One of the guys on my bowling team works northwest of Milwaukee, and each week he picks up a bag of beef jerky and brings it down to Bay View Bowl. Ryan is a nice guy like that, but while the gesture is kind enough on its own, it's the jerky, itself, that keeps our collective mouths watering.

Look, I like beef jerky as much as the next guy, and I have been known to declare that beef jerky is the one thing I couldn't give up if I became a vegetarian. But this specific beef jerky is the best I've ever had, and I bet a few dozen Wednesday night bowlers would agree, too.

The stuff comes from Held's, 480 Kettle Moraine Dr. in Slinger, and on a recent trip up north, Ryan took me there in person. Held's is an old-school butcher shop, just off of Highway 41. If I had had more time, I would've spent it there -- but my mission was simple: to buy a bag of jerky and to eat it. I think we finished the bag by the time we got to Green Bay, and it was 9 a.m. when we started.

A bag costs $15.75, which isn't cheap, but again, this is premium beef jerky we're talking about. Smoky, lean and tender -- an utterly different experience than what you get at the grocery story or gas station.

Think of Jack Link's as Ponderosa, and Held's as the Capital Grille.

I wish I could elaborate on why you need to grab a bag next time you're heading out of Milwaukee on Hwy. 41, but how much can one really describe beef jerky? But if you don't believe me -- or the bowling league -- just Google "Held's beef jerky slinger" and you'll see several other rave reviews.

If you're a fan of dried, smoked meats, then you've gotta get a hold of Held's.