July 23, 2002
I think it’s required to go to a fish boil when you visit Door County, Wisconsin. If not, perhaps it should be.
At a traditional fish boil, the Boil Master will not only cook your delicious, butter drenched whitefish, but will tell you the story of how fish boils came to be a tradition in the area.
Our Boil Master said that whitefish boils were likely originally done to feed the Scandinavian workers who were logging or doing other work in the area. It was a quick, easy and inexpensive way to feed a large group of hungry workers.
We had our fish boil at the Old Post Office Restaurant in Ephraim. The restored building was the site of Ephraim’s post office in the early 1900s. They use Lake Michigan whitefish that is delivered every other day by a local fisherman who has been providing fish to the area for decades.
With dinner you get two huge whitefish steaks, red potatoes, a wonderful sweet onion, coleslaw, homemade breads and fresh baked Door County Cherry Pie.
If (shame on you) you don’t want to try the whitefish, you can ask for chicken or ribs as an alternative. But try the fish – drown it in the amazing butter. You will be glad you did!