What’s Traditional About a Supper Club? And What’s Our Take on It?

People often ask what makes a supper club a supper club. The answer isn't as simple as prime rib, Old Fashioneds, or cheese curds, though you'll certainly find all of those things here. What made supper clubs special in the first place wasn't just what was served. It was the experience built around it. The understanding that dinner wasn't something to rush through. It was the occasion.

If you're looking for the full story behind the tradition, we've covered that in our blog, So... What Is a Supper Club? But if you're curious about what that tradition looks like at Baraboo, pull up a chair.

A traditional supper club evening begins before anyone places an order. There's a moment when the table settles in, the conversation starts to flow, and the first cocktail arrives. That's why every table at Baraboo is greeted with a relish tray alongside water service. It's a longstanding supper club tradition, one rooted in hospitality rather than necessity.

Our version includes house-made pimento cheese, candied jalapeños, citrus olives, and club crackers. It’s familiar enough to honor the tradition and distinctive enough to feel like Baraboo.

Not every tradition needs to remain exactly as it was. Take the Old Fashioned. For generations, it has been the unofficial cocktail of supper clubs across the Midwest. It's difficult to separate one from the other. Walk into a classic supper club and you'll likely find one on nearly every table.

We decided one version wasn't enough. Instead, we've created four distinct Old Fashioneds, each offering its own personality while staying true to the cocktail's roots. Some guests have a favorite. Others make a point of trying them all. Either way, it reflects something we believe strongly: tradition should be respected, not frozen in time.

The same philosophy carries into the menu. There are certain dishes that have earned their place in supper club history. Prime rib is one of them. French onion soup is another. Wisconsin cheese curds belong on that list too.

These dishes have survived decades of changing tastes because they deliver something people continue to crave. They're comforting. They're familiar. They're the kinds of dishes people order with confidence because they know exactly how they want the evening to feel.

At Baraboo, we aren't interested in reinventing those classics simply for the sake of being different. We focus on doing them exceptionally well while allowing the quality of the ingredients and preparation to speak for themselves.

Of course, every supper club should have a little fun too. Our boozy Grasshopper Ice Cream Shake tips its hat to another beloved Midwestern tradition. It's nostalgic, a little indulgent, and often the perfect ending to a meal that wasn't meant to be rushed.

Because that's really what all of this comes back to. The most enduring supper club traditions have very little to do with what's on the plate. They're about gathering with friends and family. Celebrating milestones. Ordering another round because nobody's ready to leave yet. Turning an ordinary night into something worth remembering.

Those traditions feel just as relevant in downtown Boise today as they did generations ago.

The setting may be different. The skyline certainly is. But the spirit remains the same. At Baraboo, we're inspired by the traditions that made supper clubs beloved in the first place. The hospitality. The comfort. The sense that dinner deserves a little more time.

And while you'll find plenty of classic supper club staples on our menu, what we're really serving is something that's become increasingly rare: an evening worth savoring.