With its fresh-water shoreline, charming small towns, and luxurious bed and breakfasts, Door County is a popular Midwest getaway.
Located on Wisconsin’s peninsula that juts into Lake Michigan, Door County is about a three hour drive from Milwaukee and about four or five hours from Chicago.
So, whether you are planning to tour its beautiful fall colors, kayak Lake Michigan, or just escape the city, you’ll find Door County is also a culinary destination full of places to eat and drink like the local foodies do.
When I visited in June, I enjoyed eight delicious and unique Door County culinary experiences that I highly recommend to anyone planning a visit.
1. Eat Cherry Doughnuts From Wood Orchard
Enjoying a Wood Orchard cherry doughnut at my Airbnb lodging in Sister Bay! (Erin Klema/The Epicurean Traveler)
To start your day the Door County way, get tasty cherry doughnuts and absolutely delectable cherry strudel from the bakery at Wood Orchard. The Egg Harbor bakery also sells apple doughnuts, pies, and breads. In the fall, you’ll also find caramel apples.
2. Taste Cherry Wines At Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery
Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery in Fish Creek, Wis. (Erin Klema/The Epicurean Traveler)
At Lautenbach’s in Fish Creek, you have several options for culinary experiences. Want wine? You can tour the winery or do a complimentary wine tasting. Want fruit? Pick your own cherries (July-August) or apples (September-October). Plus, you can shop the market for specialty foods, baked goods, and all your cherry souvenirs. Be sure to purchase some cherry juice!
3. Grab Lunch At Door County Creamery
At Door County Creamery, my Chevre Torte feautred Door County Creamery’s fresh chevre, basil pesto, olive tapenade, tomato confit, and arugula. I paired it with Door County Brewing Company’s Pastoral, a Belgian farmhouse ale. (Erin Klema/The Epicurean Traveler)
Located in Sister Bay, Door County Creamery is the perfect locale to dine outside and watch the passersby. Be sure to pop around the side of the building to where goats play in their little pen! So stinkin’ cute.
Whether you nosh on cheese and meats or eat one of the delicious sandwiches, you won’t be disappointed. The market also has a great selection of craft beer by the single bottle and 30 wines under $20.
Looking for one of the most unique Door County culinary experiences? Tour the goat farm and enjoy a patio lunch complete with gelato and a cheese tasting!
Roasted almond fig gelato at Door County Creamery is the perfect way to end a delicious lunch. (Erin Klema/The Epicurean Traveler)
And, don’t forget dessert! Door County Creamery has goat’s-milk gelato in about a dozen flavors. The roasted almond fig gelato is quite lovely.
4. Share A Pizza At Wild Tomato
The veggie wood-fired pizza at Wild Tomato in Fish Creek, Wis., is delish! (Erin Klema/The Epicurean Traveler)
Wild Tomato is a family-friendly restaurant specializing in wood-fired pizzas with locations in Fish Creek and Sister Bay. The Fish Creek location has a fantastic patio with red-umbrella-covered tables, and it’s conveniently located across the street from the beautiful Peninsula State Park. I highly recommend the veggie pizza loaded up with red and green peppers, onions, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, and Wisconsin goat cheese and mozzarella. Yum!
5. Drink Vino At Stone’s Throw Winery
The 2013 Chardonnay Reserve is aged in French oak barrels for about four months and showcases a subtle apple flavor. Yum! (Erin Klema/The Epicurean Traveler)
At Stone’s Throw Winery, you can sip wines made locally from California grapes in a beautiful outdoor setting while playing bocce ball. I suggest tasting the Wine Maker Select Series and taking a look at the unique label art on the bottles. Tours, including barrel tasting tours, are available by reservation, and you can check here for more about the tours and tasting room hours. Also on the premises is Vino! Vino!, a contemporary wine bar serving 300 Italian and Californian wines and stuzzichini, Italian small plates.
6. Dine And Sip Cocktails At Wickman House
The Wickman House sits on a beautiful property and serves classy cocktails and delicious dishes created with local ingredients. (Erin Klema/The Epicurean Traveler)
Tucked away on what seems like a wealthy family’s summer estate is the Wickman House. Once a family home turned 1920s lodge turned 14-room B&B, this beautiful three-story white house now sits on sprawling green grounds with Adirondack chairs and twinkling lights. Inside at the bar, seasoned NYC bartenders mix fantastic cocktails. Wait until you see the Tiki glasses in which the Mai Tais are served! As for the food, the dishes feature many locally-sourced ingredients and are artfully prepared. Must try: The grain bowl! It’s toasted farro, wild rice, soy-marinated soft-boiled egg, bok choy, marinated kale, ramp kimchee, crushed peanuts, and shitaki mushrooms in a miso lemon vinaigrette.
7. Sample Island Orchard Cider
Cider tasting at Island Orchard Cider! (Erin Klema/The Epicurean Traveler)
If you like crisp, Champagne-like, French-style hard cider, the Island Orchard Cider tasting should be on your Door County itinerary. The cidery grows its apples on a Washington Island farm just across from mainland Door County, but the tasting room is located in Ellison Bay. I particularly enjoyed the pear cider, which I found crisp and refreshing. Also, be sure to ask for a sample of the cherry vanilla soda. It’s absolutely delightful — and alcohol-free for the under 21 crowd!
8. Savor A Sundae At Door County Ice Cream Factory
Lastly, you can’t leave Door County without an ice cream sundae. Though you have many options for frozen treats, a visit to Door County Ice Cream Factory is necessary. The Sister Bay ice cream parlor actually makes all of its own ice cream — in 45 flavors! Usually 29 flavors are available on any given day. Some are very uniquely Midwest — Blue Moon, of course. And, some are so very Door County-themed — Cherry Cheesecake, Deaths’ Door Chocolate, and Door County Cherry.
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, a culinary trip through Door County features a lot of apples and cherries!
Before you go to Door County, map your route to foodie paradise.
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Which of these Door County culinary experiences do you hope to enjoy during your next visit?
I am ready for an adventure here. I may not want to come home…cheese, pizza, wine, cheeries, apples and ice cream! You have covered all my major food groups. Your pics are wonderful.
Cherry donuts is something they should have here in Michigan! Sounds like an idea whose time has come anyway 🙂
Mmmm…those are some tasty looking pictures, Erin! Definitely need to explore more of Wisconisin. And we’ll bring an appetite. 🙂
Bringing an appetite is a must in the Midwest!
If the pizza is as good as it looks in your picture, I am sold. It looks delicious! #WeekendWanderlust
The pizza was fantastic. I highly recommend Wild Tomato for lunch or a casual dinner while in Door County.
I didn’t realize Door County made wine! This might be worth a visit!
Really good wine, too!
OK so I’m going to give a disclaimer here – I am English and I need to visit Wisconsin because Colin from Love Actually came here and I’m a massive fan of the movie! There, I have said it now! However I swear you have written this post for me – it has everything I love! Cocktails, cider, doughnuts, massive equisite sandwiches and ice cream, I mean seriously? This is awesome! I have pinned this for when I visit so thank you very much! (btw, when is the best time of year to visit?)
Haha, absolutely no judgment from me because: 1. I love “Love Actually” 2. I’ve totally wanted to do things or visit places just because I saw it in a movie or on TV. 3. You really should go to Wisconsin. That is if you like cheese, of course. The best times to visit Door County? Well, it is most popular in summer, which is July-August. If you want summer weather and activities but fewer vacationers, try early June before kids are out of school here. That’s when I went, and it was lovely. Or, go in September/October for the fall colors.
Whoa, pizza, wine, and ice cream? Yes please! I’d go to Door County for the food alone!
Right! That’s what I’m saying. But, the shoreline is pretty, too. 😉
Hmmmm…I wonder if Door County would be interested in hosting me directly after WITS17 since they are pretty close. I would gladly sink my teeth into their awesome cuisine, starting with that cherry donut! 😉 Nice post, as always great pics.
Look into it, Melody! I loved Door County. The only hosted experience I had there was kayaking, and April may be too early in the season for it. Even if you don’t get hosted, it’s worth the three-hour drive from Milwaukee to stay a night or two and explore.
I need to plan a trip there. The food looks amazing. The B&B looks excellent.
You totally should, Crystal. Like Michigan’s Traverse City area, it’s great for family vacations, but Door County also offers a lot for a romantic weekend getaway or girls’ trip. And, yeah, the Wickman House is fantastic. It’s just a restaurant now, but I imagine it would be a beautiful event space. I couldn’t help but imagine a wedding on the property during my visit!
Cheries are my favorite fruit, so Door County is clearly an area that I need to visit. My first stop will be Wood Orchard for a cherry donut (yum!). Your photos are absolutely lovely – everything looks so delicious.
Cherries are the bomb. One of my favorite fruits, for sure. So, to find so much cherry-related foods and drinks in Door County was amazing. That cherry doughnut was fantastic. The cherry strudel was really good, too. I think you two would love the food and drink to be had there!
Very interesting. I had google where this area is because I had never heard of it, even though I have spend some time in Wisconsin. Now I know where to go next time. Awesome pictures!
Paula, I originally had a paragraph describing where Door County is, but I cut it while editing. I’m glad you pointed out that you had to Google where Door County is because that reminded me that I was going to make a Google Map for this post! I’ve edited the post to explain where DC is located because I’m sure you are not the only reader with that question. And I’ve added the map! Glad you checked out the blog and were intrigued by Door County!
You have such awesome experiences! That donut looks amazing along with the pizza, ice cream and…..
Lol, Rachel. I did find some amazing food in Door County!
Those all sound amazing. The cherry wine in particular I think would be great, I’ve had cherry wine before and it usually is.
Yes, Lautenbach’s has some award-winning cherry wines. Very delicious indeed! I also had some great cherry wine recently up north in Michigan. Similar climate between Door County and Leelanau Peninsula, so cherry wines and cherry everything else are easy to find in both destinations. Great for us cherry wine lovers in the Midwest!