Fireside Chats
In this new series, we speak with the people behind Potawatomi Casino Hotel about what makes the destination special – from locally sourced food to cultural heritage and everything in between.
With 10 food and beverage venues – from chef-selected cuts at Dream Dance Steakhouse to lattes at Cream City Coffee Co. – Potawatomi Casino Hotel’s culinary team works hard to deliver innovative, farm-to-table options for guests. We spoke to Jenn Wilzbacher, Director of Restaurants and Beverage Operations, and Pete Zach, Director of Culinary Operations, about how they maintain those high standards.
Why is local sourcing important for Potawatomi’s dining? How does it elevate the experience for guests?
PETE ZACH: Using local products really matters to us. We work with providers we trust who have high-quality food and beverage offerings. Being in Wisconsin, obviously dairy is a heavy-hitter – we have access to the best dairy for all our dining properties. Local sourcing is also important because of seasonality. We’re always looking to use fresh, seasonal vegetables. And it’s also about supporting other Wisconsin businesses.
What are some local sources and farms you use at your restaurants?
ZACH: We’re working with the Wisconsin Food Hub, a local farmer-led cooperative. As vegetables come in season, we source them from the co-op, which procures them from farms across the state. We’re also working with Wisconsin Meadows, a beef farmers co-op where everything is grass-fed. For charcuterie boards, we use Usinger’s and Nueske’s and a handful of local dairy farms. We use Peter Sciortino Bakery and Grebe’s Bakery for our bread. We’re excited about recently adding whitefish from Red Cliff Fish Co. in Bayfield on the menu, which supports another local tribe, the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe.
WILZBACHER: For our Loaded Bloody Mary, available in every venue, the drink features Pritzlaff’s meat sticks, Renard’s cheese whips and a local bloody mary mix, Remedy. Our bacon is sourced from Jones Dairy Farm located in Fort Atkinson. We sell honey from Milwaukee’s Kallas Honey Farm in our retail shop, too. We’re always working to bridge that gap between local sources and our guests’ needs.
How are you able to serve 17,000 guests every day – at multiple restaurants and a food hall – while still using local sourcing and ensuring quality?
WILZBACHER: We have an immense prep kitchen that allows us to process all of our farm-fresh ingredients in-house. It also comes down to our resources and large, diverse team that brings our vision to life on a daily basis.
ZACH: When we partner with local companies, we’re very transparent about what our volume is. We’re working with really great and reliable partners that are able to keep up with that demand while providing great quality.
You’re putting on a Farm-to-Table Pop Up this fall, Sept. 22-23. Could you talk a bit about what people can expect at that event?
WILZBACHER: The event is going to be great – our guests will get the chance to taste delicious meals made with ingredients from Wisconsin farms. We’re pairing each course with something local, like Copper Crow Distillery, North America’s first Indigenous distiller; and Great Lakes Distillery just down the street from the casino. We’re also giving people something to take with them, whether it’s local soap, candles or flowers grown in Wisconsin.
ZACH: Our focus is everything from Wisconsin: meats, dairy, vegetables and working directly with farmers. Everyone’s having fun with this event. As we dig deeper, the availability of certain items we didn’t know we had access to before has really opened our eyes. ◆
THE DISHES
Midwest Fish Fry
This breaded whitefish comes from Red Cliff Fish Co. in Bayfield, owned and operated by the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe. It’s served with beef-fat french fries, coleslaw, tartar sauce and a salted rye roll.
Almond Crusted Whitefish
Red Cliff whitefish is prepared with marcona almonds and toasted breadcrumbs, along with herbs.
Japanese A5 Wagyu Striploin
This striploin is some of the highest-quality meat in the world, sourced from Japan’s Miyazaki Prefecture.
Bone-In Ribeye
The 20-ounce prime bone-in ribeye comes from Iowa Premium, a family farm in Tama, Iowa.
