The Del-Bar Supper Club

If you have spent any time asking people where to eat in Wisconsin Dells, someone has told you to go to The Del-Bar. It has been around since 1943 and is still run by the third generation of the Wimmer family. After hearing about it more times than I could count, I finally made the trip, and I am happy to report this is one of the few cases where the hype is deserved.

I ordered the Swedish meatballs appetizer and they were the surprise star. The cream demi-glace over spaetzle was so good I could have eaten it with a spoon. The filet mignon was cooked exactly the way I wanted it, tender and beefy, and the chef's butter added another layer of savoriness without overpowering the meat.

But the dish I am still thinking about is the spinach salad with hot bacon dressing. I came for the steak and seafood, but that dressing is one of the best I have ever had. The blackened Chilean sea bass with coconut curry and mango salsa was also a standout, and the creme brulee was a perfectly executed classic.

The Del-Bar manages to feel like a special-occasion restaurant without making you feel like you need to whisper or dress for a gala. It is expensive compared to a typical Dells dinner, but the prices make sense when you consider the quality, the portions, the service and the fact that this is meant to be an entire evening rather than a quick meal.