Home-grown lunch from House of Wisconsin Cheese

April 9, 2008

4:36 PM

Linda Falkenstein

In a world of sandwiches with names like "Rosemary-glazed wood-grilled lobster with truffle aioli on fennel-inflected ciabatta bread," sometimes you long for the simple. Maybe you wanted to bring your lunch from home and just ran out of time to make it or left it lying on the roof of your car as you drove off. If you're downtown and want to get back to the basics without sacrificing flavor, hit the

But there's also an unassuming little lunch counter where you can order up quite a respectable handmade lunch for under $6. I was reminded of this recently when I ordered a nice ham and cheese on multi-grain (all sandwiches are just $3.50) with lettuce and tomato.

The menu is limited, but, heck, it's lunch (served 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.). For sandwiches, choose your bread (from Clasen's bakery in Middleton -- white, wheat or multi-grain) and your interior elements (ham, turkey, roast beef, corned beef, or summer sausage) and then pile on your choice of the standard add-ons -- cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo...a variety of Wisconsin's own Uncle Phil's mustards are featured, too.

Or skip the meat altogether for a classic grilled cheese sandwich. April, as you probably did not already know (unless you work for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board), is Grilled Cheese Month. Actually, any combination of the available ingredients could be ordered grilled.

The House of Wisconsin Cheese has a couple homemade soups on the menu daily ($2/cup). Its house soup is "Cheeseburger Chowder" -- I was expecting a heavy cheese soup with hamburger bits in it, but it a bit thinner, like a traditional chowder (i.e., milk base with potatoes) along with a hint of cheese and ground beef. It tastes a little more like stroganoff than a cheeseburger. Other soups du jour are sour cream potato, garden vegetable, chicken dumpling, vegetable beef and beer cheddar.

HoWC also stocks the UW's own Babcock Hall ice cream, plus Wisconsin non-alcoholic beverages -- say "pop" and be proud! -- like Sprecher root beer.

It's nice to be able to say that what may be the most cost-effective lunch around the Square is also tasty, well prepared, and highlights the state's own food products.