She Magazine

Monroe

Making the most of Monroe

Published:

Story and photos by Mary Bergin

There is something wholesome and authentic about a community that values its town square, and Monroe’s town square is among the most tidy and vibrant in Wisconsin. It also is at the heart of what defines commerce and character in this city of 10,000.

Boutiques and unusual enterprises circle the soaring and stately 1891 Green County Courthouse, a Romanesque structure and historical showpiece.

A mix of gifts, home decor and women’s sportswear turn shopping into an eclectic adventure at das Baumhaus, a long-ago hardware store. “We’re proud of our creaky hardwood floors,” a clerk notes, with a smile.

Das Baumhaus is among the half dozen women’s clothing stores downtown, each addressing a slightly different audience, be it plus sizes, brides or youth. Shop owners take turns hosting free “Style a la Carte” luncheon fashion shows on most Thursdays at Turner Hall. (Call for reservations.)

Accessorize an outfit at Luecke’s Diamond Center, where choices include contemporary to vintage jewelry — $1 clip-on earrings to a 1920s hand-filigreed diamond ring for $7,500. “People like estate jewelry because it’s one-of-a-kind,” said manager Alicia DeMichele.

Dress up the kitchen at Kookaburra’s, where culinary equipment and ingredients reinforce the notion that cooking can be fun. Periodic food samplings and recipe demonstrations aim to tantalize.

An 1848 buggy factory recently reopened as Barrett’s Brick Café, operated by former West Coast restaurateurs who fill their gourmet menu with local ingredients. Look for steaks, trout and pastas for dinner.

Baumgartner’s Cheese Store and Tavern, open since 1931, emits a noticeably more laid-back vibe and proudly upholds Monroe’s nickname of “Cheese City.” Sure, you can buy a slab of brick, or brick of gruyere, by the pound — but show some moxie by ordering a slice of stinky (OK, they say “self-assertive flavor”) limburger on rye, with onion.

The $2.95 sandwich automatically arrives with a breath mint. Add a cup of long-simmered, tomato-chunky chili and you’re set.

Except for dessert. Decadence rules at Chocolate Temptation, which sells handmade chocolates, ice cream drinks and a large selection of flavored coffees. A specialty: Gertle candies and sundaes; both involve butter-roasted nuts, caramel and chocolate/fudge.

Burn off the calories with a one-hour Minhas Craft Brewery tour and tasting. Although admission is $10, you’ll leave with a five-pack mix of products, which include Blumer’s sodas and an array of alcoholic beverages. Beer has been brewed here since 1845, and a beer museum opens this year.

OK, you’ve put in a full day, without venturing far from the town square. Before departing Monroe, check out the Swiss Colony Monroe Outlet Center and the Alp and Dell cheese store (attached to cheesemaker Roth Kase).

Tony Zgraggen, cheese store manager, when available will gladly take you on a free factory tour (from behind observation windows). A potential bonus: This Swiss native knows how to yodel.

Maybe you’ll decide this is a day trip, but the nearby Sugar River beckons active travelers. Bicycle the 23-mile Sugar River Trail. Rent a canoe, kayak or inner tube from S&B Tubing in Albany (15 miles northeast of Monroe) for a lazy-day river float.

Comfortable and eco-friendly accommodations at Earth Rider, a five-room boutique hotel in Brodhead (15 miles east of Monroe), are operated by the adjacent bike rental/repair business. Rooms are named after Tour de France winners.

No matter where you head, be on the lookout for colorful quilt patterns, painted on wood and displayed on almost 40 Green County barns.

Opportunities to connect with rural entrepreneurs are rich. Call ahead to tour Sugar Maple Emu Farm, near Brodhead, where 100 of the ostrich-like birds flock. For sale are decorated emu eggs and other artwork, plus emu oil soaps, shampoos and lotions (purported to have medicinal value).

An enclave of Amish and Mennonite businesses thrive elsewhere. They include Kauffman’s Country Store (25 miles southwest of Monroe, on Hwy. 81), an excellent match for serious bakers.

Bulk supplies of natural foods — spices and flours to gluten-free products and soup mixes — fill store shelves. Pig- and cow-shaped sprinkles for cupcakes caught my attention, as did tiny balls of caramel, for adding to cookie mix (or eating as is).

Not into baking from-scratch desserts? Kauffman’s blends muffin and cookie mixes; just add water. Or buy the finished products — cookies on Wednesdays, breads on Thursdays, pies on Fridays — from the on-premises bakery.

For more information: Contact Green County Tourism at 888-222-9111 or www.greencounty.org.