milkweed dinner club, can you keep a secret?

Hi there! How was your weekend? Is that a funny question for a Wednesday? I was struck with a horrible ailment on Monday and Tuesday and was left pretty much useless so the weekend is still fresh in my mind. I had 2 wonderful meals over the weekend, one of which I want to tell you about now. I don't usually write about restaurants or food here at Art Wall but this experience was too special to keep to myself.

We spent Friday night at an underground dinner club of sorts called Milkweed, tucked in the hills near Spring Green, Wisconsin on a family farm. Milkweed isn't a restaurant, per se, but rather a unique dinner party experience by invitation or referral only, given by Isaac Spicer and his wife Huvvah, along with other available members of their family.

On the drive through the rolling hills of Wisconsin to get to Milkweed, we (myself, my husband and our friends) discussed our favorite meals ever. Some were all about the food, others the company, the ambiance and the overall experience. Our dinner at Milkweed combined all of the ingredients it takes to make a really special meal, starting with the drive itself. I don't fashion myself much of a "driver" for hobby or sport but the winding country roads of Wisconsin that lead us to Milkweed are among the prettiest in the Midwest.

The drive ended when we pulled up to the most charming spot, with a pea gravel walk (my favorite) leading the way through a cut-flower garden to our table. Did I mention there was a baby bunny on the trail? I lie not.

The bunny wasn't the only animal we encountered at Milkweed. The chickens there are free to roam the grounds and a few walked right by our table. Lola the dog joined our little group for a while, we heard several cows mooing nearby and the frogs and crickets were in full-out orchestra by the time our meal began.

The meal itself was 7 courses prepared with only ingredients found on the farm or nearby. We started out with turnip soup followed by a green salad. Next was a berry sorbet served in the cutest teeny-tiny cup. The entree was braised beef with mashed potatoes, peas and baby carrots. Desert was a cream puff with ice cream and berries followed by a cheese plate and last-but-not-least: chocolate truffles with mint tea or cappuccino.

The little house on the grounds was nearly all hand made by Spicer. It is a tiny one-bedroom loft with a gourmet kitchen. A small studio structure stood there previously, and he added the living space, kitchen and loft. The bathroom which is shared with the dining guests is an outhouse 200 yards away. That's right, I said the guests use an outhouse. It's actually not bad, it's illuminated only with candles, strong incense is the only thing you smell and the sink is built into one of the many sculptures found on the property, complete with sparkle lights and flower boxes.

There are some meals in life that you just know you will always remember starting from the moment you sit down. Our meal last weekend at Milkweed was one of those experiences. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was breathtaking, our company: divine. Yep, this one is going down in the books, folks. Since we're now official members of "the club," feel free to ask me for a referral. I'll let you know the secret password if you're nice. Wink.

Images: 1, 5, 7: Katie Stephenson

Image 2: Katie Cannon

Images: 3, 4, 6: Milkweedclub