Earl’s Sister Bay Bowl, Sister Bay, Door County, Wisconsin

From the Bowl’s webpage: “The Sister Bay Bowl is an authentic, family-owned supper club - just like the ones that were so popular in the 1950s and 60s.” Supper clubs were popular at a time when going out to eat was still a special occasion and the name suggests a certain sophistication and exclusiveness. They were very popular in Wisconsin and some restaurants still call themselves supper clubs. The menus are usually simple, unadorned American fare such as prime rib, chicken and fish. No fancy sauces other than ketchup nor any spices other than salt and pepper. An “adult lite” menu was available but I didn’t think the portions would be enough to satisfy my hearty appetite. While waiting for our meals to arrive, we were served a small loaf of warm bread that was half white bread and half rye served with a dish of butter packets wrapped in foil. The multi-flavored bread was the only attempt at culinary flair. The white bread was good but I found the rye too salty. How could that be? Apparently, they mix the breads separately and stick them together somehow. Annette, our waitress, brought our food promptly. She was not very personable but her service was quick and efficient. It was refreshing not to hear her say “My name is Annette and I’ll be your server tonight. Our specials are…” I only learned Annette’s name from my credit card receipt. My sister and I both thought that she bore an uncanny resemblance to Elvera Daul, our eccentric tenth-grade English teacher. I had ordered the perch special. As always, the fish plate came with French fries and disgusting tartar sauce, which I quickly set aside to avoid contamination of my fish and fries. The perch was fried to perfection and did not have a fishy taste. The fries were crisp and fresh. What more is there to say about two deep-fried dinner items? Clearly, they used fresh grease. Other than the potatoes, there was not another vegetable in sight. I missed the sprig of parsley that used to garnish our dinner plates. I enjoyed the meal immensely. We gave it our highest accolade: “I’m stuffed.”