This week we are taking a look at Simpons Red Ox Lounge and Supper Club in Appleton. This business  originally opened in 1971 on American Drive and was eventually reopened at its current location on Oneida Street after being destroyed by fire in 1995.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere is what I would consider your traditional Wisconsin old school supper club.  I mean that in the most flattering of ways.  The ambiance of the bar area includes the theme of the “red” ox.  It is dimly lit and boasts  red in many ways.  Just to highlight a few, the red bar,  vinyl chairs and red textured walls behind the bar.  One element that is unlike the traditional supper club is the presence of televisions in the bar area, a few small tv’s behind the bar and plasma’s in the seating area.  The only negative comment that I would have is  there were several gambling machines located in the bar area.  I personally feel that the presence of the machines in a supper club somewhat cheapens the atmosphere.  Although I am not a fan of the gambling machines, I have family members who do enjoy them and they can be a big draw for customers.

Food: Before visiting the Red Ox, I talked to friends and read other online reviews to get a feel of what others were saying. I was surprised to not find even one negative review about the place, this sparked my interest even more. On top of that they are recipients of Fox Cities Magazine’s Golden Fork Award for “Best Supper Club”.   To begin, let’s examine the beverages, most peoples favorite opening act. I had my normal Jim Beam and Coke and was happy with it, nothing worse then starting a dining experience then a weak drink. One thing I learned after our visit is that the Red Ox has a tradition of great home made old fashioned’s and pickled mushrooms, looks like I have a good excuse to go back now:)  They also claim to have the largest spirit choices north of Milwaukee. Spirit list - Wine list

The menu is huge, there is no way you can’t find something you will like.  All the traditional supper club menu items are available as well as a large selection of specials and lighter fare options.  The friends we were with recommended that I try the garlic tenderloin, so I had the surf and turf, garlic tenderloin and scallops.  My wife had the tenderloin and haddock. Our meal started with the traditional bread and a salad before getting our meal. I like my steak medium rare and it came perfectly cooked. The steak was butterflied open with minced garlic inside and a good amount of seasoning on the outside. The steak was a little bit salty but overall a good cut of meat.  My scallops were broiled in english butter and were very rich.  I could have eaten dozens of these jems. Click picture below for a larger view of my meal. Our dinner for 2 with a few drinks and desert was about $70 with a tip.

Conclusion: I was glad that our friends suggested it, because it was a good experience.  We did not have a lot of  time for dinner as we were heading to the comedy club, and the Red Ox did a nice job of seating us and providing quick friendly service.  We will definitely go back again, especially if we are looking for a supper club type meal and atmosphere.  The one thing  I do dislike is that I always see employees smoking in their whites just outside the door on the Oneida street side and that is just not appealing.

Red Ox Information:
website - www.redoxsupperclub.com
Address - 2318 S Oneida Street Appleton, WI 54914
Google Map
Contact - Online Form
Phone Number - 920-830-4121
Menu - From Website

Brian $16-$22, Supper Club

My wife and I have frequented The Village Hearthstone the past few years.  It is a bit out of the way (19 miles from Menasha), but the experience is well worth the trip.  You could say it is off the beaten bath as it is located in Hilbert, WI.  Since it is not well known in the valley, Village Hearthstone is a bit of a gem.

Atmosphere: The exterior of the establishment consists of an attractive brick and green awning decor.  The east side of  the building features a large outdoor seating area.  This is a particular draw during the summertime.  There is nothing quite like having dinner and drinks while enjoying the warm weather.  Village Hearthstone is a charming addition to the quiet town of Hilbert.

As quoted from the Hearthstone website, ”the Village Hearthstone is  built to reflect an era gone by, the beautiful décor takes us back in time, when people were less hurried and willing to take a moment to catch up.”  We would have to agree!    The atmosphere is very relaxing and draws a wide variety of people such as couples, families, and groups celebrating occasions such as birthdays or anniversaries.  Upon entering,  you are greeted with the dining room with accents as wood floors, a black metal ceiling and pictures of  historic Hilbert.  There are large windows along the wall facing the outdoor seating area, which brings in a great deal of natural light.   On the opposite side of the room has booth style seating and  tables of varying sizes are located throughout the center of the dining room area.  There is a small and inviting bar area located in the back of the dining room which boasts a wood fired pizza oven.  We enjoy the bar as the bartender is always friendly and knows how to make a cocktail.  My wife enjoys the spicy mix to munch on while we wait for our table.  As I mentioned previously, behind the bar is a brick wall and built in wood fire pizza oven.  It is entertaining to watch the chef’ come out from the kitchen and make the pizza’s.  The ambiance is enhanced with the smell of pizza baking throughout the dining area.

Food: I have been lucky enough to sample and enjoy several of the menu options.  Their menu offers the traditional supper club food, steaks, chicken, ribs a few seafood options as well as a large selection of sandwiches.  One thing that Village Hearthstone offers that most supper clubs do not is stone fire pizzas.  Pizza and supper club foods do generally not go together, but Village Hearthstone is able to pull it off.  If you are interested in ordering the wood fired pizza,  be aware they are only made during the weekends;  however, you can order pizza any time of the week if you do not mind it prepared in the traditional oven.

This past Friday, I ordered the shrimp gumbo and my wife had the lemon pepper chicken. While awaiting our entree’s, we were served ciabatta bread accompanied by olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a whole garlic clove.  The garlic is a nice touch, as it is baked and soft and you are able to spread it just as you would butter.   The next course is a traditional salad topped with a homemade dressing of your choice.  The shrimp gumbo was very tasty with a good amount of shrimp and a nice sweet sauce over a bed of wild rice.  The leftovers were good for breakfast the next morning. My wife had the lemon pepper chicken with a side of garlic mashed potato’s and green beans. Other then there being very little chicken on the plate she enjoyed the meal. Click the pictures below to enlarge them.

Conclusion: Even though we enjoyed ourselves, this trip was definitely not one of our best visits.  We were laughing with each other because the time we are going to write a review it was probably our least favorite trip to Village Hearthstone.  This is exactly why you really need to try a restaurant more than once.  Generally we have great service, excellent food and walk out very satisfied .  This past Friday, we experienced a few hiccups.  Before dinner we had a few drinks at the bar, both of which were on the weak side. The first time I mentioned it to the bartender, the second time was my last drink.  As we were getting started with our bread I saw a waitress dump a entire platter of water onto a customers lap, luckily the customer had no hard feelings. When we got our food my wife was wondering where the chicken was in her lemon pepper chicken, only a few small bites were to be found.   Our joke was the she ordered the lemon pepper chicken, hold the chicken  : )

Normally you are never dissapointed with the Village Hearthstone.  With its great atmosphere, reasonable prices and great food its another must try.  It is an excellent choice when you want a nice atmosphere but do not feel like paying 100.00 for dinner for two.

Village Hearthstone information:
Address - 326 West Main Street, Hilbert, Wisconsin
Phone Number - 920.853.3013
Hours - Tues-Sat 11-9 / Sun 9-12 Breakfast / Sunday 11-8 entire menu
Menu - menu
Website - villagehearthstone.com
Map - google map

Brian $16-$22, $9-$15, Supper Club