t was one of those rare Wisconsin days where the sun actually sticks around long enough to make you forget you live in a place that’s frozen for six months of the year. The girlfriend decided she wanted a shake, so we headed to the hallowed grounds of Olson’s Ice Cream.
Olson’s has been around since 1944, which means they’ve had plenty of time to perfect the art of the brain freeze. I’m pretty sure they’ve developed over 250 recipes by now. We’re talking legacy-level dairy here. I grabbed her a shake, and we set off with no real plan—which is usually when the best stuff happens.
The Phoenix Park Ambush
We decided to cruise through Phoenix Park, and—surprise—it was Food Truck Friday. I had completely forgotten it was the kickoff for the season.
Phoenix Park was crawling with people who had the same “it’s finally spring” look in their eyes. The Great Lawn was packed with about a dozen trucks—Smackdaddy’s, Live Great Food, and even some newcomers like Nigerian Kitchen. The smell of wood-fired pizza and street tacos hitting the river breeze is enough to make a man reconsider his life choices, especially when he’s already committed to a diet of “whatever was in the Olson’s cup.”
It’s the ultimate Eau Claire scene: people snagging patches of grass, kids running around like they’ve never seen the sun before, and the general vibe of a city that has finally collectively exhaled.
The Brewing Projekt Pitstop
Naturally, all that “nature” and “community” made us thirsty. On the way home, we made the mandatory stop at The Brewing Projekt.
If Olson’s is the dairy heart of Eau Claire, the Projekt is the hop-heavy soul. I walked into the taproom and immediately started scanning for the citrus-flavored IPAs that they do better than anyone else. I’m a simple man: give me something from the Dare Mighty Things series or a variant of Resist, and I’m a happy camper.
We grabbed a couple of beverages, soaked in the industrial-cool vibe of the place, and toasted to the fact that we managed to stumble into the best Friday in the city without even trying.
It was a good day. No script, no schedule—just ice cream, food trucks, and a hazy IPA to wash it all down.
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