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Small Bites: The unassailable allure of the Wisconsin cheese hut

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Small Bites: The unassailable allure of the Wisconsin cheese hut


Ehlenbach’s Cheese Chalet in DeForest epitomizes cheese-chalet-core. Photo by Christina Lieffring. Illustrated frame by Shaysa Sidebottom.

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.

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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.

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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. 




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RNC 2024: Undecided Wisconsin voters key heading into election

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RNC 2024: Undecided Wisconsin voters key heading into election


The Republican National Convention is almost over, so where do Wisconsin’s undecided voters stand in the purple state?

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The main point we heard from undecided voters was the theme of unity.

Many feel the weight of a political divide, particularly after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

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It depends on who you talk to, as there’s a mix of opinions on what policies people feel strongly about.

Some voters say they’re looking at where the candidates stand on tax laws, immigration policies, abortion, and ways to make the country less divided.

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Other voters say they don’t like either candidate, or fall in the middle of the parties with no idea who they will vote for.

That’s why the RNC and next month’s Democratic National Convention (DNC) are important to those Wisconsin voters who say they are tuned in, and really have to do some research on which candidate will be best for them.

 “I hear a lot of talk about uniting the country and making America great or making America great again, and I’d really like to see what’s truly put in action to do that,” said Damion Forrest.

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“How are we going to put the people first and stop spending money in areas where we shouldn’t be?” asked Kevin Garay.

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You also have voters who say the political divide makes them not want to vote at all, so they aren’t looking for anything in particular, but will hear both parties out.

The DNC is in Chicago in August, where they’ll hear what the Biden campaign has to say.



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Gov. Evers Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Culver’s, Proclaims “Culver’s Day” Across Wisconsin

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Gov. Evers Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Culver’s, Proclaims “Culver’s Day” Across Wisconsin


MADISON, Wis. (OFFICE OF GOVERNOR TONY EVERS PRESS RELEASE) – Gov. Tony Evers today proclaimed July 18, 2024, as “Culver’s Day” across Wisconsin and is set to join Craig and Lea Culver, Culver’s Franchising Team Members, and members of the community to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the franchise. A copy of the governor’s “Culver’s Day” proclamation is available here.

“It is an honor to help celebrate and recognize 40 years of Culver’s, a family-owned and operated business that started right here in Wisconsin and has since grown into the nationally recognized and beloved household name it is today,” said Gov. Evers. “As a staple in America’s Dairyland, Culver’s also works to support Wisconsin’s long and proud tradition as the Dairy State, sourcing family farm-fresh dairy products and raising millions of dollars to help educate the public on the importance of our farmers and local producers, our agricultural industries, which contribute mightily to our state and our economy as a whole. For the past four decades, the Culver’s success story has exemplified what it means to keep service, kindness, and hard work at the forefront, and I’m glad to be able to help celebrate this iconic Wisconsin business today.”

Founded on July 18, 1984, Craig, Lea, George, and Ruth Culver opened the first Culver’s in Sauk City, championing the company’s signature ButterBurger and Fresh Frozen Custard. With their well-known slogan, “Welcome to Delicious,” Culver’s has grown from their first restaurant in Sauk City to nearly 1,000 restaurants in 26 states and continues to open restaurants across the nation.

Operating as an owner-operator franchise model, Culver’s offers individuals the ability to own their restaurant which, in turn, provides employment to thousands of dedicated True Blue team members, many of whom are entering the workforce for the first time.

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Culver’s also hosts thousands of share nights every year to support their communities. As each Culver’s restaurant is independently owned, every fundraiser or sponsorship is decided by the franchisee, according to Culver’s, and the organization consistently seeks out opportunities to support schools, community organizations, and agriculture. Since 2013, Culver’s and their guests have donated more than $5 million through the Thank You Farmers Project to invest in agricultural education to support the next generation of agricultural leaders, provide hunger relief to communities, and support climate-smart agricultural initiatives that produce nutritious food.

An online version of this release is available here.



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99-year-old Wisconsin veteran says he’d re-enlist if Trump were president

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99-year-old Wisconsin veteran says he’d re-enlist if Trump were president


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Sgt. William “Bill” Pekrul, a Milwaukee native and World War II veteran, told the RNC crowd that “America is still worth fighting for” during his Wednesday night speech in downtown Milwaukee.

The hometown hero’s entrance on stage drew a thunderous applause and chants yelling “U.S.A.” And it didn’t end there − almost every line he delivered garnered the same applause and patriotic chants.

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The highlight of the speech for RNC delegates came when Pekrul, 99, said if former President Donald Trump became president again “I would go back to re-enlist today.”

“I would storm whatever beach … my country needs me to.”

The theme for the third night of the convention was “Make America Strong Once Again.”

A self-proclaimed proud Wisconsinite, Pekrul signed up for the U.S. Army at Boys Tech High School (now Bradley Tech), according to an interview with the War Memorial Center that he gave as part of the Wisconsin Veterans Story Project.

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Pekrul fought with the 29th Infantry in the second wave of troops during the Normandy Invasion on D-Day. He was awarded two Bronze Stars and a Silver Star for his service in WWII.

He received additional recognition locally since, including in 2019 when he served as Grand Marshall of Milwaukee’s Veterans Day Parade.

During Wednesday evening’s remarks he said he was honored to be a part of America’s “greatest generation,” a term used to describe those born from 1900 through the 1920s, because “America is the greatest nation in the history of the world.”

Part of Pekrul’s speech also appeared briefly on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Wednesday. Pekrul described the end of World War II, saying “the Nazis were defeated.”

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“For a while, Bill. For a while,” Colbert quipped, hinting that the current Republican party might bear some resemblance to Nazi Germany.



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