Head to a basketball or hockey game at the Kohl Center, and you’ll find something surprising in the concourse outside section 112: a supper club.
The Wisconsin Department of Tourism opened the Travel Wisconsin Supper Club on Dec. 12, and I was invited to check it out. This opportunity intrigued me, as I typically avoid eating at the Kohl Center–the concession stands serve fairly average food–and eat at nearby restaurants and bars instead.
According to Joe Carney, director of operations for Levy Restaurants at UW Athletics, the supper club is part of a series of concession stand upgrades planned for the Kohl Center. The concept was developed through the combined efforts of the Dept. of Tourism, Badger Sports Properties, Levy Restaurants and UW Athletics.
“Supper club dining is about atmosphere and simple, authentic meals,” Levy Restaurants Chef Jason Steidle said in a statement. “To bring the concept together in a sports venue was a unique challenge, and we hope the result will delight fans and inspire continued interest in the decades-old supper club culture for years to come.”
Every day of the week has a special–for example, pot roast with mashed potatoes ($8.50) on Tuesdays and fish fry ($9.75) on Fridays. On Wednesday, patrons can try the stuffed shrimp ($8.50), which is filled with Monterey Jack cheese and served over waffle fries. I thought the fried shrimp perfectly combined a crunchy exterior with a soft, gooey interior, and I probably could have eaten at least a dozen of them.
Do what you can to visit on a Saturday, when the prime rib sandwich ($14.75) is featured. The prime rib by itself is freshly sliced in front of you, and it’s tender and incredibly flavorful from roasting for 1.5 hours.The bread holds the ladle of au jus really well, and the cooked onions and dab of horseradish on top make for the best sandwich ever served at the Kohl Center (and I’ve eaten in the media room and in the suites).
Of course, there are every-day menu items, too. The cheese curds ($7) had a nice, fried flavor, but the cheese was fairly hard because the curds were sitting in the warmer for a tad too long. Meanwhile, the onion rings ($5) were crispy and not too onion-y (which I appreciated).
The daily soups ($6) include clam chowder and cream of potato. Despite being so thin, the cheese soup was really satisfying in taste, as the cheddar cheese was accompanied by bacon and bell peppers.
The only item on the menu I wouldn’t recommend is the spaghetti and meatballs ($8.50). That’s because the dish reminded me of cafeteria spaghetti, and the frozen taste of the meatballs is obvious.
And one other thing to note, and this is no fault of Travel Wisconsin, but there are very few tables near the concession stand, and it’s hard to eat while holding a plate of food. On one visit, there was one high top and only one other table a section over. On a second visit, that one table had been removed from section 112, so I had to set my plate down on the condiment table.
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See more photos in our Travel Wisconsin Supper Club Flickr album.
Here’s the lineup:
Although I didn’t eat anything, you should know that Gloria Jean’s also serves food, and the menu that launched last July is more robust than other coffee shops. Breakfast includes egg sandwiches and waffles, while lunch/dinner includes sandwiches such as the GJ Roast Beef and Grilled Triple Cheese. You also can order soups, salads and pastries.
The rest of the menu is comprised of soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers and a few dinner-only entrees, one of which includes the pulled pork mac & cheese ($15.5). The pulled pork is tender and has the perfect amount of BBQ sauce, and all of it sits atop big-shelled and creamy macaroni. The sprinkles of bread crumbs adds a nice little crunch to the dish.
