The Saw Buck

Yesterday afternoon we went to a new place here in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, and it really was the epitome of Northwoods Wisconsin. It is a place called Saw Buck in Land O Lakes. It is an ice cream store, a coffee shop, a liquor store, and a gift shop, simultaneously.

Upon entering, we were bombarded by animal heads on the wall and the smells of good coffee. Because we were there with the boys, our primary goal was ice cream, and they certainly delivered. L got a strawberry, A had a rainbow sherbet, M had a pirate’s booty (which is M&M and Oreo pieces in some sort of chocolate ice cream), and I had a lemon cheesecake in a waffle cone. All were consumed in delight, and all were delicious.

They had a little sitting room outside of the main shop where we sat. It had so many taxidermied animals that I was in awe as I ate my cone. The whole idea of killing something to stuff it and hang it on a wall as a trophy is such a foreign concept to me. And then to put different body parts from different animals together… It is so reminiscent of Frankenstein to me. I just don’t get it (and for coming text, I’ve been around it my whole life, and have many family members who have gotten various animals they’ve shot done to hang on their walls.) There were the standard deer, bears, and waterfowl, but there were also otters, flying squirrels, and jackalopes (for the uninitiated, a jackalope is a “mythical” creature with the body of a jackrabbit and deer antlers). It was strange to consume food in such an environment, but after spending parts of almost every summer of my life in northern Wisconsin, it is equally familiar. Most bars and restaurants up here are outfitted similarly.

When we finished eating, we walked around the gift shop area of the establishment. They had various pins, badges, and stuffed animals for sale. There were wines and locally produced spirits, trail mixes and chocolates, clothing and handbags adorned with various Northwoods catchphrases and locales. It was very eclectic.

The two things that we purchased were a three pack of brandy old fashioned cupcakes and a dried liquor mix (see attached photos). The cupcakes we will have tomorrow, on our last day up here for the summer. The dried booze, we have decided will be a housewarming gift for ourselves after we find, buy, and move into a new place