The Eastern Wisconsin Cheese Tour

You could easily spend weeks checking out Milwaukee’s food scene. Make it easier by discovering a curated sampling at the Milwaukee Public Market. With 19 independently owned merchants, the market is home to local staples like cheese curds and bloody marys, diverse ethnic foods, ready-to-eat meals, Milwaukee merchandise, artisan grocery and more. Aside from the shopping, the Public Market also offers cooking classes, tastings and in-house music performances for nearly unlimited fun. 

Experience Lakefront Brewery, a must-visit Milwaukee destination for great food, creative beers and fun for your whole group. Dive into the selection of over 20+ beers, spanning year-round staples, seasonal creations, and rotating specialties from their innovative My Turn Series. All are served in a spacious, German-inspired beer hall where you can enjoy Milwaukee favorites, such as their famous, award-winning cheese curds or a classic Friday fish fry.

For an extra special meal, have dinner at the James Beard Award-Winning Lupi & Iris. With cuisine from the French and Italian Riviera such as wood-grilled swordfish and roasted squash ravioli and an 18-page wine list, a visit to this impressive spot will transport you straight to the Mediterranean. The restaurant was also featured on Season 21 of Bravo's Top Chef, and Chef Adam Siegel made an appearance on the episode as a guest judge. 

At the end of the day, lay your heads down at The Kimpton Journeyman Hotel. Filled with art made by local artists, and a rooftop restaurant and bar where you and your crew can play shuffleboard, this is the perfect spot to end your fun-filled day in Milwaukee.

Head northwest of Milwaukee for your next cheesy adventure. Master cheesemaker Joe Widmer is the third generation of Widmers producing the family’s renowned Brick cheese. Joe is adamant about sticking to the traditional method of brining the cheese, still using the same bricks his grandfather did to weigh down the cheese decades ago. Visit Widmer’s Cheese Cellars Factory in Theresa to peek through a viewing area and watch the unique process. 

Discover more award-winning wines to pair with your new favorite cheeses at Cedar Creek Winery in historic downtown Cedarburg. Take a guided tour of the restored 1860s woolen mill that includes underground limestone cellars. Along the way, you’ll taste delicious wines such as Waterfall Reisling and Cedarburg Spice. 

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Washington House Inn offers guests an opportunity for rest and relaxation in the heart of downtown Cedarburg. You’ll be within walking distance of shops, galleries, restaurants and more with luxurious whirlpool tubs and cozy fireplaces.

Steeped in the history and tradition of Wisconsin cheese-making, Simon’s Specialty Cheese produces some of the best feta, mozzarella and provolone in the state. Visit their retail store to browse over 100 varieties as well as many other tasty local products. For lunch, enjoy a fresh made grilled cheese, pizza made with their award-winning mozzarella or a Wisconsin brat. 

Taste freshly made cheese curds at the Union Star Cheese Factory in nearby Freemont. The factory tour includes stops at pivotal steps in the cheese-making process along with a cheese tasting at the end. And be sure to pick up some of your new favorites from the attached retail store. 

For an authentic Wisconsin experience, dinner at a supper club is in order. Expect classic American cuisines like surf and turf, shrimp cocktail, a generous relish tray, baked potatoes and salads with homemade dressings. The Appleton area boasts several popular supper clubs including the Lox Club or Red Ox Seafood & Steakhouse. 

One of Appleton’s finest luxury hotels features whirlpools, fireplaces, The RYE Restaurant and an in-house spa. Modeled after small, family-owned European hotels, their personalized services will have you wishing you never had to leave.