Door County Living - Winter 2022

We want to take this moment to thank you for another wonderful season in our new Fish Creek location and we look forward to seeing you again in 2023. Please visit us in our Green Bay location at 234 South Adams Street, or contact us at (920)432-0664.

Tracy, Chloe, Zoe and Tammi

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Photo Credit: Jim Connolly Photography

Cover photo by Brett Kosmider

Photo by Rachel Lukas.

What Winter Reveals

“The soul of the county survives,” he told me, with a special emphasis on “soul,” hanging on it ever so much.

I was sitting in the Coop in the woods of Ellison Bay with the writer Norb Blei in September of 2012, several months before he died. I tucked into an old chair in the narrow space between stacks of papers, books and notes. He sat at his writing desk, thinner then, but not yet frail.

We were a couple of hours into a conversation about his career, his battles and his frustrations with the evolution of Door County, of which there were many. But he surprised me with an admission.

“I thought we would destroy this place,” he said, referring to the condominiums and gift shops. “I was wrong in some ways.”

Off the highways, outside the main drags in the village centers, he said, the core of this place still stood.

“The soul of the county survives.”

I think of that line often, particularly as I drive the back roads of the peninsula, winding myself down County Q to our office in Baileys Harbor. Or taking the long way home past Jim Ingwersen’s residence and gallery on Old Stage Road. Or meandering through the outskirts in Sevastopol, down roads traveled only by people with a particular place to go.

And I think of it in winter, when the crowds thin and most of the people here are those who have done the work to be here. You have to care to be here on a Tuesday in January. You have to care even more to be here on a Tuesday in late March. You have to work to make life here reward you in the winter.

Recently I thought of a wet December day, 20 years ago, down at the Teresa K. Hilander Ice Rink in Sister Bay. This was before there was a slab of concrete to flood to make ice. I swung over to help put up boards for a rink around a surface of sand in the grass. Rob Bussler, Billy Bonn and Mike Mead worked through the stack of sections of the rink wall assembled from 2x6s and 2x4s, replacing broken, loose or rotted wood. I wasn’t much use, other than to move stuff, which is the role of the young guys anyway. They salvaged as much as they could, all in hopes of a good, cold winter for skating and broomball and a rink full of friends and their families.

From my mid-20s vantage point, they seemed so much older (sorry, fellas). But I’m nearly 44

now, creeping dangerously close to the age they were as they resurrected the rink over a couple of days in the rain. It’s my generation’s turn to do that work, even if our bodies can’t take advantage of it the way they once could.

During the winter, the fun doesn’t come as easily. You don’t simply stroll to the beach. You need the gear, you need to think about it, you need to layer. You do things with purpose. You get creative. You build things, like an ice rink.

That day in his Coop, Norb was talking about the landscape and the roads that still reminded him of the peninsula he’d found 50 years earlier.

But I think of his words now when I think of Rob, Billy and Mike assembling the rink – putting in the work in hopes of creating a couple months of fun for the community.

You can still find that soul now. You’ll find it in the folks at the Sister Bay Historical Society during the Christkindlmarkt, the new fundraiser that not only adds an attraction to break up the December doldrums, but also provides funds to help the organization preserve the area’s history.

You’ll find it at Fish Creek’s Winter Festival, where local residents have been putting in the time for more than 30 years to put on a weekend to get out of the house, get weird and celebrate their town.

And in this issue, Brett Kosmider shows us some of those who go to extreme lengths to make more out of winter by snowkite, fat bike and paddle. Sam Watson tells the story of a young performer who’s finding an audience back home, and Grace Johnson talks to a homegrown author who’s finding her voice. Jacob Janssen shares a new vision for Sturgeon Bay theater, and John Mielke introduces us to a young couple finding artistry on the tip of a chainsaw.

The landscape may change (though hopefully not too much). But that’s OK. The soul of the county is more than rural scenes. It’s the people in them.

In these pages you’ll find that the soul of the county is as strong as ever, and it’s easiest to see in winter, when the clutter clears.

You just have to put in the work.

Myles Dannhausen Jr.

Copy editor PAULA APFELBACH thinks simplicity is pretty sweet and hopes you’re all able to cultivate and enjoy plenty of it this winter. Exhale…

Writer and editor MYLES DANNHAUSEN JR. has been searching out stories for Door County Living since 2005. He wishes he had the fortitude to commute by bike like Nate Bell and Carl Morrison, two of the subjects of our winter feature.

JESS FARLEY and DAVID NIELSEN live happily in Jacksonport with their three dogs and teenage boy. They love to cook together, feeding their friends and family.

GRACE JOHNSON explores her love of literature in this issue by interviewing debut novelist and Sturgeon Bay High School graduate Jill Stukenberg.

Whichever chair creative director ANDREW KLEIDON sits in for the Peninsula Pulse, he’s always having a blast. When he’s not in the office, he’s hanging with his wife; their Yorkie; their son, Oliver; and their daughter, Lily.

When BRETT KOSMIDER isn’t wandering off into the wilds, he usually has a camera in front of his face taking photographs or video. He’s a cofounder and the creative director of Peninsula Filmworks

Peninsula Pulse photographer and videographer RACHEL LUKAS is getting more familiar with the county with every shoot.

CHARLOTTE LUKES writes to fulfill the mission of her late husband, Roy, to educate and inspire readers to learn, care for and protect our native species and the natural world.

JOHN MIELKE; his wife, Patti; and their poodle, Riley, have been full-time Door County residents for two years. He retired from UW-Parkside and is still trying to figure out the game of golf and how to make the perfect homemade pizza.

SAM WATSON is a reporter for the Peninsula Pulse. The 2022 UW-Madison graduate now lives in Sister Bay with her partner and two cats, Desmond and Penny. When she’s not writing, she likes to cook and watch horror movies.

The late PATTY WILLIAMSON, Ph.D., was a longtime contributor to the Peninsula Pulse and Door County Living. This issue features her story on the rum runners of Door County – one of her final assignments.

The Commute

For these riders, cycling isn't seasonal

by Myles Dannhausen Jr. | Photos by Brett Kosmider

There’s a growing community of recreational cyclists in Door County, but few who make cycling a part of their regular commute – and even fewer still who dare to continue that commute through the snow, slush and ice of winter on a peninsula with few bike lanes and little signage.

But some of us are just built differently.

Take Carl Morrison. He’s been biking to work on a regular basis since the 1970s.

“It wasn’t the cool thing back then,” he said. “I just liked being active.”

At that time, he was working at Bay Shipbuilding, but for the past 20 years,

he’s worked as a welder at ExacTech, to which he’s continued to commute by bike – first from his home in Sevastopol, and for the past year from his new residence in Forestville.

And Morrison is not a fair-weather rider. Nov. 26 will mark eight years of riding every single day. He’s 64, so that means he’s not doing it on entirely spry, young legs. He’s even biked through two knee replacements and a hip replacement without pause.

“Now for me, it’s like getting in your car to go somewhere,” Morrison said.

This year he rode the one-day, 230-mile Ride across Wisconsin from La Crosse to Green Bay with his daughter, Lisa.

“That was my favorite ride yet,” he said. “To spend 17 hours riding alone with my daughter – it was incredible.”

But Morrison’s daily commute is about 12 miles each way, or a little less if the Ahnapee Trail is clear. Most years he rides more than 10,000 miles.

“Make some kind of a plan, even if it’s just two times a week or three times a week,” he said. “You just have to start. Once you’re out there, you’re like, ‘Yeah, I can do this.’ You have to have ‘me’ time.”

Most of the year, Morrison rides a hybrid bike, but during the winter, he shifts to a fat bike with studded tires. And he’s not in a rush.

“Sometimes it takes me two hours to get home,” he said, “but I take a lot of pictures. I see blue herons, green herons, egrets, otters. I have a blast doing that. When you’re older, you take time to enjoy it. You’re not in a rush to do this other stuff. When you’re in a car, it’s a big deal to stop – you’re stopping traffic, you’re going fast. On a bike, it’s nothing to stop and take it in.”

Unlike Morrison, Nate Bell’s commute is part of a lifestyle transformation that began much more recently, during the early days of COVID-19, when the Sister Bay resident and village trustee was in the midst of a divorce and realized he needed to “reevaluate everything in my life.”

Bell got a bike and began to ride for exercise. A month later, he was riding the 12-14 miles to work at Door County Broadband in Baileys Harbor. Not only did he start losing weight, but he

started down the path of becoming a cycling evangelist.

Brian Merkle at Nor Door Sport & Cyclery has helped to outfit Bell with the right gear, and he now rides 600-800 miles a month – almost 9,000 a year. As of October, he hadn’t missed a day of riding since March. At about 25 miles per day and $3.75 per gallon of gas, a full-time bike commute for Bell would save him $985 per year in gas.

His riding continues into winter on his Salsa Journeyman gravel bike, a routine that requires putting more purpose in the day. In addition to studded tires and fenders to maintain traction and keep his back from becoming a trail of mud and snow, winter commuting requires a thoughtful approach.

“You need to have a plan,” Bell said. “You need to think ahead and be purposeful in your actions. If you have

to run home in the middle of the day, that’s 30 miles of riding. You don’t go places at the drop of a hat. You need to take a change of clothes and be able to dry your wet clothes.”

Now Bell chairs the Sister Bay ad hoc Outdoor Recreation and Transportation Committee, one of the major goals of which is to expand bike and pedestrian paths throughout the village.

“I’d like to not be the outlier who can travel by bike,” he said. “You have to be somewhat unhinged to go out and bike around up here, so we need the infrastructure. We need paths. We need bike racks that are accessible and in the right places.”

Then maybe a winter bike commute won’t seem so extreme.

Carl Morrison has ridden every day for eight years.

Nate Bell caught the cycling bug during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Winter Fun

Christkindlmarkt

The Christkindlmarkt is returning to Sister Bay for the second year over three weekends: Nov. 25-27, Dec. 2-4 and Dec. 9-11. Last year’s event drew 10,000 visitors to the Corner of the Past Museum in Sister Bay to check out artists, artisans, beverages, food and live music. Also expect visits from Santa in the barn and cabins of this recreated pioneer homestead.

Egg Harbor New Year’s Day Parade

After the plunge, Egg Harbor’s tradition takes center stage. Short, goofy and fun, the parade has rolled through the village each New Year’s Day since the 1970s.

Cherry Drop

In the days before New Year’s Eve, a six-foot-wide, 300-pound cherry made of colored lights hangs over Husby’s in Sister Bay, waiting to descend into the new year. The brainchild of Mike Mesic and Jaime Forest of FM 106.9 The Lodge radio station, the cherry draws thousands to the hill between Husby’s and the Sister Bay Bowl for the drop at midnight on Dec. 31. The Sister Bay Advancement Association gets the evening started with open skating and fireworks at the Teresa K. Hilander Community Ice Rink. The fireworks launch at 8 pm, so you can get in on the fun even if you aren’t a late-night party animal.

Photo by Rachel Lukas

Photos by Rachel Lukas

Jacksonport Polar Plunge

For 30 years, the Jacksonport Polar Plunge has been the way to start the year with a clean – and freezing cold – slate. Hundreds of residents and visitors sprint into the icy waters at Lakeside Park to clear out the cobwebs of a long night or a long year.

A Loopy Run

Running has boomed on the peninsula over the past 15 years with the growth of the Door County Triathlon, Half Marathon and Run the Door race series. But running here isn’t always so serious. During Fish Creek’s annual Winter Festival in February, a few dozen “competitors” lace up their sneakers and don silly costumes for the Fruit Loop Fun Run. Launched in 2010 to add another goofball aspect to an event that’s already full of oddball activities such as cherry-pit spitting, toilet-seat tossing and minnow races, the run/walk – a full 1/53rd of a marathon! – ends with a Fruit Loops breakfast and awards for the field of top “athletes.”

The 2023 Winter Festival

What's a Stumpf Fiddle?

Don’t let the name fool you. Although the stumpf fiddle – sometimes called a polka-cello, bumbass or hum strum – melds percussion and string instruments, it is in no way a fiddle. Most commonly, the homemade instrument consists of door springs for strings, a pie tin, horns and any other noisy adornments the maker fancies. And although all the bells and whistles might give the quirky instrument an intimidating appearance, it’s relatively easy to play: Just bounce it on the ground and strike the various components with a stick. Stumpf fiddles are fairly easy to make, too. “Generally, people make these instruments out of whatever they can find around their house,” said Bob Spielman, who “tunes up” the stumpf fiddles each year in preparation for Fish Creek’s Winterfest competition. “Really, anything that you can find and attach that makes noise.” Pans, cans, bells, washboards – they’re all up for grabs. And although there’s no wrong or right way to make a stumpf fiddle, they generally include a few key parts.

1 Stick: A walking stick or an old broomstick works – nothing fancy here.

2 Wood block: Add a piece of solid wood for percussive effect.

3 Bell: Any type of bell will do, but cowbells are a popular pick.

4 “Strings”: A pair of door springs is a common choice.

5 “Tambourine”: This is generally an empty coffee can or pie tins filled with something that rattles, from dried corn and beans to metal nuts and bolts.

6 Beat stick: This is usually a drumstick that’s used to strike the various parts of the stumpf fiddle, preferably in time with the beat.

7 Sleigh bells: Add some jingle and jangle to the rhythm.

8 Tennis ball: A tennis ball, or sometimes a rubber ball, is attached to the stick, creating a base with just enough give to bounce the instrument.

Photos by Brett Kosmider

Photo by Rachel Lukas

Greystone Castle Walls

by John Mielke

At the corner of Madison Avenue and Maple Street on Sturgeon Bay’s west side, the Greystone Castle is filled with stories.

Greg Ebel bought the bar and eatery in 1978. He was 27, tending bar for Gordy Schumacher at the Scandia Supper Club, and “I was broke,” Greg recalled. “I even borrowed $150 from the previous owner so I had change for the till.”

Today it’s Greg; his wife, Sue; and sons Wade and Luke who serve up refreshments and a complete lunch and dinner menu, along with lots of stories from Ebel-family hunting and fishing trips. Trophy mounts from the trips are everywhere.

Do people immediately notice all the fish, deer, bear, birds – even a wild boar?

“Oh, God,” Greg said, exaggerating, and slowly scanned the bar and dining area with his eyes wide open. “Some people call it a museum.”

John Mallien, a Marine Corps veteran who passed away in 2016, is credited

with most of the taxidermy, including one of the two sturgeon.

Luke said the sturgeon might be the most popular, and that tees up his dad’s sturgeon-spearingon-a-frozen-Lake-Winnebago story.

“I started spearing in 1983 with an old friend of mine, Leo Sarnowski,” Greg said. “So, my wife and I went down there. She sat there for one day and said, ‘I’ll never do that again in my life.’”

Greg, on the other hand, sat on the frozen lake each year for 10 years and finally got one of the prized prehistoric giants.

A second sturgeon is mounted in a large frame with a Plexiglas top. It belonged to Greg’s son Andy, whom the family lost in 2016.

“We wanted to simulate looking down through the hole, and you see the back of the fish going through,” Greg said.

Behind the bar there are large, beautiful king salmon. Where were they caught? Luke smiled and was quick with the answer: “Lake Michigan.”

Some secret spots remain secret spots.

Greg bought a 16-foot boat in 1981 to fish the big lake.

“I fished for 13 years in that

them big charter boats, I don’t know how the hell I did it. Now I’ve got a 24-footer, and I wouldn’t want to go out in one an inch smaller than that.”

The 34.86-pound giant king missed being a tournament winner by .21 pounds.

Greg’s favorite tale might be the “family” bear hunt. He was selected for a Wisconsin bear tag in 1998 and hired a guide from Rhinelander.

“I said, ‘I want a good blind because I’m bringing my three kids so they can watch me shoot the bear,’” Greg said. “The guide asked, ‘What are you shooting with?’ I said a bow and arrow. He said, ‘ ain’t bringing those kids out here with no bow and arrow. You bring a gun.’ I asked, ‘What kind of gun should I bring?’ The guide said, ‘Bring the biggest one ya got!’”

Hunting memories and fishing stories span the decades on the Greystone Castle walls. The most recent is Luke’s 25-pound, nine-ounce northern pike. But where did he catch it? Luke smiled and said, “In the bay.”

Some secret spots remain secret spots.

Photos by Rachel Lukas

DOOR COUNTY ICONS AS ART

When the Peninsula Pulse set out to highlight the county’s five state parks and the need to preserve open spaces in its 2017 Sustainability Issue, it sparked the creative juices of artist Ryan Miller.

To promote the issue and the topic, Miller designed art to celebrate iconic images from each of the parks that connect with generations of visitors.

That art became posters, now available for everyone to purchase and bring home, reminders of some of our community’s s most revered spaces. Twenty percent of each poster sale goes to a charitable fund to help ensure these spaces are supported.

Miller then created similar imagery celebrating the county’s 11 lighthouses.

“These are a continuation of the state-park pieces to promote historical Door County and conservation,” Miller said. “A lot of the lighthouses are on historical sites or national sites.”

Because the state parks and lighthouses are such icons of Door County, Miller wanted to be sure he was capturing the true essence of each scene, verifying facts with local experts.

The posters postcards of the lighthouses are now available for people to enjoy in their homes to remind them of some of what they love best about Door County.

DOOR COUNTY STATE PARK POSTERS (11 x 17 inches): $35* each or $150* for series of 5

*20 percent of the sale price is donated to a charitable fund to preserve open spaces and parks.

DOOR COUNTY LIGHTHOUSE POSTER (18 x 24 inches): $35

Available at the Peninsula Publishing & Distribution office (home of Door County Living and the Peninsula Pulse), 8142 Hwy 57 in Baileys Harbor.

To order, please call 920.839.2120 or visit doorcountypulse.com/shop.

The Third Avenue PlayWorks of today and the theater company of three years ago seem like two very different entities.

That’s courtesy of the pandemic, which shut down the theater – known as TAP to most – and forced its leaders to reassess their goals. Artistic director Jacob Janssen said that reassessment led to a complete style overhaul, including a renovated building, new leadership and a different name.

Reinventing TAP

by Sam Watson

Still, not everything changed during the pandemic. TAP’s original mission has stayed the same, with the theater aiming to be an active, integral part of the Door County community while also making theater more accessible to both locals and visitors, Janssen said. His goal is to make the theater more like a library: a collective space where people of all walks of life can connect and share stories.

“We need to be this place where every single person in this community feels fully welcomed,” Janssen said.

TAP board member C. Michael Wright sees Janssen’s work as a continuation of the work done by former artistic codirectors James Valcq and Robert Boles, who announced they were leaving in the summer of 2021. Janssen took their place in December 2021.

“The kind of work we’re doing is similar to what James and Bob were doing, but our commitment to the community, and expanding and deepening that impact, is another step forward,” Wright said.

“Now we have more bodies in place and more energy in place to take it further.”

Third Avenue PlayWorks renovated its building, hired new leaders and changed its name, but its mission stayed the same.

Jacob Janssen addresses supporters at a spring 2022 event to discuss the new direction of Third Avenue Playworks. Photo by Brett Kosmider.

A Reimagined Space

One way of making the theater a more accessible, welcoming community space was by refurbishing it and enabling it to accommodate a larger audience and more elaborate productions.

So in 2019, the theater started Reimagine TAP, a capital campaign to raise funds for renovations. By the time the pandemic hit in 2020, TAP had received a $1 million lead donation, and it eventually reached $2.5 million with the help of more than 300 other donors.

Though TAP had not met its $3.5 million fundraising goal, its leaders went ahead with the renovations anyway, wanting to take advantage of the theater’s vacancy. If it had not been for the pandemic, TAP would have had to have found another venue in which to rehearse and perform while the renovations were in progress. With the theater dark anyway, the board and then–managing director Amy Frank decided it was an opportune time to get the renovations done.

Construction began in July 2020, and by October 2021, work was complete: TAP had its own scene shop, an elevated tech booth, a rehearsal space, actor apartments and improved dressing rooms.

Formerly the Donna Movie Theater, TAP had been converted from a 1950s movie theater during the late 1990s, and now it’s a fully selfcontained theater – a rare thing, according to Janssen.

“Most theaters have a scene shop somewhere far away, and you’ve gotta truck everything in, or they’ve got their props somewhere else,” Janssen said. “We’ve got it all in one place.”

Although audiences don’t see the backstage improvements,

they will likely notice them in the more elaborate set designs onstage. They will also notice the larger size of the theater’s lobby, which now contains a concessions area, a new box office and an art gallery, as well as the bigger stage and seating for 124 people. That seating includes wider aisles and many prime seats for those with mobility issues.

“Usually in a theater or event space, the spaces for those with disabilities is a space in the back of the room,” Jannsen said during a walk-through before the reopening. “We wanted to make the same great experience available to all of our audience.”

New Leadership

TAP also renewed its mission by bringing in fresh voices. Boles and Valcq had been invaluable to the evolution of TAP, and Frank led the organization through the capital campaign and the transition to a new artistic director when Janssen came on board in December 2021.

A Kiel native, Janssen had worked in New York as the co-founder of the off-Broadway theater company The Coop before moving to Door County.

Although the transition from New York to Door County was a major one, Janssen had connections in the area before he moved. Dan Klarer, who has worked onstage and backstage with every professional Door County theater, had previously worked with Janssen in a small Shakespeare troupe, as well as in a sketch-comedy group at UWStevens Point.

“Having been working in Door County since 2006, and having the perspective of working at all four theaters, I have not been as excited about the type of work that’s going on in the county until now – until Jacob got this job,” said Klarer, who has also

Jacob Janssen. Photo by Brett Kosmider.

worked at Door Shakespeare, Northern Sky and Peninsula Players.

Janssen’s onboarding was not the end of the leadership changes at TAP. A new technical director, Alex Polzin, was hired early in 2022, and former managing director Amy Frank departed in August 2022.

A Revised Name

TAP changed its name from Third Avenue Playhouse to Third Avenue PlayWorks, though the theater venue itself is still called Third Avenue Playhouse. This name change became official after renovations were completed in October 2021, and the new name better reflects the theater’s active role in bolstering the community, according to Janssen.

“We bring together a group of people every single night to be in community together,” he said. “That’s what our work is. The shift from ‘Playhouse’ to ‘PlayWorks’ is directly tied to the sort of active nature of what we do.”

One example of TAP’s active nature plays out through its newly created Community Partner Program. For all of its shows this year, the theater company has partnered with local organizations

to fundraise and host educational programs.

During the October 2022 play Birds of North America, which touches on themes of climate change, TAP supported local environmental groups. On Oct. 2, it hosted a pay-what-youwill preview of the show, with all proceeds benefiting Open Door Bird Sanctuary. And on Oct. 4, it held a roundtable discussion when all nine environmental groups in Door County came together for the first time. During the discussion, they planned for further collaboration to examine how they can further care for and serve as environmental stewards in the county.

“This means that by doing this play, by having that event, we can have a material benefit and impact on the life and livelihood of everybody in this county,” Janssen said. “Art can have this sort of butterfly effect, and I think it has to. We can’t just think about it like an entertaining evening; it has to be this spark, this catalyst for conversation. And at TAP, we think of ourselves as a theater worth talking about.”

Photo by Rachel Lukas.

The Joy of Winter

by Brett Kosmider

Stories by Myles Dannhausen Jr.

There are no slopes, ski lifts or half pipes on the peninsula, but that doesn’t mean people here don’t go to extremes for winter fun.

Last winter, photographer Brett Kosmider set out to capture photos of residents who don’t let a little snow – or a lot of ice – stop them from getting down the trail, on the water and in the air.

For them, it’s not just about getting exercise. It’s about challenging yourself. It’s about clearing your head. But most of all, it’s about seeing the county’s landscape from a vantage point few attempt to find. Maybe Kosmider’s photos will inspire you to see it in a new way, too.

Photos

Ice Biking

The winter can be harsh, but it can also reveal new terrain for riders. Studded tires provide traction for fat-bike enthusiasts to ride over the iced-over waters of Sturgeon Bay, sharing the landscape with the fishing shanties and snowmobiles. On the ice, you make your own line and you don’t have to share the road.

Man of the Winter Sea

It’s a blindingly bright January day at Cave Point County Park, where the winter sun is revealing the detail of the ice formations clinging to the rocky bluff and bouncing off the calm waters of Lake Michigan. And then, from the south, the unexpected appears: A man paddling a 17-foot, orange-and-blue Current Designs Solstice GTS sea kayak slices through the water and into the frame.

The man is Chuck Germain, one of the hearty few who are willing to take to the waters surrounding the peninsula in the heart of a Door County winter. The Egg Harbor man has kayaked at least once a month, every month, since 2001.

“I like to get out more than once, but it depends on the year and the ice,” he said. “Last January was pretty brutal, so I got out only four times. The year before, I got in 13 times in January.”

Germain used to be a runner, but bad knees forced him to give it up. Now, at

age 70, he kayaks, bikes and skis to get his outdoor fix. He kayaks more than 100 times each year, and he swears he’s not cold when he’s out in the winter –his favorite time to paddle, even when the temperature drops to 12-15 degrees.

“The winter months are the most scenic out there,” Germain said. He has the water almost entirely to himself; the snow and ice create formations along the shore; and when conditions are right, the water is a calm, clear blue.

Safety is crucial for Germain, who said that anyone who wants to give it a shot should go with an experienced kayaker. He’s been paddling for 25 years, and he takes many steps to ensure that he makes it home safely each time.

“You have to be smart in the winter,” he said. “I may be crazy, but I’m not stupid.”

Being smart is a combination of having the right equipment, taking the right

precautions and knowing when to cut your losses. Germain won’t walk over ice to launch his kayak; instead, he launches from shore into open water. He also stays close to shore, and he won’t go out at all if it’s windy.

Germain wears a dry suit and uses only a sea kayak, which will float if it overturns.

“You can’t do it in a recreational kayak,” he said.

He usually paddles by himself (there aren’t, after all, a lot of people who are willing to hit the water in the winter), so before he goes out, he messages his wife where he’s launching, what direction he’s going and when he plans to be back.

And as Germain floats to the shore and pulls his kayak back onto the cold land or snow, he knows he has just completed an experience that few people on the planet will have.

Snowkiting

Few people in Door County are as dedicated to getting outside as Chris Miller. Bike, board, skis, summer, fall, winter – if there’s a way to do it, he’ll try it.

“It’s a stress relief for me,” says the Ellison Bay photographer and father of two. “You forget everything – your bills, your duties. You’re just in the moment.”

There are few ways to get further away from it all than one of Miller’s favorite winter sports –snowkiting the bay.

In January and February, the iced over bay takes on the feel of a desert, an enormity you can glimpse from land, but only feel by being in it. On a clear, sunny day it can be blinding. It can also be freeing.

Miller is one of a handful of kiters who take to the shore, many trying to get the exhilaration they otherwise find on the slopes out west. Not surprisingly, he got the idea from Stein Erik Gabrielson, the Godfather of the county’s kiting and windsurfing scene.

Unlike kite-surfing in summer, snowkiting doesn’t require a perfect wind, but the right snow makes a difference. Miller loves seeing what he calls “corn snow”, when the snow is partly melted. As for judging the ice, he takes a simple, but traditional local approach.

“I ask the fishermen,” he says. “They’re out there every day.”

Then if the ice is good, he goes whenever he can.

“As long as the wind’s blowing, I’ll go,” says Miller, who first kited on water in 1999. He might get out 30 times in a winter, and once launched in Juddville and skied all the way to Ellison Bay on the iced over shoreline. He’ll reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour – “it feels like 70” – and when he launches off a jump can get as high as 20-25 feet off the surface.

That brings a thrill, but it’s now just speed or air he’s after.

“It’s just different out there in winter,” he says. "It’s this untouched landscape of the county that you can’t access any other time, and it’s totally open.”

Have Chainsaw, Will Carve

by John Mielke | Photos by Rachel Lukas

Door County is famous for art. Around every curve and corner, you’ll find art fairs, art festivals, art galleries, concert venues, theater spaces – art is everywhere.

Sometimes, however, the art is a bit unexpected. Take that six-foot-tall bear or two bald eagles fighting over a fish –eye-catchers for sure.

Cody and Ashley Leist of Sevastopol create these and other amazing figures using white pine logs as their canvas, and chainsaws, pneumatic grinders and acetylene torches as their brushes. The art form leaves many asking, “How do you do that?”

It all started in 2010 with a deer – not a carved deer, but a real whitetail deer that ran into the side of the Leists’ car and broke Cody’s right arm. The injury prevented him from working for his family’s business, Affordable Plus Tree Service, and to help him pass the time while he recovered, Cody’s mom gave him the book Chainsaw Carving a Bear: A Step-by-Step Guide by Jamie Doeren.

Cody’s first bear stands proudly in the workshop. Still, “when I got done with it, I thought, ‘I can do better on the next one,’” he said. Ashley added that her husband likes a good challenge.

One of Cody’s next projects was a bench for the couple’s home, complete with

a compartment to hold a cell phone. Another bear carving for a friend’s wedding was the tipping point.

“I brought that bear to the wedding, and people loved it,” Cody recalled. “I love seeing people love our stuff. That’s another thing that keeps me going.”

Even when you’ve grown up around chainsaws, becoming an accomplished chainsaw carver doesn’t happen overnight. Cody admitted there was a learning curve and that encouragement from family and friends helped to motivate his improvement.

“Everything we make, we have to make it better than the last thing we made,” he said. “Someone sends me a picture of

a bear or an eagle, and if they’re going to pay for this, I want it to be better than the picture that they sent me.” As Ashley said, her husband likes a good challenge.

One carving led to another, and then to many, many others. The couple is especially busy around family holidays. In fact, rarely do they have time to do something just for themselves.

“We love getting orders; we love it when people are excited,” Cody said.

Every now and then, an idea comes along that’s too good to pass up.

“I don’t know what got into me one day,” he said. “I wanted to make two eagles locked together. They’re fighting over a fish. A woman in Forestville owns that.”

Their work is a team effort. “Neither one of us could do it without the other,” Ashley said. “He’s more the 3D brain, and I’m more 2D. I could never do what he does – ever.”

Cody said shapes in the wood often help him visualize parts of the animal: “Like a little bump-out in the log, maybe that’s the bear’s butt or that’s where the arm could be. For sure you see that.” (His eyes seemed to focus on some imaginary shape in the distance as he described this.)

“And the knots: You try to steer away from that in the head,” he said. “If you want to do a natural-looking bear with less finishing, and you get it all done and there’s a knot in the face, it can look like the bear has three eyes. The wood can determine the character of the piece.”

Ashley is from a family that likes to paint, and she studied art at UW-Green Bay. She uses her talent to bring color and added dimension to the final product.

“I’m the finisher,” she said. “Cody does all of the shaping and getting it to look like what it’s supposed to look like. Then I go in with the detail.”

1 A piece from the Leists begins as a log and a vision. 2 Cody creates a figure of a bear. 3 Ashley gets to work refining the details. 4 Ashley burns the sculpture with a torch to bring it close to the final look.

Ashley uses pneumatic tools such as grinders and wire brushes, and she’s also pretty handy with an acetylene torch.

“The torch burns all the little – I call ’em shnibbles – all the little shavings that don’t come off,” she said. “Makes it nice and smooth. It also gives the piece depth. If Cody’s doing fur, the recessed areas are darker because they’ve been burned. Then you take the top off, and it gives it instant dimension.”

A quick look around the Leists’ yard and workshop reveals carvings large and small. Cody said the challenge on the bigger ones – an 11-foot bear, for example – is getting the scale correct.

“Takes a little bit longer,” he said, “you don’t want to mess up one of those bigger chunks of wood.”

Cody carved that 11-foot bear at the 2022 Cherry Fest in Jacksonport, and it’s those fests and fairs where the couple fields another oft-asked question: How much does that cost?

“That’s the thing,” Cody said. “It’s hard to price things for people because it’s all time. I don’t really know. Sometimes they go fast, and I could get it done in a day. Others, a couple of days.” Some can take even longer: A seven-foot wizard occupied Cody’s time for a week, and a T-Rex took two weeks.

Orders are sometimes very specific: A man in Wyoming wanted a bear holding a sockeye salmon. Others are a bit more general: An eagle perched on a rock. Regardless of the request, the process is similar. “We’ll print off reference photos for different poses just to get an idea of every angle and what it should look like,” Ashley said.

Taxidermy, like that on display at a Cabela’s store, can be helpful, and animals in the wild or at a zoo can provide insights that are not always available in photographs.

“The eagles, for a long time I made them sitting straighter,” Cody said. “When you see the eagle in a tree, they’re perched sideways a bit.” (He described this while tilting his head and shoulders slightly from one side to the other.)

There are times, however, when the inspiration isn’t found online, in a book, in a store or even in nature. It comes from the heart.

Paula Symons, who served as the Sevastopol Elementary School secretary for 20 years, lost her battle with cancer in 2020. Ashley and Cody fondly remember her from when they were students. Cody’s sister Brooke Tanck, who is director of athletics for the Sevastopol School District, along with other teachers and staff, asked Cody and Ashley to create something special to honor Paula’s memory. The result was a bench that’s on display just outside the Sevastopol Elementary School gymnasium.

“When you’re doing something that means something to somebody,” Cody said, “it makes you want to try that much harder.”

Ashley recalled the joy it brought to Symon’s family when the bench was unveiled. “Definitely one of the coolest things we’ve made,” she said.

Around every corner – even where you may not expect it – you’ll find art in Door County.

• Handcrafted chocolates made with love

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Winter Finches

by Charlotte Lukes

We await the arrival of many species returning from the south in April and May, showing their colorful breeding plumage. Autumn is a rewarding bird-watching season as well, but it’s a more challenging time to identify migrating birds because adults have subdued, post-breeding “attire,” and the immature birds’ first-year feathers are not as brilliant as those of breeding adults. There’s also not much territorial singing going on during the fall.

Once winter arrives, there are fewer species visiting the feeders. The yearround residents such as blue jays, mourning doves, chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers aren’t as exciting to observe, so this is when we look for more exotic species to come down from the far north to spend the colder months in our county.

Summer is the season when birds sing, stake out their territories and breed. During the winter, in contrast, it’s a challenge for most species just to find enough food and seek shelter from predators. Winter weather has a lot to do with these factors, as does the health of trees in North America.

Each autumn, we look forward to the winter finch forecast from a scientist in Canada. He predicts which species might be expected to appear in large numbers in the northern United States by studying the seed production on the conifers and deciduous trees in the north.

Bird food during the cold months is mostly found on trees such as birches and maples, in the form of fruits on other trees and shrubs, and as seeds in conifer cones. If the growing conditions in the far north have been poor, then fewer seeds will have been produced,

and birds must fly farther south to stay alive.

One bird many people look for is the snowy owl. The food source for that species is a small mammal called the lemming, whose populations can rise and fall year by year. When snowy owls appear in our state, they are often youngsters, and many are starving.

This article concerns the smaller songbirds that often show up at our feeders or along roadsides where crabapple trees have abundant fruit. A few grosbeaks will be included with the finches.

One of the most fascinating species that may show up unexpectedly is the crossbill. Red crossbills tend to move around the country and nest wherever and whenever they see the opportunity. There are numerous forms of this species, which are distinguished by their songs and calls.

The white-winged crossbill tends to be more of a winter visitor here and may stay in one area for several months. The beak of this species is specially formed to aid the birds in extracting seeds from under conifer-cone scales. The whitewinged crossbill has also nested in each month of the year when conifer seeds are abundant.

The adult males of both species have rosy red feathers, and females are a dull yellowish-brown. The main difference is the two distinct, white wing bars seen in the white-winged species. They may travel in large flocks and often emit their calls while in flight. One crossbill can consume up to 3,000 conifer seeds per day.

Red crossbills may breed in most of the U.S. and across southern Canada, but they are rarely seen in the far southeastern states or along the Gulf Coast. White-winged crossbills tend to live farther north in Canada, where

they spend the entire year. When cone crops are poor, they move down to the northern half of the U.S., to the central states of Kansas and Missouri and along the Ohio Valley up to New England. Both can be common in the far west and northwest mountains.

Pine siskins make an appearance almost every winter, but sometimes in very low numbers. They are most often seen at feeders and are sometimes in a flock with American goldfinches. Breeding records in far northern Wisconsin show greater numbers than were previously reported.

Common redpolls are another erratic winter visitor. My late husband, Roy, and I kept daily notes of bird sightings for many years and frequently didn’t see large numbers of redpolls until February. Perhaps that was because their food sources in Canada were exhausted by January, which caused them to move south.

These five-inch-long, heavily streaked birds with red crowns enjoy the seeds of birch and alder trees. They have also been known to form large flocks as they feed on weed seeds of plants sticking above the snow in big fields. They breed in extreme northern Canada and visit the northern U.S. states only as food sources are depleted in their home range.

Other finches you may see at your feeders during the winter are the American goldfinch, a year-round resident; the purple finch; and the less common house finch. The striking, brilliant yellow of male American goldfinches is gone by winter becauses they molt after breeding and become quite drab. Many novice birders don’t even recognize the goldfinch during the winter because of this color change.

Purple finches often migrate to the south, but during some winters, a few

stay and visit feeders. This species tends to like conifer plantations and is more common in these habitats.

My husband was a federally licensed bird bander who worked one spring to band hundreds of purple finches at the home of some friends northwest of Green Bay. For each banded bird, he had to record whether it was a male or female. The males are uniformly rosy pink, and the females are brownand-white striped. After he sent in his records, he received a terse letter from a federal official at the banding office in Maryland saying, “Congratulations! You are the first bander to claim to know which finches were females! How did you do it?”

Roy reviewed his bander’s manual to learn that the male purple finch does not become pink until it’s two years old. Purple finch males hatched this year will continue to look like females for another 18 months.

Other species that may migrate to our area from the far north are the pine grosbeak and

evening grosbeak. During the winters of the early 1970s, we had nearly a hundred evening grosbeaks come to the feeders daily at The Ridges’ Upper Range Light. Now it’s a treat to see even one in Door County.

Pine grosbeaks nest in spruce and pine forests in Canada around Hudson Bay. They are seen all year up to Alaska and in the western mountains of North America, and they go south to the Great Lakes area during some winters. This species is known to remain in large flocks, and it eats the fruits (actually the seeds) of flowering crab trees in our region.

Other birds that move down to the northern states during most winters are in the sparrow clan. These include the dark-eyed junco, American tree sparrow and the “sparrowlike” snow bunting and Lapland

longspur. These last two species nest way up north into the Yukon and may be seen here in flocks with lingering horned larks.

Enjoy your winter bird-watching outside – bundled up for the cold weather – or comfortably stationed in your home watching the feeders. Keep feeders clean, and always provide clean, heated water for your avian visitors.

Photo by Len Villano.

Zephyr

After seven years of singing and acting in New York, a young singer-songwriter brings her oldies-inspired sound back home

by Sam Watson | Photos by Rachel Lukas

When Zephyr Ciesar was about three years old, she snuck away from her mother at a festival in northern California. Her mother looked everywhere, and when she finally found her daughter, she was onstage with a reggae band. The band had given her a microphone, and she was having the time of her young life with it.

And Ciesar hasn’t stopped singing since. As a teenager at Gibraltar High School, she starred in Anything Goes and Fiddler on the Roof, and when she left for New York in 2014, it was to study musical theater at CAP21.

She returned to Door County occasionally during her seven years of singing and acting in New York, wanting to reimmerse herself in the vibrant arts community here. Now, after moving back to Door County during the pandemic, she’s here to stay – for a while, at least.

“I try not to plan too far in advance,” Ciesar said, laughing. “I’ve learned that life has other plans sometimes.”

Striking a Chord in Door County and Beyond

Even before her childhood debut, music was a constant in Ciesar’s life, from her mother’s acoustic guitar to the oldies tunes her grandparents played. She grew up listening to jazz icons such as Aretha Franklin and Etta James, as well as funk artists such as Sly and the Family Stone and Parliament.

“The house was always full of music,” Ciesar said. That music helped her to develop her own sound, which would work just as well in a 1940s cocktail lounge as it would in a modern-day bar. During her shows, she plays a fair number of oldies, but even her own songs and her modern covers are infused with the same timeless verve.

Piano and percussion back up Ciesar’s voice during her solo sets, but it’s strong enough to stand on its own: a powerful, five-octave soprano that flows from soft to sharp. She refers to her voice as a “full-body instrument” that needs the same precise tuning and continual care as other instruments do.

In New York, that voice reverberated onstage as Ciesar performed with companies such as Vital Theatre Company and Dirty Minds Theatre, as well as at venues such as 53 Above Broadway and The Duplex. Now, it fills local joints, with the Sister Bay Bowl and Twelve Eleven Wine Bar among them.

Ciesar knows that as a young woman, she looks different from many other performers who play those venues. Door County’s music scene is full of older men playing lots of blues and rock, and though her

sound differs from theirs, she said she still draws inspiration from every local artist she listens to or works with.

It helps that she loves old music, according to Charlie Eckhardt, Ciesar’s high-school-music-teacher-turnedbandmate.

When Eckhardt taught her as a soloist for the school’s jazz band, he had no idea he’d be performing alongside her years later, but when his psychedelic rock band, Bacchus Lotus – a longtime staple of the peninsula’s music scene – needed a singer, he contacted Ciesar. Even in high school, she had practiced like a professional, so Eckhardt knew she’d be a perfect fit for his band.

“I had more fun playing this summer with Zephyr in the band than I’ve had in years,” Eckhardt said.

In addition to singing for Bacchus Lotus, Ciesar has provided vocals for other Wisconsin bands such as The Makeouts and Out a Time. During her last few solo sets, she’s been backed up by Dan Smrz, with whom she bonded during their time playing together in The Makeouts.

Though Smrz and Ciesar had known each other for years, 2022 was the first year when they performed as a duo. During their work together, Smrz was continually impressed by the power of her voice.

“She has an angelic quality to her voice that just stops people in their tracks,” he said. “She can easily hush a whole bar up.”

Collaboration with other local artists is one of Ciesar’s favorite parts of being back in Door County. She worked with artists in New York, too, but the community she built there wasn’t the same as the one she had here. Like many other kids who grew up in the county, she felt the whole peninsula was her home, even as a child.

“The things that I’ve missed and appreciated were just how beautifully tight knit and supportive and just truly awesome the community is here,” Ciesar said. “I’ve never experienced anything quite like it.”

First Album Coming Soon

Rather than going into hibernation mode during the off-season, Ciesar

plans to spend her winter putting together her first album.

Much of her musical inspiration is stored in an old felt-lined box that once held silverware but now holds song lyrics and ideas scrawled on scraps of paper.

“I’m just piecing and leafing through them and rediscovering old ideas,” Ciesar said.

After that, she’ll start recording. Her living room has served as a makeshift recording studio in the past, though she’s interested in recording at the home studio of another local artist.

The album doesn’t have a definite completion date, but Ciesar hopes to be done by the spring so she can perform it live. And whenever she does, Eckhardt knows she’ll light up the stage, as she’s been doing for years.

“Zephyr brings to the stage this positive energy,” he said. “That energy shows in the way she performs and in the way that she interacts with the musicians on the stage, and it’s contagious.”`

8142 Review Vol. 2 Now Available

Featuring the winners of the 2022 Hal Prize, Door County’s premiere writing and photography contest.

by Grace Johnson

This is a special year for the Hal Prize. The contest that started within the pages of the Peninsula Pulse and, last year, launched the first edition of the 8142 Review, is now in its 25th year. Looking back at that first rendition of this prize, I can’t believe how far we have come.

The first year, a quarter of a century ago, featured two categories: poetry and short stories, with prizes only being awarded for first and second place. The editors of the Pulse staff at the time, along with Ellen Kort, the first Poet Laureate of Wisconsin, served as judges. The first-place selection for short stories went to A Boy’s Game written by Karl Bokelmann and Stewart Dawson received first place in poetry for Gems.

Reading through the pages of that first contest, I couldn’t help but smile while reading a note Ellen included: “Thank

you for the honor of serving as judge for your first, and I hope annual, writing contest.”

Well Ellen, we have made it to year 25!

Since that first year, this contest has seen tremendous growth. From paper submissions to digital. From our staff serving as judges to local authors screening entries. From lumping all photography submissions together to including distinct categories. From a handful of submissions to hundreds. From printing our winners in the Peninsula Pulse to creating an entirely new print publication.

That part is important in our digital age. Anyone can see their work on a screen. We wanted them to see it in an actual book. Something concrete and tangible that they could hold in their hands.

Our goal with this publication is to create a sense of place and community. The local, volunteer screening judges stepped up to further this vision. These local writers devoted their time to the 686 submissions we received, winnowing their categories of expertise down to less than 20 submissions that were then sent on to the final judges.

We hope you all enjoy the second volume of 8142 Review and we look forward to next year.

Finding Her Audience

Jill Stukenberg publishes her debut novel

by Grace Johnson

Photo by Emma Whitman.

When author Jill Stukenberg won the 2021 Big Moose Prize from Black Lawrence Press

for her debut novel, News of the Air, she missed the call. She’s submitted her written work to presses and agents over the years, but she never considered actually getting a call back.

“It was pretty much a top life feeling to get a call like that,” she said.

Stukenberg had submitted her News of the Air manuscript – then titled Labor Day – to the Big Moose Prize the two years prior. She earned a semifinalist spot with her first attempt and a finalist ranking with her second before taking the cake on her third attempt.

Stukenberg’s book follows a family that moves to Wisconsin’s Northwoods following acts of ecoterrorism in their city. Allie – heavily pregnant at the time – and her husband, Bud, purchase an old fishing resort where they raise their daughter, Cassie. The relative peace of their life is shattered when two kids show up at their docks by canoe. Have the problems of the modern world finally caught up with Allie and her family?

Author Nickolas Butler says of the book, “News of the Air is a dreamy, mysterious novel of the Northwoods. A book about regret and loss, love and friendship – all set in and around a familiar Wisconsin lake resort where the visitors and locals [make up] a compelling cast of characters.”

Stukenberg said life as an educator and student have both played important roles on her journey to publication.

A 1997 graduate of Sturgeon Bay High school, she is now an associate professor at UW-Stevens Point who teaches reading and writing courses. During her time as an undergrad at Marquette University, she was considering entering the journalism field instead of pursuing creative writing, which felt like an intimidating path to pursue.

“I was lucky enough to have a family that encouraged me to just follow what I love to do, and I could trust that I would find something that I could do,” Stukenberg said.

After getting her B.A. in writingintensive English, she attended the M.F.A. program at New Mexico State University, where she fell in love with teaching. In addition to her studies, she worked as a teaching assistant to help pay for school.

Stukenberg credits her work as an educator as an important factor in her growth as a writer, and it was a teacher in Sturgeon Bay who helped her to start on her own path to writing.

“I have to thank Dee Paulsen, who was my third-grade teacher at Sunset Elementary,” she said. “She helped me name myself as a writer.”

Stukenberg also credits the late Gretchen Montee, her eighth-grade teacher at TJ Walker Middle School, for teaching her the art of writing sentences – knowing that certain combinations and words could create specific effects in your readers and knowing how to use that to your advantage.

Paulsen was taken by surprise when she found out her former student praised her work as a teacher and the influence she had on Stukenberg.

“She was in a class that was stellar in every way,” Paulsen said. “She was an amazing writer and voracious reader.” She went on to talk about her teaching style, hoping to be an encourager and not just a teacher.

Stukenberg’s own students have influenced her life as a writer and kept her on track during the six years when she was writing News of the Air. Working with young people helps to keep her grounded in what people want from stories and writing.

“When I see how powerful it is for students to feel like they’ve written something, and maybe it’s the first thing they’ve written in a long time, or it’s a two-page essay, they feel empowered when they’re able to get

Where to Buy

News of the Air is available for purchase online through Black Lawrence Press and other major online retailers, but before buying online, please check with your local bookstores first to support smaller and independent book purveyors. An audiobook version is also available. Fun fact: Stukenberg needed to work with the narrator to provide help pronouncing Wisconsin names.

Michael Schwantes Bob Wolter

their words on the page,” Stukenberg said. “It reminds me that it’s really a gift that I have in my own free time to make writing a part of my life.”

As a teacher and parent to a growing son, she’s experienced bursts of productivity alternating with periods of inactivity, and even though these inconsistencies have caused some frustration, she thinks they ultimately helped to improve her book.

“The time away from a project helps,” Stukenberg said. “When you come back to it, you can look at it with fresh eyes.”

The biggest piece of advice she has for her students and those looking to pursue creative writing is to find a writing community. What that looks like can be different from person to person or even online. Here in Door County, Stukenberg cites Write On, Door County as a great resource and community for writers.

She has had two residencies with the local organization, spending one of those visits editing her book and the other submitting it to independent publishers and contests.

“Organizations like Write On, Door County are doing that work [of writing communities],” Stukenberg said. “They are helping people feel like we can have writers’ groups, we can hear from visiting authors and we can just have a space where we take ourselves seriously.”

It was during one of her residencies that she decided to submit her manuscript for a third time, seeking to do exactly that: take herself and her work as a writer seriously.

From the moment she got the call from Black Lawrence Press, Stukenberg spent the next year tightening up her story and working with the small publisher to bring her debut novel to life.

Now that it’s published, she’s using her time to start on her next book.

“Winning the Big Moose Prize and having my novel published after so many years of writing it has given me a shot of confidence,” Stukenberg said. “This experience also helps me commit even more to encouraging and promoting other writers – especially new writers – and helping them to find audiences, outlets and publication. I feel a new urgency for my role in all of that work now that I’ve been reminded even more of what finding an audience feels like.”

Rum Runners

by Patty Williamson, PhD

“

Rum runner” is not a term that’s likely to come up in conversation today, but during Prohibition – the period between Jan. 17, 1920, and Dec. 5, 1933, when the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlawed the production, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages – almost anyone could have told you what (and maybe who) a rum runner was.

The term was first used to describe those who smuggled rum into the U.S. from the Caribbean islands, and among the most infamous of these was Bill McCoy. While smuggling rum from Bimini and the Bahamas, he was one of the first to begin the practice of taking his ship, the Tomoka, to the three-mile limit of the Prohibition jurisdiction, where other boats met him to take the contraband ashore.

The Tomoka, like other rum runners’ boats, was outfitted to defend against anyone who tried to stop it. In the early days, these boats often had the advantage of being faster and better armed than the Coast Guard vessels that pursued them.

Although McCoy was caught in 1923, his legend has survived in a term that’s still in common usage today. He was known as a “reliable” rum runner, whose product was not mixed with anything else – and hence, it was “the real McCoy.” And though smugglers expanded their business to include whiskey, champagne, gin and anything else with alcohol content, the rum runner term stuck.

Rum runners were also often known as “bootleggers,” a term first used in 1889 in Omaha to describe men who hid bottles of alcohol in their high boots to carry it to reservations for illegal sale to American Indians.

Even in quiet Door County, local newspapers carried stories about dangerous chases and confrontations between the Coast Guard and the rum runners who were attempting to evade them to transport their illegal cargo into the country.

On Dec. 9, 1927, for example, the Advocate carried a story about three officers who were killed during a gun battle when Coast Guard boat No. 24 captured a rum runner 30 miles off Fort Lauderdale.

Even the movies picked up the theme. On May 17, 1930, the Door Theatre was showing Night Ride, in which Edward G. Robinson played a rum runner, gunman and racketeer.

But those who might have been interested in seeing the movie had much more excitement taking place right here in Door County. On May 8, 1930, a small steamship had left the Port of Goderich, Ontario – a town on Lake Huron – for its second run of the season. It was bound for Green Bay (and ultimately, it was assumed, to Al Capone in Chicago).

Prior to the steamship’s departure, two U.S. customs agents, presumably with permission from the Canadian government, had been hidden on the lake bank, watching with field glasses, while several men loaded boxes, burlap bags and barrels from a freight train car onto the boat. The agents later reported that the men who loaded the ship left and later returned with six other men who boarded and took the boat out of the harbor, escorted by two speedboats.

The Coast Guard in Chicago was notified that the tramp steamer Amherstburg 18 had left Goderich with a load of illegal liquor. The Coast Guard and customs officials searched for the boat for a week, and Capt. Matty Jacobson of the Plum Island Coast

In 1931, Door County was the scene of one of the biggest liquor busts on the Great Lakes

Guard Station notified his lookouts on St. Martin and Rock islands to watch for suspicious boats.

It was not a small craft they were keeping an eye out for. Built in Norway in 1895, the Amherstburg 18 was 86 feet long, with a gross weight of 93 tons. The owner of the vessel – of British registry – was listed as John S. McQueen of Canada. (Unsurprisingly, he was later nowhere to be found.)

On May 14, the St. Martin lookout spotted the rum runner off Whaleback Reef, just west of Washington Island. The Coast Guard boat the Bull was dispatched with Capt. Jacobson; W. Reynolds, the boatswain’s mate; and surfmen R. Peters and A. Daubner. They reached the reef at the same time as the Amherstburg 18 and pulled up alongside.

The crew of six – Al Gorman, Frank Clark, Harry Slater, George Wilson, Edward Benson and Albert Jackson –offered no resistance. All except Jackson claimed to be American citizens. It was later discovered that Jackson was English, and his legal name was Alfred Williams. Wilson, a Canadian, was actually named Bertram Barwick.

The boat, with crew aboard, laid up overnight in Washington Harbor and was moved the following morning to the Goodrich Transportation Company dock in Sturgeon Bay. Carl Young, deputy director of customs in Green Bay, arrested the crew members, who were taken to the Door County Jail until two deputies from Milwaukee arrived with warrants from U.S. Commissioner John Watermolen.

Word had spread quickly about the event, and reporters from several major newspapers were on hand when the crew was taken from the boat to the county jail. This was, obviously, big news. A photographer from the Chicago Daily News booked a flight to get to Sturgeon Bay in time to get a picture of the men, who tried to hide their faces.

Afraid that the liquor on board might be stolen, officials moved the boat to the Coast Guard station in the canal. The following day, Capt. William Betts of Sturgeon Bay; his son, Everett; and several Coast Guard members took

the boat to Milwaukee, where the illegal cargo was moved to a federal warehouse.

A few days later, the six crew members were transferred to the Brown County Jail in Green Bay and appeared before Commissioner Watermolen, who charged them with illegal importation and assisting to import liquor into the United States.

They were held on a joint bond of $50,000. (If that sounds low, consider that today it translates to nearly $800,000!)

The following week, they were transferred to the Milwaukee County Jail for a hearing on May 28, 1930. Williams and Barwick took the stand in their own defense, and an attorney entered a plea of not guilty for all six men.

A grand jury hearing, originally scheduled for October, was postponed until Jan. 23, 1931, when all of the men pleaded not guilty. Barwick testified that the six of them were hired at the last minute by three men, one of whom they knew only as “the captain,” and that they didn’t know what the cargo was until the boat was well underway. They claimed not to know the name of the captain – who, they said, had escaped two hours before they were captured, along with the chief engineer and another “well-dressed man,” on a speedboat that the Amherstburg 18 had been towing.

The five crew members who faced trial on Jan. 23 were found not guilty. Al Gorman failed to appear and forfeited his bond. Capt. Jacobson, who represented the Coast Guard at the trial, was quoted as saying, “They are darned nice fellows, all of them. We had no troubles, and they behaved like gentlemen.”

However, one news story, citing the crew’s inability to name the boat’s officers, observed that “clearly the crew of the Amherstburg 18 suffered from a deplorable lack of curiosity combined with poor interpersonal skills.”

It was discovered during the trial that the Amherstburg 18 was stolen property, having been, in a former

life, the legendary rum-running tug Geronimo, which had been seized by U.S. marshals in May 1928 near Windsor, Ontario.

In December 1929, the Geronimo “mysteriously” became unmoored from the dock and drifted back across the Detroit River to resume life as a rum runner. The cargo, described as 4,000 cases and barrels of Canadian beer and ale, was valued at $80,000 – equivalent to nearly $1.3 million today. The government disposed of the liquor in Lake Michigan.

In October 1930, a dredging contractor paid a reported bargain price of $400 for the Amherstburg 18 at a government auction in Bay City, Michigan.

Newspapers across Wisconsin and in adjoining states eagerly covered every stage of Door County’s role in Prohibition history as the scene of one of the largest illegal liquor busts on the Great Lakes, and the last before Prohibition was repealed three years later.

Decades on, the tale of the Amherstburg 18 is not forgotten. In October 2016, the Clinton News-Record ran a long story about rum running, noting that “every Great Lakes port was engaged in illegal liquor smuggling. The Detroit River became known as Rum Alley. Throughout Prohibition, the Hiram Walker distillery on the Windsor, Ontario, waterfront defiantly loaded whisky on a daily basis onto ships in plain sight of U.S. customs officers.”

C.W. Hunt, a Canadian history teacher and author, has written two books about Prohibition-era rum runners: Booze, Boats and Billions and Whisky and Ice. A person in the second book observed that “the U.S. was about as dry during Prohibition as the Mississippi mud flats during flood time.”

Based on research in the Door County Advocate; the Door County News; other newspapers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska and Minnesota; and a 2021 article written by Jim Schwartz for the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.

Photo by

Studio

Old Fashioned Smoke

by

When CHOP moved from its original location at the Country Walk Shops and down to the center of Sister Bay, the steakhouse also added a full liquor license. When they did, they also added a new twist on a classic Wisconsin cocktail, the smoked Old Fashioned.

“It was on the first CHOP cocktail list in 2017,” said CHOP bar manager Alyse Freeman (no relation to Eben). The thing is, the smoked Old Fashioned wasn’t supposed to stick around. The plan was to rotate different Old Fashioneds on and off the list, but the smoked Old Fashioned was so popular that today it remains the restaurant’s most-called-for cocktail.

It became so popular, in fact, that the restaurant had to replace the time-consuming process of smoking each glass by taking a torch to a round of cedar. Today, the drink is made by muddling cherries, orange, and bitters together with sugar and Knob Creek Smoked Maple bourbon.

Freeman said the bourbon gives it all the smoke flavor it needs, and it does.

But if you want to add some show to your home cocktailing game, here’s how to do it in the original CHOP style.

Smoked Old Fashioned Ingredients

2 oz bourbon

4-6 shakes Angostura Bitters

½ oz simple syrup

Cherry Orange peel

Maple round or cedar plank

Creme brulee torch Big cube

Using a crème brûlée torch (or a propane torch), scorch the center of a cedar plank or maple round until it starts to lightly smoke. Then place the Old Fashioned glass upside down over the scorched area. Let the smoke do its work in the glass.

Meanwhile, mix bourbon, simple syrup, and bitters in a cocktail shaker, add ice, and stir for about 30 seconds. Now flip over your glass, add one big cube, and strain the drink into the glass as the last of the smoke wafts into your nose. Garnish with cherry and orange peel to rim the glass.

You’ll be surprised at how much of the smoke flavor the glass retain, but not by how much you’ll love this smokey twist.

Myles Dannhausen | Photo by Rachel Lukas

Confit, Cassoulet and Love

by Jess Farley, in collaboration with David Nielsen

Photo by Brett Kosmider.

Perfect Winter Blend

During the cool, dark months ahead, I prepare to find joy in the kitchen through the creation, the process, the preparation and, ultimately, the act of eating all the deliciousness that I find on my plate and in my bowl.

In the past couple of years, I have found my perfect partner in life and in the kitchen. Our super bonus is that we dance with grace together in the kitchen because our minds are very complementary when it comes to the culinary arts.

Winter months seem to bring this to the surface more so than other times of the year. We carve out time to plan menus, cook and eat together. Depending on what we choose to prepare, we tend to talk it through, sometimes for days leading up to the actual meal preparation. This particular meal – cassoulet – was one of those experiences.

David has made cassoulet before – thank you, Trio Restaurant, for his introduction to this dish all those years ago – but we decided we wanted to amplify and take the slow road with the dish this time. We dug into the history of farm-style French cooking. Starting with dried beans and a whole duck, we found locally sourced sausages and the freshest carrots, onions and celery. We studied up on confit – specifically, duck confit. With a bit of direction, we learned how to butcher and quarter our duck. Putting our heads together, we jumped into the preparation, slowly working our way through it one step at a time. The process from beginning to end took about three days.

Confit (pronounced cone-fee), by definition, is a preservation process. It originated in the southwest region of France, and before the days of refrigeration, confit was used as a way to preserve meat and some vegetables from spoiling.

In simple terms, you slowly cook the meat – submerged in its own fat – at a very low temperature over a long period of time. During the process, the fat preserves the meat and makes for a very tender, succulent result.

Originally, it was stored in a covered vessel in the root cellar, but modern times allow you to store it in the refrigerator for weeks and up to a month. Once you have your duck confit at your disposal, the sky’s the limit on what you can do with it.

Cassoulet is a French country dish that can vary regionally and depending on what you have available, but all versions start with a base of white beans. Then, traditionally, you’ll find a mixture of sausage, duck confit and maybe some other kind of meat such as chicken or mutton – whatever you have on hand is perfect. These ingredients – combined with the vegetable trinity of carrots, celery and onions, plus some aromatic herbs – really tie this French white-bean casserole dish together. It is the perfect meal to share with your love in front of a fire on a cold, blustery winter night.

The first thing we do when we step into our kitchen is put on a little music to set the mood. This particular meal calls for something like Astrud Gilberto, the Brazilian-born jazz singer best known for “The Girl from Ipanema.” Next, we don our aprons and get to work.

Butcher (or Purchase) Duck Legs

If you’re working with a frozen duck, make sure you give yourself at least two days to thaw the bird. Once it’s completely thawed, it’s time to butcher it. There are many videos out there to supplement this discussion and guide you through the process.

Start by removing the leg and thigh quarters and set them aside. The trick to creating the lollipop effect to the leg pieces is to cut the tendon found in the leg. This allows the leg meat to crawl up the bone when cooking, making your confit look like it was prepared in a fancy French restaurant.

Split the breast bone and flatten the duck on the cutting-board surface. Remove the backbone, which should leave you with the two breasts, which can be used in the confit or saved for something else later. (We chose to confit one of the duck breasts to shred into the beans.)

Save the backbone and the other parts you won’t use here for making soup stock. You can do this in real time or freeze the parts to make stock later.

2The Brine

You will need a food processor and a Dutch oven with a lid.

2-3 shallots, skin removed 1 leek, with the thick, green leaves removed 1 bunch of scallions

3-4 garlic cloves, skin removed 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems removed Fresh thyme (one store-bought container), stems removed Kosher salt to taste

1 tsp whole black peppercorns

Place all the ingredients except the kosher salt and peppercorns in the food processor and pulse until chopped. This should yield 1-2 cups of the alliumbased dry brine. Put half of the brine in the bottom of a Dutch oven.

Rub the legs and thighs of the duck with a good amount of kosher salt. Put the remaining dry brine on top of the duck so the meat is completely covered. Sprinkle a teaspoon of whole black peppercorns over the meat. Cover and let sit for 24-36 hours.

Low and Slow

Preheat the oven to 200° F.

2 quarts of duck fat (purchase this at specialty food markets) – reserve one tablespoon for the next step

Rinse the duck quarters with cold water, pat dry and set aside. Rinse out the Dutch oven, then place the duck back into the Dutch oven. Cover the duck completely with the duck fat (and freeze any that you do not use for later use), put the lid on, and place the Dutch oven in the preheated oven for 3-4 hours. The duck is finished when it looks like it wants to fall off the bone.

You can use this right away or allow it to cool and store the confit in the refrigerator, submerged in the fat, for up to a month.

The Beans

The question is, dried or canned beans? Typically, my life does not allow me enough time to use dried beans, but we wanted to follow the traditional cassoulet path by using dried beans – and it worked out great! If you decide to use canned beans, skip the following step.

2 cups dried white beans (great northern or navy)

1 tsp salt

Rinse the beans, and place them in a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cover the beans with enough water so that there’s about three inches of water over the beans. Add the salt. Stir the beans briefly, cover the pot, and set it aside. The beans should soak for a minimum of 24 hours.

After the beans have soaked, drain and give them a quick rinse. If you’re using canned beans, rinse two 15-ounce cans of great northern or navy beans, and continue with the following steps.

Use an oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid. Preheat the oven to 250° F.

2 medium carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed 1 medium red or white onion, diced

1 pound of cooked sausage of your choice, chopped

1 Tbsp duck fat

Add all the ingredients to the pot. Sauté over medium-high heat until the onions are translucent, about five minutes.

Add in: Beans

1 cup white wine 1 cup of water Handful each of rosemary, thyme and parsley, chopped Salt and pepper to taste

Place the pot in the oven, and cook for 3-4 hours or until the beans are tender. Check the beans throughout the cooking time. You may need to add more water or wine throughout the process because you should not let the beans dry out.

Pro tip: When using dried beans, you may find that they have not softened all the way through. In that case, add a teaspoon of baking soda to the bean pot about halfway through the cooking process. Stir it in, and the beans will foam up. I always keep a sheet pan in the oven under my cook pot to catch any boilover.

The beans are finished when they’re fork tender. Shred the confit duck breast and incorporate it into the beans.

Putting It All Together

This is the exciting part: You are very close to indulging in the feast!

Reheat the duck legs and thighs in a cast-iron skillet. Bring the pan to medium-high heat, and add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan. When hot, place the duck meat in the pan to sear the skin. The meat is very delicate at this point and wants to fall off the bone, so be gentle.

Scoop a big spoonful of beans onto a plate; place a piece of duck on top; and sprinkle with aromatic herbs.

Cassoulet pairs nicely with a hefeweizen beer or nice glass of pinot noir. This is a very special dish, so enjoy every single bite.

BAILEYS HARBOR

AC Tap 9322 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2426

$ L D J T

Baileys 57 7998 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2114 Baileys57.com

$ B L D T

Bearded Heart Coffee 8093 Hwy 57 (920) 839-9111 beardedheartcoffee. com

$ B L {

Chives Restaurant 8041 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2000 chivesdoorcounty.com

$$$ L D T ( Clover & Zot 8054 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2587 cloverandzot.com

$$ L D {

Cornerstone Pub & Restaurant 8123 Hwy 57 (920) 839-9001 baileysharborcorner stonepub.com

$$ B L D J T {

Coyote Roadhouse 3026 Cty E (920) 839-9192

$$ L D J T { Located on the shore of Kangaroo Lake, we offer a full-service bar, appetizers, lunch and dessert selections in a casual and comfortable setting. Children’s menu available. Family friendly.

DCBC Eats 8099 Hwy 57 (920) 412-7226

$$ L D Florian II Supper Club 8048 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2361

$$ D J Harbor Fish Market & Grille 8080 Hwy 57 (920) 839-9999 harborfishmarket grille.com

$$$ L D J { ( T

Open during winter. A full service restaurant in the heart of Baileys Harbor. Distinctive waterfront dining with a casual upscale vibe.

Seasonal pet-friendly garden seating.

Heirloom Cafe & Provisions 2434 Cty F (920) 839-9334 heirloomcafeand provisions.com

$$ B L MAX at Maxwelton Braes Lodge 7680 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2321

$$ L D J {

PC Junction

Corner of A and E (920) 839-2048

$ L D J T {

Pen Pub

County Hwys A and E (920) 839-2141

$ L D T {

The Blue Ox 8051 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2271

$ L D {

Top Deck Restaurant & Bar 1420 Pine Dr. (920) 839-2331 gordonlodge.com

$$$ B D J { (

Vino! Vino! and Boccé at Stone’s Throw Winery 3382 Cty E Vino! Vino! (920) 839-9760 Boccé (920) 839-9665

$$ L D T

BRUSSELS/LITTLE STURGEON

Chaudoir’s Dock 10863 Cty N (920) 493-7075 chaudoirs.com $$ L D {

Gilmo’s Bar & Bistro Wavepoint Marina Resort, 3600 Cty CC (920) 824-5440 wavepointe.com $$ L D J T { ( Idlewild Pub & Grill 4146 Golf Valley Dr. (920) 743-5630

$$ L D {

Joe Rouer’s Bar E1098 Cty X (920) 866-2585 facebook.com/ Rouer1952

$ L D T {

Rouer’s Grand Slam 9710 School Road (920) 493-6556

$$ L D

Rouer’s Roadhouse 8649 Cty C (920) 824-5100 facebook.com/ RouersRoadhouse

$ L D

Sunset Grill 3810 Rileys Point Road (920) 824-5130

$$ D J T {

The Belgian Delight 1100 Cty C (920) 825-1111 belgiandelight brussels.com

$$ B L D (

CARLSVILLE

Carlsville Roadhouse 5790 Hwy 42 (920) 743-4966

$ L D T

Door County Coffee & Tea Co. 5773 Hwy 42 (920) 743-8930 doorcountycoffee.com

$ B L J T {

Rusty Tractor

6216 Hwy 42 (920) 743-8704 rustytractordoco.com

$ B

EGG HARBOR

Big Easy Bagel & Beignet

7755 Hwy 42 (920) 868-9600 bigeasydoor county.com

$ B L T {

Burton’s on the Bay 7715 Alpine Road (920) 868-3000 Alpineresort.com

$$$ B L D

Burton’s on the Green 7670 Horseshoe Bay Road (920) 868-3000

$$ B L D { T

Burton’s on the Green is Alpine’s new golf course clubhouse restaurant offering delicious cuisine crafted by the culinary team of Burton’s on the Bay at Alpine Resort.

Burton’s on the Green is open year-round serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hours of operation will change with the season. Visit alpineresort.com or call for restaurant hours.

Buttercups Coffee Shop

7828 Hwy 42 (920) 868-1771

$ B

Carrington

7643 Hillside Road (920) 868-5162 carringtondoor county.com

$$$ D J T { (

Open year round, we are an upscale casual restaurant located at the Landmark Resort.

Featuring a wide range of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, steaks, fish, American classics, desserts and a full bar. Every seat offers a view of the bay. With a Comedy Club on the second Thursday of the month. View our website for our current hours and Comedy Club shows.

Serving brunch and dinner

Casey’s BBQ & Smokehouse 7855 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3038 caseysbbqand smokehouse.com

$$ L D J T

Matthew Peterson established Casey’s BBQ & Smokehouse

in the spring of 2008. Matthew, a Door County native, wanted to put a Door County twist on Southernstyle BBQ by using cherry wood to give our meats a rosy cast with a delicious, mild smoked flavor. We also offer a fabulous fish fry, locally famous burgers and many other tasty treats.

Fireside Restaurant 7755 Hwy 42 thefireside restaurant.com $$$ D J (

Greens N Grains Deli 7821 Hwy 42 (920) 868-9999 greens-N-grains.com $ B L J {

The Greens N Grains Deli features a selection of vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and raw-food cuisine. The deli also features a juice bar with freshly pressed veggie juices, fruit smoothies, a healthful bakery, tea bar and organic coffees.

Log Den 6626 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3888 thelogden.com

$$ L D J T { (

Just south of Egg Harbor, you will find a hand-carved restaurant nestled in the woods with an atmosphere like no other, an eager staff and savory menu. We encourage you to stop in for a one-ofa-kind Door County experience. Serving lunch and dinner.

MacReady Artisan Bread Company 7828 Hwy 42 (920) 868-2233 MacReadyBread Company.com $ L D J T {

Mezzanine 7821 Horseshoe Bay Road (920) 786-7698 mezzaninerooftop.com $$$ B L D

Mojo Restaurant Group 7778 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3274 mojorestaurant group.com $$ L D J T { ( Pizza Bros 4633 Market St. $$ L D

Shipwrecked Brew Pub 7791 Hwy 42 (920) 868-2767 shipwreckedmicro brew.com $$$ L D J T {

Stone Hedge Golf and Pub 4320 Cty E stonehedgegolf andpub.com

$ L D

The Orchards at Egg Harbor 8125 Heritage Lake Road (920) 868-2483 orchardsategg harbor.com $ L J { Village Cafe 7918 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3247

$$ B L J {

ELLISON BAY

Blue Bear 12029 Hwy 42 (920) 854-3284

$$ B L D

Featuring a locally sourced menu created from scratch in our kitchen.

Offering an extensive selection of both gluten-free and vegan options. We also offer a full bar with craft cocktails, local beers, sustainably sourced wine and specialty coffee drinks.

Brew Coffee 12002 Hwy 42 (920) 421-2739

$ B L T {

Hügel Haus 11934 Hwy 42 (920) 633-4080

$$ D J T ( A German-inspired, Wisconsin-influenced restaurant located on the hill in Ellison Bay serving Deutschland classics and inspired Wisconsin favorites, including Door County’s best cheese curds! Nightly specials and daily happy hour with German bier, wine and specialty cocktails. Open year-round and self-proclaimed as “Door County’s Wurst Bar.” View our menu and hours at hugelhausdoorcounty. com.

Kick Ash Coffee 12001 Mink River Road (920) 421-1041 kickashproducts.com

$ B L T { Mink River Basin 12010 Hwy 42 (920) 854-2250 minkriverbasin.com

$$ B L D J T { (

Rowleys Bay Restaurant & Pub 1041 Cty ZZ (920) 854-2385

rowleysbayresort.com

$$ B D J { (

Wickman House

11976 Mink River Road (920) 854-3305 wickmanhouse.com

$$$ D { (

EPHRAIM

Bad Moravian 3055 Church St.

$$ D

Chef’s Hat 9998 Pioneer Lane (920) 854-2034

$$ B L D J T { (

Fresh Take 42 10420 Water St. (920) 854-3232 freshtake42.com

$$$ L D

Good Eggs 9820 Brookside Lane (920) 854-6621

$ B L {

Lost Tuk Tuk 9922 Water St., #7 (920) 421-1328 losttuktuk.square.site

$$ L D

Old Post Office Restaurant 10040 Hwy 42 (920) 854-4034 oldpostoffice-door county.com

$$ B D J { (

Pearl Wine Cottage 3058 Church St. (920) 633-5006 pearlwinecottage.com

$$ D {

Peninsula State Park

Clubhouse Restaurant 9890 Shore Road (920) 854-5791 peninsulagolf.org

$ B L

Prince of Pierogi 9922 Water St., #6 (920) 421-8619 princeofpierogi.com

$$ L D {

Sip 10326 N. Water St. (920)-857-5602

$$ B L D T {

Welcoming. Sophisticated. Comfortable. Well balanced American cuisine that spotlight bold flavors & spectacular presentations. Pacific coast & global wine selection. Full bar service. A place to relax in a warm ambiance. Discover new tastes & linger on favorite ones.

Summer Kitchen 10425 Water St. (920) 854-2131

$$ B L D J { (

Sunset Harbor Grill 10018 Water St.

$$ B L D J

Trixie’s 9996 Pioneer Lane (920) 854-8008

$$$ D (

Wilson’s Restaurant 9990 Water St. (920) 854-2041

wilsonsicecream.com

$ L D J {

Located in the heart of Ephraim since 1906. A classic Door County landmark that possesses the enchantment to take even the youngest visitors back in time with its old-fashioned soda fountain, ice cream specialties, house-brewed draft root beer, flamebroiled burgers and juke box playing the classics.

FISH CREEK

Alexander’s of Door County 3667 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3532 alexandersofdoor county.com

$$$ D J T { ( Specializing in seafood, steaks, contemporary cuisine, catering and special events (fully licensed and insured). Bar opens at 4 pm; dinner at 5 pm.

Barringer’s Restaurant 1 N. Spruce St. (920) 868-3738 barringersdoor county.com

$$$ L D { T (

Bayside Coffee

The Shops at the Bayside baysidecoffee cottage.com

$ B L J

Fish Creek’s only waterfront cafe. Beautifully situated across from the town dock.

Outdoor seating with a view. Featuring piping hot or iced Colectivo coffee, espresso drinks and Rishi teas, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, salads and bakery.

Bayside Tavern 4160 Main St. (920) 868-3441 baysidetavern.com

$ L D J T

For an unpredictably great time, visit Fish Creek’s favorite tavern. Serving cocktails, beer and our famous Bayside Coffee. Our short-order menu features hearty house-made soups, sandwiches, burgers, housemade pizza, Friday fish fry and Smilen Bob’s chili. Open daily year-round!

Blue Horse Beach Café

4113 Main St. (920) 868-1471 bluehorsecafe. com

$ B L J T {

DC Chocolate Design 9341 Spring Road, Unit A6 (920) 868-5155 dcchocolate design.com $ B L T { Chocolate, full coffee menu, beer, wine and friendly smiles. Serving rich and bold milk chocolate and warm and complex dark chocolate. Handmade on site. Grab a seat at the bar to watch the process, or sit outside on the patio with fresh espresso, beer or wine.

English Inn 3713 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3076 theenglishinn.com $$$ D J T (

Fika Bakery & Cafe 3903 Hwy 42 (920) 868-5233

$ B L {

Fish Creek Market 4164 Main St. (920) 868-3351 Fishcreekmarket 1892.com $$ L Gusto 4192 Main Street (920) 868-3442 $$$ D

Julie’s Park Cafe & Motel 4020 Hwy 42 (920) 868-2999 juliesmotel.com $$ B L J { (

Loft 4170 Main St. (920) 868-5242

$$ L D J {

Not Licked Yet 4054 Hwy 42 (920) 868-2617 notlickedyet.com $ L D {

Pelletier’s Restaurant Founder’s Square (920) 868-3313 doorcountyfish boil.com $$ B L D J { (

Shiny Moon Café 4164 Main St. shinymooncafe.com $$ B L

Skaliwags 4135 Main St. (920) 868-3634 $$ L D {

The Cherry Hut 8813 Hwy 42 (920) 868-4450 doorcounty cherryhut.com $$ L D J {

White Gull Inn 4225 Main St. (920) 868-3517 whitegullinn.com $$$ B L D J T (

Serving breakfast, including the famous cherry stuffed French toast as featured on Good Morning America as well as a full menu daily. Featuring fish boils in the summer, fall and select winter nights, along with candlelight dinners. Reservations recommended for dinner.

Wild Tomato Wood-Fired Pizza & Grille 4023 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3095 wildtomatopizza.com $ L D J T {

FORESTVILLE

Johnny G’s Fishing Hole 1599 Hwy 42 (920) 743-9814 facebook.com/ johnnygsfishinghole $$$ L D J The Bullpen 213 W. Main St., #9691 (920) 856-6199 $$ L D T

JACKSONPORT

Island Fever Rum Bar & Grill Cty V and Hwy 57 (920) 823-2700

$ L D J T {

Little Bit of Coffee 6332 Hwy 57 (920) 823-2408

$ B T

Mike’s Port Pub 6269 Hwy 57 (920) 823-2081

$$ L D

Mr. G’s Logan Creek Grille 5890 Hwy 57 (920) 823-2112

$$$ B L D J T {

SISTER BAY

Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant 10698 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-2626 aljohnsons.com $$ B L D J T Boathouse on the Bay 10716 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-3223

$$$ L D J { Carroll House 2445 S. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-7997

$ B L J

CHOP 2345 Mill Road (920) 854-2700

$$$ D J T { (

Crain’s Kitchen 10635 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 633-4047

$ L D

Door County Creamery 10653 Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-3388

$ L D T {

Door County Ice Cream Factory 11051 Hwy 42 (920) 854-9693 doorcountyice cream.com

$ L D J {

Dovetail Bar & Grill 10282 Hwy 57 (920) 421-4035

$$ L D J

Fat Belly Bowls and Burritos

10621 N. Highland Road (920) 854-3500 fatbellybowls.com

$$ L D {

Goose & Twigs Coffee Shop 2322 Mill Road (920) 854-3212

$$ B L {

Grasse’s Grill 10663 N Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-1125

$$ B L J {

Husby’s Food and Spirits

10641 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-2624

$ L D J T {

JJ’s La Puerta Restaurant 10961 Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-4513 jjswaterfront.com $$ L D J T {

LURE Intersection of Hwys 42 and 57 (920) 854-8111 luredoorcounty.com $$$ D J T { (

McEvoy’s Culinaria & Catering 2602 S. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-8029

$ L D T { Northern Grill & Pizza 10573 Country Walk Dr. (920) 854-9590

$$ L D J T {

Pasta Vino 10571 Country Walk Dr $$$ D

Roots Kitchen 2378 Maple Dr. (920) 854-5107

$ L T { Sister Bay Bowl 10640 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-2841 sisterbaybowl.com $$ L D J T

Famous for its Friday-night perch fry and its prime rib, this throwback to yesteryear is located in the heart of Sister Bay, open year-round. Featuring a full dining room, grill and bar, plus Northern Door’s only bowling alley.

Skip Stone Coffee Roasters 10678 S. Bay Shore Dr., Building 2 skipstonecoffee.com $ B L J T {

Stabbur Beer Garden at Al Johnson’s 10698 Bay Shore Dr. (920) 421-4628

$$ L D {

Sub Express at Sister Bay Mobil 2579 S. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-6700

$ B L D J T {

The Kitschinn 10440 Orchard Dr. (920) 854-5941

$ B J T {

Thyme Restaurant + Catering 10339 Hwy 57 (920) 421-5112

Thymecatering DoorCounty.com

$$ L D { J T (

Thyme restaurant has a new home in Sister Bay. Join us at our brand-new restaurant, bar and outdoor dining space, where we’ll be serving up fresh, new dishes, as well as some of our classics. Next door is twelve eleven provisions + wine bar, where you can enjoy a variety of wines sourced and produced from grapes grown in Sonoma and Mendocino County. Our private, open-air dining space and gabled meadow are available to rent. See you soon!

Wild Tomato WoodFired Pizza & Grille 10677 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-4685 wildtomatopizza.com

$ L D J T {

STURGEON BAY

Corner Café 113 N. 3rd Ave. (920) 743-1991

$ B L J T ( 5th and Jefferson Café 232 N. 5th Ave. (920) 746-1719

$ B L D {

Betsy Ross Family Restaurant 239 Green Bay Road (920) 743-811

Betsyross restaurant.com

$ B L D

Birmingham’s 4709 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 743-5215 birminghamsbar andcottages.com

$$ L D J T

Blue Front Café 86 W. Maple St. (920) 743-9218

$$ L J T (

Brick Lot Pub & Grill 253 N. 3rd Ave. (920) 743-9339 bricklotpub.com

$ L D J T

Cedar Crossing Restaurant & Bar 336 Louisiana St. (920) 743-4200 innatcedar crossing.com

$$$ B L D J T (

Chaser’s Sports Bar & Grill 1217 N. 14th Ave. (920) 743-6997 applevalleylanes.net

$$

Cherry Lanes Arcade Bar 127 N. 4th Ave. (920) 818-0093 facebook.com/ cherrylanes arcadebar

$$$ D

Crate — Sushi & Seafood 136 N. 3rd Ave. (920) 818-1333

$$$ D T { (

Dan’s Kitchen 50 S. 3rd Ave. (920) 818-1300 dans-kitchen.com

$ L D T

Door County Fire Company 38 S. 3rd Ave. (920) 818-0625

$$ L D J T

Drömhus

611 Jefferson St. (608) 333-4553 dromhus doorcounty.com

$ D T {

The Drömhus (pronounced “drum hoose”) is an adorable event space in the heart of Sturgeon Bay that is now a lovely wine bar and eatery. We have wine, beer, charcuterie, Swedish meatballs and more. We’re serving local Peach Barn beer and seltzer and have a delicious list of hand selected wines from all over the world. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook and check out the rest of the menu at dromhusdoorcounty. com! Tak så myket!

El Sazon Mexican Restaurant 1449 Green Bay Road, Suite 2 (920) 743-6740

$ B L D J T

Fatzo’s 46 Green Bay Road (920) 743-6300

$ L D J T {

Get Real Café 43 S. Madison Ave. (920) 818-1455 getrealcafedoor county.com

$$ B L D

Glas 67 E. Maple St. (920) 743-5575 glascoffee.com

$ B L T {

Greystone Castle 8 N. Madison Ave. (920) 743-9923

Greystonecastle bar.com

$$ L D J T

Healthy Way Market 216 S. 3rd Ave. (920) 746-4103 healthyway market.com

$ L

Hoffman’s Red Room 66 S. 3rd Ave. (920) 743-3913

$ L D T

Hot Tamales 26 E. Oak St. (920) 746-0600 hottamaleswi.com

$ B L D J T

Institute Saloon 4599 Hwy 57 (920) 743-1919 institutesaloon.com

$ L D T

Kick Coffee 148 N. 3rd Ave. (920) 746-1122

$ B L T {

Kinara Urban Eatery 25 N. Madison Ave. (920) 743-8772

$ L D T

Kitchen Barons

Public House 23 W. Oak St. (920) 818-0377

$$ L D

Kitty O’Reilly’s Irish Pub 59 E. Oak St. (920) 743-7441

kittyoreillys.com

$$ L D J T {

Little Brown Jug Saloon 8952 Cty C (920) 824-5005

littlebrownjugbar.com

$$ L D

Lodge at Leathem Smith 1640 Memorial Dr. (920) 743-5555

$$ L D J T { (

Melt Shoppe at Renard’s Cheese 2189 Cty DK (920) 825-7272

$ B L J T {

Now offering more great options. The deli has a great variety of meat, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches, as well as a full line of gourmet coffee and tea. Lunch features Renard’s pizza, hot and cold sandwiches, hot dogs, soup, salad and a grilled cheese of the week. Offering a variety of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.

Mill Supper Club

4128 Hwy 42/57 N (920) 743-5044

$$$ D J T

Morning Glory by the Bay

306 S. 3rd Ave.

(920) 818-0711

$$ B L

Morning Glory Restaurant

7502 Hwy 42 (920) 743-5355

$ B L J

Old Mexico

901 Egg Harbor Road (920) 818-1500 oldmexicowi.com

$$ L D J T {

Poh’s Corner Pub 164 N. 3rd Ave.

$ L D T

Samuelson’s Creek Pub

& Grill

1009 S. Oxford Ave. (920) 743-3295 whitebirchinn.com

$$ L D J T (

Scaturo’s Café

19 Green Bay Road (920) 746-8727

$ B L J T { (

Sonny’s Italian

Kitchen & Pizzeria

129 N. Madison Ave. (920) 743-2300 sonnyspizzeria.com

$$ L D J T (

Stage Road Inn 2049 Cty S (920) 743-4807 facebook.com/ stageroadinn

$$$ D

Stone Harbor 107 N. 1st St. (920) 746-0700 stoneharbor-resort.com

$$$ B L D J T { (

Sturgeon Bay Yacht Club 600 Nautical Dr. (920) 743-6934

$$$ L D (

The Gnoshery #23 N. 3rd Ave. (920)818-0727

$ B L T

The Nightingale

Supper Club 1541 Egg Harbor Road (920) 743-5593

$$$ D J T

Trattoria Dal Santo 147 N. 3rd Ave. (920) 743-6100 trattoriadalsanto.com

$$$ D T (

Wanda Jean’s

846 Egg Harbor Road (920) 743-0105

$ B L D J T

Waterfront Mary’s

Bar & Grill

3662 N. Duluth Ave. (920) 743-3191

waterfrontmarys barandgrill.com

$ L D J T {

VALMY

Donny’s Glidden

Lodge Restaurant 4670 Glidden Dr. (920) 746-9460 gliddenlodge.com

$$$ D J T { (

The Hitching Post 4849 Glidden Dr. (920) 818-1114 thehitchingpost doorcounty.com

$$ B L D J (

Valmy Happy Hour 4418 Whitefish Bay Road (920) 743-6236

$ L D J T

WASHINGTON ISLAND

Albatross Drive-In N7W1910 Lobdells Point Road (920) 847-2203

$ L D {

Bread & Water Café 1275 Main Road (920) 847-2400 washingtonisland food.com $ B L {

Cellar Restaurant at Karly’s Bar Main Road (920) 847-2655 $$$ L D J T { (

Fiddler’s Green 1699 Jackson Harbor Road (920) 847-2610 washingtonisland fiddlersgreen.com $$ L D T {

Hotel Washington 354 Range Line Road (920) 847-3010 $$$ D T { (

Island Pizza At the ferry dock (920) 847-3222 $ L D Jackson Harbor Soup 1904 Indian Point Road (920) 847-2589

Photography by Caplan Studios