The Post-Crescent reports that the Fox River will be featured in an independent movie being filmed in this area right now. The movie, Waterwalk, treats the story of a father-and-son journey retracing the route of French trader Louis Joliet and Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette as they canoed across the Midwest. An especially dramatic moment in the movie, a near tragedy for the father and son team, occurred near an Appleton dam. The Fox River is not the biggest river in the Midwest, but it's a beautiful and powerful one that needs to be respected. It's a core part of Appleton history and culture.

Good luck to the movie crew. Hope they feel welcome while in the Valley.

Today I was extremely impressed with the expertise and service I received from master plumber Andy Nielsen of Performance Plumbing, LLC. They are based in Shiocton but do a lot of work in Appleton and the Fox Valley. Performance Plumbing Services can be reached at (920) 585-5370. He quickly diagnosed a problem that others had missed (or caused, frankly), and explained to me how my do-it-yourself effort to fix the problem had missed a couple of subtleties and eventually failed. He is a great educator as well as a skilled plumber. Very impressed!

I learned about Andy from my favorite building expert in the Valley, Bradd Syring of Syring Homes.

Opportunity Way in Menasha, just south of Appleton off of Midway Road, is a street filled with opportunities to serve and make life better for the community. The Community Clothes Closet, St. Joseph's Food Pantry, and local headquarters for United Way are all there. What a great part of town. We have a service-minded community here where lots of people donate and volunteer to help others. It's the Wisconsin way. (Jan. 2010)

One of the best places for real Mexican food in the Fox Cities is a place most of you might not have noticed at all. La Michoacana (or Restaurante Michoacán) is hard to spot as a restaurant when you drive by--sign isn't all that clear. But they are there at 2188 South Memorial Drive, Appleton, near the old Valley Fair Mall across from the large Express convenience store, just north of the Hmong-Lao Partnership building. The place is clean and the food is great. Perhaps the most authentic Mexican food in the area, according to one Mexican friend of mine. Also some of the most affordable. From the state of Michoacan in southern Mexico, corn tortillas are the norm here with terrific flavoring. You'll find some items you've probably never seen before, such as the torta ahogada, a wet sandwhich covered in chili sauce. I loved it! But the less challenging tacos, tamales, burritos, enchiladas, and other dishes are also great and surprisingly inexpensive. Oh, and they serve horchata, a Mexican drink made from rice, sugar, and a touch of cinnamon. Please give this place a try!

For great dessets, I'm happy to recommend Neenah's new ice cream shop, Cherry on Top. At 130 West Wisconsin Avenue, the black and white Holstein cow motif on the building makes it easy to spot. They offer real hand-scooped ice cream that can be served as cones, sundaes, shakes, etc. They also offer real fruit smoothies, some of the best you'll find, and a few other treats. One thing I like is the presence of a water fountain in the shop since good ice cream often makes one thirst. Tip: a single scoop can be split into two flavors, but they half-scoops for each flavor are big enough to count as one scoop in my book. Very friendly staff, great quality ice cream, and good prices. Nice place to take the kids or your date for a treat.

Some of the best pizza in town is now being served at Glass Nickel Pizza at 2120 West College Avenue. This building recently was Los Compadres, and a few years ago was a Friar Tucks. Now it's a beautiful, comfortable location for outstanding pizza, salads, and more. I had what was probably the best veggie pizza I can remember while there for lunch recently. The hand-tossed crust was terrific. They offer pizza with a variety of crusts and a large range of toppings. The salads are also terrific.

This restaurant will soon be featuring a few of my photos from the area also. Stay tuned!

If you're familiar with Madison, you may already have tried Glass Nickel Pizza. Popular there and soon to be popular here.

Whence the name? Look at the counter around the bar. You'll see an intricate, massive display of nickels in artistic patterns, embedded in clear plastic. Makes a fascinating design for an interesting establishment. Give them a try and tell them that Jeff Lindsay sent you.