Once again I find myself going to go meet George Motz for some Burger Research. On this day we started in Lake Mills at the V.F.W Burger Stand. I have been there to eat but George has not. George shows up and we go right to work. George likes to order the burger a place sells the most. He is told what it was by Carol who is working the window. George orders a "Burger With." Which is a burger with fried onions, more liked steamed. I pass on a burger knowing it is going to be a long day of eating. Some of the staff ask if George is the guy they read about in the morning paper. Word got out that he was coming to the area. You can read the "Leak" here... Wisconsin State Journal. George finish his burger and we go inside the little burger joint to ask questions. This place is small and I am surprise the seven of us could move around. (5 volunteers working and the two of us) I won't go in to details of what we learn but I will give you the basics. You can read about my other visit here, VFW Post 67 Ok this is a fried Burger. No grill, no flat top, this burger is fried in Canola Oil. If you ask for cheese they put it on the burger when it is about to be wrapped in wax paper. This is so the heat from the burger melts the cheese. We order another burger to be a model. George gets some shots then we split the burger to share it. Now George wants to get a picture of the front. He had to stand in the road. So I step out to stop traffic. At one point a Semi-Truck was coming at us. Who said Burger Research is not dangerous!!! Pictured above is George at work. After som more pictures George goes inside to get even more info. I wait outside just people watching as the lunch rush has started. George gets the info that he needs and a T-shirt then we are off to Jefferson WI, quick 10 minute drive. Before we leave though George gives me an In-n-Out Burger T-shirt for my help.
If you know your Hamburger America Book going to Jefferson means we are stopping at Perterson's or Wedl's. We order our burgers and George is catching up with the boys in the stand. He gets a couple pictures of the burger then we go inside to talk to the new owner. Inside there are pictures from way back of the place. Once again George strikes out with getting a T-shirt they are out. Now off to Madison WI.
We are going to Madison to go have a burger at the Plaza. We are also meeting Doug Moe who writes for the Wisconsin State Journal. He is the one that wrote the article of George's visit and has written a couple columns on burgers in Madison. George was excited to visit the VFW Stand but he was looking forward to taking a bite out of a Plaza Burger. It has a Special Sauce that George wants to know what it is. If you get to Madison have a Plaza Burger! We order our Plaza Burgers and boy do they hit the spot. We talk to Dean the owner and he tells us that people bring in the Hamburger America Book for him to sign. People that are on road trips using the book as a guide to destinations. Heck I even have my book signed by Dean last year. Have you lost count of how many burgers we have had??? Next stop my Dotty's Dumplings for some deep fried cheese curds!!
We get to Dotty's and I tell George this is my hang out now. I probably visit there once a week now. We go inside and order the cheese curds. Our order comes but we can't even put a dent into the order we are so full from eating all day. George gets a to go box so he can take them home. If George wanted a Plaza Burger the cheese curds were a close second on his list to eat that day. George heads out but I stay at Dotty's. It is about 2 pm now, we started at about 10 am. I am full and tired so I sit at Dotty's talking with the staff while I have some beers. Well around 6 I am still there just talking and getting hungry. Yep I order and Cheeseburger and fries. So that day I had 3 1/2 burgers and some cheese curds... I would have to say it was a good day. Hopefully the VFW Hamburger Stand will make the book. I have learn from George that you can get some good quotes from people. Well I got one that day and it came from George. I have called the burger places in Lake Mills, Watertown and Jefferson a "Triangle" George has a better saying he calls it "The Burger Belt." If you think from Madison WI to Milwaukee/Glendale there are 6 burger places that are truly Hamburger America. That is about an 80 mile stretch from Madison to Milwaukee/Glendale. 4 of the places are in the book with 2 more possibly in the new edition. If you are looking for Hamburger America, Wisconsin is a good place to visit.
Next up research for me in the Chicago area once again.
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