Wisconsin's Trollway

In nearby Mt. Horeb there are trolls everywhere.

The little "creatures" are part of Norse mythology, and with so many Norsemen and women in these parts - it makes sense the little beings followed behind to the New World to settle in the rolling hills of southern Wisconsin.

Mt. Horeb has trolls of various shapes and sizes lining the Main Street through town.

Just off the main drag, however, you can find the place they head when they need to wet their whistle...  the Grumpy Troll Brew Pub.

Inside, we mostly found kind folks with nice smiles and friendly service to take care of us and serve an ample meal.

Little beers are one of their specialties - and as a Brew Pub it's a great way to sample the beers brewed up in the back of the restaurant.  I tried Captain Fred, an American Lager with a nice flavor and a perfect compliment to the delicious fried cheese curds that came with a side of Honey Mustard.  (Mt. Horeb was formerly the home of the Mustard Museum, but the museum grew so big - it moved east to Middleton.)

You may fill up on the amazingly creamy and crunchy little nuggets of heaven, but if you don't then move on to the rest of the menu.

I really should have known better than having another side on top of the curds, but when you see the words "Sweet Potato Tots" there is really no point in resisting.

They came nestled between two perfectly toasted halves of an outstanding B.L.T. with Bavaria thick cut bacon, lettuce, and tomato.

Wow.  It was mouth-watering.

It was the first time for me at the Grumpy Troll, and after eating there was one less grump in the city of Mt. Horeb.

It's just a short couple of pedals from the Military Ridge Bike Trail - perhaps creating another reason (as if I needed one) to climb onto a bike some Saturday afternoon.

Back to the cheese curds for a moment... when I lived in Indianapolis there were people there unfamiliar with the golden goodness that is the cheese curd.

Shocking - and if that's the case in one of America's biggest cities - then there could be even more Americans deprived of one of life's tastiest treats.

A fresh cheese curd is a dynamo of pleasure all by itself.  The key to knowing whether it's fresh is if you hear a slight squeek when you bite into one.  Squeeky fresh is what you want out of your cheese curds. Yes, plural - it's pointless to think you can stop at just one.

Drop some of those curds in a deep fryer for a few moments and the cheese becomes a little molten ball of joy ready to pop into your mouth to deliver sweet and savory delight.  You should be warned, however, that the best cheese curds can't be purchased in the frozen food section of your favorite grocer.

Your best option is a road trip to Wisconsin to try some honest to goodness fresh and fried cheese curds for yourself.  It's just another reason to come to America's Dairyland.

And if you see some trolls in your rear-view mirror stop in to visit with the Grumpy Troll, you will be cheered up before you leave.