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Dining To-Do List

These restaurants will keep you fueled morning to night

Breakfast: Take a walk down Water Street and look for the quaint cafe with blue trim and yellow awnings. That’s Once in a Blue Moon, which is open for breakfast and lunch. This cafe-and-gift-boutique-in-one serves up creative “California cuisine” including savory and sweet  breakfast options (hello, sticky bun french toast) as well as espresso drinks, bloody marys and mimosas if you’re in that kind of mood. It’s the perfect spot to kick off a day of sightseeing and pick up a souvenir or two. If a classic diner is more your speed, head to Aunt Judy’s Cafe which boasts the largest pancakes in town and the best Belgian waffles to boot. This local favorite serves breakfast all day, so go ahead and hit snooze a couple more times. Breakfast will be ready whenever you are. 

Lunch: Recently under new ownership, The Wild Yard Bird (formerly Jillian’s Restaurant) on Fulton Street serves up home cooking and friendly service for breakfast and lunch. Try one of their ⅓ pound beef burgers (said to be some of the best in town) or tasty sandwiches like the grilled reuben, Philly cheesesteak or B.L.T. If you’re in the mood for some classic bar food in a laid back atmosphere, head to downtown Princeton for a stop at BeerBellys pub. Unpretentious and inviting, the menu at BeerBellys offers all your favorites like wonton-wrapped mozzarella sticks, pulled pork sandwiches and fish tacos. The pub is open daily at 11 a.m. and also offers rotating food specials. In addition to its baked goods, Renard’s European Bakeshop’s kitchen offers a limited menu of sandwiches, salads and soups during the summer months. The menu highlights fresh and creative items that change often so it’s impossible to get bored. 

Dinner: Rustic and cozy, the dining room at Mecan River Outfitters & Lodge offers an “up north” dining experience with a bar designed for lingering and a floor to ceiling fieldstone fireplace as its centerpiece. The dinner menu includes pasta and pizza in addition to house specialties like steak, seafood, Saturday prime rib and Friday fish. For creative, award-winning pizza, hit up The Pizza Factory which offers an extensive menu. Mike’s Spaghetti Pizza, topped with real spaghetti and meatballs, was voted “Most Exotic Pizza in the USA” at The 2002 International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Another award-winner is the Parthenon which was voted “Best Veggie Pizza in the USA” at the expo. This signature white pizza is topped with fresh garlic, red and green peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach, black olives and smothered with mozzarella, parmesan, Romano, and feta cheeses. Across the street from The Pizza Factory is Buckhorn Bar & Grill which is another great option. The bar serves upscale sandwiches and burgers as well as a Friday fish fry that is well loved by locals and visitors. 

Meal You’ll Remember: Horseradish Kitchen + Market

Horseradish got its start in 2015 as a stationary food truck before transforming into its current brick and mortar location on Water Street. The historic building was completely renovated, with new cast iron pipes and bead board as nods to its history. Work by local artists adorns the walls. An affirming message – “This Must Be the Place” – is spelled out in black and white penny tiles to greet guests as they walk through the door. 

The hip little sandwich shop would fit right in among the eclectic eateries of Madison’s State Street, yet its home is decidedly Princeton. 

“When people ask ‘why Princeton?’ I say ‘why not?,’” says owner Matt Trotter, whose family has a long history in town. “I think that’s the fun of it, the unexpected surprise.” 

The original inspiration behind Horseradish’s concept was the bread sourced from a neighboring business, Renard’s European Bakeshop. “We wouldn’t be here without Renard’s,” Trotter says. “I love their bread and artisan approach.” Besides good bread, Trotter wanted the menu to highlight fresh, light and clean ingredients, sourced locally whenever possible. 

One of the restaurant’s signatures is the Midwest Beat which is essentially a beet and goat cheese salad reinvented as a sandwich. It starts with pistachio-studded goat cheese layered with shaved beets, pistachio pesto and fresh greens in between two slices of Renard’s ciabatta bread. 

Another cult favorite carried over from the food truck are the Korean nachos which were born out of a spur of the moment improvisation. “One summer we ran out of bread on the truck and all we had were chips,” Trotter remembers. The sandwich ingredients, which include kimchi, shredded pork, jalapeno crema and sriracha, were piled onto chips instead and they never looked back. 

Horseradish is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday, as well as 6 to 9 p.m. on Sunday (June through August) for the live music series Sunday Sessions featuring performances on the restaurant’s patio overlooking the Fox River. 

Cheers!

A twist of fate and a love of live music have inspired Princeton’s newest cocktail bar, Knickerbocker Landing, which opened in April. 

Owner Jennifer Knickerbocker had only been retired for two months last summer when wildfires compromised her home in Northern California where she planned to spend her retirement. The area was devastated and left without trees or essential services. “I was like ‘Oh, my God, what do I do now?’ I was really struggling and that’s what led me here,” Knickerbocker says. “It was a God-destined journey.” 

Suddenly homeless, Knickerbocker came to visit a friend in Oshkosh and was charmed by the area’s ample waterways and green pastures. She began looking for properties along the river and was immediately taken by the original 1880’s craftsman bar on Princeton’s Water Street. 

“The vibe here is magical,” Knickerbocker says. “This bar has a really good conversational feel. It’s made for relaxing and being able to visit.”

To that end, you won’t find televisions in the bar, but you will find good, stiff drinks and an atmosphere that’s conducive to conversation. In addition to bar seating, guests can relax on several different groupings of couches and armchairs. It’s like drinking at your friend’s house, if your friend happened to be a fabulous interior designer. A large wall mural depicts vignettes from Princeton’s history. A covered patio out back overlooks the Fox River and offers additional seating complete with a fire table for chilly nights. 

The philosophy at Knickerbocker Landing focuses on fruit forward, classic cocktails made with fresh juices whenever possible. The bar serves simple snacks like dill pickle peanut snack mix from The Nutman Company (found at the Princeton flea market) and allows carry-in food as well. 

Live music is essential to Knickerbocker and an integral part of the business. Many Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons feature solo artists and ensembles performing live. Knickerbocker believes the synergy between artist and audience is healing and invigorating. 

“[Live music and its energy] makes the world go round, I believe,” Knickerbocker says. “And it just happens to go well with cocktails.”

Knickerbocker Landing is open Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For the live music schedule, visit Knickerbocker Landing on Facebook or knickerbockerlanding.com. 

Something Sweet

Renard’s European Bakeshop on Water Street has bread so good that it inspired a sandwich shop, but their sweet treats are not to be overlooked. Just take a gander at their old world display case overflowing with pain au chocolat, fresh fruit tarts, chocolate hazelnut gateau and mixed berry mousse cake. You won’t find pies or donuts here, but you might just discover your new favorite dessert if you like to experiment. Need something cold on a hot day? Cruise over to The Ice Bowl and select from two dozen Chocolate Shoppe ice cream flavors like Door County cherry, lemon meringue and Mackinac Island fudge. The ice cream shop offers plenty of outdoor seating or take your treat to go while you explore Water Street. 

Local Icon: Wisconsin’s Best Bray Fry

Grab a famous Wisconsin brat from the American Legion’s brat fry for an authentic taste of Princeton. The brat fry has been voted Wisconsin’s best for 11 straight years by the American Legion. What’s the secret to its success? Commander of the Post Bud Gende puts it simply, “If it isn’t delicious, we don’t serve it.” The menu includes ¼ lb. Brandon Meats brats, premium fried chicken, ¼ lb. au jus hamburgers, homemade pulled pork, potato salad and Bud’s famous beans. The brat fry runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Friday and Saturday, April through October. It’s located at the American Legion Post 366-853 on West Main St. along Highway 23/73 – just look for the giant rotating chicken on the roof.