OCCOM FOOLISHNESS Strikes again! New Restaurant opening soon

I didn't realize you were back in WI, feel free to PM me the location. I would definitely make the trek to check it out.

Best of luck, Bill.

HEY! Maybe we could do a midwest A2K meet at Bill's place.

Great resource Tico. Thanks. I think we found the right accountant and we'll probably take his reference for an Attorney if need be. We're doing a pretty soft takeover and everyone involved is benefiting so there isn't too much to worry about contractually. Plus, we're in Wisconsin, where a handshake is worth ten times more than a signed notarized contract is in Florida.

Will do, just as soon as we have confirmation that the current owner has informed his employees of the change and our contract is signed.

Sounds good to me. It's on the main drag in a lovely little tourist town so there's plenty to see and do and/or probably some great deals in the off season.

Thanks again Soz and the rest of you well-wishers!

I'll try to post some pictures next week.

Click on the thumbs for larger pictures.

Holy crap! It's gorgeous!!!

When was it built? Is it actually old or just made to look like it?

Are both floors the restaurant? How does that work?

I love Victorians.

I can't get over how gorgeous. That's not what I think when I think "restaurant in small Wisconsin town."

Ooh.............fantastic. Now if we could all get together, and have an A2K convention over there!

I don't recall the date... but the whole darn town is that old... by code. It's not completely authentic, but it's pretty close. Kitchen and bar and perhaps 30 seats down. the balance of about 50 seats up. First Floor covers all applicable codes. There also appears to be some outside "patio type seating complete with heat lights... that I'm hoping to expand on. It is a corner property in, oh what the hell, Cedarburg that's right on the main drag. Should get TONS of foot traffic. The town keeps very busy with self promotion... I snapped a shot of a sign... let me load it...

They're already trying to drag folks in... and it hasn't even warmed up yet! I like the way they think.

The "townspeople" say it's second only to the Dells for small town foot traffic, but I find that hard to believe. It reminds me so much of Lake Geneva I can't help but smile as I walk around. I did see one very disturbing image just up the block:


(Weren't you just saying something about Washington St, Soz? )(God help me if I've found "the swamp". )

So, ah Bill? Is this a NICE place and we should be on best behavior, or what?

Well, ... Only until I lock the door! (Full Liquor :wink: )

I don't care if the a2k goes there as a group, though I'm open to it, however nightmarish and useful for you, but me, I'd just like to go there when you are pearling along in business on some quiet, er, Thursday.

The site appeals to me Very much. Hmm, you need a landscape architect?

Quiet, osso. I am edgeing retirement and don't really want a job., ne'er mind not advertising on awk. I'll give you my off the cuff opinions (via pm) but no real plan, for a direction to lodging and some single malt. Which means show me the phone book and give me some older Talisker in a good glass.

Or you and I could save trouble and you just look at the work of Jens Jensen.

You're so sweet, Osso. That would be lovely.

Off the top of my head; I'd say broken Flagstone puzzled together should cover the whole front and side yard with half walls at the sidewalk separating the off-settingly clean rows of either stone top or wrought iron tables. Need to see if we can reasonably expect to use the space we have first, though... make some dough... and probably barter it out in trade anyway.

I don't think anyone's going to mistake either of us as being here for the advertising, darlin. But I look forward to hearing your opinions anyway you want to share them!

Wow I used to go to Port Washington almost every other weekend as a kid. If I remember correctly Cedarburg is a couple of exits south of there. That entire area is great. Good to know that you are that close.

That's right. Just past Grafton on 43 about 20 minutes North of Milwaukee.

Breathtakingly beautiful! Charmingly quaint and very homelike. After seeing the pictures - it just reinforces what I already knew. You will do great. It just seems to have "you" written all over it.

Reminds me of when I was still at home. After the crops were in the ground and growing well, and summer vacation from school was in force.....we would sometimes go to Wisconsin on vacation.

My Dad loves to fish - so we'd haul the boat up to Elkhart. Don't know how far that is from Cedarburg - but I do know it was beautiful up there. With 5 of us kids - we usually didn't stay in fancy hotels - but, instead camped. Good times! Was very Victorian in and around that area, also.

My parents are into antiques and we would always end up taking a day or two while we were there and check out some of the shops in the surrounding areas. We would just drive into these towns and park the car and walk from shop to shop. Of course, Daddy always kept his eyes peeled for anything with "Packers" on it, too. :wink:

One memory that really sticks in my head is a bridge. This bridge had steel trusses. It wasn't a bridge for cars -(although it was sort of made the same way) but instead a foot bridge, I guess you would call it. Always fascinated me. Not sure what it was about it - was just one of those unexplained things - where you felt peaceful, just being there. Even being young - you couldn't help but appreciate it.

Anyhow - looking at your pictures .... I could feel that same calmness.

I think you have found your niche, Bill. You will do well - without a doubt.

... Yes two of them... the world may be shrinking on me again- plus you've dredged up a fascinating (likely only to me) memory. Both yesterday and today I found myself on a bridge with steel trusses that wasn't for cars... I'll return to that in a moment. When I searched for a picture of it to see if it was the one you're referring to... I came up with this one instead:


No steel trusses, I know, but I hadn't thought of a painting that hung on my Grandparents' wall in at least a couple of decades. It was of this same bridge painted from a different perspective, I'm pretty sure. I do hope it's still in the family because according to this website it's the last covered bridge in Wisconsin and this is getting a little freaky, in a good way.

Now, the bridge I found myself standing on yesterday and today was not covered at all… but if memory serves- the sign said it was erected in 1907, powered by overhead electric power and would take you from Milwaukee to Cedarburg in about an hour for less than 30 cents. I don't know the name of the little river it crosses… but I couldn't help but notice it's drawing power as others wandered off the main drag to stand on it too. It's been refreshed lately by the town so this picture isn't perfect… but I'm sure this is an old picture of it:

Here's another angle, Angel, just in case.




Interesting choice of word. Calmness. That's what I think I've fallen in love with about the town... and the reason I'm doing what I'm doing. It may be too slow for a "rest of my life" theme… but it seems quite perfect to me right now. Who knows?

Oh Bill.......that's it! That's the bridge I loved so much! The only thing that I don't see - that I remember from when I was there.......is there were a couple of park benches where you could sit and relax. I remember them because my parents would eventually sit down, while us kids would continue to play on the bridge. But, YES - that's the bridge.

You can't imagine my surprise to see you post a picture of it. It's great seeing it again! VERY interesting history on that bridge. Thank you so much for sharing.

Covered bridges - they are awesome, aren't they? We still have a few left in Ohio. Two are within 30 minutes of me in Wyandot county. Always a treat to go see them.

Seeing those pictures has given me a smile that will last the whole day through.

Brooklyn, that's astonishing. How small can this world be? I feel like someone's trying to tell me something.(:wink:) The bridge does indeed have benches... on the little lookout side piece you can sorta see on the right side in the bigger picture above... and if you look thru it you can kinda see the brick walk way that takes you back into downtown. Cross the road and hang a left and walk East with the other casual sightseers for a couple of blocks before stopping on the corner for a giant hug. You can learn more about the history train bridge here..