Wisconsin is known for its cheese, so there was no way I was going home without trying some. A quick search turned up the Wisconsin Cheese Mart as being known for its selection.







And they do have a ton - everything from curds and sharp cheddar to cranberry and beer cheese.







We ended up buying a tiny Wisconsin-shaped cheddar cheese in red wax. That I actually unwrapped as we were walking into a Brewers game. Doesn't get much more Wisconsin than that, does it?

Also, I got a couple of these L. Frances Caramels, which were so creamy and delicious. That's me holding one up in the back of an Uber.

Milwaukee has a significant German population, which explains the beer and German restaurants in the city. When scoping out new restaurants, there were a few German places that kept coming up, amongst them was Mader's Restaurant.



Unbeknownst to me, on Sunday it's a brunch buffet at Mader's. I don't even think there was an option to order from the menu, which made it awkward when after we were seated, we were waited for a waiter to come over. After just sitting for a while, we realized the buffet was the only option, so we made our way to the buffet area.





They have a ton of stuff, from breakfast: made-to-order omelets, french toast, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon.



Then, there were the brunch entree items like Bavarian Sauerbraten, Kassler Rippchen, Hungarian Beef Goulash, Bratwurst and Knackwurst and chef's carving station.





Also: pasta, soup, mashed potatoes, red cabbage, smoked salmon, shrimp, cheeses, fruit, vegetables, salad and desserts.





The only thing here I actually really liked was this cheesy mashed potato dish. Everything else was, well, buffet quality. For $24 for a lunch, it's steep, too. So, a decent variety, but nothing mind-blowing.

Grade: C

West Virginia is home to about a dozen drive-in restaurants that continue to thrive despite being about a half-century removed from their prime.

The first drive-in restaurant was Kirby's Pig Stand, which opened in Dallas, Texas, in 1921. In North America, drive-in facilities of all types have become less popular since their heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, with drive-throughs rising to prominence since the 1970s and 1980s.

The drive-in is reminiscent of a simpler time when eating out at restaurant wasn't the norm, and there's something fun about participating in this iconic Americana experience. Carhops skating around, jotting down orders on paper pads and racing them to the kitchen. They return with a tray full of (often) fried foods or juicy cheeseburgers that rest on the car window.

The 1950s drive-in is still alive in parts of West Virginia, with carhops slinging milkshakes and orders of french fries to lines of automobiles. And loyal customers return to their beloved drive-ins time and time again for the homemade recipes and to support a local business.

Get out your map. Pull into a drive-in restaurant on this list. Park near a menu. Wait for a carhop (hopefully on roller skates!). Order something delicious (can't go wrong with a West Virginia-style hotdog, cheeseburger or milkshake). Make sure to have your window rolled down so that just about 1/3 or 1/4 shows; the carhop will place the tray on your window. Chow down. Wait for them to pay (usually with cash). Sometimes they will leave the change on your tray. No worries, they will have bills handy. When you're finished, turn on your headlights (or honk in some places), so they take the tray and you can be on your merry way.



Frostop Drive-In (Huntington)
1449 Hal Greer Boulevard, Huntington, WV 25701, 304.523.6851
Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Drive toward the giant, mesmerizing rotating root beer mug atop the Frostop Drive-In in Huntington to lead yourself to the best root beer float (in a frosted mug) you may ever experience. Frostop, once a well-known drive-in franchise, has just a few locations remaining in the country and is the only remaining location in West Virginia. The 1959 restaurant encourages customers to honk their horns for service so that a carhop, donning yellow or brown shirts with brown caps with 'Frostop' written in the cursive logo, will arrive. My trip to Frostop came on the heels of a daylong hotdog festival, but they also have a tasty hotdog. Get it the West Virginia way: with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. The hot dogs are boiled, and buns are steamed. The chili sauce is a family recipe that has been passed down through generations.



301 North Eisenhower Drive, Beckley, WV 25801, 304.252.6353
Mon.-Tues. 10:30 a.m. -11 p.m.; Thurs.-Sun. 10:30 a.m. -11 p.m.; closed Wed.
Beckley's King Tut Drive-In has a huge menu, offering everything from sandwiches and burgers to plated dinners, like meatloaf, chicken strips and seafood. King Tut also takes credit for introducing pizza to the Beckley area. At first, the restaurant had trouble selling pizza before it caught on big time. Try one with pepperoni!



Pinnacle Drive Inn (Pineville)
Pinnacle Avenue and Route 16, Pineville, WV 24874, 304.732.7785
Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The restaurant is closed Sundays.
Wyoming County's drive-in restaurant has had a loyal following since it opened in November 1968. Check out their "sandwich specialties" that range from a "Big John" (ham, swiss, salami, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise) to a "Submarine" (turkey salad, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and cranberry sauce). Pinnacle Drive Inn's hot dogs are served with fresh chili and in a toasted English bun.



Jim's Drive In (Lewisburg)

A very hoity-toity dinner the previous night necessitated a good, comfort food breakfast the next morning. Blue's Egg serves up "modern, American" brunch food every day from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.



There was a bit of a wait, so we hung out for a bit until we got a notification that our table was ready. The menu here is pretty impressive. It has everything from benedicts and omelettes to French toast and seafood crepes. Also, they serve "very stuffed browns," which are huge hash browns filled with some sort of delicious stuff. They have a pulled ham and sharp cheddar; an aged provolone, basil pesto and rich tomato sauce; a goat cheese with roasted olives and paprika aioli; a chicken chorizo, spinach and paprika aioli; and a roasted mushroom, creamy leeks, and herb creme fraiche.

I ordered French toast with sausage and a goat cheese hash brown.

Yum, yum yum. I love a good French toast, and this was a pretty good French toast. The syrup covered all four triangles of French toast to form this sticky sweet comfort food I love. The sausage was quite good - a little spice.

The hash brown was the star. Inside this perfect crisp hash brown was a mound of creamy goat cheese that I took little bits of to mesh with a bite of hash brown. The sauce on top was a bit spicy, and the olives added just a touch of bitter. It was quite good.

I actually find myself still thinking about that goat cheese hash brown. French toast is very good - but I can get that most places. That hash brown, though, I would love to get another.

Grade: A

Sanford was the first place I booked a reservation for when I knew I was going to Milwaukee. It boasts award-winning chefs and an impressive repertoire of incredible dishes. It had rave reviews, and I wanted to try this magnificent place.

As soon as we walked in, I knew we were underdressed. While they do not enforce any dress code, it was abundantly clear this was a certain clientele of a certain echelon. Luckily, I had about three drinks in me at this point, so any self-consciousness was gone. Thank god.



The first thing that made me giggle as soon as we sat down was there were these long, thin, brittle breadsticks right on the table. They are some sort of appetizer in a way, but they were just kind of awkward for me. And not super tasty. Don't worry, it gets better.



The bread, while not warm, was very tasty. It had a nice flavor with some herbs mixed in.



The first bite was this amuse bouche made of lamb chimichurri with tomato. It was a nice palate cleanser.

For my entree, I ordered the "Seared Sea Scallops with Watercress Puree, Wine Potatoes, and Wild Mushrooms with Walnut Brown Butter." The scallops were very, very buttery. There wasn't a thick sear on them, but the flavor was delicious. The bedding had a very earthy taste, which I love, so it was a good combination.

Tony ordered the beef tenderloin, which came with yukon potato puree, escarole, and parmesan truffle dressing. I snuck a bite, and it was quite tasty.

On to dessert:

They are known for their desserts, and they often take some time to prepare. So, we ordered two and split them. We ordered the "Warm Blueberry Clafoutis, Lemon Ice Cream" and the "Banana Butterscotch Toffee Tart with Banana Rum Ice Cream."

The "Clafoutis" is just like a thick pancake that had a nice sear on both sides. The warm blueberry sauce made the experience just like eating a pancake + ice cream. A nice sweet - but not overly sweet - bite.

OK so this one was really, really good for me. The banana butterscotch toffee tart is what my dreams are made of. And typically I don't go after banana-y things. But it was a perfect mix of textures and a dark, roasted toffee flavor with the light floral banana flavor. The ice cream had this sort of gritty texture that was just a perfect complement. The little design thing of a mango and raspberry flavor was an outlier - a bit acidic and didn't mesh as well.

And, in case we hadn't already had enough sugar, we were presented with some petit fours. One was a chocolate chip biscotti (meh), one was a shortcake (eh), and one was a caramel almond square. I know it's shocking, but the caramel one was my favorite.

Overall thoughts: This place is a definitely a bit stuffier than I prefer. And I can do fancy. Just don't love "stuffy." The woman next to me was using a neck roll pillow behind her back for god's sake. A fancy one. BUT, I had such a good time. Maybe it was the few drinks beforehand, or maybe it's because we know how to have a good time, but I had fun and really liked my meal.

Grade: A