Food Lovers Guide: Hudson, Wisconsin
Hudson in no cultural Valhalla, but it offers a disproportionate number of locally owned restaurants for a town its size, many with much to recommend.
May 2009
By Beth Dooley
 Photo by John Abernathy | Bob Smith’s Sports Club packs in locals (in sweatshirts or coat and tie) for Friday night fish fry. Its menu of steak, roast beef, and “saddles” (Wisconsin for frog legs) are supper club standards, and the cocktail lounge mixes a mean Manhattan or frozen daiquiri. Curl up at the bar, play billiards, shoot pool, and catch some TV. 601 2nd St., 715-386-2962 |  Photo by John Abernathy | Spiffy and upbeat, Barker’s Bar & Grill is burger central. In this handsome exposed-brick space with tall wooden booths and a long, polished bar, the burgers are hefty, charbroiled, and juicy, topped with local cheeses—blue, cheddar, Colby—bacon, and more. It pours a nice selection of local brews, including its own Barker’s India Pale Ale. 413 2nd St., 715-386-4123 |  Photo by John Abernathy | Head up the hill to The Nova Wine Bar for a simple repast of locavore fare. Try the “Artisan Palate” of four local cheeses, or the more hefty sausages in puff pastry, butternut squash ravioli, meat loaf, or blue-cheese mashers. Adjacent to Casanova Liquor Store (an old brewery turned soda bottling plant when Prohibition hit), the wine bar features 200 bottles and pours more than 30 by the glass. 236 Coulee Rd., 715-386-2545 |  Photo by John Abernathy | Winzer Stube is the last outpost of Germanic fare in these parts. Housemade soups, sausages, sauerkraut, spaetzle, potato pancakes, marinated herring, and breads fill the menu; strudel is baked fresh twice a day. Once you’ve descended the narrow stairs into the cozy Bavarian cellar, try a sausage sampler of bratwurst, knackwurst, and mettwurst; if you’re partial to sauerkraut, this tangy-mellow rendition is as good as it gets. Schnitzels (pork or veal cutlets), with a selection of sauces, are a sure bet. German wines and beers hail from Mosel, Rhein, and Alsace, and the barkeep knows his stuff. 516 2nd St., 715-381-5092 |  Photo by John Abernathy | Agave Kitchen offers Tex-Mex glitz and tequila. There’s pulled protein aplenty (pork, beef, and chicken) and assorted (if odd) bar food galore. Steer clear of the Santa Fe Bacon Cheese Fries, though. With vaulted ceilings, the airy space is filled with booths and an enormous bar. Burgers are thick and hefty; the pulled meat sandwiches are better yet. 501 2nd St., 715-381-0099 |  Photo by John Abernathy | San Pedro Cafe, on the main drag, is a funky blond brick space in primary colors serving up wood-fired pizzas, pasta, and seafood with Caribbean heat. Try the Yucatan pork stew or smoked barbecue pork, finish with a slice of cayenne-spiked flourless chocolate torte, and let Bob Marley’s beat drift you away. 426 2nd St., 715-386-4003 |  Photo by John Abernathy | Bricks Neapolitan Pizza is a small, Euro-sleek space with a huge brick oven where thin hand-thrown crusts are quickly topped with fresh, local fare. Hand-stretched mozzarella, roasted mushrooms, and fresh basil anoint pastas and panini. Better yet are tender, rich Limoncello butter cookies and crunchy homemade granola, treated to the oven’s high dry heat. 407 2nd St., 715-377-7670 |  Photo by John Abernathy | You can see the St. Croix and the historic pier from Pier 500, Hudson’s dining darling. Ski-lodge sleek with high wooden beams, it draws crowds to an open fireplace in winter; come summer, patrons flock to its deck. Northwoods classics fill the menu with generous helpings of beer-battered walleye and top sirloin and a slab of lush bread pudding for dessert. Come lunchtime, a thick, creamy wild rice chicken soup, nutty with slivered almonds, makes a fine, warming meal. 500 1st St., 715-386-5504 |  Photo by John Abernathy | Dibbo’s, with its coffee-stained menus and red-capped stools lining a U-shaped lunch counter, is pure diner, without conceit. Breakfast starts at 5 am for those drifting over from Dibbo’s “solid rock” nightclub. Soups, hot beef, and meatloaf sandwiches are all homemade. But it’s the freshly made lemon meringue and banana cream pie that I come in for. Closed Su; 517 2nd St., 715-386-2782 |  Photo by John Abernathy | Knoke’s Chocolates is a little shop with lots of handmade truffles, toffees, turtles, and beautiful specialties by the piece or box. Come summer, grab an ice cream cone on your way to the river. Knoke’s chocolates are blended from fine chocolate, fresh fruits, and roasted nuts. Sure, they’ll ship, but why wait? 216 Locust St., 715-381-9866 |
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