When the Lake House Inn near Edgerton was destroyed by a fire in January, Kerry Enger had no question he would open another restaurant.
“I was always going to do it again. I can’t be killed, and I won’t be stopped,” said Enger.
The longtime hospitality professional and consultant is back at it with Doc’s Place Supper Club, a classic supper club-style restaurant with classics like prime rib, relish plates, fish fry and what Enger called “old fashioneds for days” — along with pizza, pasta and late-night bites.
Doc’s Place is tentatively set to open on April 22 in the space formerly occupied by the modern American restaurant The Ready Set, 113 S. Main St., in Oregon. The restaurant has space for 130 seats and will have an outdoor seating area. Enger plans to offer catering and a private rental space for parties.
Operating hours for the first few weeks will be Thursday to Monday, from 3 p.m. (when the bar opens; the kitchen will open an hour later) to 9 p.m (the bar may stay open later if it’s busy). Sunday brunch will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Enger said the opportunity to take over the space, which has been vacant since The Ready Set closed in August 2024, came from one of his suppliers.
“He got me in contact with the building owners, Jerry and Bonnie. They’re super sweet. We sat and met and I gave them my plans. … We came to an agreement, and here I am,” Enger said.
Enger is from Monona and started working in the restaurant industry when he was 14 washing dishes. He went to Oklahoma State University and has a degree in hotel and restaurant administration.
He’s helped dozens of restaurants and cocktail concepts open or refine their operations. “When a bar or restaurant needs help figuring out why they’re not making enough money, I usually get a call,” he said. “You get a name and a reputation. Your phone rings pretty often.”
The name Doc’s Place comes from his time in Oklahoma. “They gave me the nickname ‘Doc’ because I was jokingly (called) a doctor of recreational medicine, and I have a good knack for taking care of people,” he explained.
Enger, 47, moved back to Monona in 2007 once he was diagnosed with cancer. He has beaten the disease twice.
He started leasing the restaurant at the Lake House Inn a year ago from owner Lori McGowan; the property’s history predates Wisconsin becoming a state. Enger said the restaurant, also a supper club, was popular — he noted “on a Friday, Saturday night, we would pre prep at least 80 old fashioneds.”
A fire destroyed the historic Lake House Inn supper club in Edgerton in January. Kerry Enger, who was leasing space to run the restaurant, is now preparing to open a new supper club in Oregon.
JOHN HART / WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL
He plans to carry over about 80% of the menu to Doc’s Place, along with kitchen staff and other employees. Steve Chavez, also from Lake House Inn, will be the front-of-house manager at Doc’s Place.
Inside, Enger wants the decor to evoke the supper clubs “I remember from the ’80s.” The restaurant will be “dimly lit” with burgundy and slate blue walls. The space has large bay windows that Enger plans to open on warmer days. “The whole front face of the dining room will be open.”
The neighborhood is ready to see something new in the space, he said.
“They’re chomping at the bit. … Everybody that walks by is looking through the windows, and my phone rings nonstop because I got the big posters in the windows (that say) ‘Coming Soon.’”
Ashley Rodriguez is the Madison culture reporter for the Cap Times. Ashley covers entertainment, cultural events, public art, restaurants, unique local businesses, neighborhoods and trends, among other features. Email story ideas and tips to adrodriguez@captimes.com.
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Dining and Cooking