LIVING HERE

BID Interview by Alethea:

“Lake Geneva is my hometown, my root system. I’ve always had something that calls me here and keeps me here. After traveling for so long when I was younger, coming back to a position in the restaurant industry, I realized that restaurants were the next step for me. I had to get back into downtown, back to home base so I could grow from there. This is the first step in many, many things to come. And I had to come home to do that. I’ve always been first an environmentalist. I thought, ‘what can I do to shine light on something and make it better than what I’ve always known?’ I’ve known the restaurant industry since I was 18. So, what did I already know that I can take to make the industry better? How can I be the person to mentor and help other restaurateurs follow the path to a healthier planet? I didn’t see anybody pioneering or blazing the way. I took it upon myself to say, ‘I see a void, and it’s what I know. I’m going to show that we can do better with packaging, you can do better with the plating of food, we can do better with how food is sourced. We can do better with what we put in our bodies and how we treat the planet in the meantime.’

Locally, I started vending at the Farmer’s Market on Thursday mornings at Horticultural Hall under my Barefoot Blonde Farms LLC. That company is health and wellness but on a retail side. It’s growing produce and it’s introducing everybody to natural skincare and other products. With Barefoot Blonde Farms, I am demonstrating that what we’re putting in our bodies, as well as what we’re putting on our bodies, has a big effect on our well-being. House of Bogini is an example of what can be done by focusing on more sustainable practices, locally sourced products, and delicious tasting food. We are involved in every step along the way, and we’re demonstrating the product of healthy practices. The meat is sourced from local farmers I have formed relationships with over the years. I grow 80% of the produce. I grow the microgreens that not only adorn the plate, but also provide huge health benefits. I show a better way to have less environmental impact on the industry.

Bogini in Polish and Russian means ‘goddess’ and I’m paying homage to our Mother Earth who takes good care of us. House of Boginii, to me, is actually about what I believe is the feminine divinity of the human earth. This is my way of striving to take care of this planet. We have a Ladies’ Night every Wednesday from 6-9pm, with live music and $5 house wines. Sometimes, I’ll throw a specialty menu item on there as well for women to enjoy. Not in a sexist way, but I want women to know that they have a place to come and relax. We want it to be a little break in the week, a chance to be a part of the community and have a good time.

I would love everybody to know that they have a place that they can feel good about walking away into. That they’ve done better for themselves, better for the earth, and maybe you take the experience with them to spread the word. Next, I see House of Bogini traveling. I’m going to take this to other places and other states and see if we can stir the pot a little bit more.”
Sasha B. House Of Bogini  152 Center Street, Lake Geneva, WI Microgreens

Top Chef.
This event is a very popular cooking competition-based show in which chefs go head-to-head in cooking challenges, and it is in the Badger State. Host Kristen Kish recently checked out Culver’s, Three Brothers, The Elegant Farmer, a farm and more. Filming has already begun, and crews were recently seen at a Whole Foods in Milwaukee shooting the store and what looked like a promotion for the show. She’s bound and determined to see the Wisconsin food scene featured prominently throughout filming.  Kish crossed off quite a few of Culver’s essentials during a recent visitor, a photo she shared on her Instagram story. She posted a Butter Burger, cheese curds, onion rings, fries, and an abundance of dipping sauce options. Kristen, I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you also tried their famous custard after you snapped your picture. Kish found Mukwonago’s Craigland Farms, a sixth-generation family-owned since 1843, which reminded her of growing up in Michigan. There she purchased and shucked sweet corn. She then visited another Mukwonago farm stand of sorts, The Elegant Farmer because she felt compelled to try the “best pie in a paper bag.” She also made a trip to both Leon’s and Kopp’s. Kish remained noncommittal, noting that she wasn’t ready to share her opinion on which custard stand she enjoyed more. It is really awesome they are showcasing the whole state and who knows maybe Lake Geneva will be their next stop. ‘Top Chef’ Season 21 plans to air in early 2024 on Bravo and the Peacock streaming service.

Pollard, traffic signals, safety, speed limit on the Bypass, firehouse promised by him when he was getting permission to build the high intensity travesty called Symphony Bay.
Where’s the beef, Mr. Pollard? Where’s the money to provide safety for your wedged in ‘Matrix’ residents today?  The additional firehouse Pollard promised to the Fire Department never materialized, and all talk of it disappeared with the land and promises of construction.  Pollard contributed nothing to the building of the new traffic signal located on Highway 120 (the Bypass), that was built partially to help his residents enter and exiting his development.  These days he’s concentrating on cloning Symphony Bay in Delavan so they can all have a piece of the potential future “Lahaina” nightmare in southern Wisconsin instead of on Maui.  It’s no surprise that there’s no firehouse out near that new development either.  A good wind, a small fire, and voila!