Good morning,
For much of April, I’ve been away from Milwaukee, spending time in my hometown in rural Ohio. I wish I could say it was for happier reasons, but I was there saying final goodbyes and celebrating the life of my grandmother, who passed away earlier this month.
She was a fabulous cook, famous for her giant Sunday suppers she’d whip up for the family (and anyone else who’d wander in) every week. The table was filled with hearty, Midwestern stuff like Amish noodles, ham steaks, fresh green beans, sweet corn and impossibly creamy whipped potatoes. For dessert, fresh-baked pie — or my favorite black-bottom cupcakes.
Those suppers stopped as my grandparents grew older and moved from their farmhouse to a cottage in town. But I can still taste every dish. And I still feel the warmth that was around the table. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about those meals in the past couple of weeks.
Now, when I go home, my dining rituals typically involve visiting local restaurants that shaped my childhood: Grabbing a cone at the Dairy Barn or pulling up to Jim’s Drive-in for a chili dog and a frosted glass mug filled with the world’s greatest root beer. That’s what summer still tastes like to me.
There’s one hometown restaurant I’ve never missed on a visit back: the Maid-Rite. It’s a tiny, dive-y kinda place that’s been around since 1934, known for its loose-meat sandwiches and killer malts and milkshakes. The brick exterior is covered in gum (gross, yes, but pretty iconic in that neck of the woods; the restaurant has even trademarked its famous “Gum-Wall”), and every day, without fail, a line of cars stretches down the street for the drive-through. It’s not uncommon to wait in that line for half an hour or so.
There’s a chain of Maid-Rites in Iowa, but the one in my hometown is not affiliated. It’s its own thing, and folks drive from all over to get their fix of the curiously addictive fare. I’ve tried countless times to capture a half-decent photo of those spiced beef sandwiches with squishy, crackly buns, but I never come up with anything that makes them look remotely appetizing. You’ll have to trust me: they’re delicious.
My go-to order is one Cheese-Rite, no pickles (topped with American cheese, mustard and diced onions), and a Big Jim (a Cheese Rite topped with a slice of ham). Most of the time, I’ll add a chocolate-peanut butter shake, too. Ooh, that’s the stuff.
I love the Maid-Rite. But would I love it as much if I didn’t grow up with it? I’ll never know (though every out-of-towner I’ve introduced them to has become a fan). It’s the kind of hole-in-the-wall, been-around-forever kind of place I’ve fallen in love with in small towns and big cities across the country.
Milwaukee has plenty of them, as do its suburbs. But I know there are so many more throughout Wisconsin, in little towns that probably look a lot like the one I grew up in.
Do you have a favorite hometown restaurant you can’t pass up whenever you’re visiting? Or maybe a tucked-away treat of a place you’ve fallen for in a tiny town as you’ve passed through? I’d love to learn about them and put them on my list for future road trips across the state. Even if there’s a little spot right here in the city that reminds you of childhood and tastes like home, I’d love to learn about it.
Please share your stories with me at rseis@usatodayco.com.
Thanks for indulging me on my little nostalgia trip today. I hope you have memories like mine that add a little shine to sadder days.
Happy dining,
Rachel
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Dish: Tastes of home
Reporting by Rachel Bernhard, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
