For several years, I have sadly observed that downtown Rhinelander is not what it used to be.
When I was a child, Brown Street, the main street, was the place to see and be seen especially on a Friday night when all the angled parking places on both sides of the street would be full.
Families, couples, and groups of teenagers would walk up and down this three-to-four-block "strip" stopping in at the several banks, clothing stores, drug stores, and diners or cafes that lined the street.
It was not unusual to see people sitting in their cars just watching the people walk by. And in the winter, it was not unusual to see empty and unlocked cars parked and idling while their owners shopped and then returned to warm cars.
And let's not ignore the bars.
On this three-block stretch alone, I bet I could count at least a half-dozen bars, and that doesn't even include the side streets off of Brown Street: Pat's, The Elbow Room, The Nortthwestern, just to name a few.
While there are still a good number of bars in downtown Rhinelander, today it seems that every third storefront on Brown Street is empty and available for sale or rent.
However, recently there has been a fine-dining renaissance of sorts in the few blocks that comprises downtown Rhinelander.
At the entry of the restaurant, there is--you guessed it--a spacious bar. Even though The Brick takes reservations most of the time, they do not take reservations on Friday night for what I like to call the "Northern Wisconsin Eucharist"--the fish fry. So the bars of most restaurants can be quite lively on a Friday night.
The dining room is to the left of the bar and, while pleasant enough, seems to have lost a little something in polish. Gone are the white table cloths The Brick used to use leaving bare, institutional restaurant tables. However, the service remains friendly and attentive.
For his first course, my husband ordered the soup of the day, a creamy vegetable soup. It was rich and flavorful and served with both oyster crackers and a tiny baguette.
My salad had a shower of shredded red cabbage and carrots to add a nice crunchy layer to the greens. It also came with a tiny baguette.
For his main course, my husband ordered a dish that he and I have enjoyed several times here--the pork schnitzel. However, this time the dish was slightly disappointing.
While the schnitzel was a large portion, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, our waiter informed us that it no longer came with sweet-and-sour cabbage, a favorite German side dish of ours. The waiter also informed us that the spaetzle was from a package. The gravy on the spaetzle also tasted "canned," for lack of a better word.
Fortunately for me, my entrée was superb. Described as "Skewered Jamaican Grilled Shrimp" on the menu, it consisted of eight large shrimp seasoned with jerk seasoning and served over a pineapple salsa which had nice touches of diced jalapeño and red peppers and cilantro. This is a dish I definitely want to eat again.
Two other notable fine-dining restaurants near here are Brown Street 151, which we've tried and enjoyed, and the newly-opened Historic Davenport Restaurant which we've heard great things about.
My hope is that excellent restaurants like these will help downtown Rhinelander make a comeback.
