Lake Geneva Grill and chill

10 years, that is how long Kaitlin and I have been married! 10 amazing years with my best friend. Nothing but happiness and love for 10 years. So, to celebrate we wanted to have a date weekend and go somewhere we have never been. Kaitlin parents have a timeshare in Lake Geneva and generously let us use it for the weekend.

Lake Geneva offers 116 public beaches. With a shoreline that is approximately 21 miles and littered with multi million-dollar mansions. Known as the playground for the Chicago elite and made famous by Chicago gangsters, Lake Geneva has something for everyone.

Only issue is, our anniversary is in April. That means the lake has no activities, tours, or boat rentals going on yet. Also, it is kind of cold there still. Nevertheless, we were going to head that way and enjoy a quite weekend without the kids.

That is exactly what we did! We enjoyed each other’s company, did a lot of walking, made a day of shopping and a whole lot of eating and drinking. That is what I would like to cover here, because there is a lot of great little places to check out. If you are hungry or thirsty, this is the post for you!!

Maxwell Mansion Speakeasy

Anytime we travel to a new location we are looking for unique ways to enjoy the area. On this trip it was our anniversary and we had the kids staying at our parent’s house, so we wanted to get out to some local places to eat and drink. Mainly places that we normally would not be able to go because they are not the most kid friendly places. That leads us to the Maxwell Mansion Speakeasy.

This 20’s style speakeasy was discovered by us on a flyer that was at the condo we stayed at. Once we looked into the style of the bar, we had to go and check it out. This speakeasy is a small bar located in the basement of the Maxwell Mansion that was originally built in 1856. It fills up quickly so make sure that you get here right when they open, in order to have a place to sit and enjoy the classic cocktails that are offered.

We decided to go check out the grounds before they opened. We wanted to find the way into the bar while the sun was still shining. I am so happy we decided to do this, as the door to enter is completely unmarked and totally inconspicuous. Exactly what you would expect with a speakeasy. I went inside the mansion to get some guidance on how to enjoy my evening and was met with a friendly staff member that knew nothing of the sorts about a speakeasy. A fun game they seem to play with everyone. After a bit of discussion, they showed me the entrance and explained how to find the password to enter. We would have to check out their Facebook page.

Time to enter the lake geneva speakeasy

We patiently waited for the bar to open, looked up the password and headed to the door that we were told would lead us to the speakeasy. Approaching the dark door with only a single light hanging from above, I noticed there was no handle or anyway to enter from the outside. I knocked on the door and a small sliding window opened with a man asking for the password from the other side. We excitedly told him the password we discovered on Facebook and the window shut, you could hear the door locks unlocking and the door opened up to us. We had finally made it into the speakeasy! Greeted by the well-dressed doorman, he took us to the bar for us to order some drinks.

If you are in Lake Geneva and want a one of a kind drinking experience featuring classic cocktails, you must to go the Maxwell House speakeasy. I believe we tried just about every drink on the menu, and I must recommend the old fashioned. If you prefer brandy over bourbon then try the Wisconsin Old Fashioned.

Tuscan Tavern and Grill

The very first meal we had once arriving at Lake Geneva was from Tuscan Tavern and Grill. I must admit that this also was my least favorite place we ate at during our stay. That is not to say the quality of food was low, but rather the quality of food at the other locations is off the charts.

We wanted to eat here first because it was the day of 10-year wedding anniversary and seafood is what we were craving. Kaitlin ordered the Shrimp Diablo and added Scallops. I chose to go the route of the pan seared scallops. I should have got the same dish as Kaitlin. Mine was ok, just not nearly as tasty as hers. If I could do it all over again I would either get the same dish as hers, or a big juicy steak. After we finished our meal, they brought us a large chunk of Baileys Chocolate cake! If you have a sweet tooth like I do, I highly recommend the dessert at Tuscan Tavern and Grill!

 We did not go over to the tavern side. After our meal and dessert, we were ready to head in for the night and have some quiet time without the boys. Even though we did not go to the tavern we did however order some drinks with dinner. We had to try some of their specialty drinks including the wide variety of mules, which are Kaitlin’s favorite. All of them seem to be made with fresh ingredients and are highly recommended.

Topsy Turvey Brewery

One of my favorite places to visit while we travel are local breweries. Something about a good full-bodied brew that is unique to the area draws me into it. I enjoy sitting and learning the history of the buildings, what the building was before being converted into a brewery. It is always nice to speak with the owners and see why they chose to open a brewery in this specific location, usually brings a good story with it. I also enjoy bringing home some of those beers so that later on I can sit back, crack open a brew, and take me right back to my vacation.

Topsy Turvey is possibly one of the most unique breweries I have ever had the opportunity to visit. Located right downtown just blocks away from the Geneva Lake this brewery used to be a place a worship. That’s right, it is an old church building.

Walking into the brewery does not give you the same vibe as walking into church on Sunday. They have done a good job of updating the bar with a nice sitting section, some apparel sales, and a large attractive bar. One thing they did that I thought added a beautiful touch to the bar, they kept all the stained glass. It is absolutely gorgeous to sit at the bar, enjoy a tasty brew, and look at all the detail in these stained-glass masterpieces.

As for the beer, it was not my favorite. I like tall glass of a tasty coffee stout or a vanilla porter. If you prefer more IPA brews, then you will enjoy the menu at Topsy Turvy Brewery. Either way it is most definitely worth stopping in and having a beer.

The Candle Mercantile

Want to know a secret? I love candles, always have and always will. Not really sure why. I have always enjoyed a masculine scent of a wood wick candle burning in just about every room of our house. I must assume that this is because of my mother. She always has had candles, essential oils, or some kind of good smelling scent in the house since I can remember. So, when we were checking out some local shops in Lake Geneva, I had to go into The Candle Mercantile and check it out.

Walking into the shop you immediately notice that this is not your general mall candle store. This is unique. I would best describe it as an artisan candle bar. Signature candles are poured using soy wax, organic cotton wicks, and have a burn time of approximately 60 hours. What is more impressive is all the unique scents they offer. We prefer clean outdoorsy smells including bamboo, ocean breeze, and rain.  With that being said Kaitlin did find a candle that she just had to have. It was the scent of old books. Defiantly unique and the scent was spot on!

What I found so intriguing about The Candle Mercantile was you can set up a reservation to pour your own candle. When you make the reservation, you get to come into the bar and create your own candle from start to finish. You can create your scent (with help if needed), pour your candle, and have a few glasses of wine while enjoying the entire experience. I have never seen a candle bar before that you can pour a glass of while you pour a custom-made candle. Come check it out!!

Barrique Bistro and Wine Bar

The best meal that we had on our entire trip to Lake Geneva was at a small building on the corner on Wrigley Dr named Barrique Bistro and Wine Bar. We originally were going to come here for a fast lunch, but after looking over the menu we decided to try out dinner here. I am so happy that we did.

First let me start with the specialty drinks that they offer. All ingredients made fresh using top shelf alcohol.  I personally enjoyed the Bees Knees. It is Makers Mark Bourbon with lemonade, and honey thyme gastrique. Its a incredibly refreshing drink.

The food was just as tasty and unique. I enjoyed the Ora King Salmon with a ginger soy glaze. It came with mixed greens and a tropical pico de gallo. Everything seemed to be fresh, not frozen and made to order. I very much enjoyed our meal at Barrique Bistro and Wine Bar.

There was only one thing that I was not a fan of. This place is tiny. Super cramped area to eat. So my suggestion is to get here early. They do not accept reservations and it will fill up fast. With that being said if you are in the area and looking for a fresh healthier place to grab a bite and a drink. You should give Barrique Bistro and Wine Bar a try.

The Cheese Box

When in Wisconsin you have to get some authentic Wisconsin cheese right? Well, I know that was a mission for us as we love cheese on just about anything or as a stand alone snack. So off we went to find somewhere that had some real good local cheese. I know I could have just walked into any grocery store, but that did not feel right. I wanted to walk into a local shop, that specialized in cheese and get something unique, something I can’t just go to any grocery store and pick up.

That is where The Cheese Box comes in. The cheese box is a local owned deli that is located just up the road from the Speakeasy we went to. The offer sandwiches, salads, and soups that rotate frequently. The Cheese Box only sells items that are truly local cheeses. Most of the cheese they have are award winning so if you are looking for some awesome dairy products this is where you want to be. There will be cheese overload when you come in here, so enter at your own risk! You may just spend your entire vacation fund on all the varieties of cheese they offer.

I wish we would have known they served lunch here too. It seems like a nice home cooked lunch served by friendly local staff. Definitely a must do if you are visiting Lake Geneva.

Flat Iron Tap

While we were visiting Lake Geneva it was all seafood/fish all the time. By the end of our trip, I was craving a burger something fierce. Not any burger would do though, after all we are on vacation. It has to be unique and local or its just not going to cut it.

That is why we went to Flat Iron Tap. Located right downtown just off the waters edge, this small gourmet burger restaurant was exactly what I needed in my life. All the ingredients are local. From the meat, to the cheeses used. What I found really unique was they have a list posted right in the bar area of all the farms they serve. It was cool to look at and see where your food was coming from.

I recommend the Roosevelt burger. It is made from Bison with Hill Valley Dairy cheddar, buttermilk fried onion strings, Hometown Sausage Kitchen bacon & Flat Iron BBQ on a toasted pretzel bun. This was the burger I ALMOST ordered. Instead, I went with the Old Mutton. This burger is made with locally source Lamb and Hill Valley Dairy garlic dill white cheddar, arugula, pickled red onions & garlic aioli on a toasted pretzel bun. This was the first time in my life that I had a lamb burger.  It is just as delicious as it sounds and let me tell you it completely hit the spot. If you are not into meat, you can also get a wide variety of Black Bean Quinoa Burgers or salads.

Lake Geneva is more than just a lake

As you can see there is more to do here than just chill at the lake. I would like to go back sometime in July and check out the lake activities as well. The beaches looked very nice. The mansions on the lake were all gorgeous. I would love to check out the mail boar tour or rent a ski boat for the day.

I am not upset we came when we did though; it was a great weekend for us to just get away. No crowds, good food, good drinks, and good company. I recommend Lake Geneva to anybody that wants to get away for a few days. Not sure I could spend a week here and stay busy the whole time; I feel that is part of the charm though. It is a place to escape the hustle. I personally appreciate that.