Eat The Menu: Out Clubbing

There are times — lots of them — when it’s great fun to explore the latest destination darling of the dining world, with its hyper-designed setting and equally out-there menu. But last night wasn’t one of them.

Living in a city under stress for weeks has been hard on all of us, indeed. So we were seeking comfort. And when it comes to comfort — and old-time, tried-and-true comfort food — nothing does it like a supper club.

It’s the kind of dinnertime haven that Wisconsin does best, especially around The Dells, en route to Chicago. No time for that trek tonight, though — instead, we steered toward Chicago Avenue and the welcoming, old-time ambience of Creekside.

It looks like it’s been around forever, and, in restaurant years, it has: since 2021. Its knotty pine rec room walls bleed with a mishmash of memorabilia rather than framed James Beard awards. The well-trodden burgundy carpet hosts a sea of tables, preparing you for a menu that leads one to believe that a corps of grey-haired grannies staffs the kitchen. And the drinks list favors a Brandy Old Fashioned over an Aperol Spritz. Water glasses (the word “goblet” does not apply) would be at home on a Woolworth’s lunch counter. Pro servers are there to serve you, not appear as a Facebook friend.

The menu’s app list ranges from a classic shrimp cocktail ($22) and pretzels with cheese dip and mustard ($17) to $5 soup cups (tonight, broccoli cheddar and creamy potato; both, thick and flavored with comfort). Proceed to the salad list, which offers a choice of sizes ($10/$18). Our classic Wedge, ordered small, was anything but, and we loved it: nearly a full head of iceberg (natch), festooned with bits of tomato, bacon, onion and hearty nuggets of Wisconsin blue cheese bathed in a vibrant, ultra-creamy buttermilk-blue cheese dressing that left me licking the plate (well, nearly, but demanding a doggie bag, for sure.)

If you spot tears on the tablecloth, it’s because, in our lust for meat, we failed to order the popovers (well worth the 30-minute wait). Entrees range from a chicken cordon bleu ($30, including all the trimmings, as do most entrees) to beef short rib ($42), garnished steaks galore ($39 for top sirloin, and up) and a bunch of burgers ($17).

We settled on the pork schnitzel ($34): a thick and burly cut served slightly pink, which proved ultra-tender, juicy and full of sweet, porky flavor. It’s allied with a heap of braised red cabbage, a twice-baked potato (creamy and cheese-frosted) and a cautiously peppy mustard-thyme sauce.

As our second main, we waded into the fish fry side of the menu and summoned the cod ($28, or choose walleye, $35). Beneath its peek-a-boo veil of beer batter, the pearly flesh proved sweet, mild and moist. The fillets arrive accompanied by a mild house tartar sauce, a petite scoop of equally tame coleslaw, with a lemon wedge dancing in attendance.

With doggie bags looming, we bypassed desserts. If you’re better at planning, here’s your choice ($17 each): vanilla bean crème brûlée, chocolate lava cake with ice cream or pavlova with berry compote and crème anglaise. Or, as I usually do here when I’ve succumbed to better planning, summon an old-fashioned cream drink. Your body needs that calcium, remember? That excuse overrules my conscience every time.

Creekside Supper Club & Lounge
4820 Chicago Ave.
(612) 354-3675
creeksidemn.com
Closed Mondays