We are so fortunate to live so close to our favorite bar and restaurant: Riverside. Riverside Bar and Grill is halfway between my house and my mom’s house. We always get excellent service and I’d hold their prime rib up against anyone’s. It isn’t fancy but I know just about everyone there by name. We are regulars there and we’ve celebrated so many milestones there.
Now this is an old blog post, this is 2024 Kalissa here to add some new memories though. Here we are celebrating Karl and Craig’s birthdays at Riverside. Craig turned 30 and Karl turned 31.5. We had WAY too much fun these nights.
We celebrated mom and dad’s new house there. They moved into their house in town in January 2014. We were all exhausted, we had been moving them all day long until they took us all out to eat. As you can tell, we were all pretty toasted. It is still one of my favorite memories.
Every year the Waucoma First Responders hold an annual nut fry which is exactly what it sounds like: we fry and eat pig and beef testicles. It’s a huge fundraiser and it is a heck of a party! I can remember going since 4th grade when I sat in the back and played spoons with other kids of First Responders. It’s always a blast!
Craig threw me a surprise 22nd birthday party for me at Riverside. It was a so fun but I was not surprised at all. Regan mysteriously wanted to take me out for a last minute pedicure, my brother mysteriously showed up about an hour before Regan took me to get my pedicure, on the way home I asked Regan, “What time do we have to be at Riverside?” after we spent a little too long killing time in town. I promised to act surprised anyway and it was a great night! All of my siblings came home to celebrate.
Riverside is right next to the community center in Waucoma so after we voted in the 2016 election, we all went out to eat for Carver’s first trip to Riverside to watch the election results come in.
Here we are celebrating Carver’s first birthday at Riverside: Yes we threw a one year old a birthday party at a bar. Now Carver absolutely loves coming to see Dan, the owner of the bar, also nick named Catfish. Dan used to play peek-a-boo with him behind the bar and in the kitchen. Carver knows how to go up and ask for his own milk. The other day Dan mixed milk with chocolate syrup and Carver thought it was pure magic. Carver colors him pictures in exchange for M&Ms.
Dan was so sweet to our family after our Dad died and brought fresh fried chicken (after all Wednesdays are chicken and rib night) over to the house for all of us to eat. The other day we got carry outs and Dan even helped Carver into his car seat and carried them out to the car. We were driving away and Carver said, “When the rona virus is over, let’s go eat at Dan’s tables.” I loved that idea.
Gannon isn’t a stranger to Riverside either. We went out to eat on New Years Eve and they insisted we get our picture taken before we left. Can you spot Gannon in this picture?
There are so many more memories I have (and some that I may never remember) at Riverside. One time Mom was gone, I was about 4 years old. I was helping Dad milk in the West barn. He turns to me and says, “When the cats are away the mice will play!” and he took me on a date to Riverside – I think that is the first time I ever ate there. Now I’m proud to be a regular.
Needless to say, Riverside and all their staff hold a special place in our hearts. I look forward to spending many more life events celebrated at Riverside. If you’re ever passing through town, I highly recommend their prime rib special on Friday and Saturday, their mushroom and swiss burgers, and their hodge podge.
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