Wissota Chophouse Aims to Please With Fine Dining and Relaxed Atmosphere
It’s easy to forget where you are once you walk through the doors of Wissota Chophouse in downtown Superior. Yes, you can look through the tinted windows and see that you are right on Tower Avenue, but the sophisticated modernity of the restaurant immediately conveys a feeling that you have suddenly teleported to a metropolitan setting.
“It’s kind of a minimalistic vibe, swanky in a modern sort of way,” said customer Michele Johnson. “It’s just a different feel from some of the other restaurants. It’s got this cool vibe.”
And the food lives up to the feeling, she said.
“Whenever my husband says, ‘We should go out to dinner,’ I say, ‘Let’s go to the Chophouse’,” she said. “There are great restaurants in town, but the Chophouse is something elevated. The food’s really great. They change up the menu seasonally, which is fun, and the servers are knowledgeable.”
She also notes that the Chophouse is suitable for casual dining as well as special occasions.
The menu includes appetizer shareables that bring ringing endorsements.
“The charcuterie board,” Johnson says with a touch of awe in her voice. “They have a smoked duck on the charcuterie board that is amazing. My husband has to have the Nueske’s bacon slabs. I have the charcuterie board. Then we don’t have room for an entrée. It’s a dilemma, a fun dilemma.”
“I brag about the charcuterie board to everyone,” said customer Lissa Hendricks. “I was just there two weeks ago with some high school girlfriends. Happy hour from 4-6. There were four of us and we ordered the charcuterie board. It’s so beautifully done. Half-price wine, of course that’s good, too. The servers are fabulous. It’s just a good place.”
But if sharing a charcuterie board is not your thing, there are plenty of other shareable options, including oysters on the half shell, flatbreads, crab cakes, truffle fries, fried ricotta stuffed olives, calamari, and, as General Manager Sara McCarthy points out, something you don’t often see on northern menus – alligator nuggets that come with blue cheese and Cajun BBQ dipping sauces.
Superior is one of 10 Wissota Chophouse franchises. Founded in 2016 by the late Cobblestone Hotels developer Brian Wogernese and his wife, Kim, McCarthy said the restaurant originated in Chippewa Falls.
The name originated from Lake Wissota, a man-made lake formed by construction of a hydroelectric dam on the Chippewa River in 1917. The name stems from combining the beginning of Wisconsin and ending of Minnesota.
McCarthy is a native of the Twin Ports, having graduated from East High School in Duluth.
“The original establishment, located within a Cobblestone Hotel property, successfully merged sophisticated dining with accessible hospitality,” McCarthy said.
The Superior location, on 1102 Tower Ave., is attached to the Cobblestone Hotel & Suites (though both are separately managed).
“Such a nice restaurant attached to a nice hotel,” Michelle Johnson said. “When I travel, that’s the kind of place I look for.”
“The restaurant distinguishes itself through expertly prepared premium steaks and seafood in an atmosphere both elegant and welcoming,” McCarthy said. “Seasonal specials, creative sharable plates, distinctive side dishes and exceptional desserts form the cornerstone of (Wissota’s) culinary identity.”
Not to be outdone, Wissota’s beverages feature more than 20 wines by the glass, 20 draft beers and a comprehensive spirits selection, which people can enjoy indoors in the modern, elegant setting or outdoors on the patio, which McCarthy said is comfortable and perfect for enjoying meals in a unique setting in downtown Superior.
In addition to honoring its birthplace by offering Leinenkugel’s beers on tap (sadly, the 157-year-old brewery closed its doors in January and the beer that made Chippewa Falls famous is now brewed in Milwaukee by parent company Molson Coors), local and regional breweries are well represented in the tap beer lineup, including Earth Rider, Ursa Minor, Hinterland in Green Bay, Hop and Barrel Brewing in Hudson and several from Three Sheeps Brewing of Sheboygan.
In Superior, the dinner menu features top-quality Angus beef steaks (McCarthy said filet and ribeye are customer favorites), scallops, East Coast oysters and lobster tails.
Michelle Johnson highly recommends the prosciutto wrapped airline chicken in a grueyere fondue.
“I didn’t know what airline chicken was (the breast with the drumette still attached). I had to look it up,” she said. “It is absolutely delicious.”
The bar area sees a lot of action during the daily happy hour.
“Our happy hour offers half-price local draft beers and wines by the glass, with discounts on cocktails and appetizers,” McCarthy said. “Superior guests particularly enjoy our Huckleberry Old Fashioned and espresso martini (topped with coffee beans).”
Or if you just can’t get enough of the delicious applewood smoked bacon from Wittenberg, Wis., producer Nueske, you might want to try the Maple Bacon Old Fashion, with a skewer of smoky bacon floating on top.
It’s fairly common to be able to order a flight of tap beers wherever a good selection is offered, but how often have you seen a flight of daquiris on the menu? The Daquiri Flight at Wissota Chophouse includes pineapple kiwi / peach strawberry / blackberry mint / salted watermelon lime.
Wissota’s happy hour, daily from 4 to 6 p.m., is said to be one of the best around.
McCarthy said in Superior, Wissota’s location is “positioned to become a premier destination through strategic enhancements to our current offerings. “We plan to introduce community-focused events, expand our regional partnerships and create unique dining experiences that showcase local culture.”
McCarthy said their loyal patrons are who make the Tower Avenue Wissota Chophouse a destination, and they highly value them.
“Our dedicated staff ensure quality service with every visit,” she said.
McCarthy said Superior Wissota is developing seasonal programming to attract visitors throughout the year while ensuring its core services continue meeting the high standards regular guests expect.
“Our commitment to Superior extends beyond dining to becoming an integral part of the local community landscape,” she said.
Wissota Chophouse also has locations in Stevens Point, De Pere, Janesville, Iowa, Alabama and
Washington State.
To learn more about the Superior Wissota Chophouse, view a menu or to make reservations, visit wissotachophouse.com or call 715.319.3052.
Regan Kohler is a freelance reporter.
