Something For Foodies To Chew On

Come hungry and return home content after a sweet overnight getaway to the  Kenosha Area!

Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner:

You’ll find authentic Sushi, Korean and Japanese cuisine at Soon’s Sushi Café. In 2009 and 2010, Soon’s was voted number one for the best sushi in Southeastern Wisconsin (A-List on WISN.com). Two recommended items: Phoenix Roll and the Spicy Titanic Roll. Soon's is the place to go on your birthday - for a Sushi Cake! If you’ve never tried sushi, a California Roll, or an AAC (Asparagus, Avocado & Cucumber) Roll are suggested starters.

 
You can’t visit Kenosha without eating at the famously sassy Franks Diner. The ambiance and sassy service can’t be beat! Franks Diner is the oldestcontinuously operating lunch car diner in the U.S. In 1926, six horses pulled the diner to the spot where it still stands today. You may know the diner from Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." Their signature dish? The renowned “Franks Garbage Plate”, consisting of hash browns, green peppers,onions, jalapeno peppers, eggs, and your choice of meat or all veggie. The motto here is: Order what you want … eat what you get!

Also not to be missed is a meal at The Coffee Pot, a quirky Downtown Kenosha diner with local, original art filling its walls. You'llfind omelets with creative names like “The Godfather”, which includes Italian Sausage,garlic, tomato, mozzarella, andItalian seasoning. Or try “The Shroom”: an omelet with breakfast sausage, mushrooms, and cheese. In the summer you can eat outdoors on the patio, known as ‘The Garden of Eatin’ - reminiscent of Key West.

If you’re here between March 1 and August 31, you must have lunch at Big Star Drive-In! It’s the 1950’s all over again with car hops bringing your order to your car. Your order should include ice cold root beer served in frosted mugs, and Big Star’s famous double cheeseburger! This is one very popular place!

For authentic Irish fare, visit Ashling on the Lough, Kenosha's premier Irish pub and restaurant. Contemporary Irish cuisine is served, with somewhat of an American spin on it. Kenosha’s Italian heritage is incorporated with the Giardiniera Chicken Sandwich. Local purveyors are used as much as possible, with farm fresh eggs coming from Kenosha HarborMarket. Popular menu items include Castledaly Lamb Shank, Grandma Flanigan's Pot Roast, and Fish and Chips. The Braised Cabbage Rolls are a very popular appetizer.

Authentic German cuisine and American favorites can be enjoyed at House of Gerhard. The waitresses dress like authentic German barmaids. If it's a taste of Deutschland you seek, you needn't fly to Bavaria! The restaurant has been awarded the Wisconsin Restaurateur of the Year honor many times, most recently in 2009. You’ll find your favorite German dishes like Beef Rouladen and Schnitzel  on the menu as well as the restaurant’s Famous Prime Rib of Beef.

More ethnic flavor can be found at HuHot Mongolian Grill, which features Mongolian food. You customize your meal by choosing from dozens of fresh vegetables, meats, noodles and sauces. When things are really hopping at the grill or a mind-blowing spatula trick is pulled off by a Grill Warrior, the battle cry “How Hot? HuHot!” is heard throughout the restaurant. Be sure to order the Sweet Victory S’mores – you prepare traditional S’mores right at your table with your very own campfire!

Enjoy lunch at Tacos el Rey. It’s not all hot and spicy! You have your pick of homemade hot, medium, and mild sauces. This family-owned business prepares its food fresh daily with no preservatives, and that includes the flour tortillas, refried beans, and guacamole. Every year the Tuesday before, of and after Mardi Gras you can visit for Mardi Gras Taco Tuesdays. Pay one price and enjoy all the tacos and fountain soft drinks you can eat and drink! If you can eat 15 tacos, you receive a sombrero and your photo placed on their "fat taco wall of fame"!

Snacks & Take-Home Treats:

Shop for sweet treats and souvenirs in the huge candy store at Jelly Belly Visitor Center. Besides oodles of Jelly Belly jelly bean flavors, you’ll find gummies, candy corn, malt balls, and more candy such as Jelly Bean Chocolate Dips™. Visit the free sample bar for Very Cheery, Root Bear, Green Apple, and more bean flavors. If you have time, ride the free Jelly Belly Express train and discover what goes into the magical process of creating Jelly Belly jelly beans. The tour lasts about 35 minutes, and each passenger receives a free sample of Jelly Belly beans at its conclusion.

Two more sweet stops: Scoops! Ice Cream and Sandy’s Popper in Downtown Kenosha. Scoops! offers plenty of vegan, nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free ice cream options, not to mention chocolates and fun, nostalgic candy. In addition to fresh gourmet popcorn products and its own nostalgic candy, Sandy’s Popper serves Wisconsin-made, hand-scooped, parlor-grade ice cream.

Also in Downtown Kenosha, shop at Kenosha HarborMarket (Saturdays) for fresh organic vegetables, meats, ethnic products, cheeses, farm fresh eggs, delicious prepared foods and beverages, artisan bakery goods, and more. Live music adds to the browsing and shopping atmosphere. During the summer months, two museums and Lake Michigan set the backdrop for the popular market.

Stop at Calumet Company Store for restaurant-quality meat at reasonable prices – including pork, beef, veal, lamb, fish, and seafood. Then stroll through Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets for such specialty food stores as Harry & David, Ghirardelli Chocolates, and Pepperidge Farm.

Food Experiences:

Plan ahead and time your visit right, and you could attend a cooking class at the Civil War Museum or Mangia Trattoria. For example, at Mangia one day each June, Masters of the Grill is held. Renowned chef and co-owner Tony Chef Mantuano and some of his culinary friends from around the country show you how to prepare an entire meal on the grill.

Annual Events Foodies Will Love:

• Kenosha County Dairy Breakfast – June
• Food Folks & Spokes – July
• Taste of Wisconsin™ – July
• Pride of Kenosha Wine & Gourmet Food Event – November 11, 2011
• Dairy State Cheese & Beer Festival – Spring