Saturday, April 18, 2009

N. Wisconsin Food Diversions

If you find yourself driving in rural, northern Wisconsin (as I've been the past few days), you won't run across many Starbucks or other chains. But that's part of what can make these excursions kind of fun.

Heading east of Superior, as I entered the (blink and you'd miss it) town of Iron River I noticed a faded sign for Sue's Pie and Pasties shop, located right off Route 2. I stopped for a piece of pie and a cup of coffee. Wild blueberry pie was one of the choices. I ordered a slice, and it was tasty. The crust was just so-so, but the filling was superb -- not too sweet, not too tart, and none of the gooey, cornstarch-laden taste.

A half-hour east of Iron River, in the small town of Ashland, I was pleasantly surprised to stumble onto the Black Cat Coffeehouse. The Black Cat is located at 211 Chapple Avenue in Ashland, only a few blocks south of the Chequamegon Bay. The Black Cat is a cozy place with art displayed on the walls and lots of exposed brick.

The cinnamon roll I ate there with my latte was marvelous -- flaky dough and amazing texture. The Black Cat gets its pastries from the Ashland Baking Company (located directly across the street).

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