The Mars’ Cheese Castle on I-94 in Kenosha has been around for over 65 years.

For as long as I’ve been able to read, the Mars’ Cheese Castle has been something that always caught my eye when traveling I-94 through the Kenosha area. It was a place I always wished my parents would stop at, even just to check it out. As a kid, I always wondered what it was about. Perhaps, having the word Mars in the name is what created such curiosity. After all, space was something that interested every kid that grew up with Star Wars and Mars meant it was from space didn’t it? A name like Mars’ Cheese Castle has to be one of the most interesting names you could give a business. I also always wondered why it was called a castle. For most of my life, it never really resembled a castle to me. Well, somewhat recently, that changed.

The new Mars' Cheese Castle really looks like a castle

Every place has it’s landmarks.

As a kid, I knew that when I saw that Cheese Castle sign heading home from Chicago, that the trip was finally getting close to home. Heading south on I-94, the Mars’ Cheese Castle meant that the Illinois-Wisconsin border was not too far away. Or, at least we were getting close to the Kenosha outlet malls when heading south.

The Mars’ Cheese Castle now really looks like a castle.

It has that wonderful old look of a stone castle on the outside. On the inside, it’s nice, clean, modern, and bright. A big improvement over what it looked like inside before (which looked a bit more like a dungeon than a castle to me). I’m pretty sure that the new building has something to do with the improvements on I-94 between Chicago and Milwaukee. It’s a beautiful modern new building that really shows off the wonderful things they have to offer to a someone traveling I-94 between Chicago and Milwaukee.

What does the Mars Cheese Castle have to offer an I-94 traveller?

• Cheese
• Sausages (and other meats like Canadian bacon)
• Fresh bakery
• A restaurant
• A tavern (with an outdoor “beer garden”)
• Souvenirs
• A place to walk your dog

The Mar's Cheese Castle has some new things for an I-94 traveller

In fact, they have over 300 different cheeses to choose from. They have gift boxes with cheeses and sausages. They have a selection of wines to take home as well as a tavern that serves microbrews. One of the things that caught my attention the most with the new building was the bakery with many different types of fresh breads and sweets to choose from. I don’t remember if they had a bakery before but the new building really shows it off. They have a huge new parking lot and an area near the southwest of the castle to walk your dog.

The Cheese Castle has a website for ordering their products online. While it’s great for buying gifts, I’d suggest stopping in at the Castle sometime. I don’t think the website does it justice.

Just look for the Mars’s Cheese Castle sign.

An I-94 landmark

It’s only about a half hour south of Milwaukee and less then 12 minutes north of the Illinois-Wisconsin border on I-94. There is easy on and off access to I-94 right there on Burlington Road / 143.

How could you say you’ve been to Wisconsin without stopping at Mars?

Address for Mars’ Cheese Castle:

Phone for the Cheese Castle:

Mars’ Cheese Castle website:

www.marscheese.com

Google Map to Mar’s Cheese Castle:

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Papa Luigi’s 2 in South Milwaukee makes great food fun.

Papa Luigi’s Pizza made a very good impression on us.

My wife does not care too much for eating out. Usually, we eat at restaurants only when she’s had a hard day and doesn’t feel up to cooking. Otherwise, she would rather eat her own cooking (she is an amazing cook). It’s not often when she will tell me at a restaurant that she would like to come back some day. Sometimes she will say the food is pretty good, which is a very rare complement from her. While I really like pizza, she usually just tolerates it. I was really surprised when she asked me if we could go back come back to Papa Luigi’s in South Milwaukee just after we had their pizza.

Look close at the upstairs windows - tonight it's not a basketball court.

We had a great pizza on a Friday at Papa Luigi’s.

We then went back for a non-pizza dinner the following Tuesday (which happened to be a Valentine’s Day that year). Both times, my wife enjoyed her meal as much as I did. Papa Luigi’s has been added to our very short list of favorite places to eat when we decide on no cooking.

A pizza place with a bowling alley instead of the other way around

Papa Luigi’s is an interesting pizza place.

I’ve seen my share of “different” pizza places. In Milwaukee, there pipe organ pizza places. We’ve all seen the pizza with the creepy animatronic mouse. I’ve even been to a pizza place in Chicago that seemed to have every square inch covered in graffiti.

Who is this man? The polar bear is very impressive.

Papa Luigi’s II is the first pizza place I’ve seen with it’s own basketball court. It also has a bowling alley and an arcade. Instead of a creepy animatronic mouse, Papa Luigi’s Pizza has a big stuffed polar bear (it’s huge too). Then there is the guy in the white suit (I’m guessing that is Papa Luigi). I’ve driven past and seen the Papa Luigi’s sign enough to know that there is always something going on there. I’ve seen wedding announcements, comic book toy sales, and I think wrestling on the sign. There was a dart club meeting when we were there.

It is a casual place to eat.

You won’t feel out of place in a nice T-shirt and jeans. There are a couple of flat screen TV’s in the dinning room with sports on (first time my wife saw Jeremy Lin). There is also a screen over the fireplace next to the polar bear where there is a nice couch for those waiting to be seated. None of the TV’s were loud and unlike some places, it was easy to talk quietly to each other. Even with the bowling alley in the next room. It’s casual, and fun where you can take the kids, but still nice enough for a night out with your better half.

Is it the best pizza in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin?

Maybe, but there is a lot to choose from in the area. My wife loved the pizza. They had a special dinner on Valentine’s Day that consisted of a juicy steak, skewered shrimp, vegetables, and the most amazing mashed potatoes I’ve ever tasted. It’s a shame it’s not on the normal menu. However, they do specialize in pizza, and Italian dinners. It might not be fair to everyone else if they take over the steak dinner business too.

Service was the best I have ever witnessed at a restaurant.

It’s nice when your soda is refilled by your waitress. This was the first time I’ve had a waitress from another table stop by and refill before our own waitress had a chance. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. When we were going to order a 12″ pizza our waitress pointed out a 14″ was just a dollar more and you get garlic bread too. We went with the 14″ pizza and enjoyed it.

Always something going on at Papa Luigi's

You’ll love Papa Luigi’s 2 in South Milwaukee.

The food is exceptional. The service is great. They have a great thing going on there. No matter if you are taking the kids out or it’s a date night, it’s a great place to eat out. They also do carry out and delivery too.

Phone for Papa Luigi’s II in South Milwaukee:

Address for Papa Luigi’s 2

Website for Papa Luigi’s 2 in South Milwaukee:

www.papaluigis2.com

Google Map to Papa Luigi’s South Milwaukee

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5 Ways to treat your Valentine in 2012

Guys, your better half deserves a treat.

Let’s face it, she didn’t mind your Super Bowl party. She probably even did most of the cleaning up afterwards. We can complain about St. Valentine’s Day being created by the greeting cards companies but in truth, she deserves every week instead of once a year.

Yet there is always that question about what to do for Valentine’s day.

How will you celebrate St. Valentine's Day in Wisconsin?

What do you do for her? What do you get her? She deserves a bit more than the cheap bouquet at the grocery store on the way home.

5 Ways to treat your Valentine special in Wisconsin:

1. Take her for a romantic retreat a one of Wisconsin’s romantic spots.

Maybe an evening with Swiss European flare in New Glarus. How about a night in Door County at one of the local resorts? There are many places in Wisconsin that offer a different view and a chance to be together and enjoy it.

2. Give her  a special Wisconsin treat.

If getting away for a night is not an option this year since St. Valentine’s Day is in the middle of the week, you can still giver her a treat from those places. You can order chocolate from the New Glarus Cheese and Chocolate Haus or Esther’s European Imports. Both have online stores and you might get the goods in time if you order soon. There are a number of Door County specialties that can be found all over the state. At the very least, you could get her some special Door County Coffee and enjoy a warm evening together. Don’t forget the New Glarus Bakery or any local Wisconsin bakery for other baked sweets.  You can get her jelly beans at the Jelly Belly Factory in Kenosha.

3. Spend some time in the Wisconsin outdoors together.

One hint: the middle of February is probably not a good time for a walk down Grant Park Beach with the cold wind from Lake Michigan. However, the 7 Bridges in Grant Park might make a nice romantic walk and it’s kinda of hidden from the wind. If you can skate (or she can) there is ice skating at Red Arrow Park in Milwaukee. For something even more athletic, go skiing. Crystal Ridge Ski Hill in Franklin is just minutes away from much of Milwaukee and has ski rentals.

4. Flowers from one of Wisconsin’s florists.

I’ve always loved the look on my wife’s face when I give her flowers. She really loves them. There is Parkway Floral in South Milwaukee as well as a large number of other local florists in Wisconsin.

Flowers and Jewelry Make Valentine's Day Better

5. Diamonds are always treasured.

If not diamonds, there are other choices in jewelry that will thrill her heart. My wife loves pearls. I think they look better when she is wearing them then in a store. I suggest you go to a local jeweler like Donn Powers instead of a discount chain store. You’ll know your getting something that is worthy of your better half instead of some cheap imported piece of costume jewelry.

Of course, if one of the five ideas above doesn’t come to mind you can take your Valentine out to eat at a Wisconsin restaurant.

You can go Italian at Paisano’s in South Milwaukee or diCarlo’s Pizza in Oak Creek. You can go with Chinese at China Chef in South Milwaukee. For something a bit more upscale, you can take your Valentine to the Packing House. If you are not near one of these places, I am sure there is another fine Wisconsin restaurant near you the she loves. Better yet, combine dinner with one of the options above.

Whatever you do, do something.

She deserves it, doesn’t she? After all, she chose to spend St. Valentine’s with you.

The Packing House is one of Milwaukee’s favorite restaurants.

If you drive on Layton Avenue past Mitchell International Airport on a Friday night, you’ll see a line of cars stretching around the block.

What makes people line up in their cars like people trying to get into a popular L.A. nightclub? It’s the Packing House Friday Fish Fry. On Friday, the Packing House has a drive up window for their Fish Fry and that is what many of those cars are picking up. They take cash only, no credit cards to keep the line moving. A Friday fish fry is a popular tradition in the Milwaukee area. The Packing House’s fish fry is well liked. It’s often a long line.

On Friday evenings, there is usually a long line of cars trying to enter here

The Packing House has a lot more than just a fish fry.

They have:

• Ribs
  

  The Packing House is located on Layton Ave facing the airport

• Steaks
• Seafood (more than just fried fish)
• Poultry
• Veal

Besides food, The Packing house also has a piano bar and cocktails.

My wife and I had a chance to eat there recently.

We both enjoyed it. The food was very good. I had a prime rib (I don’t think it is usually on the menu) and my wife had the Beef Wellington. Both the steaks were very good. Soup was included and we both really liked the soup. We also really liked the fresh bread that came with it, the bread was something we both noted. The food was very good.

I’d say The Packing House is on the more formal side of casual dining.

It’s listed as casual/ formal dining. There’s no dress code but I’d have felt out of place in jeans and a T-shirt. You would not need a tie and I felt fine with just a collared shirt (I hate ties with a passion). They have someone to check your coat if you would like before you enter the dinning room. It is probably a great place for a business lunch.

The service was great.

The Packing House is well know for Friday Fish Fry

Our waitress was wonderful. It was a nice atmosphere. There was a live singer in the bar singing mostly light jazz type music. It was not loud and barely noticeable in the dinning room.

Our meal for two was in the $50-$60 range.

That included our tip. We don’t drink so add a bit to that if you do. While a few dinners are just over $30 most of them are in the $12-$25 range. Lunch prices were less.

If you’re looking for a nice atmosphere with great food, The Packing House on Layton Avenue would be a good choice.

A great place for a family meal

It is a big step up from just about any restaurant chain. The food and the atmosphere are both special. The service is great. It would be a great place to take the family for a meal (they have a children’s menu). You may want to try their Milwaukee Friday Fish Fry (get in line early).

The phone for The Packing House Milwaukee, Wisconsin:

414-483-5054

Address for the Packing House:

Google Map for The Packing House:

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Website for The Packing House:

foodspot.com It’s awful but that’s the one they claim.

Italian food at Paisano’s in South Milwaukee, WI.

One reason we chose to eat at Paisano’s Italian Restaurant was it always looks busy.

My wife always noticed that the parking lot is usually full when she went by. So, when we were looking for some place new to try, she wanted to give Paisano’s a try.

Paisono's Italian Restaurant at Night

Paisano’s is easy to find.

It has a large number of neon lights around the building that really stand out. It’s just a few buildings south of College Ave. on North Chicago Ave. (it is called Packard Ave just north in Cudahy) in South Milwaukee. There is plenty of parking around the building.

First, the waitresses were wonderful.

Paisono's South Milwaukee Wisconsin

They were smiling and cheerful. They were very good at making sure we were well taken care of without being annoying at all. I still had plenty of soda in my glass when a full one appeared to replace it. It was great service.

The food was great too!

I had the Delmonico Steak. It was topped with onions, mushrooms and mozzaralla cheese. I never even finished the french fries.

My wife had the Sicilian Beef with Pasta. Her dish was so full that it didn’t look like she ate much when she finished. I had some the next day for lunch and it was still good. We both felt the soup was extremely good. The soup itself could have been enough for a full meal. I cannot remember if they called it minestrone or Mediterranean  soup. It was very thick with lots of mushrooms.

We also had an order of french fries for our niece and the Charbroiled Prime Rib for my wife’s sister. The waitress brought out the fries early for our little niece. Even with the rest of us helping, there were probably enough fries left from the huge bowl to make a full serving at many places.

The steaks came with a choice of potato (at least four choices there) and all the dinners had the choice of soup or salad and a choice of garlic bread or Italian bread. We were too full to even think about the pudding that was included (maybe next time).

Paisono's during the day.

I felt the prices were very good.

Nearly all the dinners on the menu are in the $9.00 to $12.00 range. The steaks we had were a bit more but not too bad.  If you were to go for lunch, they have a large number of sandwiches in the $6-$8 range with french fries and coleslaw.

Paisano’s also makes homemade Italian style pizza.

Crust options are:

• Thin-n-crsipy
• Thick-n-chrunchy
• Pan Style

Paisano’s Italian Restaurant has a nice decor if you eat in.

This artwork on the outside is similar to the painted walls in the dining room.

Phone for Paisano’s Italian Restaurant:

Address for Paisano’s:

Website for Paisono’s Italian Restaurant:

paisanositalianrestaurant.com

Google Map to Paisano’s Italian Restaurant

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Traditional Swiss bakery is what the New Glarus Bakery is all about.

Consider making a visit to the New Glarus Bakery a tradition anytime you are near New Glarus, WI.

The New Glarus Bakery has a history dating back to 1910. While ownership changed in 2004, they are still using their Old World recipes to create traditional Swiss pastries, cookies, deserts, and breads.

Their featured traditional specialty is probably the New Glarus Stollen.

Made from a bread formed by hand, it includes ingredients like almonds, Meyer’s rum, marzipan and two kinds of raisins. They make a point that there is no candied fruit in the ingredients. With stollen a popular Christmas tradition in Wisconsin, I can’t think of a more traditional bakery to get it from.

Of course, there is lots more than just stollen.

The New Glarus Bakery has a larger number of traditional breads to choose from. There are several types of ethnic cookies. They make custom cakes using their own from-scratch recipes and buttercream icing. They even have a special treat just for your dog!

On our last trip to New Glarus we tried the New Glarus Bakery cheescake.

It was light. It was fluffy. It was probably the richest cheesecake I’ve tasted. It was delicious!

Not close to the New Glarus Bakery? They ship tradition!

Looking to start a holiday tradition with the New Glarus Bakery? It’s not always possible to make a trip to New Glarus, Wisconsin just for stollen. Well, the New Glarus Bakery ships their wonderful creations all over the country throughout the year. Have a stollen and one of their bread samplers or Swiss cookie assortments or any of their specialties shipped to your home for the Holidays. Check out their website and choose some wonderful treats to share at a party or give as gifts. Then call their toll-free line and have them ship it to your home.

New Glarus Bakery website:

www.newglarusbakery.com

Phone number for the New Glarus Bakery:

1-866-805-5536  (you can call from the website – it uses Google Voice).

Address for the New Glarus Bakery:

534 First Street

New Glarus, Wisconsin 53574

Google Map with the New Glarus Bakery:

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di Carlo’s Pizza Oak Creek, WI

Trattoria Di Carlo

Di Carlo’s Pizza has become well known in the Milwaukee area for being one of the best places to eat. It certainly has great pizza, but that is not all. Di Carlo Pizza also has a large number of other Italian specialties. Steak and seafood are also on the menu.

The original Di Carlo Pizza was a very small building.

This meant a long waiting time for the few tables. It was worth the wait. Even to sit in the somewhat cramped dinning room.

They have expanded the building.

Now there is much more room. The parking lot is still usually full on many nights. There is also a separate entrance for carry out orders.

Prices are nice too.

Di Carlo’s Specialty Pizzas range from $10.00 to $24.50 for the 18 inch “Everything but the kitchen sink.” Most of the Specialties and entrees are in the $12-$20 range. There is also a children’s menu. Di Carlo Pizza of Oak Creek also does catering.

Di Carlo’s does both carry out and delivery.

Phone number for Di Carlo Pizza

• 414-768-0001

Address for Di Carlo Pizza

• 8469 South Howell Avenue
• Oak Creek, Wisconsin 53154

Map to Di Carlo Pizza Oak Creek Wisconsin

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Websites for Di Carlo Pizza

• Di Carlo Pizza
• Trattoria Di Carlo Catering

China Chef South Milwaukee, WI

China Chef is a gem for South Milwaukee.

It may be one of the best Chinese restaurants in the state. The food is definitely above most Chinese restaurants including those in Chinatown Chicago, Ill. This is the first Chinese restaurant that my wife (who is Chinese) admitted the food was as good as hers.

Sherry and her husband Chef Wang provide a Chinese menu that is above most others.

Chef Wang was a professional chef in China. He also won a top 10 chef competition in China. The food demonstrates his ability. Their motto is “Let the food talk.”

China Chef of South Milwaukee used to be named Great Shanghai.

The name was changed when they purchased their own building and move a few block to their present location on Milwaukee Avenue in South Milwaukee,

Wisconsin. They did a great job of decorating the new location. Bamboo plants are everywhere in the dining room.

The prices are very reasonable.

You will get your money’s worth. You will also probably be taking some home as the plates are served full. The lunch buffet is also well priced.

I have been to Chinese restaurants where all the food tastes the same.

At China Chef, you will be able to taste the difference between Mongolian Beef and Hunan Beef. Both are delicious also. The appetizers are also wonderful.

Restaurant hours:

• Monday-Thursday 11:00am-9:30pm
• Friday-Saturday 11:00am-10:00pm
• Sunday 12:00 noon-9:00pm

Lunch Buffet Hours

• Monday-Friday 11:00am-2:00pm

Phone numbers for China Chef South Milwaukee, WI

• 414-764-1966
• 414-764-2148

Address for China Chef Chinese Restaurant

• 1224 Milwaukee Avenue
• South Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53172

Map for China Chef South Milwaukee, Wisconsn

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China Chef has a Website that is currently under construction.

• smchinachef.com

Let the food talk at China Chef!