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About Us
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The Historic
Trempealeau Hotel is located on the storied
banks of the Mississippi River in Trempealeau,
Wisconsin. The building was constructed in 1871 and has
been operated as a hotel and restaurant since the turn
of the 20th century. Current owners Jim and
Linda Jenkins acquired the Hotel in 1986 and have worked
diligently to make it a top-notch establishment. The
Hotel is now a full-service restaurant and bar and also
provides accommodation in eight European-style hotel
rooms, three Jacuzzi suites, and a new four-unit inn.
Trempealeau is a quaint little, historic river town on
The Great River Road (Wisconsin State Hwy 35) in the
middle of a very scenic section of the upper Mississippi
River valley. Perrot State Park, the Trempealeau
Wildlife Refuge, Great River State Bike Trail, Long Lake
Canoe Trail, Trempealeau Mountain Golf Course,
Trempealeau Marina and U.S. Lock and Dam No. 6 are all
located in or near town, making Trempealeau a very
desirable destination.
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The Walnut
Burger®
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A little
History: When Jim and Linda took over the restaurant
in 1986, they were looking for a quality vegetarian item
to place on the menu. The Jenkins and their staff went
to work in the restaurant kitchen, and The Walnut Burger®
was born. We have enjoyed great success with the Walnut
Burger® over the years. The restaurant has a
full, well-rounded menu with many delicious choices
ranging from steaks and seafood to Italian and Mexican
dishes and a number of vegetarian options, but year
after year the Walnut Burger® is our
top-selling menu item. In fact, it proved to be so
popular that customers began requesting some to take
home with them, so we decided to package the burgers and
sell them in retail packs here at the restaurant. The
four-packs were such a hit that we decided to contact
the People’s Food Co-op in La Crosse, WI, about the
possibility of getting them on the shelves there. They
were kind enough to give us a shot, and now we are their
top-selling meatless burger. Bolstered by this success,
we made it our goal to get wider distribution, and
fortunately a number of factors fell in to place to
allow us to do that.
Our employees
now manufacture the burgers at an FDA approved food
processing center in La Crosse, and The Walnut Burger
has been added to the menu of a number of restaurants
and is now being sold in numerous retail outlets. Our
distribution range is expanding throughout the Midwest,
especially in the tri-state area of Minnesota, Wisconsin
and Iowa. The retail world is a learning experience for
us, but we are enjoying the challenge of introducing our
product to a wide range of potential new Walnut Burger®
“addicts.”
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It’s
Flavorful! We feel that the Walnut Burger®
is a very high quality product with wide-ranging appeal.
We have a large customer base who has not hesitated to
let us know that they agree that the Walnut Burger®
is the best tasting meatless burger around. We’re
constantly amazed by the feedback we get. Vegetarians
are thrilled to find a new flavorful option, and a lot
of meat eaters inform us that they are happy to have a
meatless alternative that they actually enjoy.
It’s Healthy!
In addition to its great flavor, The Walnut Burger®
provides a healthy alternative to traditional meat
burgers and can be the foundation of a well-balanced
meal. It is full of the dairy goodness of Wisconsin
cheese and the heartiness of farm-fresh eggs and is a
good source of calcium. But the real health benefits
come from the walnuts, which are in fact the main
ingredient in the Burger. The “mega nut” has been
scientifically documented as a good source of
antioxidants and an excellent source of the omega-3
fatty acids.
It’s
Versatile! The Walnut Burger® is also
very versatile and can actually be used as an ingredient
in a lot of other recipes. One of our favorites is the
“Walnut Balls,” which we feature on our appetizer menu.
It’s the same product as the burger, only rolled into
balls and baked. Of course we mass produce the balls on
site, but you can actually use the thawed patties and do
the same thing with the retail four-pack (the directions
are right on the package). For the appetizer we serve
the balls with salsa and a honey mustard, and they are
also a great meatball substitute. In fact, we have a
Walnut Ball spaghetti with marinara sauce on our dinner
menu, and a Walnut Ball sub sandwich on our lunch menu.
We’ve also found that the burger works as a great
“stuffer” in many products, adding great flavor and
moisture content to items such as chicken, pork, beef
and fish. Combined with a bit of rice or tabouleh it
makes for a great stuffed pepper, and we’ve found that
it works incredibly well as the crust for a quiche.
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The easiest
method for preparation of the Burgers is on an electric
skillet or a pan on the stove top. It’s very important
to have a high enough temperature: 350 - 400 degrees
Fahrenheit is ideal. This translates to a medium or
medium high heat on most stove tops, and it is important
to let the cooking surface heat up fully before the
burger is cooked. If a good stickless surface is used,
there is no need to use any cooking oil. Otherwise, a
little bit of oil in the pan is a good idea. Once the
burger is nicely browned on the underside, it’s ready to
be flipped over. Once both sides are nicely browned and
crisp, it’s ready to go. The burgers don’t cook well in
a microwave or on the grill, but once they’re cooked,
they can be re-frozen and then re-heated in the
microwave or on a grill as needed.
At the Hotel, we
serve the Walnut Burger on a whole wheat kaiser roll
with alfalfa sprouts, tomato and mayonnaise. Of course
they can be dressed up with any number of condiments,
like pickles or cucumbers, guacamole, or a nice sauce
like ranch dressing or honey mustard. Whether it’s at
our place, a restaurant a little closer to you, or in
the comfort of your own home, in the form of our classic
burger or in one of our tasty recipes, we hope you enjoy
The Historic Trempealeau Hotel Walnut Burger®
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