Farm to Fork

BY MOLLY LIEBERGALL

In the biting cold of Wisconsin winter, a hearty, wholesome meal feeds more than just the stomach. Restaurants across the state take special care to provide customers with food for the soul that originates from small Wisconsin growers. Organic, locally sourced meals connect patrons with farmers, a bond that some establishments manage to maintain even amid the COVID19 pandemic. Whether you’re looking for a socially distant dining experience, a carry-out meal or more, these five farm-to-table restaurants hit the mark.

3. Braise

With a heated rooftop deck, Braise is set to withstand the coming cold while offering its patrons a safer way to dine. If you’d still like to avoid public places altogether, though, you can replicate Braise’s bolognese and other wholesome meals in your own kitchen by calling them up and ordering a recipe kit, updated daily. 1101 S. 2nd St., Milwaukee

1. Graze 4. Twisted Willow

In the land of farmland and comfort food, Graze serves up both. The restaurant’s team puts detailed care not just into its dishes, but into the diets of the crops and cattle. Graze gets almost all of its ingredients from small farms throughout Wisconsin, taking extra care to choose locations where food is raised with its own well-being in mind — from grass-fed beef to acorn- and whey-fed hogs. 1 S. Pinckney St., Madison “Come as you are, leave like family,” reads the Twisted Willow’s homepage. Staffed by culinary experts with decades of experience and passion for good food, the restaurant specializes in heirloom recipes and handcrafted cocktails that source ingredients from its namesake farm. Executive Chef Dan Wiken has catered for political and entertainment elites like Barack Obama and Elton John. 308 N. Franklin St., Port Washington

2. Lark 5. Field to Fork

Unlike other farm-to-table restaurants, Lark uses local ingredients to spotlight the wide variety of influences on American cuisine. The word “lark” can mean an adventure or quest for amusement, which is what the restaurant’s team attempts to serve, according to its website. Fried stuffed olives to start, followed by Tuscan sausage soup and then hazelnut carrot cake for dessert, is just one combination of Lark’s colorful assortment of plates. 60 S. Main St., Janesville This restaurant/café/grocery store hybrid puts its receipts right on the menu. Field to Fork lists the farm where each ingredient came from, which lets you know that if you order The Ranger Omelette, for example, you will be getting eggs from Yuppie Hill Farms in Burlington, ham from Willow Creek in Prairie Du Sac and cheddar cheese from Widmer’s in Theresa. 511 S. 8th St., Sheboygan