, Cliff. Wayne let John do the talking as he was a little shy, but he's got the stories and was something of a foodie in his day at his dad and brothers' restaurants, creating recipes at night while working for the USPS by day.

Thanks to Linsey Laufenberg and all the WHS staff who organized the event as well as Molly and Greg Harris, who are the cat's pajamas and their Hangar taproom the bomb at American Sky Beer/Hudson Brewing Co. Love love love American Velvet Coffee Stout, which is brewed with cold-pressed Dunn Bros. coffee. And thanks to Mary and other Hangar staff for a great event. I mentioned to someone, maybe Mary or Molly, that I needed a podium, and shazaaam, the most perfect podium *ever* appeared. Great bratwurst lunch that fit perfectly the setting, too, from award-winning RJ's Meats in Hudson. And thanks to Nate/Chad from the local River Channel. I'll post the YouTube if/when.

I was pleased to see in attendance Rep. Dean Knudson (R-Wis., 30th) [excuse the journalism holdover, folks] and his lovely wife, Joy, who used to be our cats' veterinarians when they had a vet hospital in Hudson. I was extremely pleased to see Dean nodding vigorously when I shamelessly plugged preservation of all or part of the old Buckhorn sign on the new Stillwater Crossing bike trails that will connect the old Stillwater Lift bridge with the new.

Diane Nixa, executive director of the Wisconsin Historical Foundation, welcomed the group.  She grew up in Mahtomedi, Minn. and we talked a few White Bear Lake, Minn. supper clubs (and hey, I'm going to the Lakeside Friday night with two MN pals). Also welcoming the group was Ellsworth Brown, director of the Wisconsin Historical Society, and in attendance, too, was Christopher Berry, president of the Wisconsin Historical Foundation.

Wisconsin Historical Society Event: Supper Clubs at Hudson Brewing Co.

The third time's a charm, right? I'm once again giving a presentation on the state's supper club history for the Wisconsin Historical Society, Saturday, Nov. 2 from Noon to 2 p.m. at the Hudson Brewing Company, 1510 Swasey St., Hudson, WI. Cost is $10 for WHS members and $15 for public. RSVP ASAP to 1-888-748-7479.

Plan to lunch a little, quaff Hudson's new brew and tour the brewery, and learn a little history of St. Croix Valley Supper Clubs on the Wisconsin/Minnesota border.

My special guests will be John Warling and his father Wayne Warling of St. Paul. Vern Warling, John's grandfather and Wayne's dad, built the Country House supper club near the Hilltop Supper Club strip in Houlton, Wis., in 1955. It was designed by noted Art Deco designer Werner Wittkamp and was the swankiest joint around until it burned down in 1974 (and that's a great story John and Wayne will tell).

In addition I'll talk a little supper club architecture, including Wittkamps's other work in the Twin Cities, like the Lexington, and also talk about architect Al Svenson, who designed a remodel of the Dalles House in St. Croix Falls (still there, and still a great supper club) plus his bygone supper clubs from the London House in Duluth to the Shakopee House in Shakopee.

If that's not enough, I'll also talk about how I got interested in this topic: the frog leg "legacy" that this area was known for back then. This area, the St. Croix Watershed, had once had two turtle/frog "farming" operations for lack of a better term in Houlton and Somerset, Wis., that supplied "fresh Wisconsin frog legs" ("grenouilles" for fancy folk) to supper clubs from Chicago and Milwaukee to St. Paul and Minneapolis.

And of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about booze! I'll cover how Prohibition caused the start up the urban night clubs and supper clubs across the country, why supper clubs survived in the Upper Great Lakes and specifically Wisconsin, and how a difference in liquor laws between the two states (Minnesota banned on-sale liquor in restaurants on Sundays) created this vibrant border supper club strip until Minnesota changed its law in 1967, in effect 1968.

Plus many more interesting tidbits and tales. See you there!

My tome on supper club history that appeared in the Summer 2009 edition of Wisconsin People & Ideas Magazine, published by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters. Available online at PortalWisconsin.com

The Wisconsin Historical Society Presents: Supper Clubs! June 15 in Rhinelander

Enjoy classic supper club fare, quaff some Leinenkugels, hear some history and see photos/artifacts from the Hilltop supper club strip in Houlton Wis., on the Wisconsin/Minnesota border at this Wisconsin Historical Society Taste Traditions of Wisconsin event June 15.

I'll also serve as moderator of a panel discussion with supper club owners and a documentary filmmaker whose film is forthcoming, who will talk about their love for this longstanding Wisconsin institution!

The Wisconsin Historical Museum Presents: 
Supper Clubs! 
1-3:30 p.m. Saturday, June 15, 2013 
Swearingen's Al-Gen Dinner Club
Rhinelander, WI 
Register online by June 7; Cost: $20 (discount for WHS members)

Here are links to registration info on Facebook and on the WHS site.

This is a modified presentation at the Wisconsin Historical Museum in Madison in September 2010 that I gave about my research and writing on Wisconsin supper clubs for Wisconsin People & Ideas magazine published by Wisconsin Academy of Sciences Arts & Letters in 2009. We had a lot of fun and great food at the event, which sold out! So if you are interested in this one, register by June 7.

The Wisconsin Historical Society Museum wanted to host this event elsewhere in Wisconsin, and Rob Swearingen, who served on the panel of supper club owners at the 2010 event in Madison, suggested hosting one in his neck of the Northwoods at his Al-Gen Dinner Club, which has a long and storied history. Thanks Rob and Amy!

See you there!