{"product_id":"the-supper-club-book-a-celebration-of-a-midwest-tradition-9781613743683","title":"The Supper Club Book: A Celebration of a Midwest Tradition","description":"The supper club of the Upper Midwest is unmistakably authentic, as unique to the region as great lakes, cheese curds, and Curly Lambeau. The far-flung locations and creative decor give each supper club a unique ambience, but the owners, staff, and regulars give it its personality. Author Dave Hoekstra traveled through farmland, woods, towns, and cities in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, and Illinois, eating at salad bars, drinking old fashioneds, and most of all talking to old-timers, local historians, and newcomers. He discovered that far from going the way of so many small establishments, supper clubs are evolving, combining contemporary ideas such as locavore menus and craft beer with traditional Friday night fish fries and Saturday prime rib. He brings to life the memorable people who have created and continue the tradition, from the blind dishwasher at Smoky's to the Dick Watson Combo playing \"Beyond the Sea\" at the Lighthouse and the entrepreneurs and hipster crowd behind the Old Fashioned. Corporations have defined mainstream eating habits in America, but characters define supper clubs, and this combination oral history and guide, with more than one hundred photographs, celebrates not only the past and present but the future of the supper club.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDave Hoekstra\u003c\/b\u003e has been a staff writer for the \u003ci\u003eChicago Sun-Times\u003c\/i\u003e for 27 years, and has also written for the \u003ci\u003eChicago Reader\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eJournal of Country Music\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003ePlayboy\u003c\/i\u003e. His previous books include \u003ci\u003eTicket to Everywhere\u003c\/i\u003e, a collection of his Sun-Times travel columns, and \u003ci\u003eAn Unofficial Guide to Chicago\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Chicago Review Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50421690728722,"sku":"9781613743683","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_e04abcc3-00b4-419b-8937-17a55e40f451.jpg?v=1729511170","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-supper-club-book-a-celebration-of-a-midwest-tradition-9781613743683","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}