Chef Shack Bay City

I have enjoyed the bison burgers from the Chef Shack truck at the Fulton Farmers' Market for the past two seasons and have been anxious to try the Bay City restaurant.  I knew the drive from Minneapolis would be worth the trek if the food came anywhere close to the outstanding burgers.  Co-Owner, Carrie Summer, was so welcoming and enthusiastic about the restaurant.  We started with the oysters served with jalapeno/cucumber juice that was a surprising, but complimentary accompaniment; the meat plate (charcuterie board with capers and crunchy tasty pickles and excellent mustard); and pumpkin soup -- a touch of velvety sweetness with a savory touch that made each bite delectable.  The flat iron steak and pan seared walleye were cooked to perfection on a rich, colorful bed of fall vegetables that burst with flavor.  We can't wait to go back -- Oh and the atmosphere was fantastic, cozy fun kitsch with a live band -- want to go back for brunch to take in the view of the lake,

We've been wanting to make the trip out to Chef Shack Bay City all summer. We finally did and we were so glad. Bay City is lucky because there's not much else to recommend it and the Chef Shack brings some new life that that little corner of Wisconsin.

We loved the warmth of the decor; it's interesting and eclectic without feeling overdone or cluttered. And the mix of barn, kitchen, camp and travel curiosities was fun. We particularly admired a piece of rose quartz the size of a small child near the fireplace.

We started with the mixed green and caesar salads and both were excellent. Generous portions with a delicious mix of greens. Both were perfectly dressed with Chef Carlson's magic. I am always impressed with the subtlety of her dressings.

We had the cast-iron fried walleye and the chef's vegetarian plate. The walleye was crispy on the outside and soft and flaky inside. It was really delicious on a bed of seasonal vegetables and potatoes that were fantastic. The vegetable plate, though, may have won the night. Seasonal vegetables also on potatoes with small sections of different delicious sauces made the vegetarian's heart swoon. Again, it is so great when chef's really put the same heart and creativity into the vegetarian offering as they do for meat & fish.

To push the evening over the top we finished with two desserts, the chocolate po de creme and the vanilla creme brûlée. Both were amazing and the table couldn't pick a favorite. They alone might be worth the drive down from the Twin Cities.

We were so glad to come down from the Twin Cities to see the permanent Chef Shack Bay City. We predict they'll gather quite a loyal clientele on and around the lake as well as fans from the Cities. We'll be back for Thursday night pizza night and we can not wait.

Stopped for lunch on a sunny Sunday...a rare commodity this year. We were en route from Madison to Saint Paul and decided on a scenic drive home. The motorcycle traffic was unbelievable, luckily they were headed south and we were northbound. But the presence of motorcycles and their riders was felt from Alma to Maiden Rock. The lunch spots were jammed. We hit Bay City and saw the sign for Chef Shack and decided to give it a try. The place is larger than what first meets the eye...both inside and out. We were greeted at the door, requested to sit out front in the breezy shade, rather than the sunny and crowded back deck. We were charmed first by the server and then by the food. We opted to share the charcuterie plate and each had the mixed greens salad with herbs. Loved the salad and the dressing. There was watercress in the salad, a nice touch, and a turnip which seemed a little out of place but tasted great. The charcuterie plate was awesome. The beef tongue was our favorite but truthfully everything on the plate down to the pickles and the spicy, grainy mustard was delicious and appropriate to the plate.

Menu was somewhat limited, but the items --at least as described -- seemed imaginative. Enough for me to want to make the trip again.

Nicely operated restaurant.