FREEBURG, Minn. – Imagine it being in 1938 and tooling through the gorgeous bluffs near the Iowa border in your Model A coupe and turning the Crazy Curve at Crazy Creek and finding, surprise, a supper club. It’s still there on County Road 249, not much changed, and a welcome respite. They’ll tell you the name, Little Miami, comes from a spring-fed pool out back where locals have swum, well, probably since the since 1850s when farmers first settled in the area. There remains a country authenticity. Our server was monosyllabic. “Yup” he said to every query: Yup, yup, yup. Can’t get more country than that. Winona Journal’s Galloping Gourmands found the menu uninspired. The meals, although generally acceptable, fell short of the splendid experience of getting there through the beautiful bluffs. Pricing: More than 1938 but wholly reasonable. Comments:
> Cod. A routine batter. Will try the steamed option next time. $10. Walleye, shrimp available.
> Chicken. Broasted but, oddly, unevenly skinned. $10 quarter.
> Tossed salad: Great greens with the surprise of crunchy lettuce core cubes. Included with dinners. $4.
The Galloping Gourmands roam the region for great places to dine. The panel pays full fare. To assure dispassionate reviews, the panelists don’t identify themselves.
“Le Gourmand.” By the Belgian master Georges Croegaert. From his series in the late 1800s of a cardinal in sumptuous surroundings.
Remote delight. Mostly in getting there. West from Brownsville or east from Caledonia on County Road 3, turn south at Crazy Corners Road.