Wisconsin Foodie

- Season 2

(2011)

Travel from the ground to the cup and learn the story behind a cup of coffee. Meet coffee roasters around the state and hear their philosophies on roasting, fair trade and the importance of community. Then, travel with Alterra Coffee to visit farmers and see firsthand how coffee is grown and selected. Finally, we get a lesson on making the perfect Espresso with award winning barista Scott Lucey.

Follow Chef Tory Miller of L'Etoile as he and his crew travel to Willi Lehner's Bleu Mont Dairy to cook a meal for 250 hosted by Outstanding in the Field. Join Madison's Underground Food Collective as they take over the L'Etoile kitchen to put on a 100 person dinner. Finally, Myrica Von Haselberg of the food blog Horno Magico puts on a secret Valentines Day dinner at Milwaukee's Best Place.

Meet farmer Jonathan Stich of One Guerrilla Farmer. Jonathan is a new breed of farmer that not only grows heirloom products of his own, but sources from the best farmers in his community and brings it directly to restaurants like Alinea and Next in Chicago and La Reve and Cafe at the Plaza in Milwaukee. Follow Jon on one of his routes to Chicago and back - meeting his chefs along the way.

Celebrate the "Old World" and the "New School" tradition of craft sausage making. European Homemade Sausage has been a staple on Milwaukee's south side since the 1970's. In 2010, master sausage maker Frank Jakubczak tried to retire only to have his customers demand he return. Then, meet up with the Underground Food Collective and see what a new generation of sausage makers are up to.

Travel to Sheboygan to visit with Chef Stefano Viglietti and tour three of his restaurants. After traveling to Italy, he and his wife Whitney returned to their roots and opened Trattoria Stefano 19 years ago. Visit his newest restaurants Field to Fork, Il Ritrovo and also the original Trattoria Stefano where Chef Stefano prepares us a southern Italian dish using mostly local ingredients.

Travel to Washington Island to meet with Ken Koyen, a 5th generation farmer/fisherman who supplies wheat to companies like Capital Brewery and Death's Door Spirits. Spend the day with Ken and his brother Tom fishing for White Fish, harvesting wheat and preparing a traditional boneless fish boil. See how to make the perfect Manhattan and visit Nelsen's Hall to join the Bitter's Club.

Travel to central Wisconsin to visit with Tony and Sue Renger, owners of Willow Creek Farms. Willow Creek produces some of the best award winning Berkshire pork in the state and they process and smoke all of their own meats. Tour their charcuterie facility, smokehouse and the pastures where the happy pigs roam free. Then, visit the Madison Club for the first SlowPig event put on by chef Dan Fox.

Meet Wisconsin native and award winning chef Tony Mantuano. Regarded internationally as an influential culinary force, Mantuano is the chef/partner at the only four-star Italian restaurant in Chicago. Mantuano worked in several Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy before opening Spiaggia in 1984. Visit Mantuano at his Kenosha restaurant Mangia as he hosts the 19th annual Masters of the Grill.

Kirby Nelson gives us a tour of Capital Brewery and a glimpse into beer making. Then, meet Ed Janus, author of "Creating Dairyland." He is joined by cheesemakers Sid Cook of Carr Valley Cheese and Jerry and Elise Klessig Heimerl of Saxon Creamery. Finally, a clip from the documentary by William Wroblewski titled "The Wheat Movie," where we meet craft baker Dave Bauer of Farm and Sparrow Bakery.

Get a behind the scenes look into the art of cheese making with award-winning cheesemaker Andy Hatch of Uplands Cheese. Then visit La Merenda restaurant in Milwaukee where Chef Peter Sandroni is hosting a dinner to celebrate Wisconsin cheese. Finally, catch up with writer Gordon Edgar of Rainbow Grocery Cooperative in San Francisco for a reading of his book, "Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge."

Visit Bacchus restaurant in Milwaukee with double James Beard Award-winning chef Paul Bartolotta as he hosts their annual Truffle Dinner. The Bartolottas get together all of their chefs and put on a multi-course dinner using the rare white truffle. Then, visit the Hamilton Bar, where Nick and Ira of Bittercube Bitters are hosting an event that pays tribute to forgotten cocktails and rare .45s.

Visit Kettle Moraine with chef David Swanson from Braise Restaurant and Culinary School to hunt for spring morels. Also meet publisher and editor-in-chief of Fungi Magazine, Britt Bunyard. Britt serves as our foraging guide, maneuvering us through the forest and pointing out what is edible and what is not. Later, chef Swanson uses only foraged items to cook a completely local and seasonal meal.

Visit chef Dave Swanson and get a tour of his freshly opened restaurant - Braise. David Swanson has been running a traveling cooking school for the past several years, cooking in barns and out in open fields. Then, meet the author of "Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge," Gordon Edgar. Gordon also runs one of the best cheese shops in the country, Rainbow Grocery Cooperative in San Francisco.