Raclette Roll!

It was a tough exercising tonight. Maybe it was 36 hours of the miniest of mini vacations one can take. We drove from Milwaukee to New Glarus for a day & night of fun and frivolity. Have you been to New Glarus? It's a small town with lots of character and a Swiss heritage.

The New Glarus brewery is the main draw, but the little pubs and restaurants in the town are the real stars. After the brewery we hit The Glarner Stube for some more New Glarus Brewing Co. beers and roasted red peppers with garlic in olive oil. This place is a Wisconsin classic; check it out when you can: http://glarnerstube.com/. Then we hit the New Glarus Hotel (http://www.newglarushotel.com) where I had one of my favorite things ever: Raclette! Raclette is actually a soft warm cheese, but dishes that use Raclette may also be called Raclette. The menu's description of it is as follows: Famous Swiss appetizer made with middle aged Raclette cheese melted over boiled potatoes and garnished. Let me tell you, if I had any inclination of ever becoming a vegetarian it would be because of this dish. My Jaeger Schnitzel that followed was darn near as good, but the Raclette...oh my. And it pairs well with beer too. A double-edged fitness killer, but one I can't wait to have again.

To further dig the hole, the hotel had homemade swiss pastries for their Continental breakfast. I am not one to ever pass up a pastry, but these golden delicacies were outstanding. I couldn't stop myself and I reasoned that I need the nourishment for the ensuing 18 holes of golf we were about to play at the Edelweiss Chalet CC (http://edelweissccc.com/). What a fantastic day it was for golf too. Quiet, sunny, and warm. We breezed through 18 holes with a cart in just a little over 4 hours. And what do you after 18 holes? That's right. Lunch.

Lunch was at another ultra classic: Puempel's Olde Tavern (http://puempels.com/). This place is like stepping back in time. 150 years worth of time to be exact. Many of the pictures on the wall are over 100 years old of the same tavern! And what kind of classic food can you get at this historic establishment? Sandwiches. Simple, perfect sandwiches. My wife had the braunschweiger and I went with the salami. The salami was stacked about a half-inch thick on a couple slices of rye bread. Squeeze on a couple of the "squishees" (mayo and mustard) as the barkeep called 'em and I was in heaven. Sandwich served with a bag of chips and a pickle. Grand total: $4.

So it shouldn't be a surprise that tonight's run was a tough one, but despite all of the delicasies I enjoyed, I still have to blame the Raclette. Oh my lovely Raclette. I will dream about you tonight.

Last thing, dang I love the state of Wisconsin. There are so many cool, off-beaten-path places to explore and discover. And the natural beauty of this place is truly astounding. It crept up on me over the years, but now I can loudly proclaim that I am proud to call this state my home.

Oh, I almost forgot the fudge. (http://www.mapleleafcheeseandchocolatehaus.com/)