For what 'Valley Fish and Cheese' is, it deserves the five stars that I gave it. The owners…read moreactually send their own 'Valley Fish and Cheese' boats out onto the Mississippi River to fish - so you can imagine how fresh their freshwater fish is, and how pure and clean of any additives their smoked fish is. 'Valley Fish and Cheese' is situated at a point in the Mississippi that has a large permanent island called St. Feriole Island, or "Island #172" (which is at least semi-permanent when looking at it in geological-time terms, because the river is always shifting). There are three launch docks for 16' long roofless aluminum motorboats, so they do a lot of river fishing, mostly with nets, like in the 'Old Country'. The most common edible fish from the river are Bass, Perch, Bluegill, Buffalo Fish, Crappie, Catfish, and Biting-Turtles, as well ancient fish such as Paddlefish, Lake Sturgeon and Shovelnose Sturgeon. A typical morning's haul yields around 30 to 60 fish. I guess that's why the top selling items at 'Valley Fish and Cheese' are Smoked Whitefish, Bass, Perch, & Sturgeon (with it's dense yellow meat), with all of them being delicious (and believe me, I've tried almost everything). Also, the fish are expertly filleted into steaks (washing off the blood & slime), leaving plenty of fresh clean flesh on the frames to sell for stock (which I bought and used to make a delicious American style Bouillabaisse, as well as an extra two gallons of plain fish-broth, which I froze in 8 one pint freezer bags for... whatever). Some fillets are salted, peppered, and grilled over charcoal to sell in sandwiches or alone. Other steaks are put into a rotating smoker heated with smoldering wood covered in brown sugar. Some smokers have stationary cooking shelves, while others are more like ovens with many slow-moving rotating shelves. The remaining bits & trimmings are grilled or smoked to create snacky-bite tenders, great for kids (but I liked them too, especially when I got them in a bag for the car). They also Brush-on Marinades and later-added spice rubs, which are all also key to the flavor. From Teriyaki to Old Bay, and from Cajun to plain Salt-Pepper & Lemon, the extra added flavors transforms each piece of every different type of fish species, with their variety of textures and density, whether grilled or smoke, into a different delicious experience with each and every combination. I cannot praise this place highly enough. NOTE: 'Valley Fish and Cheese' offers homemade Candy, as well as numerous other fresh, smoked, cured, and pickled products including - Live Turtles for Meat (Turtle Soup with Sherry is delicious), Turtle Jerky, Catfish-Bologna, Alligator Jerky, various homemade exotic rare Deli Meats (like smoked Coon Paws), and of course, lots of Cheeses, including Wisconsin's Famous Cheese Curds. All that I can say is "YUM"!

Stopped in there Sunday on the way to Gays Mills for apples. They had some smoked perch right out…read moreof the smoker...It is fantastic. Also got some alligator jerky that is great. This place is a "Must Stop" when in the area. You just can't believe all the great items they have for sale. Worth the 2 hour trip to the area just to stop here..

We visited Meister while on a tour of Wisconson creameries. I found them to be friendly,…read moreprofessional, and creative. Their specialty is flavored cheeses with condiments included in the cheese. While I am a bit of a purist, I find it a good choice for them to have created a niche for themselves so that they can stay ahead of the curve. They have, however, created a reserve cheddar that is quite nice that we got to try. Hopefully we will be able to get the Eagle Cave reserve soon in the PNW. This creamery is also a carbon creditor through its use of woodchips to create steam to heat the pasteurizer. Or somthing like that. All I know is they are very environmentally concious so good on them!

Nice shop of some of their products. Pricing was quite good with many items on sale.read more

Purveying phenomenal garlic-infused orange-cheddar curds at reasonable prices, this sundries…read morestation just east of Schullsburg on the road to Monroe has a great selection of southern Wisconsin fare. Claiming their own proprietary bleu (the Dunbarton Blue), and a spectral collection of other local cheese, the dairy alone is worth the visit; and yet, the sausages and other locally generated meats - specifically the cured beef-sticks that I sampled - also present an effective case for pit-stop patronization. And then there's the beer quotient: with an outstanding selection of ales and lagers from New Glarus Brewery - not to mention their own specially branded New Glarus pint-glasses - Roelli covers another important front of southern Wisconsin. A propitious find after striking out on a Sunday afternoon in downtown Schullsburg (which was utterly vacant in the post-meridiem), Roelli in fact appears to be the provenance of most of the cheese we could have found in town anyways. And - resting neither far from Dubuque or Rockford - it is, moreover, a true destination for the caseophile (though they are completely willing to ship cheese to you if you cannot commit to the drive).

This review is only for their signature Dunbarton blue cheese, which we just got around to trying…read more It's not about their business or culture or practices which I'm sure are perfectly fine. This cheese is pretty expensive at $20 for 8 oz, and unfortunately like an expensive wine, I didn't particularly like it given the price point. So my advice on this one is to know what your taste buds like. This blue cheese was quite strong in flavor being quite sharp and salty. It was the only premium Wisconsin cheese the son gifted to us that I wouldn't have again. But don't let that deter you if you're a strong blue cheese fan, this could be your cheese. It's just not mine. It was nice to give it a go nonetheless.

In the small town of Mineral Point , Wisconsin lies one of the most iconic cheesemakers in all of…read morethe world , Hooks cheese. Brought a small cooler along to secure our marvelous cheese purchased from hooks. Taking a day trip along the Mississippi River?If you're ever on highway one fifty one , make sure you stop in and acquire some cheese. And yes , the curds do squeak , everyone in wisconsin knows , if your kurds don't squeak their garbage.

The son ordered up some cheese from this premium Wisconsin cheesemaker. They make 60 different…read moretypes of cheese, with many being award winning. We had some of their triple play (sheep, cow, and goat that is) extra innings aged cheese and it was tip-top delectable.

A cute town and a cute little shop. It was a Sunday so unfortunately they were not making cheese…read moreso there was nothing to view in the cheese plant next door. We perused the shop that had more than just cheese - there was liquor and other goods to be had. The old wood walk-in cooler was a nice piece of history. The staff was very friendly. We walked out with a sample of a few cheese products that were quite tasty.

My fiancé and I were out road tripping and stopped at the Shullsburg Creamy and purchased a…read moreplethora of cheeses. We bought pepper jack, baby Swiss, aged cheddar, blueberry white cheddar chunks, cheddar and bacon, cheese curds, blue cheese, and buffalo style cheese curds. We had a blast and will definitely be back!

Came here to get three fillet mignons and since there wasn't any in the shelves they went in the…read moreback and cut us some fresh ones. That evening we cooked it, a nice medium-rare/medium and they were the best stakes we ever had. So tender and the quality was 1000/10.

Exceptional service and quality. They will help you pick to correct choice of beef or pork for your…read moreoccasion. The grade of meet is outstanding. We like to get the cheese curds and beef stick to snack on. The curds are always fresh and squeaky. They have a number of choices of beef stick to choose from. The last time in the owner help use pick the beef roast to serve for Mother's Day. I would suggest the brat Patties. A little different spin on the everyday brat.

I just tried some of their signature Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese, which currently runs $17 for an…read more8 oz package. I must say premium Wisconsin cheeses are like hazy IPA's to me. There are a ton of tastes (and textures) and they're all a little different, and I like them all! Maybe one day I'll develop enough of a palate to have a favorite, but for now, they're all good!!

Pleasant Ridge Reserve, the signature cheese of the Uplands Cheese Company, may be one of the…read moresingle most perfect hard cows milk cheese made in the US. A traditionally made cheese in the style of alpine cheeses from southwestern France, Pleasant Ridge Reserve is made only during the months when cows graze on grasses, sweet clover, and wild herbs, giving their milk a depth of flavor not usually found in most cheeses from year-round milkers grazing on silage and grain. This award winning cheese (just go to their website to see how many accolades they've earned...it is simply awesome) is a favorite both here in the Midwest and all over the country. For those of us lucky to live in Chicago, it is on the menu of many local restaurants, who use it both on cheese plates and in more complex dishes. During a recent visit to Hot Chocolate on Damen, for example, I had a Pleasant Ridge Reserve-filled brioche. I think this cheese is better to eat out of hand than to incorporate in a recipe - with heating, many of the subtleties of texture and flavor are lost. Seek it out. And if you do find it in a cheese shop, make sure the piece you get does not touch plastic. Because plastic is the enemy of all cheese. If it must touch plastic, make sure you get it out as soon as possible and put in proper cheese paper or wax paper and foil. And eat it right away - it isn't going to get any better in your fridge. Uplands isn't open to the public, but if you call ahead they may just accomodate you. The trip through the lush, rolling hills of southern Wisconsin is an agrarian's dream.

My husband is on the road for work, happened upon Arena Cheese a few years ago and brought home a…read moredecent sized wheel of Colby Jack cheese he scored for $4. Turns out Arena Cheese is the home of the original Colby Jack! We ended up passing by there on a recent weekend and I got to experience the place for myself. It's not a large store, but there are good things to be found. They had some great value cheese, especially if you have room for larger portions. There was also a selection of meat sticks, string cheese, and some chilled beverages. If you're nearby and looking to stock up on some cheese, watch for the mouse!

We always stop here for curds and other cheeses. They are always knowledgeable and friendly…read more Definitely try the garlic curds if they are fresh. Those are our favs. So far!

Limited selection Cheese we did buy was not that good…read more Just go to a grocery store and buy Wisconsin cheese and you will be better off.

We were in Dickeyville visiting the Grotto, so naturally we had to stop for some WI cheese…read more We were the only customers in the store, aside from the woman getting her cheese sliced at the front counter. We browsed for a good while before settling on some goodies. My parents purchased several Farmer's Cheese varieties (having recently learned that this is the healthiest cheese we should be eating). My brother and SIL bought a bag of 'scraps' of various cheeses and summer sausages. Nice that nothing goes to waste here! This is a good way to try a variety of meats and cheeses, too. Plenty of souvenirs for those out-of-towners. Souvenirs definitely have the touristy prices---ouch. This was a nice stop for us on a Thursday afternoon. I good way for us to escape the heat and stock up on some of WI's finest. Clean. Big parking lot. Customer service could be a lot better, though.

We have been here several times and enjoyed tasting all the wonderful cheese and other snacks as…read morewell. Everyone is always very friendly. They also have ice cream!!

Selection and service is great ! Easy to find. Fun to watch the production processes.read more