Naylor's Bear Trap

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  I've gone past here several times on the way back from Summit Lake but was always in a hurry to get home or it was too early in the morning. I'm glad that I made time Tuesday to stop into this cool neighborhood/biker bar on the Oconomowoc.
   The North Lake P.O. acros the street says it was established in 1860 and the building that Naylor's is in might not be far behind it. It's a stone front with brick sides and a wood covered entryway that shields some stairs familiar to a lot of people from the weather. The door is a big heavy arched wood door and opens into a room with broad floorboards, an old wooden bar, and cork ceilings held up by heavy beams.
   There's a short hallway with a hand painted map of some of the nearby lakes and towns that leads to a small back room with a couple tables and an area for bands to set up. All the different textures of wood and personal nature of the way it's decorated make it feel like you're hanging at somebody's farm and they just happen to have a bar in it.
   There's a small galley kitchen that puts out some sandwiches, sides, and a damned good burger. You order from paper forms like the ones that you'd get in a sushi house. Circle the sandwich, bread, accompanyments, and sides you want and write your name on it so they know where it's going. With the cailiber of the service in places slipping some the high end restaurants might consider this method of ordering.
   The burger was a big hand pounded patty cooked beautifully between medium rare and medium, juicy, and filling. Thanks Cydney.
   The drinks are inexpensive and beside Cydney bartenders Jenelle* and Ashley were all a lot of fun to be around and sure enough a pleasure to look at. I phoned back today to make sure I'd gotten all the names straight and got Pat on the horn. He's the other cook who was headed out the door right after I got there yesterday but was pleasant and accomodating when I called and said he was happy that I'd had a good time.
   There's a patio with black and orange Harley pennants hanging along the fence on the south side of the building. If that and the sign toward the street saying bikers are welcome isn't clear enough there's another sign welcoming riders toward the back of the south wall. The top rail of the fence is held up by old wine bottles although I'm thinking as many whiskey bottles would've done just fine.
   There's also a patio on the north side of the building right on the river and away from the parking lot for a quieter spell outside.
   The drinks are not expensive by any stretch so you're not going to feel like you got skinned after you leave. Three New Glarus beers are on tap. The old standby Spotted Cow, a mellow session ale, Moon Man, a very hoppy but not overbearing, crisp pale ale, and the seasonal Fat Squirrel, a rich, toasty, and malty nut brown that is infinitely drinkable.
   I missed the nonagenarian lady who owns the place and who has kept it in the family since the '60's. That's my only regret about stopping here. They say she's pretty spry for a 90 something year old and a heck a of a woman  
   Beautiful country for a ride, a good old building with a lot of history, great folks behind and sitting at the bar, good food, cheap drinks, and bikers welcome. Hog heaven?
  * I can't be responsible for my spelling here since I didn't grill the girls as well as Cydney grilled my burger.

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  Posted on 10.15.13 James H.

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