Cimaroli's Supper Club - Portage

The perfect description of this place is "out in the boonies". It's located between Portage and the Wisconsin Dells, surrounded by corn fields and back-county roads. But you wouldn't realize the lonely country atmosphere as you pull into their parking lot, because it's packed with cars and people are lined up outside the building.

Based on some research and history, the original Cimaroli's building was known as Ye Olde Johnson's Inn Supper Club. Ron Cimaroli purchased it in 1970. Ron sold the business to his son in 2000. In 2005, after a fire, Cimaroli's was completely rebuilt.

Cimaroli's is a very modern atmosphere. They have a large two-tiered deck outside for patrons to enjoy their drinks while they wait for a table. The dining room seats about 100 people. The decor is bright colors and patterns. The Bar and Dining room are separated by the kitchen. The Bar has musical acts playing throughout the night, which isn't something we've seen yet.

The Home of the FLAT IRON STEAK! That's what it says on the front of their menu. So I had to Google it...I wasn't sure what that was. And Wikipedia says, "Flat iron steak is a cut of steak cut with the grain from the shoulder of the animal. This produces a flavorful cut that is a bit tough because it contains a gristly fascia membrane unless removed. Some restaurants offer it on their menu, often at lower price than the more popular rib-eye and strip steaks of the same grade. This is used, in some places, as a means of selling a less expensive cut from the same animal."

Their menu also included other Steaks, Prime Rib, Seafood, and Chicken. Maybe you'd enjoy a half pound of Frog Legs as an entree?? (or not). Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday they offer a BBQ Ribs special. Their Friday night fish fry includes Perch and all-you-can-eat Haddock. Their Sunday night feature is Liver and Onions.

I hope you're looking at their menu and thinking to yourself, "Wow, their prices are pretty reasonable". And that's because they are! They specialize in Flat Iron Steaks because they believe in offering affordable food all around. And that includes the Bar too. Their Old-Fashioneds are $2.50.

My group, which included Skyler, Serena, Ruth, and Mary, waited about an hour for a table (they don't take reservations). We drank our Old-Fashioneds out on their deck while we waited. The place was wall-to-wall people both inside and out. Once seated, we were at a table in the back corner.

We ordered an appetizer of Spinach Artichoke dip with homemade tortilla crisps. And dinners came with a soup or salad.

These crisps were very original and delicious.

Pro tip: I've learned to order my salads with dressings on the side at supper clubs. Otherwise, they will completely drown the plate in dressing. (And yes, I'm calling myself a pro, haha!)

Our entrees came quickly. We all ordered a steak dish, except Skyler,who enjoyed chicken tenders.

Prime Rib

Flat Iron Steak with Onions. Shrimp in the back.

Flat Iron Steak with onions and mushrooms

Serena and I had the Prime Rib, and frankly, it was not good. It was thin and cooked to death. It didn't even look like Prime Rib when they set it down in front of me. Serena agreed. And the flavor was bland. But the Flat Irons were good and enjoyed by Ruth and Mary. No desserts were ordered because we were full and it was warm and crowded in the dining room. So we were all happy to get up and move around.

Even though my cut of meat wasn't to my liking, I still recommend this place if you're looking for affordable eats and drinks. I would like to come back and try some other dishes - pasta, sandwiches, or chicken. And don't come at peak dinner hours. Wait until after 7pm if you can. The wait time will be quicker and bigger parties will be on their way out the door.

Ranking time!

1. Prime Rib specials are served every Saturday night.
They actually don't have a Saturday Special. Prime Rib is a regular menu item.

2. A relish tray is served.
No, just a bread basket.

3. Manhattans and Old-Fashioned cocktails are served with Brandy.
Yes.

4. Jell-O is served as a salad option.
No.

5. Walleye is a regular menu item.
Yes.

6. All-you-can-eat fried fish on Friday nights.
Yes indeed.

7. Grasshopper and Pink Cadillac cocktails are large enough to share.
We didn't order one, so I can't grade them on it.

8. Christmas lights are strung along structures year-round.
I'm giving them a Yes on this point. While there are no Christmas lights inside, they have awesome lights on a big tree out front. This picture doesn't do them justice.

9. The Waitresses call you "Hon"
No. Unfortunately, the waitresses are too busy in the packed house to give you their full attention. But no complaints about our service!

10. The club has a scenic view of our beautiful state.
Well, I would say Yes. Their deck was a nice place to hang out. Even though the view is farm fields, it's still Wisconsin. At least it wasn't a busy highway in the middle of the city.

Cimaroli scored a 5 out of 10. Pretty middle-of-the-road. Personally, I didn't enjoy the atmosphere of this club. It was way too modern and big. I look forward to being in a small, dim-lit restaurant with the old decor. It takes me away and makes me imagine a different era. The era when dining out was a special occasion, not an every night occurrence. And that's why Wisconsin Supper Clubs are so special. They were popular in the mid and late 1900's because people stayed home and worked all week. So when they went out on a Saturday night, it was an event, an escape, and all-night affair.

But don't let my opinion turn you away, try out Cimaroli's for yourself and tell me what you think. I love having discussions with other Supper Club enthusiasts!

Ishnala Supper Club - Lake Delton

*VOTED #1 SUPPER CLUB IN WISCONSIN - Travel Wisconsin
*FEATURED ON THE COVER "WISCONSIN SUPPER CLUBS" - Ron Faiola
*ONE OF THE TOP SUPPER CLUBS WITH A GORGEOUS LAKEVIEW - Travel Wisconsin
*FAN FAVORITE FOR WISCONSIN SEAFOOD RESTAURANTS - Travel Wisconsin
*ONE OF THE TOP WISCONSIN CLASSIC SUPPER CLUBS - Travel Wisconsin
*LISTED AS ONE OF THE BEST SUPPER CLUBS IN WISCONSIN - Thrillist
*BEST DESTINATION RESTAURANT 2016 AND 2017 - Madison Magazine

As you can tell, this place comes with a lot of hype! So I had a lot of expectations going into it. Not to mention, since this location is close to Madison, I've talked to many people who have been here several times. The biggest concerns - price and availability. They do not take reservations, and the wait can take hours. THE. MENU. IS. PRICEY. (but we'll dive into that a little bit later).

So, before going, I'm thinking to myself, "I am going to be blown away during every moment of this meal. And if I'm not, I am not going to be shy about posting it here".

Our group was small this month (summer schedules are hard to coordinate), but that wasn't going to stop us. It was a Girls Night with me, Skyler, and Serena. Which actually made it much easier, because there wasn't easy seating for a group larger than six.

Ishnala is located on the shore of Mirror Lake.  Entrance to the property includes a winding drive through acres of forest of Mirror Lake State Park.. There are little signs posted on trees - tidbits of information about Ishnala Supper Club.

We parked and started walking in. They have music playing on the grounds, outdoor walking paths, patio seating, and a small gift shop. Very typical tourist-type things you see all over the Wisconsin Dells. It was fun!

We arrived at 4pm on a Saturday and got seated immediately! You have no idea how happy this made me. I had heard horror stories about their wait time. When we finished and left, there were groups of people on the patio waiting to be seated.

The dining room is floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over Mirror Lake. And it's two levels. We sat on the second level with our chairs facing the windows.

 

The table was pre-set with waters, cheese spread, and crackers. We dug into the cheese spread immediately and Serena ordered an Old-Fashioned with Korbel Brandy. So then we started browsing through the menu. Typical upscale casual dining fare was offered: steaks, seafood, and chicken. The special was a Rib eye Meal for Two.

As we browsed through the menu and stared at the scenery, we decided to order Fried Cheese Curds and French Onion Soup as an appetizer. Shortly after that we were brought dinner rolls and cinnamon pecan swirls (so delicious!)

Conversation within our party continued on after we ordered our entrees, but I mainly stared out the window - watching the pontoon boaters and kayakers. I was also people-watching the dining level below us and the huge wait staff that moved at a pace of 100mph. I don't know exactly how many waiters there were, but it seemed like each staffer had one (maybe two) tables assigned to them at a time. We happened to sit right next to the registers, where the waitresses were constantly coming and going at a fast pace.

We got garden salads first. I ordered mine with their house-made vinaigrette. The other salad option was a wedge salad.

Then there were the entrees. 

I had Prime Rib with a Baked Potato

Serena had Two Lobster Tails with Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

Skyler had the New York Strip with Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

The food was good. It was completely what I expected. But......I've had better......for less money. The Prime Rib was rather plain. Nothing fancy or special about it. I was impressed at the cut though, it had very little fat on it. Same with Skyler's steak - normal, nothing special. The cheesy potatoes were really cheesy and delicious. Skyler even enjoyed them 3 days later reheated. The most exciting food course was the desserts.

They presented all the choices to us on a platter (which makes you want to try all of them).....

Salted Caramel Cake

Chocolate Mousse

We couldn't finish all the desserts after three courses. But they were worth it. Luckily, we were able to walk around the grounds and go down to the Beach to work off all the calories. We walked down to the little beach and back up again.

Now let's talk about the prices. This place was too expensive for my tastes, which is why I won't return very often again. The Prime Rib was $36.99. The average amount I've paid at other Supper Clubs is around $25. The New York Strip was also $36.99. Like I said, just too expensive. The food was too plain to pay this much.

The best part of our visit to Ishnala (other than the gorgeous view) was the service. I have never experienced food service like this before. Like I mentioned earlier, there were a lot of waitresses serving only one or two tables at a time. And our waitress (unfortunately, I don't remember her name) was so attentive to us the entire time. I opened a package of bread sticks to have with cheese, she immediately came and picked up the wrapper. She filled our water glasses often, and we didn't even ask for it. Plates were cleared away quickly after finishing them. She even cleared the lobster tails as Serena ate them, so there would be more room on her plate. The bread basket was refilled when our entrees came. It was pretty unbelievable. The manager even stopped by to ask how everything was.

We watched them clear tables in the level below us. Within minutes from the guests leaving, two or three bus boys would be there clearing the plates, cleaning the table, and resetting it for the next customers. It took them all of 3-5 minutes to turn over a table. I've never seen that much hustle. It was truly impressive.

I can see why Ishnala gets such great reviews. Not that my grade sheet will match, might as well see how it stacks up against others I've graded.

1. Prime Rib specials are served every Saturday night.
It is served every day, as supplies last.

2. A relish tray is served.
No. There was crackers and cheese spread.

3. Manhattans and Old-Fashioned cocktails are served with Brandy.
Yes.

4. Jell-O is served as a salad option.
Nope. This place is too fancy for Jell-O.

5. Walleye is a regular menu item.
No it is not.

6. All-you-can-eat fried fish on Friday nights.
No, again, way too fancy for fish frys.

7. Grasshopper and Pink Cadillac cocktails are large enough to share.
We didn't order one, so I can't grade them on it.

8. Christmas lights are strung along structures year-round.
No.

9. The Waitresses call you "Hon"
No, she was very polite and professional.

10. The club has a scenic view of our beautiful state.

Uh, yeah it does. It doesn't get much better than this.

That's a 4 out of 10 score. Even though Ishnala didn't have some good supper club staples, that doesn't mean it was a bad experience. Out of all the places we've visited so far, their atmosphere and service was top-of-the-list. I won't visit again soon because of the prices. But this would be a great place to come for anniversaries, birthdays, special events, or vacations.