Blue Moon Restaurant — Lake Mills, WI — A Restaurant Recommendation

I cannot believe how quickly the summer is flying by.  We are almost to the middle of August, and for the teachers of Wisconsin, that means school is starting in a couple of weeks.  It's kind-of odd for me not to be returning to school at the end of the summer.  It's all I've known for almost 15 years.  Life is calling elsewhere, however; not just career-wise but location-wise, and so last night I got together with one of my best friends and former library aide, Judene, to get ready to say good-bye (but not yet, we are determined.  NOT YET.)

We decided to meet in a town that is about halfway between our two homes in a little town called Lake Mills.  It's an idyllic, American small town: beautiful, old homes line the main streets.  The downtown is quaint and surrounds a central park.  It's a place that I should have visited more often, but, typical of me, I never "found time" to.

Anyway, Judene just found out she is neighbors with the owner of a restaurant there, and since the establishment was already one of Judene's favorite date destinations, we decided to meet there for our girls' night.  The restaurant is called Blue Moon, and Judene described it as it having a very "NOLA" vibe.

New Orleans?!? I was in.

I got to the restaurant first, and, thanks to a rather stressful day, happily hit up the Happy Hour special: a dollar off all tap beers.  I sat at the bar and drank my Blue Moon and took a good look around.  The first thing I noticed was the great music: some seriously classic, old time-y blues. Definitely NOLA vibes. The decor? Deep dark blue walls lined with artwork of all kinds referencing blues or jazz music, New Orleans, or—you guessed it: moons. Stained glass windows hung in the storefront.  A silver pressed tin ceiling finished off the look.  I liked it.

At that moment Judene showed up.  Our evening got rolling, and I have to say: it was delightful.

What made Blue Moon stand out for me was the staff.  The creole was tasty (I did not try their famous pizza) and the atmosphere chill, but the staff are what make me wish I had found Blue Moon a long time ago.  By the time I walked out the door, I felt like I had just been let into a little family.  I know that all waitresses are not created equal, but our waitress, Liz, was genuine, kind, and conscientious.  When Judene, who has celiac, ordered a dish that she believed to be gluten-free, Liz came back a few minutes later to tell Judene that she had checked, just to be sure, and it wasn't.  What waitress does that? Obviously, one who cares.

The chef periodically came out from the kitchen and checked on every single table after their meal was served to make sure that everyone was happy.  We had no complaints, but even if we had, I'm sure we would have had that plate whisked off the table and re-served to our liking with his big, booming laugh to accompany it.

The owner, Sherrie, was there last night, too, and she talked to us for a bit after our meal.  What a darling woman! Another authentic, caring human being whose smile adds the final warming touch to a most decidedly happy place.

If you live in or near Lake Mills, I would definitely recommend giving this little place a visit.  I don't believe you will be disappointed.