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These are the 5 oldest restaurants in the Marshfield area

Posted on10/09/202230/11/2022Author

MARSHFIELD – Many restaurants in the area have been around for a long time, providing good times, great food and beloved places to gather.

These restaurants have been serving customers for decades. They have long, rich (and delicious) histories. Here are the five oldest restaurants in the Marshfield area that are still operating.

1973: Buck-A-Neer Super Club

The Buck-A-Neer Super Club in Rozellville on Dec. 18, 2020.

The Buck-A-Neer Supper Club, 122923 Marathon County C, is a popular restaurant in Rozellville that has been serving customers for nearly 50 years. The building itself was originally a blacksmith and buggy shop in the early 1900s. It wasn’t until 1932 that it became an eatery.

The Buck-A-Neer was first opened by Tom and Ann Seubert and Tom’s parents, Dick and Celine, on March 1, 1973. Around 2000, Dick and Celine retired and Tom’s brother, Roy, and his wife, Jeannie, became part owners . After decades of serving customers, the family announced that the restaurant would close in 2016.

It was announced shortly after that the restaurant had been sold to Dave and Judy Jasurda, their daughter, Elizabeth, her fiancé at the time, and Rob and Rita Blinker, said current co-owner Scott Kleinschmidt.

The restaurant is currently owned by Kleinschmidt, Rob Posteluk and Ariel Gorst.

The restaurant suffered significant damage after a fire in August 2020, which forced them to close while they did repairs. It reopened in December 2020.

It’s remained a local hot spot that people still flock to for fish fries, birthdays, anniversaries or just the traditional Wisconsin supper club experience.

1974: Melody Gardens

Melody Gardens was seen on Oct. 13 in Marshfield.

Part restaurant and part skating rink, Melody Gardens, 1200 S. Oak Ave. in Marshfield, has been a spot for good food and fun for 48 years.

Alvin and Gladys Brock opened the roller rink in 1974, according to the website. They added the ice cream parlor in 1980 and served a basic menu. In 1990, they turned the parlor into a full-scale restaurant. By 1996, they were making their own ice cream. They offer a variety of different flavors today.

The business has changed ownership several times over the years, but has stayed in the family. The Brocks sold Melody Gardens to their daughter, Deb, and her husband, Dan Dietel, in 1993. It was sold again in 2012 to the Brock’s other daughter, Margie, and her husband, Dennis Schmidt, according to the website.

The local favorite offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. And, of course, ice cream is also on the menu, so you can round out the perfect rolling rink experience.

1982: Nutz Deep II

Nutz Deep II, 809 S. Central Ave. in Marshfield.

Nutz Deep II, 809 S. Central Ave., has become one of Marshfield’s most popular restaurants over the last few decades.

Dewey Schutz opened the restaurant in Marshfield in 1982 and a second location in Spencer at 103 E. Clark St. in 2007. He decided to name the restaurant Nutz Deep II after an employee named Ray suggested he name the restaurant after one he had owned in Sturgeon Bay, according to the website.

“Dewey thought this was the most insane thing he had ever heard, but Ray was convinced he had the name fit,” says a post on the restaurant’s website. “He said that the bar could be the place where people could go and get a little nuts.”

The restaurant has racked up many local awards over the years, including small business of the year, best burger, best fish fry, best bartender, best cheese curds and more.

1984: Belvedere Super Club

Belvedere Supper Club, M329 State 97 in Marshfield.

Another Marshfield-area classic is the Belvedere Supper Club, M329 State 97. The restaurant has been open for nearly four decades, offering a large menu with hearty Wisconsin classics.

Dale and Patricia Leffel moved to Marshfield in 1977 and opened the supper club in 1984, according to the website. They had a passion for great food and service and decided to open a restaurant. They found a property on the north side of the city that they knew would be perfect, according to the website.

“Their dream at that time was just an open field,” the website says. “Thus the name Belvedere, or ‘open view,’ was born.”

The Belvedere not only offers a restaurant, it also has a wedding chapel and reception area on the grounds and will provide catering for the celebration. People can also enjoy live music at the super club.

1987: Scotty’s Pizza & Chicken

Scotty's Pizza, 100 S. Chestnut Ave. in Marshfield.

Scotty’s Pizza, 100 S. Chestnut Ave., has been a staple in Marshfield for 35 years.

Scott Berg opened the restaurant in 1987 at the age of 24. He told the Marshfield News-Herald in 2019 that he knew he wanted to open a restaurant when he was in ninth grade. He said he had originally planned to move away from Marshfield, his hometown, after high school, but he ended up staying. He bought what was then Booker’s Pizza and opened Scotty’s.

Scotty’s has

Holiday Bars and Restaurants to Sip on a Festive Drink in DC

Posted on08/09/202230/11/2022Author

Coquito cocktails. Photo courtesy of La Famosa.

Best Holiday Cocktails

Put down the eggnog: DC restaurants are serving holiday drinks from around the world. Here are three options.

Coquito

From: Puerto Rican
Where to find it: La Famosa (1300 Fourth St., SE)

The cocktail’s name translates to “little coconut.” At this Navy Yard spot, it’s made with local distillery Cotton & Reed’s rum, which features notes of vanilla and coconut.

Ponche a Crème

From: Trinidad
Where to find it: St. James (2017 14th St., NW)

The festive libation is popular around the Caribbean. The 14th Street restaurant serves the milky drink with an abundance of citrus peels.

Glühwein

From: Switzerland
Where to find it: Stable (1324 H St., NE)

‘Tis the season for hot spiced wine, a staple at this Swiss restaurant. Pair the mulled drink with melty fondue for a cozy dinner.

Top Holiday Pop-up Bars

Bars are decking their halls with drink specials and spirited decorations.

Sippin’ Santas at Archipelago

1201 U St., NW.

Take a holiday trip to the tropics November 25 through December 31 when the tiki bar converts to a Christmas pop-up. Sip the pineapple Kris Kringle Colada among the island ephemera—think summery drinks and Santa in sunglasses.

Miracle at Death Punch Bar

2321 18th St., N.W.

The cocktail lounge transforms into a merry destination with twinkling lights, Yuletide motifs, and themed seating areas. Visit the holiday bar starting November 25 for spiked eggnog, mulled wine, and a gingerbread-flavored old fashioned in festive glassware.

Chai-vy and Cohen-y at Ivy & Coney

1537 Seventh St., N.W.

Head to the Shaw watering hole’s annual Hanukkah bar for a hanukkiah-lighting each evening starting December 18. Snack on fried-potato latkes, then take part in a unique holiday tradition: the “shot-norah,” a giant menorah affixed to shot glasses for seasonal imbibing. The bar will remain open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Taylor Swift-Inspired Christmas Bar Opens in Navy Yard — Bejeweled Christmas Bar by Maxwell Park opens for the holiday season. Photo by Caroline Frentz.

Bejeweled Christmas Bar at Maxwell Park

1346 Fourth St., SE.

Swifties get a holiday bar in Navy Yard beginning on November 23, decked out by former Miracle on Seventh Street designer Adriana Salame. The glittering decor is inspired by Taylor Swift’s “Bejeweled” music video, and drinks pay homage to her discography. There are peppermint shooters, spiked whipped cream, and an espresso martini.

Once Upon a Tiki Christmas at Tiki TNT

1130 Maine Ave., SW.

Santa gets a beach vacation at Todd Thrasher’s tiki joint from November 21 to January 2. Holiday specials include hot pineapple cider and s’mores kits to roast over a tiny grill. Despite the tropical theme, the bar’s snow machine means flurries are in the forecast.

Jingle Bell Rock at B Live

2854 Wilson Blvd., Arlington.

Starting on November 29, the Clarendon music venue and restaurant is getting into the holiday spirit with oversized candy canes and a mistletoe-laden photo booth. Stop by the bar on Tuesdays for karaoke caroling and on Thursdays for Christmas films.

Illustrations by Connie Zheng.
This article appears in the November 2022 issue of Washingtonian.

Lifestyle Editor

Daniella Byck joined the Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in NoMa.

How Roberto’s Taco Shop became a Southwest chain, phenomenon

Posted on16/08/202230/11/2022Author

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Roberto’s, Alberto’s, Filiberto’s, Juanberto’s … If you have lived in or around the Southwest states, chances are you’ve seen a variation of a “Berto’s” Mexican fast-food restaurant, the majority possessing an identifiable orange and yellow color scheme and a logo in a cursive font.

Over the years, variations of the restaurant — we’ll explain how and why there are so many — are commonly defined by its carne asada burritos, beef tacos and rolled taco combination plates, among other savory Mexican food items.

It’s hard to miss and what you see is what you usually get anywhere there may be one.

The concept originates from Roberto’s Taco Shop, a family-owned fast-food restaurant that initially opened its doors to San Diego in the late 1960s.

The founders were Roberto, the shop’s namesake, and Dolores Robledo, who immigrated from the small town of San Juan del Salado in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

One of the nation’s first Mexican fast-food chains, the family-run Roberto’s Taco Shop introduced an innovative blueprint that would spur copycats and imitators in the Southwest and even abroad.

A Roberto's Taco Shop in Chula Vista, Calif., opened in 1980 by Raul Robledo. — A Roberto’s Taco Shop in Chula Vista, Calif., opened in 1980 by Raul Robledo.Courtesy Roberto’s Taco Shop; LLC

More than 70 variations have been reported across the Southwest states and the majority are owned by people who originate from the same region in Mexico that the Robledos are from. Roberto would encourage family members to work with him and eventually advocated for them to open their own shops once they got familiar with the system he helped establish.

“My father was from the frame of thought that this is the land of opportunity. And if you’re willing to work hard, there’s enough business to go around,” recalled Jose Robledo, 52, the youngest of the 13 Robledo children. “He was always there to lend a helping hand to everybody who wanted to get into the business.”

An American immigrant dream

Roberto first came to the United States in the mid 1940s under the Bracero program, which allowed millions of Mexican men to legally work in the country through short-term labor contracts. He would later hold multiple jobs, including being a waiter, working in construction and washing cars on the weekends. When he brought his wife and their children over, Dolores would pack sardines at a cannery and wash hotel industry towels for a linen company.

In 1964, the family purchased two adjacent homes in San Ysidro, near the US-Mexico border. One house was where they lived, the other was converted into a tortilla factory to make corn and flour tortillas to deliver to other restaurants. They also sold bean and cheese burritos, chile verde (green chile) burritos and chile colorado burritos at that time.

The Robledos got their start by making tortillas in San Ysidro, Calif., to sell to restaurants before they opened their own eating establishments. Courtesy Roberto’s Taco Shop; LLC

“At first, that’s all they sold,” said Reynaldo Robledo, 57, the 12th of the Robledo children.

The Robledos would eventually acquire four businesses and operate them under the original establishment names such as La Lomita and El Gallito.

It wasn’t until the fifth shop they purchased, a hamburger joint, that they would rename it “Roberto’s #5” under Roberto’s name.

“It was the first Roberto’s … from there forward, all the restaurants we opened were Roberto’s Taco Shop,” said Reynaldo, who grew up working in the family business as a cook.

The business became a rite of passage for Reynaldo and his siblings; at the same time, his father encouraged workers from his ranch to open their own shops.

Reynaldo has franchised Roberto’s Taco Shop in Nevada and says there are 60 stores in the region. Plus, there are also 20 shops in California and one in Texas, all owned by the original family.

But that’s just part of it. More than 70 ‘Berto’ variations have been documented across the Southwest — and there’s a possibility there are more that aren’t using the “Berto’s” namesake, according to several family members.

“All of those people are from where my dad’s from,” Reynaldo said.

While other shop owners may become upset about people copying and imitating their own restaurant, Roberto welcomes it.

From Roberto’s to Alberto’s

Here’s how the “Berto’s” variation came about.

Roberto prided himself on the fact the restaurants served fresh food made daily, a standard he held at all of the shops he owned and rented others to — and one that continues today by his children. When Roberto found out that relatives weren’t serving food with fresh ingredients at one shop they rented from him, he wasn’t too happy.

“My dad told them to change the name. And that’s where Alberto’s came,” Reynaldo said referring to the first variant. “The saying goes that on their