Sustainable Pizza and Gelato

Yesterday was our 37th wedding anniversary. It wasn’t a landmark number so we didn’t plan a big trip, do an overnight or purchase gifts. Instead we took a day trip to Door County. Those of you who are not familiar with Wisconsin should know that Door County is a tourist destination for people all over the country, especially Chicagoans. Lots of food, bed & breakfasts, cabins, shops, galleries, parks, beaches, boating, fishing, ……you get the idea. It’s that narrow peninsula that sticks out from the state between Green Bay and Lake Michigan.

We planned some art gallery stops, an antique store or two, and a nice lunch. I was hoping to find a place to eat that we hadn’t previously visited and polled my friends for suggestions. We had 3-4 good recommendations but while browsing a brochure as Curt drove I found an ad for Wild Tomato: Wood-fired Pizza and Grille in Fish Creek. We happened to be cruising through Fish Creek right around lunch time, spotted the sign and pulled in. It was a pleasant-looking place, lots of outdoor seating under bright red umbrellas but it was overcast and a slight breeze made it a bit cool so we opted for indoor seating. Inside there was a small bar,  a pizza chef working in front of the wood-fired oven and about eight tables. The wall decoration consisted of kid’s drawings of crazy creatures. Maybe this one is the wild tomato?

We started out with Republic of Tea iced tea. I had ginger-peach and Curt had pomegranate green. I didn’t know they made bottled tea.  Wild Tomato had some pretty interesting pizzas on the menu plus a build your own option but we went with one of the specials called the Sustainable Pizza. I found out later that this pizza changes depending on the available seasonal ingredients from local partner farms. Ours had a homemade crust topped with chicken, summer squash, diced fresh tomatoes, fresh herbs (a melange of), garlic olive oil, parmesan, mozzarella and goat cheese. Our server also brought us freshly grated parmesan to add to the top.  It certainly sustained us. It was very good. We ordered a small (16.95) but it was plenty for two with a piece left to take home.

Later after a visit to Linden Gallery in Ellison Bay and a stop for coffee at a shop called Brew, plus a side trip to Ellison Bluff scenic overlook, we knew it was time for dessert.  Once again I referred to the arts and events brochure I had and found Joe Jo’s Pizza and Gelato in North Ephraim. Yum, gelato.  Easy to find and they boasted 18 flavors of gelato. I had hazelnut and Curt went with German chocolate.  I’m not a gelato connoisseur but these tasted as good as the ones I had in Seattle.

It was a great day. The sun finally came out on the way home. Oh yes, we made one more stop for a quart of fresh-picked strawberries.