Discover Wisconsin: Highlights local foods and culinary destinations


“Local Foods and Finds: Wisconsin Culinary Tour” Premieres June 21-22

WISCONSIN – (June 11, 2014) – Discover Wisconsin is shining the spotlight on the state’s ever-evolving culinary scene in an upcoming episode. Premiering June 21-22 across the Midwest, “Local Foods and Finds: Wisconsin Culinary Tour” is guest hosted by Stephanie Klett, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. In this episode, Klett and the Discover Wisconsin crew scour the state traveling to Madison, Door County, Ashland County and Stevens Point in search of restaurants that incorporate local ingredients and flavors into their menus.

“Wisconsin is home to an incredible culinary experience that is both delicious and authentic to our state,” said Klett. “Whether dining at a restaurant or visiting a farmer’s market, it’s all a part of how a visitor experiences a destination. Plain and simple, food is fun and it brings people together, which are what vacations are all about.”

In Madison, Klett kicks off the show’s food tour at the Dane County Farmer’s Market, the largest producers-only farmer’s market in the nation. Klett and Market Manager Larry Johnson join thousands of visitors converging on the Capitol Square to meet a few area farmers and find a wide assortment of goods including plants, heirloom produce, fresh baked goods and meats. Visitors and local residents aren’t the only shoppers at the market; many area chefs including Joshua Berkson, co-owner of the award-winning Merchant, head to the Dane County Farmer’s Market to find the fresh ingredients they depend on for their farm-to-table menus.

The crew swings northeast to Door County, an area renowned for its cherry production and fish boils. Viewers join Klett at Seaquist Orchards to get a history lesson on the area’s cherry production as well as instruction in all of the delicious ways cherries can be incorporated into cooking including the famous Door County cherry pie. That cherry pie is also on the menu at the White Gull Inn, where Master Boiler Tom Christianson demonstrates the traditional Door County fish boil.

Get a taste of Ashland County’s restaurant scene at the eclectic Green Lantern and Speakeasy in Glidden, where the crew meets the restaurant’s 80-year-old pianist, followed by a stop at The Pub Restaurant and Wine Bar on Madeline Island. At the Sixth Street Market in Ashland, Klett learns about the art of sausage making from the company’s proud third generation of owners, who produce over 30 varieties of sausages and brats.

It wouldn’t be a culinary exploration of Wisconsin without drinks to accompany a good meal. Klett and the crew visit Stevens Point and the Fresar Winery and its sister business the Kozy Yak Brewery, where the owners not only source their ingredients locally but also use renewable energy in the brewing process. Stevens Point also has a reputation for its long-running farmers market and producers such as Whitefeather Organics, a farm that grows everything from shiitakes to tomatoes. Christian’s Bistro & the Sky Club round out the Portage County restaurant segment.

The program will reach more than 480,000 viewers across the upper Great Lakes region, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Northern Illinois and Upper Michigan.

To learn more about the destinations featured, visit www.discoverwisconsin.com.

About Discover Wisconsin
As the nation’s longest running tourism program, Discover Wisconsin can be seen statewide on Fox Sports North (FSN) Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. For more on this and other episodes or the broadcast schedule in other areas please visit www.discoverwisconsin.com. Connect with Discover Wisconsin on Facebook at www.facebook.com/discoverwisconsin and Twitter at www.twitter.com/discoverwi.