Labor Day 2012 in the Northwoods

           A view of the lake (Big Twin Lake) WAY WAY up in the Northwoods!


My In-Laws own a fantastically quaint Northwoods property.  It was once a barn and it was transformed into a nice cabin.  We have some Wave Runners and Snow Mobiles and ATV's and his parents also own a pontoon boat so there is ALWAYS something to do up there.  Its on Summit Lake which is nestled between Antigo and Rhinelander.  Its WAY up there!  If you've been up there with us you can attest to its beauty and guaranteed fun.  Our favorite things to do up there aside from enjoying the lake or trails is to Eat and Drink.

 Stopping at Nueskes in Wittenberg is always a pretty solid must.  You can't have a weekend at the cabin without enjoying some Nueskes bacon.  We also like to frequent the 'local' bars and get some broasted chicken.  I don't know what the deal is with broasted chicken but it is almost non existent until you pass the Oskkosh area heading north.  One thing at a time though!
 Nueskes is an applewood smokehouse.  They serve an assortment of meats prepared in a variety of ways, for example beef jerky, thick cut bacon, homemade sausage links and even racks of ribs or good sized steaks/pork chops.  They also serve an assortment of Wisconsin cheeses and other boutique foods from around the State.  Its all quite fantastic.  We always get a pound or two (or 5) of bacon.  It really is a must stop when traveling up to the Northwoods.  Check out their website for sure!  I think you can order some stuff online.  http://www.nueskes.com/
One thing I forgot!  They have homemade root beer in this barrel in the corner of their store.  Its soo good and they give free samples!!  It's so creamy, just like A&W's.

 

Now for the broasted chicken!  There aren't many RESTAURANTS in the northwoods.  It is mostly bars that serve a good assortment of fried food and a limited assortment of beer.  Its fun, trust me.  This Labor Day we made it known we wanted to have "the best broasted chicken in the northwoods" and were invited to come to a restaurant called The Lighthouse in Gleason, WI.  It was quite a hike from Summit Lake to Gleason especially for some fried food but I sure am glad we made the drive.
Broasted chicken is deep fried in a pressure cooker kinda device.  It leaves the chicken super juicy with a nice crispy crust.  This particular chicken had an amazingly flavored crust and was incredibly juicy.  Definitely the best broasted chiecken I've had in the northwoods. 
They also offered a good assortment of appetizers, sandwiches and dinners.  Of course being in Wisconsin they had a fish fry but Aaron and I both don't like ANY seafood.  They also had a lot of sides....  crinkle cut french fries, french fries with skins on, sweet potato fries, double baked sweet potato or a regular baked potato.  They also offered a Bok Choy salad, coleslaw or a cranberry relish. 
For appetizers we got fried pickles and cheese curds.  I don't like pickles but they were fried pickle spears.  They were lightly breaded and crisp, consensus was that they were homemade.  The cheese curds were just ok, breaded and fried, I like battered ones better.
They had just a few beers on tap, Miller Light and Miller High Life, Bud Light a Wisconsin Amber and also Root Beer.  Super cheap beers! We ordered 3 beers and 1 soda and it cost $2.00, no joke. The food was also pretty cheap.  I think that 5 of us ate and drank for $60.  Not bad!!
We all ordered broasted chicken just in various sizes with mixtures of the sides.  I included 3 of our meals just so you can see the size portions and the different sides.  

Its always an experience in any bar in the northwoods.  We sure love it.