920–868–3634
4135 Hwy 42
Fish Creek, WI 54212
About The Cookery
It all began thirty-one years ago when Dick and Carol Skare honeymooned in Door County. It was May of 1977 and they found Fish Creek to be a sleepy lakeside town, with little to do but visit the few shops and restaurants that lined Main Street. One shopkeeper, Hazel Elliott, took the time to find out that Dick and Carol were aspiring restaurateurs who met while working side by side at a supper club near Minneapolis. She arranged for them to look at a small, twenty seat restaurant in downtown Fish Creek. “Door County is growing,” she told them, “get in now before the rush.” They took her advice and put in an offer, sleeping under Hazel’s grand piano while closing the deal.
Two short months later, on the weekend of July 4, 1977, Dick and Carol opened the doors of The Cookery. The Cookery began its first season with Dick running the kitchen, although he had never cooked breakfast in a commercial kitchen before, while Carol waited tables. Business was sporadic, but it was always conveniently busy when their banker stopped in for a bite.
Over the years, the Skares expanded to become an 85-seat restaurant. Each recipe you see on the menu today has as much thought and preparation involved as when the Cookery first opened its doors in 1977. Some recipes have remained on the menu since day one, such as the buttermilk pancakes, pumpkin bread, stuffed-baked pork chops, and signature whitefish chowder. Other recipes have been created as the Skares’ tastes have developed and as customers’ palettes have changed.
In May 2008, The Cookery began another chapter when a devastating fire caused the Door County restaurant to close its doors for the season. Throughout the year, the Skares worked diligently to reconstruct their business. Their eldest daughter, Courtney, contributed greatly to the process, having moved back to Fish Creek with her husband to help with the restaurant. Together they sought to emphasize sustainability in all aspects of the restaurant, from the new building itself to the locality of ingredients used in creating menu items. The restaurant re-opened in June 2009 after much anticipation. The Cookery has expanded to include a second floor, waterview wine bar where customers can enjoy a glass of wine or beer before dinner or after a show. The wine bar also features lighter fare, including bison sliders with cabernet onions and Wisconsin cheddar, a selection of crostinis, and bacon wrapped dates. The Cookery now serves breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays, with a menu highlighting customers’ breakfast favorites, including buttermilk pancakes, a variety of omelettes, and french toast made from house made granola bread.
Throughout the years and today, the Skares have maintained their original values, to incorporate fresh ingredients focusing on local products from Door County and to bring delicious, homemade food to their customers.