The Cabin

Where To Find the Best Cheese Curds in Wisconsin, Part 3

Episode Summary

On the heels of Sunday’s National Cheese Curd Day, Eric and Ana welcome Samantha Buschman, the Instagrammer behind @wisconsin_cheese_please, into The Cabin. The topic? Cheese curds! Both fresh in factories where they’re made, and the best fresh & fried you can find in restaurants (and some bars and food trucks) around Wisconsin. You’ll be ready for multiple helpings of one of Wisconsin’s signature dishes after The Cabin provides you with so many great leads!

Episode Notes

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Barron County; https://bit.ly/3EUtWqu

The Cabin is also presented by Jolly Good Soda, available in all your classic favorite flavors that we remember from childhood. The diet line offers 0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 sugars, and no caffeine – perfect for mixers or just enjoying on a warm summer day (or any day, for that matter); always Wisconsin-based, you can follow @jollygoodsoda on social for the latest on new flavors, fun promotions, and more. Learn more here; https://bit.ly/3TSFYY4   

Campfire Conversation: 

On the heels of Sunday’s National Cheese Curd Day, Eric and Ana welcome Samantha Buschman, the Instagrammer behind @wisconsin_cheese_please, into The Cabin. Samatha joined The Cabin remotely from her RV in Wyoming, where she found a restaurant offering “Wisconsin Cheese Curds” and they offered a side of honey, kicking off a conversation about dips for curds. Marinara and ranch are two of the most popular, but many variations exist; some add spices like Spanish Paprika, others offer aioli blends including a Bloody Mary aioli at Copper State Brewing in Green Bay. Some go sweeter with jam variations, others with more savory sauces. They all pair quite well - we all know how versatile cheese is! From there, the conversation delved into locations where you can find some of the best curds. Eric, Ana, and Samatha discussed some of their favorite fresh curds - often right from the factory - as well as fried curds across the state that are worth the trip. Highlights include cheese factories offering their curds fresh from Ellsworth - Wisconsin’s “Cheese Curd Capital” to Watertown with Kraemer Cheese with spots in between from Door County to the Driftless. Curds offering up in restaurants and select bars - usually fried, but not always - are listed by all three. Cheddar curds from places like Merchant and The Old Fashioned in Madison, Guu’s in Stevens Point, Courthouse Pub in Manitowoc, Parker John’s BBQ (where they blend chives and garlic into the batter), Bavette and Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, and many, many more. Curds are usually cheddar, but Muenster works well, such as at Sconnie’s in Schofield, Even curds made with goat cheese get a salute, with the ones at La Merenda in Milwaukee; their goat cheese curds are also served with Tia Paquita chorizo cream sauce. The variations are many, but all are delicious. Join us for the full list in this episode!

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