In an era of celebrity chefs, fast casual chains, and meal delivery services available at the touch of a button, it may be hard to imagine a state where people drive out of town to go to a pyramid-shaped restaurant to enjoy a nice brandy-based cocktail, a relish tray, fried fish, and prime rib. Where the host lets you linger at a bar for hours before even thinking of being seated for dinner. Where you might know everyone in the restaurant, including the owners. And you may be back in a few days to repeat the whole thing again.
But this magical state does exist, my friends. It exists in the Wisconsin supper club.
On this week’s episode of The Feast, we speak with Holly L. De Ruyter, writer, producer, and director of Old Fashioned: The Story of the Wisconsin Supper Club, the definitive documentary the explores the rise and enduring tradition of this dining legacy of the midwest.
Find out more about the film here, where you can also buy a DVD copy of the film or stream it online. You can also stay in the loop about current supper club events or news by signing up for the film’s newsletter on their website.
Visit the film’s Facebook page here.
Written and produced by Laura Carlson
Photographer and Digital Director: Mike Portt
Special Guest: Holly L. De Ruyter
Holly is originally from Oneida, Wisconsin, just outside of Green Bay. She grew up eating cheese curds, watching documentaries on PBS, earning Girl Scout Badges, drinking kiddie cocktails at supper clubs, and catching large-mouth bass to mount on her bedroom wall.
Holly's love for documentaries brought her to Chicago where she earned a degree from Columbia College in film and video concentrating in documentary production. While living there she realized how much she missed Wisconsin culture and lifestyle. In 2009 she decided to make a documentary exploring the one of her favorite aspects of that unique culture - Wisconsin supper clubs. It has been a long and challenging six years to make this documentary, but Holly is happy to be bringing the story of the Wisconsin supper club to the screen.
Holly currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin with her husband Brian and her mounted large mouth bass from her youth.
