Gabriel's Taqueria

Tonight we went to Oconomowoc to get ice cream. We needed to feed  Layla a real dinner first, so we tried to go to the Italian deli. It was highly recommended by Mike's boss. But we got there just in time to watch a waitress flip the sign on the door to "closed". I was so disappointed!  Naturally, we needed somewhere else to grab a quick dinner.  That meant one of the local taco trucks. The only one open today was Gabriel's Taqueria. Mike always orders the chicken quesadilla. He says he likes they're good because the chicken is "nice and juicy". I can vouch for that because their chicken tacos were the best I've had in awhile. Some places just cook the meat until it's so dry! They don't serve guacamole but offered to put sliced avocado on my tacos instead. Which made me happy! Plus I just loved all the cilantro and lime.
If you're ever in Oconomowoc looking for a quick bite to eat stop at Gabriel's! Or, if you've been there before, tell me what I should try next!

The Dawg House Depot -- Lynxville, Wi

My husband, Mike, is a pretty spontaneous guy. He gets extremely restless if he has to spend the weekend at home. So for Memorial day weekend he wanted to go somewhere. Except Mike didn't really know where. All he told me was "maybe north, maybe west". It didn't surprise me at all. His adventurousness is something I love about him.
Anyway, we ended up taking another one of our scenic drives. A long one this time. On Saturday we drove over to La Crosse then down Highway 35 along the Wisconsin side of the Missippi river. We stopped at a few touristy shops throughout the morning. Then we started looking for an appealing place to buy lunch.
In my opinion a crowd around a little food stand is usually always a sign of great food. So, when we saw a moderate sized line outside the the Dawg House Depot in Lynxville we didn't need any additional convincing to stop. Mike ordered two chilli cheese dogs with a side of fried white cheddar curds. I chose the catfish tacos and had a side of the deep fried curds as well. 
We ate on the back patio overlooking the Mississippi. The river air smelled invigorating and our food matched the laid back atmosphere. Mike quickly gobbled up his curds and one of his hotdogs. Meanwhile, I savored the freshness of my fish tacos. After eating we lingered for a few minutes to watch boats go bye and trains pass on the nearby tracks before climbing back in the car and continuing on our way.

Burger Night at the Crafty Cow

For dinner we went to the Crafty cow in Oconomowoc, Wi. This place has been on my go to restaurant list for months. Ever since I saw their S'more burger on a friend's Facebook feed.
So today, when a couple of friends came over and they were thirsty for a beer from the Crafty Cow I jumped at the opportunity to go.
Their menu had many different burgers to choose from. The La Belle burger caught my attention immediately. I saw it as soon as I opened the menu and it was still my top contender even after reviewing the whole selection. It had Bacon, eggs, avocado, and even Cream cheese on it. The cream cheese is probably what captured and maintained my attention. It's just not something I've ever associated with a hamburger before. Have you?
Dont worry, It sounds like a lot of fat but I actually felt kind of healthy eating it. It didn't sit heavy in my stomach like some greasy burgers do. Besides, avocado and eggs are super good for you right?
Overall the Crafty cow was a worthy burger joint with a hipster atmosphere and adiquate service.  However I felt the prices were a tad high for a burger that didn't even come with french fries. My burger cost a little more than ten dollars. That's not crazy expensive for a gourmet burger but fries should be standard not an extra charge! Regardless, I'll be going back to try more burgers in the future.

Muscoda Morel Mushroom Festival

Did you know that Muscoda is the Morel mushroom capital of Wisconsin?
In May, they host an annual festival to celebrate that fact. Mike and I go every year. It's a small festival but there are plenty of fun things to see and do around town. This year we spent the most time at the craft fair. They had all sorts of Morel inspired decorations and plenty of the usual craft fair items as well. Mike bought me a sweatshirt and a super cute pair of tiny morel earrings. I'll post a photo of them on my instagram later to show you.
This year, the weather was colder than usual. So we spent the most of the day indoors. What better way to keep warm than with a Morel mushroom and leek burger from the Sportsman's lounge (and a cocktail or two). The burger was so juicy and the morels on top were prepared perfectly . The french fries were battered just the way I like them too. Honestly, I can't think of a more perfect meal to eat at a Morel mushroom festival. Go next year and try one!

The Barbecue Company

You know that restaurant you always drive by and want to try but you never actually stop there?
I drive by a lot of them but now I can actually cross one of them off my list.
Today, in between foraging for morel mushrooms, we stopped at the Barbecue company in Hartford, Wi. I've driven by it ever since it was a little roadside tent. But, like a hundred other places, I never remember to go there when I'm making dinner plans.
Today I tried the smokey pulled pork and bleu cheese cole slaw wrap. The meat itself was melt in your mouth delicious and the bleu cheese cole slaw stands apart from any other slaw I've had lately. In a good way, of course. Mac and cheese was my side and it was pretty good too but a little spicy.  I probably wouldn't get it again but that's just my personal preference (I like my mac mild).
We will definitely be stopping back in the future for a rack of ribs or to try the brisket sandwich.