Wisconsin
Small Bites: The unassailable allure of the Wisconsin cheese hut
It’s time to reimagine your road snack game.
This is our newsletter-first column, Microtones. It runs on the site on Fridays, but you can get it in your inbox on Thursdays by signing up for our email newsletter.
“Small Bites” is about exploring the broader world of food and drink in Madison through approachable and specific experiences.
Summer in the Upper Midwest is equal parts sitting by a lake and spending time in a car to get to said lake. Where I grew up in Minnesota, we had three massive suburban lakes within a 10-minute drive. But don’t assume those lakes are good enough. There are better lakes if you head north (or northeast, into the part of Wisconsin vacationland annexed by Twin Cities Money sometime in the early 1990s). My family would drive up to a Minnesotan vacation spot near where my mom grew up, just outside of Moorhead, and the best we could hope for was some Doritos or a skinny beef stick from the gas station. Pickings were slim, or rather, Slim Jim.
It wasn’t until I was older and heading to college in Chicago that I got to experience the Wisconsin cheese hut. Rising in the distance along the various truckstops of I-94, just cresting over the green tree tops, I could see the red lettering on yellow background perfectly: CHEESE. Inside, the store was jam-packed with various cheddars and goudas, shrink-wrapped or waxed, all proudly in a line to represent America’s Dairy State (California has not—and will not—ever claim the cultural title). Aside from the cheeses, most cheese huts have a wide variety of meat sticks, jerkies, and sausages, and the experience feels more like a grocery store than a road trip fuel-up destination. Especially with all the stacked cases of New Glarus beer.
But I’m old now. College was 20 years ago. A bag of chips eaten at the wrong time of day in a moving vehicle might ruin my stomach. Don’t get me wrong: a vacuum-sealed bag of cheese curds and some landjäger aren’t health foods. But they are real food. And that can make a difference for an aging gastrointestinal tract. So I say this: it’s time to stop treating the roadside cheese hut as a tourist stop or cultural artifact and embrace them as a quick way to grab tasty snacks.
Back in December, my partner and I drove down to Miami to visit family. And deep in the middle of Georgia, we finally saw the much-lauded cult-favorite gas station/rest stop/compound known as Buc-ee’s. It was about three-to-four times the size of the Love’s across the interstate with hundreds of gas pumps and a carnival-sized convenience store. Inside, you could find a central hub where hot sandwiches were pumped out at rapid speed (including some head-turners like the hot pastrami). Deeper in, a weary traveler would find themselves lost in aisle after aisle of packaged snacks. A veritable snack haven. A snacker’s paradise.
We left with some fudge (wait, why?), Beaver Nuggets (just caramel puffcorn), and habañero mango hot sauce (again, why?). All three items had the Buc-ee’s logo on them, but I think it’s clear that Buc-ee’s doesn’t have a facility producing all these foodstuffs with original recipes. It may be a one-stop snack adventure, but I struggled to find anything unique or culturally relevant inside that Buc-ee’s that might suggest I was in a specific region of the United States. Banality, thy name is Buc-ee’s.
Flip that against a roadside cheese hut, and you’ll see what I’m talking about. You might find some award-winning Sartori Cheese varieties like Merlot BellaVitano or MonteAmoré Cheddar. Or you can even pop into Carr Valley’s own retail location just off of I-94 in Mauston. The company’s cheesemaker, Sid Cook, has won “more national and international awards than any other cheesemaker in North America,” as Carr Valley’s website puts it. There are other incredible smaller-but-world-class creameries like Uplands (home of the second-most decorated cheese in US history) and Saxon that have incredible renown and are commonly spotted at these cheese huts. And whatever dairy’s cheese curds you may find while browsing Ehlenbach’s Cheese Chalet in DeForest, it’s important to remember that fresh packed curds are hard to find outside of dairy-rich regions. I’m not suggesting that Wisconsinites take cheese curds for granted, but manna from heaven, if constantly falling out of the sky, is hard to value properly.
What’s a bag of jalapeño kettle chips when you can just peel and eat an entire summer sausage like a banana? Who has the power to judge you for holding a brick of Hook’s Two-Year Cheddar like a sandwich, taking bites out of the corner while you drive on to your destination? These roadside cheese huts are more than just supplies for eventually: they’re repositories for gustatory delight in the here and now. Forget stopping for a frozen custard: there’s a tub of Merkt’s and a bag of pretzels that are calling your name from Humbird Cheese in Tomah. Sure, you can get your fill of high-end cheese from the kind folks at Fromagination when you get home to Madison. But why not indulge in the good stuff while you’re on your way out to an adventure? There’s some really good string cheese out there that I’m sure you’ll want to dig into once you get past Stevens Point.
It’s no secret that Madison is becoming more and more developed everyday. New apartment buildings are needed to meet Madison’s current housing crisis, but they often come at the expense of unique restaurants and businesses. As Dane County continues to grow, more and more of the city will become steel and glass. Just know that when that starts to happen, you always can run away to a roadside cheese hut to dip back into a bit of Wisconsin’s Germanic and Nordic roots. What are you waiting for? Grab a half-pint of mozzarella balls and eat ‘em like a bag of popcorn. Sure can’t do that at any rest stop in Georgia.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/Q5P7SWFJ4NDFFH2MB3NSBNJDAU.jpg "North Carolina town approves state’s first Buc-ee’s after 8-hour council meeting")
Manuel Franco claims his $768 million Powerball jackpot
Manuel Franco, 24, of West Allis was revealed Tuesday as the winner of the $768.4 million Powerball jackpot.
Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 15, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 15 drawing
08-41-52-53-58, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 15 drawing
Midday: 5-8-9
Evening: 7-4-4
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 15 drawing
Midday: 1-3-8-0
Evening: 6-8-4-5
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning All or Nothing numbers from Jan. 15 drawing
Midday: 03-05-07-10-11-13-14-15-17-19-22
Evening: 01-03-04-07-08-10-12-13-15-19-21
Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Badger 5 numbers from Jan. 15 drawing
01-04-09-15-26
Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning SuperCash numbers from Jan. 15 drawing
06-07-12-14-20-27, Doubler: Y
Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Megabucks numbers from Jan. 15 drawing
01-04-08-17-26-44
Check Megabucks payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
- Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
- Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
- Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.
Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?
No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.
When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
- All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
- All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
- Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Most common and strangest items left at RSW, Fort Myers airport
Thousands of items are left behind at RSW every year. Here’s some of the most unusual!
Sixteen firearms were intercepted by Transportation Security Administration officers at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport security checkpoints in 2024, the agency said in statement Wednesday.
That’s the third straight year the number of guns caught at MKE, Wisconsin’s largest airport, has dropped.
“Bringing a firearm to the checkpoint is a careless, dangerous mistake that can be easily avoided,” Wisconsin TSA Federal Security Director Mark Lendvay said in the statement. “When individuals bring firearms to our checkpoints, they are introducing a risk to everyone in the area.
“These incidents also slow down the checkpoint screening process for other travelers because when a firearm is detected, all activity in the lane comes to a complete halt until police arrive. Unloaded firearms can be packed with checked baggage and declared to the airline.”
In 2023, 19 handguns were found at MKE security checkpoints, and 21 were seized in 2022. Twenty three firearms were caught at MKE security checkpoints in 2021.
How many people did TSA screen at Wisconsin airports in 2024?
At MKE, TSA screened nearly 3.6 million departing passengers and flight crews in 2024. Officers there discovered firearms in carry-on luggage at a rate of 4.5 firearms per million passengers screened.
This calculates to a rate of one firearm discovery for every 222,413 travelers screened.
TSA officers stopped a total of 29 firearms at Wisconsin’s commercial airports in 2024, which is down from the year before when 36 were intercepted, TSA data shows.
The other Wisconsin airport numbers were six firearms at Dane County Regional, three at Appleton International and Central Wisconsin Airport, and one at Green Bay Austin Strabel International.
Nationally, the TSA screened more than 904 million passengers in 2024, and prevented more than 6,600 firearms from getting onto flights, down from 6,737 in 2023, the agency said in its statement.
The vast majority of the weapons caught last year – 94% of them – were loaded.
What happens when someone is caught with a gun at an airport?
Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. But, in short: violators are subject to law enforcement action.
TSA fines passengers who bring a firearm to a TSA checkpoint also can face a civil penalty up to about $15,000, and can lose their TSA PreCheck eligibility for at least five years.
Here’s how you can fly with your gun
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case. Guns need to be declared at the airline check-in counter.
Travelers should check for firearm laws in the jurisdictions they are flying to and from.
To learn more
TSA posts details on how to properly travel with a firearm on its website. Travelers should also contact their air carrier for any additional requirements for flying with firearms and ammunition.
Wisconsin State Fair: Boyz II Men coming Aug. 1
Boyz II Men will return to the State Fair to headline the Bank Five Nine Main Stage on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025.
WEST ALLIS, Wis. – Wisconsin State Fair officials announced on Wednesday, Jan. 15 that Boyz II Men will return to the State Fair to headline the Bank Five Nine Main Stage on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
What we know:
Tickets go on sale Friday, Jan. 17 at 10 a.m. at WiStateFair.com. All seating for this show is reserved, and tickets will be $47 – $62.
Each ticket includes admission to the 2025 Wisconsin State Fair for the day of the show when purchased prior to entering the State Fair Park.
Become a Friend of the Fair:
Tickets are available for pre-sale with the Friends of the Fair membership, which benefits the Wisconsin State Fair Park Foundation. This non-profit organization helps support the State Fair and State Fair Park initiatives.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Get access to the pre-sale and become a Friend of the Fair by visiting WSFPFoundation.org.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Wisconsin State Fair.
New behavioral health clinics open across New Mexico
Apex father of 3 represents North Carolina in 2025 Presidential Inauguration
Concerns over local control pop up in hearing on North Dakota bill to restrict student cellphone use
No matter who wins between Notre Dame, Ohio State, this bettor’s positioned to profit
Report Card: Late run not enough, Oklahoma falls 77-73 to Texas
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
It Could Take Weeks Before Displaced L.A. Residents Can Go Home
'Lying to the nation': Trump orbit slams Biden for taking credit for ceasefire deal
Biden takes aim at oligarchs and extreme wealth in farewell address
Biden touts major wins in farewell address
Takeaways From Marco Rubio’s Senate Hearing
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25822586/STK169_ZUCKERBERG_MAGA_STKS491_CVIRGINIA_A.jpg "Meta is highlighting a splintering global approach to online speech")
Technology7 days agoMeta is highlighting a splintering global approach to online speech
-
Science4 days agoMetro will offer free rides in L.A. through Sunday due to fires
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25821992/videoframe_720397.png "Las Vegas police release ChatGPT logs from the suspect in the Cybertruck explosion")
Technology1 week agoLas Vegas police release ChatGPT logs from the suspect in the Cybertruck explosion
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago‘How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies’ Review: Thai Oscar Entry Is a Disarmingly Sentimental Tear-Jerker
-
Health1 week agoMichael J. Fox honored with Presidential Medal of Freedom for Parkinson’s research efforts
-
Movie Reviews1 week agoMovie Review: Millennials try to buy-in or opt-out of the “American Meltdown”
-
News1 week agoPhotos: Pacific Palisades Wildfire Engulfs Homes in an L.A. Neighborhood
-
World1 week agoTrial Starts for Nicolas Sarkozy in Libya Election Case