Wonderful world of Rosewood

R sewood The wonderful world of

by Sandra Landen Machaj

CORRESPONDENT

For Mark and Gretch Hladish, musicians and owner of Rosewood in Delavan, music has always been an important part of their lives. So opening Rosewood in 2015 where they had total control over the music program was a dream come true.

Rosewood at 2484 County Road O, Delavan, is a unique place, a place to enjoy a fine meal, excellent musical programs, and a place to meander the beautiful grounds. Rosewood is by managed by Mark and Gretch Hladish on the grounds of the old Millie’s Restaurant.

The former Millie’s Restaurant and Shopping Village which had been in the area for about 48 years was a favorite spot for visitors to come for breakfast, to enjoy the grounds, and shop at the number of small shops located on the property. For many it was a destination for a day’s activity.

Owned by Bill and Marie Slater, the restaurant was also a favorite place for groups to come as day trips for lunch and a music program. In 2012, Millie’s closed temporarily and then never reopened as the deal with the expected new owner fell through. Revived by music

For Mark and Gretch Hladish, the closing of Millie’s was a disappointment, as they had appeared there from 2006 to its closing in 2012 presenting great musical programs.

“Music has been our lives,” shared Gretch Hladish. “Mark began playing the piano at the age of 4 and took on the violin at 6. He was the youngest to play with the Milwaukee Symphony, at the age of 7. He has continued to perform, write, and arrange music throughout the years and today is able to play 21 different instruments.”

Gretch Hladish also has spent her life performing music. She was the youngest of six children and knew early in life that music was for her. She enjoyed performing at a young age and would sing and play the guitar. By 14 years of age, she was writing her own music and was involved in the church youth choir. She has performed professionally at many local area venues and events.

But as has often been said, the closing of one door may mean the opening of another and perhaps an even better

The grounds around Rosewood are beautiful no matter what time of year, whether in the spring when trees are sprouting to life, the summer when everything is in bloom, the fall when the leaves turn to autumn colors and in winter when soft covering of snow turn the grounds into a winter wonderland.

SANDRA LANDEN MACHAJ Spirit of Geneva Lakes

Mark and Gretch Hladish are the owners of Rosewood Dinner Theater in Delavan and the creators of the many shows that are held there. They are also the principal performers.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Spirit of Geneva Lakes

opportunity. For Mark and Gretch this seems to have been true.

“When the Millie’s property was going up for auction, we were approached and told to get our business plan together to reopen an event space here. And so we did,’ said Gretch Hladish. There was a lot of work to be done to turn the building into a high-end event space but the task was taken on.

“The building was remodeled using many of the authentic pieces that were on the property. Gorgeous vaulted wooden ceilings with curved beams were placed in the dining room. Beautiful chandeliers were hung throughout the space,” Gretch Hladish said. “This was a community grass roots project using local craftsman. When it was time to purchase new furniture, everything was shopped local.”

The purpose was to create a music venue, where visitors would come to enjoy fine quality music in a beautiful surrounding. They successfully planned a variety of events to attract different groups of visitors. Plans for the future

While the building was being revamped, Mark and Gretch were hard at work creating new and exciting music shows to appeal to a variety of audiences and offer audiences the best in musical theater in the area. In addition they continued to record CD’s with 20 currently available for purchase at the shows or on line.

They offer a luncheon show, which is very popular with groups looking for a day activity. Groups arrive from a variety of locations; recently one group came from South Dakota. Usually the groups arrive by bus and will be taken into the bar room where cocktails or soft drinks may be purchased. Then at 12:30 p.m. they will go into the dining room and enjoy an elegant lunch prepared by the Executive Chef John Schnupp. Farm-to-table

The food served at Rosewood is all farm-to-table using the freshest local ingredients available under the direction of Schnupp, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. The meal may be plated and served at the table or for some events it is a buffet style served at stations. Menus may vary depending on the availability of fresh ingredients.

“For the buffet station, there is a pasta station where chef creates a fresh pasta dish to order, a carving station for a meat choice, and two vegetable choices and two starch choices for the meal,” shared Gretch Hladish.

After the lunch, everyone moves to the listening room where they enjoy a musical presentation created by Mark and Gretch or an invited musician. The room is large and can hold 90 to 100 guests. The Listening Room is a state of the art music venue equipped with the latest in lighting and sound technology to offer the best performance sound.

“We have the latest in sound and light technology in the room,” added Gretch Hladisch. “Since we are wireless, we can move around the room making the show

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more personal to the guests.

While the Hladishs do provide some of the musical performances, other musical talents can also be enjoyed here as solo and group acts from Milwaukee, Madison, and Chicago often can be found performing here. The schedule of performers changes frequently so it is always good to check the website www.rosewoodwi.com/tickets to see the current shows available. All types of events

A variety of programs are available including ones for corporate events, group dinners, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, Cabaret shows, class reunions, and fundraisers, and Celebrations of Life events. Proms for local high schools such as Big Foot High School and Williams Bay High School have been held here.

“Whatever event you would like to hold, we will work with you to be sure it is perfect,” said Gretch Hladish. “Game Show events are very popular because of the state-of-the-art technology that we use.”

Likewise, their Christmas shows have become a popular seasonal event; about 20 shows were presented this past holiday season.

“When we started, we thought we might do a few weddings. To our surprise the wedding business grew quickly, perhaps due to the beauty of the area and the fact that we have the largest dance floor in the county at 1,000 square feet,” said Gretch Hladish. “Weddings can be held outdoors in the gazebo or indoors.”

“We also make it easy to plan a wedding here as everything is available, from music and food to flowers and the small details such as chair covers, colored uplighting, and music on site. Event Planner, Dori Beck, who has had extensive experience planning weddings and other events will lead the way through the many challenges of creating a successful event whether it is a wedding, corporate event, or family event such as an anniversary, or family reunion.” Take time to meander

While at Rosewood be sure to visit their gift shop with an eclectic collection of unique Wisconsin items, accessories, and treats. On some occasions, one can even find freshly baked bread contributed to the shop by Chef Schnupp.

Take the time to meander the beautiful grounds enjoying the gazebo, trees, and in summer, flowers on the landscaped grounds. Gretch Hladish recommends that the quilters in your group stop in the Stitchery and view the extensive quilting supplies available. The Stitchery is the oldest quilt shop in the State of Wisconsin, according to Hladish and a favorite of quilters.

Located on the same property, actually in the same building as Rosewood is the Fire 2 Fork restaurant, although they are two separate businesses. Fire 2 Fork, according to Gretch Hladisch, is open Thursday to Saturday from 5 pm to 9 pm. They are very popular and often difficult to obtain a reservation, so consider calling as soon as possible.

Their food is also all locally sourced and includes a variety of choices based on what is available. They offer pizza cooked in a wood fired oven along with a variety of large and small plates, salads, and burgers freshly prepared.

On Fridays they offer a fish fry and bake. Chef Schnupp prepares food. The restaurant is owned by Chef Schnupp and his two sons, also chefs here and at Rosewood and the Hladishs.

above: The main banquet room is an elegant space with vaulted ceilings finished with wood and beautiful beams. The spacious facility provides adequate room for over 100 guests if needed. at left: An elegant plated dinner served on a beautifully set table in the dining room.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Spirit of Geneva Lakes

Summer fun

“In the summer, from Memorial Day to the end of September visit us at Rosewood on Monday nights and enjoy Sunset on the Patio, a relaxing outdoor musical show. This has been a very successful show with it being sold out most Mondays especially if the weather is nice. In addition to music there is simple grilled fare that can be purchased and the mixologist is available for those who would like to enjoy a drink while they enjoy the music,” said Mark Hladish.

“Admission is only $10. If you haven’t yet attended one of our Sunsets on the Patio shows, be sure to visit us this summer. You will enjoy the evening outdoors listening to beautiful music.”

Mark Hladish shared that he and Gretch share the joy of creating different types of social and musical events. They are enjoying providing a quiet exclusive place for these events that is being so well received.

“We are living out a creative life, one song at a time and loving every moment of it,” added Mark Hladish. “We are an event-driven business and are open when we have a creative event on the schedule. However, there usually is someone around for those who prefer to purchase tickets to our programs in person rather than online.”

So, when you are ready to create your next event, or just wish to attend a musical show, visit Rosewood and see all they have to offer. Rosewood is located at 2484 County Road O South, Delavan, call 262-725-7286 for more information.

Lake Lawn Resort is ‘Stella’ again

RESORT EARNS PAIR OF NATIONWIDE AWARDS

by Jennifer Eisenbart

STAFF WRITER

Once again, Lake Lawn Resort continues to pull in nationwide honors.

Northstar Meetings Group announced its annual Stella Awards Nov. 22, with Lake Lawn receiving a silver medal for Best Onsite Support and a bronze medal for Best Hotel/Resort Event Space in the Midwest Region.

The Stella Awards are the meeting industry’s highest honor, recognizing hotels, convention centers, conference centers, airlines, cruise lines, DMOs/CVBs and DMCs that consistently deliver quality service and innovation to meeting and event professionals.

“We are excited to be among the winners of this year’s prestigious Stella Awards,” said Dave Sekeres, general manager at Lake Lawn Resort. “This wouldn’t be possible without our talented and dedicated team members striving to provide excellent service and experiences for our guests.”

Winners of the 2022 Stella Awards were recognized by achieving overall excellence, superb food and beverage, professionalism of staff, technological innovations, and other critical aspects of the meetings and event experience. This year, more than 6,000 votes were cast from around the world for the 561 destinations, hotels and service providers nominated in 16 categories in six regions in the United States and worldwide. Best On-Site Support

Eileen Cole, executive director of sales and marketing at the resort, said the silver medal in this category honored the “dedicated and hard-working” staff at the resort.

“(They) continue to go above and beyond to provide exceptional service even during the post-COVID-19 pandemic related staff shortages across the hospitality industry,” she said.

In spite of labor shortages, the resort still hosted 100 weddings – including seven weddings and five additional functions all in one particular weekend. The resort also served 660 guests per day at its Lookout Bar and Eatery and 300 per day at the Isle of Capri Café.

She added that head chef John Billings continues to lead a culinary staff that is consistently praised by both new and returning guests. The resort is regularly voted as Best of Walworth County and was recently named one of the best private club and resort culinary experiences by Club + Resort Business.

The resort has several long-term employees, including Sekeres, who had been with Lake Lawn for 25 years. Sekeres is a recipient of the 2022 Innkeeper of the Year award from the Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association. Event Space

Cole said that Lake Lawn is known for its meeting and wedding spaces, all helped by the backdrop of Delavan Lake

“It’s no wonder why meeting and event planners and soon-to-be married couple migrate to Lake Lawn each year,” she said.

A recently completed multimillion-dollar renovation inspired by a “Lakefront Living” theme included extensive upgrades to the entire 32,000 square-foot meeting and event space. From the Lake Lawn Room with vaulted ceilings and lake views, to the Geneva Ballroom and the Geneva Club room, Cole said that Lake Lawn Resort is arguably the region’s best lakeside event site.

The resort also boasts the Lake Lawn Queen, a two-level, 76-foot cruise boat. The resort is set on 250 acres of lakeside property, and has watersports, golf, spa treatments and dining options all on site.

The Lake Lawn Queen cruise ship is one of the amenities that helped the Delavan resort earn a Stella Award for excellence.