A week before Thanksgiving I get a email from George Motz asking if I was up for some burger research. It would be the Friday after Thanksgiving. Well of course I said yes. We were to meet in Watertown WI at a place called Zwieg's. I have been to Watertown a couple times for car shows to show off the Corvette but never to eat. It was a 40 minute drive for me but it seemed short. We were to meet at noon but I got a call from George on the way there that he was running late. So I took a little detour down to Jefferson to see if Wendl's was open. You will know it as Peterson's in Hamburger America book. Now I don't know if the shack was closed for the season but the sign said "Closed Nov. 27 & 28." Well there goes that idea of going there after Zwieg's. Wendl's is just south of Watertown in Jefferson, a short drive.
Well I get at Zwieg's about quarter after 12. I walk in and take a seat in front of the griddle. I like to see the action. I have to wait a few minutes for George so I just sit back and observe what takes place at the griddle and the people inside. For one thing I could not believe the amount of "To Go" orders. I swear every 5 minutes a person came to pick an order up. The one thing I did notice was the waitress/cook knew everyone by name. You be walking in the door and she would be putting your order on the bar and say hi then tell you the total.
George walks in with an arm full of cameras, equipment and the book. He takes and seat to my left. We say hi and he puts his stuff on the bar. He tells me he followed a truck with a deer on the back. I laugh, "It is deer season here." I say. By this time Glen and Mary Zwieg have come over to say hi. After the introduction George goes right to work. Asking questions about this, about that. He look liked a seasoned journalist asking questions and writing down notes. Mary answered most of the questions, Glen felt comfortable at the griddle. I learn a lot about the place but I won't get into it ....Top Secret stuff you know. It may be in revised edition of George's book.
Well he gets his information he needs. Now it is time to order. I order a double cheeseburger with fried onions. George does the same. George is still writing his notes but still observing what is going on. I point out the our sliced onion is put on the patty as it is on the griddle. Then it is flipped to finish the burger and onions. Sort of like El Reno in Oklahoma, which I have never been to but I read it in Hamburger America and remember that!!
Our burgers arrive and George takes out his cameras. He gets a white piece of paper, in this case wax paper for lighting, and holds it to the side of the burger. So I sit there waiting. He takes picture after picture, telling me "Just a few more Todd." Then he says "OK done." I reach forward, grab my burger and take a bite. You will notice the onions right away but the flavor of the beef really comes through. We have our burger down in no time flat. While listening to the questions that George had ask I learn that the beef had arrived fresh no more then 20 minutes. Talk about fresh beef. After finishing we start to pack up but George tells me this is where you can get some good nuggets of info. The last 5 minutes of research for him is where some of the good stuff happens. Like I said I will leave that to his book!!
We go outside and take some pictures of the place (pictured above.) I don't know how many pictures he took that visit but it was a lot. Next we are off to Lake Mills. A quick 15 minute drive. I follow him down a two lane highway. We get behind a car doing lets say 45 in a 55. Well that slows us down. It was a hilly, curvy highway, so passing was going to be hard. Well when George got his opening to pass he did, legally of course. Must have been the NASCAR fan in him haha.
We get to American Legion Post 67 in Lake Mills. He points there it is. This place is small I thought he was pointing next to the diner next door. Post 67 is only open on Fridays during the summer months. George takes some photos and points out that this is Hamburger America and that two of the smallest places in his book are just miles apart. Wendl's in Jefferson the other.
Had a really fun day and learn a lot watching George. Now if I can learn more about photography all will be good!!
To read George's Blog of the day click here Wisconsin Burger Research
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