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www.driftlessjournal.com | news@driftlessjournal.com | 563-382-4221 | Tuesday, July 4, 2023 | Vol. 5 Issue 27
‘Biggest Little Fair in Iowa’
Never a dull moment at the food truck
Winneshiek County Fair July 11-15 By Roz Weis
Ole and Lena’s Kitchen brings a taste of Norway to the Driftless
A dream of his youth, Bob and Sheri Erickson of rural Waukon dove into the food truck business on a leap of faith, and have been guided through the process every step of the way. “I believe God had a plan for us and this food truck,” Bob stated, “because everything just fell into place when it needed to.” Bob, an accountant, banker, consultant and faithful volunteer, noted his dream started with his first bite of a Pronto Pup – a precursor to corndogs, with more flour than cornmeal and a thinner batter – at the Minnesota State Fair his junior year in high school. He wanted to be one of the vendors there selling this delicious product, but “life opens other avenues,” added Sheri. Bob went to college, became a banker, married Sheri as a student of physical therapy and they had two daughters, Heather and Hillary. “It was never out of his mind, this dream of owning a food truck with Pronto Pups, but this was definitely not planned,” Sheri reported. Bob said, “It just happened. It started about 2-3 years ago. It’s so easy when you retire to fall into a very simple routine focused on the rigors of daily life, taking care of the ‘I’ and the ‘me.’ But that’s not pushing you to learn, grow or to care about others. And that’s what we set out to do.” Bob noted it wasn’t that they didn’t analyze the opportunity before making the somewhat quick decision to dive into the
Rural Waukon’s Bob and Sheri Erickson are the force behind Ole and Lena’s Kitchen food truck, making the rounds at special Driftless Region events and festivals with their delightful Norwegian take on fast, yet filling and flavorful foods. Local vendors ensure the best quality at this new venture. A celebration of their Norwegian heritage, the food truck wasn’t necessarily planned but fell into place perfectly. At 75, Bob said the new venture fulfilling a boyhood dream is very exciting and enjoyable. (submitted photo) food truck. “It’s just that I always tend to look for more than one way to make things work. When you do something, and don’t know how it should be done, then you can come up with creative and unique solutions that maybe have never been tried before.” The pair described each other. Bob said about Sheri that “she can’t sit idle, she’s always got to be learning or doing something.” Sheri went back to school to obtain her doctoral degree. She also holds several certifications, specialty physical therapy designations and even obtained her certification as a Healing Touch practitioner. Sheri added that Bob “is so creative with his ideas. He always has ideas (sometimes crazy ones) but always exciting.” Their daughter Heather Erickson-Weigle laughed, noting, “My dad knows a lot about the word ‘and’ but not about the word ‘no.’ The greatest gift I got from both my parents, but especially my dad was: there was
never an idea that was not a possibility. He’s always managed to stay mentally between the ages of eight and 28. Going into one of the most volatile businesses with no experience, buying a food truck and figuring it out as you go. That’s how he works.” And so, as a nod to their heritage – both claiming Norwegian ancestors – and to the connections of the people who were there at just the right time to not only provide what they needed to make the dream come alive but also sage advice, guidance and expertise to help them be successful, “Ole and Lena’s Kitchen” was born. Jokingly Bob said with a smile, “of course, everyone 75 years old wants to start up a food establishment in a trailer. Everything just seemed to fall into place. After months of searching, we found the perfect food truck builder in a man
Ole & Lena’s continued on page 2
The best of smalltown life is celebrated at the Winneshiek County Fair each year. The county fair starts months before the actual fair itself, with local organizers hard at work bustling in preparations for the five-day festival. The Winneshiek County Fair wouldn’t be as successful without the dedication of local volunteers, law enforcement, sponsors and donors – all providing prizes, hours of elbow grease and more to keep the fair running smoothly. This year’s fair is jam-packed with activities July 11-15, featuring everything from local entertainment and baking contests to talent shows, grandstand events, 4-H and FFA displays, livestock shows, midway rides and much more. And who could forget the food at the fair? Between the Cattlemen, the pork producers, the dairy folks, the 4-H Clover Café, the Luren Singers food stand and the midway, there are plenty of opportunities to feast during the fair. For seasoned fairgoers,
The Winneshiek County Fair was among the Blue Ribbon Fairs announced last December at the Iowa Association of Fairs Conference. The award honors fairs supporting the community and making improvements to make their fair one of the best in the state. there’s nothing quite like walking the fairgrounds and checking out all the livestock and displays while wrapped in the tempting scents of grilled burgers, pork-chops-on-a-stick, funnel cakes and freshly-popped popcorn. Hands-on demonstrations, kids’ activities, and grandstand entertainment galore round out the fair schedule this year.
Award winning fair Last December, Winneshiek County Fair was among the Blue Ribbon Fair honorees announced during the Iowa Association of Fairs conference. The annual award pays tribute to fairs supporting the community and making improvements to make their fair one of the best in the state. Fair Board member Becky Winkler said, “One of the reasons we were selected from the Northeast District was the addition of the new Community Building and other improvements made to the fairgrounds, and our commitment to the youth of Winneshiek County.” Grandstand events This year, the grandstand events start with the opening ceremonies and fair queen coronation Tuesday, July 11, at 3 p.m. Also included during that ceremony will be presentation of the honor guard with the local VFW and the annual
Winn. Co. Fair
continued on page 4
Winneshiek County Fair Board members front (l-r): Mark Knutston, John Schnitzler, Arlin Franzen and Ron Hemesath; (back) Gary Schutte, Mark Steffens, Gordy Tangen, Becky Winkler, Michelle Brincks, Makayla Hageman, Zach Kerndt, Jo Henning and Ryan Bullerman. (submitted photos)
Joe’s Pizza Palace and Pub in Mabel
Great food, service and atmosphere makes new dining venue a big hit By Charlie Warner
A portion of the staff at Joe’s Pizza Palace and Pub in Mabel are pictured in the bar/dining area. Front (l-r): Savannah Phillips, Scarlet Colsch, Aleina Spitzer, Ava Tweten, Kaesen Manhart, Courtney Graves and Emilia Ramirez. Back: Owner Joe Houdek and his son Jordan Houdek. Not pictured, Janessa Hershberger, Madalynn Rasmussen, Izabella Gerleman, Ike Tweten, Payton Klimesh and Delanie Vreeland. (Driftless Multimedia photo by Charlie Warner)
“The reception has been very good. We have been quite busy since we opened our doors last month. I am very impressed with the support we have received from Mabel and the surrounding area,” said Joe Houdek. Houdek opened Joe’s Pizza Palace and Pub in Mabel recently and area residents have been coming by in droves to enjoy great pizza and numerous
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menu items. It’s been more than a year since the residents of Mabel have had any type of afternoon or evening dining option. If the initial response is any indication, Mabel-area residents have been “chomping at the bit” to have Houdek open his doors. Houdek bought the former Highway 44 restaurant when it went out of business five years ago. Instead of taking it over and continuing to operate it as is, he decided to completely rehab the aging restaurant. “I had been buying and flipping houses for a number of years and thought about the Highway 44 when it went up for sale,” he recalled. “Someone told me I couldn’t pull this
Joe’s
continued on page 12
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type of project off. I guess that spurred me on,” he said with a grin. Houdek lives on a farm near Cresco, where he finishes beef cattle when he’s not rehabbing and managing a restaurant. Breathing new life into the old building was certainly a challenging endeavor. But Houdek took his time, and worked with some Amish artisans, who helped transform the old diner into a very attractive venue. The kitchen was completely redone, with all new appliances. The Amish carpenters
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