Wolf Peach was next on the culinary tour of Milwaukee. The name "Wolf Peach" stems from European folklore:

"When the tomato was first introduced, it was widely considered poisonous. Aristocrats dined on pewter; the acid in tomatoes reacted with the metal, causing lead poisoning. Peasants ate from plates made of wood and were unaffected, so tomatoes became the poor man’s food. The legend grew, as legends do, to include stories of witches using tomatoes, a member of the deadly nightshade family, to conjure werewolves. The wild tomato’s Latin genus name, Lycopersicon, translates to “Wolf Peach.” Wolf Peach pays homage to rustic European cuisine that draws inspiration regional ingredients - including the illustrious tomato."

I had actually made reservations for this restaurant, but, because I'm stupid, I got the reservation time mixed up with the time change to Central from Eastern. This led to us walking around the entire area for about an hour until it was actually time for our reservation.



Wolf Peach does things a little differently. For one, they have communal dining in one part of the restaurant so that folks who don't know each other can eat together. Also, they bring dishes out as they are ready, as opposed to coursing the dishes to "ensuring that they are fresh, bright and ready to enjoy."

"Fueled by passion and a 6,000-pound wood-fired oven, we pair beautiful ingredients from local farms, purveyors and artisans to create food to feed the soul. Our style of service is casual and communal ... We believe dining should be as much about enjoying the company as it is about savoring the fare ... Our menu is an eclectic mix of large and small plates designed to encourage sharing, cultivate interaction and foster a sense of dining at a family table."

We started off our dinner with an appetizer of the smoked bone marrow. Yes, bone marrow - which has become trendy in recent years. It has this odd, carnal appeal - scraping animal bones free of the rich, gelatinous marrow. But, it has become this sort of delicacy - as raw or grisly as it may seem.

It was served with sea salt, parsley, red onion jam and fresh bread. It has this buttery but almost sweet flavor. The red onion jam gave it more of a sweetness, and the bread gave it some much-needed texture. This was good, but mostly it was interesting.

We ordered a pizza with whipped ricotta, baby summer squash, garden tomato, and fresh oregano. When I read this on their menu online, it included a honey Sriracha sauce and something else. I had my heart set on that already, and when we got to the restaurant, the pizza was slightly different. I still wanted to go with it.

I wish I had taken a closer look at some of the other options, because this definitely did not wow me. It was actually pretty bland. It needed a heavy-handed dash of salt and other spices. The vegetables were not particularly flavorful, either. I wanted something light, but not flavorless. That honey Sriracha drizzle could've done wonders. I ended up taking the leftover sweet onion jam and putting it on the slices of pizza. If you visit, opt for a different one. Many others sound tasty.

Grade: B

Frozen custard is a thing in the midwest. Frozen custard is ice cream, but made with the addition of eggs, which makes it have a smoother texture and stay colder longer. It's specifically popular in Milwaukee, which is the "unofficial frozen custard capital of the world." Apparently, the city had the highest concentration of frozen yogurt shops in the world.

Leon's Frozen Custard is one of the giants in the area. They have malts, shakes, sundaes, cones, sodas, floats and burgers and hotdogs. You order at the window and grab your frozen custard to go. There wasn't any seating around that I saw.

I went for a caramel sundae, which came topped with nuts and a cherry. It was freezing out this day, but we sat outside at the neighboring business, scarfing down this frozen custard. It's creamier than typical ice cream, and it was covered in caramel, which makes every dish better. So good.

Grade: A

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)