Milwaukee Faves: Usinger's at Christmas

Milwaukee is notorious for beer and brats. We know it. Both Miller Valley and Usinger's sausage deck out the halls for Christmas. Usinger's makes all kinds of sausage and still sells it in their Third Street location downtown.

It's really a beautiful building - like stepping back in time. The meat counter is marble, german frescos of their iconic elves working line the walls. In Milwaukee, Elves make Usinger's sausage. For the rest of the world, they make Santa's toys. So it was hard to rationalize as a kid why the sausage elves were made to work two jobs.

Usinger's puts up some great moving window displays and even have a mini Bavarian village in the windows for Christmas. I love going in and looking around....and inevitably walking out with a pound of knackwurst. Around Christmas, the lines are long, but if you're looking for a last minute Milwaukee gift, the gift shop next door to the storefront sells gift baskets with cheese and sausage. Go and check it out.

Milwaukee Faves: The Oriental Theater

We saw Moonrise Kingdom - and it was awesome. Very quirky, very clever, very well written. Have you seen it yet?

The Oriental has got to be the perfect backdrop to a Wes Anderson film. I love the moorish architecture, the giant buddhas with glowing eyes along the main theater walls, and of course, the brewers yeast to put on your popcorn. Heck yes, we're in Milwaukee. They only play select movies, two or three at a time, mostly independent or foreign films (which means I'll have to venture out to the iPic to see my Tyler Perry movie this weekend. not kidding).

The Oriental Theater
2230 N. Farwell Ave.
Milwaukee, WI
website: http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/milwaukee/orientaltheatre.htm

Featured in......

A few weeks ago, I was asked to name a "must-see"/"must-do" summer activity or event in Wisconsin. Country Living compiled a master list called "50 Things To Do In 50 States This Summer" from bloggers around the country. To see the Milwaukee favorite that I picked clicked HERE. If you're planning any trips this summer, check out the full list HERE.

The Weekend: Rockabilly Chili

The annual WMSE Rockabilly Chili Contest offered up some good surprises yesterday. I got to try about a half dozen amazingly different chilis - from chicken masala chili to beef brisket chili - and I liked them. Then the biggest surprise - mad heartburn. Seriously. Heartburn. (Listen body, I'm 28, not 78) Thankfully, The Wicked Hop had a dish of Tums sitting out. I dug in like it was M&Ms. I guess that's a sports related injury in the food contest world.

There were 3 that really stood out to me:
no. 1) The Bel Air Caintina chipotle chili with shoestring tortilla strips and avocado crema
no. 2) The Wicked Hop tomatoey-brisket chili with tons-o-toppings (shot of whiskey optional)
no. 3) Braise Restaurant's bean chili with bacon on top

None of these won the official contest. For those results, go here. Just bring an arsenal of antacids next year if you plan to try the ghost chili pepper chili from Ball 'n Biscuit. Or else.

Milwaukee Faves: Red Arrow Park Skating

One of my favorite spots in Milwaukee is Red Arrow Park on the corner of Water and State streets. How many other places can you see a zamboni on your way to work? In addition to zamboni-watching, Red Arrow has its very own Starbucks serving up the mandatory ice skating drink, hot chocolate. Skate rentals are inside the Starbucks ($7 for kids, $8 for adults) along with lockers and bathrooms. The Starbucks floor is even skate proof so you can easily walk around (and avoid an America's Funnies Home Video moment). But hurry, ice skating season ends February 1st. Personally, I enjoy the latte sipping and people watching more than skating these days. However, I remember making the trip into Milwaukee just after getting my drivers license to go ice skating when it wasn't a Starbucks yet. Oh memories. Sweet memories of athletic coordination.


Blur Radial

John December

emmajanemichelle

Milwaukee Faves: Tables at Soup Brothers

This small place hidden on Florida Street in the Fifth Ward only has about 4 tables, but it's what's on the tables that make a huge impact. Small trinkets, toys like a dump truck carrying cinnamon sticks, original oil paintings, small bottle brush christmas trees, and other clutter make eating hot fresh homemade soup a visual and comforting experience, like eating in grandma's attic. Every time I go, I see something new. I also find myself eating slower, looking around more and keeping my eyes occupied as I savor every bite of soup. The other day I had the cheddar and bermuda onion soup, but the menu of four or five soups changes daily. They also serve great sandwiches, cookies, and Jarritos soda.



Soup Brothers
Location: 209 W. Florida St. in Walker's Point (5th ward)
Hours: sometimes vary, Open 11am - 4pm
Heads Up: bring cash, the wait may be long, the owner might be related to the 'soup nazi'

Milwaukee Faves: Palomino's Jukebox

There aren't many good jukeboxes hanging around. Those new-fangled digital ones have replaced most of the old flip page behemoths. But just over the Hoan, in Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood, Palomino still rocks it the old fashioned way with an excellently curated jukebox for their hipster, rockabilly patrons.



Those 5 songs are a big decision. My strategy? - Feel out the mood, start soft, warm up the crowd, pace the jams for the middle and go out on your best solid note. And hit those buttons with caution, because nothing is more embarrassing than accidentally having a great set ruined by Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire". Not your best, Billy. Not your best.

Milwaukee Faves: Gerty the Duck

photo: retinal fetish

They are perhaps the smallest sculptures in Milwaukee but definitely the cutest. Along the Milwaukee Riverwalk near Wisconsin Avenue are several little bronze sculptures atop the riverwalk railings. Sometimes you miss them because they do look kind of real and sometimes just because they're so small.

There's actually a really sweet story to go along with these scultptures. In 1945 there was a mallard nesting in the bridge pilings and it received a lot of local media attention. It was a sign of hope for Milwaukeeans. The ducklings were named (Rose, Freddie, etc) and their early days were documented by the local media.

Read more here

Milwaukee Faves: Cream Puffs

House of Brinson
Ah, the cream puff, the profiterole, the choux à la crème. Once I asked for cream puffs instead of a birthday cake. They're light and airy and flaky and if the cream is really fresh, delicious. In summertime, cream puffs proudly show at every County Fair and reign at the Wisconsin State Fair. The line for the State Fair cream puff stand is a constant hour long. (I found the recipe to the famous Wisconsin State Fair Cream Puffs HERE if you're interested - or not interested in waiting until the Fair). As of recently, it looks like cream puffs will soon be the official state dessert. A bill is moving swiftly though the state legislation (good to know Madison is on top of this). After 25 years of living amongst cream puffs, it occurred to me "maybe cream puffs are a regional thing?". So readers, especially you non-midwesterners, can you find cream puffs where you are?

THE WISCONSIN STATE FAIR CREAM PUFF
Recipe by David Schmidt

Ingredients
1 cup water
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 tsp. iodized salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
4 eggs
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. milk
2 cups whipping cream, whipped with vanilla extract and sugar (see below)
Sifted powdered sugar

Preparation
Made from the ingredients Wisconsin is famous for — milk, cream, butter and eggs — cream puffs were a natural addition to the Wisconsin State Fair. Since their introduction in 1924, cream puffs have grown to be a signature Fair item, selling more than 365,000 annually. The Wisconsin State Fair dairy bakery operates around-the-clock during the Fair to meet the ever-growing insatiable demand.

Some fairgoers wait all year for a chance to indulge in the rich sweetness of a State Fair cream puff, but now you can make them year-round in your own kitchen. The following recipe does not take dozens of employees or tons of whipping cream to make, but the taste is as genuine as the Fair. So, go ahead — indulge and savor the memories.

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour one very large or two small baking sheets, or line with parchment paper.
2. Pour water into heavy saucepan. Cut butter into small pieces and add to water. Add salt. Place saucepan over medium-low heat so butter melts before water boils. Bring water just to boil.
3. Remove pan from heat and add flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until dough forms into a ball and bottom of pan is filmed with flour. Let dough rest 5 minutes.
4. Add whole eggs, beating in one egg at a time. Dough should be stiff but smooth.
5. Immediately drop 1/4 cupfuls of dough 3 inches apart on baking sheet. (Or for a neater appearance, use pastry bag with 3/4-inch plain tip and pipe dough onto baking sheet.)
6. Combine egg yolk and milk in a small bowl. Brush each puff with glaze mixture, taking care not to let liquid drip onto pan.
7. Bake 35 minutes, until puffed, golden brown and firm.
8. Cool puffs on wire racks, pricking each with a cake tester or toothpick to allow steam to escape, or leave them in a turned-off oven with the door propped open for about an hour, until firm. (If baked pastry is filled before cool and firm, it will be soggy and may collapse.) Baked puffs should have hollow, moist interiors and crisp outer shells that are lightly browned.
9. Cut off tops, fill with whipped cream (use pastry bag with star tip or scoop the whipped cream with a large spoon). Replace tops of the puffs and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Serving Size
Makes 12 cream puffs

Milwaukee Faves: Downtown Dining Week

(too busy eating to take a picture of Tulip's food. this one is c/o The Shepherd)

I really love going to new restaurants. This doesn't make me unique, but it does make me very happy. So, when Downtown Dining Week rolls around, I get reeeeeal happy. Why? Because there are about two dozen new and interesting restaurants all offering $20-$30 three course dinners and $10 lunches. Eat that Applebee's. Friday night, I checked out Tulip with my friend and fellow blogger, Katie. She and two other gals write Haute Apple Pie, a fantastic blog here in Milwaukee. I ordered the Almond Pomegranate salad, the Sultan's Delight (beef medallions on baba ghanoush, and Kataifi dessert. The meal was good and I tried new things! Sometimes epicuriosity doesn't always lead to amazing and delicious food that's off the charts, but that's the fun. I tried it. I now feel safe to say that after trying it a few times, I don't really care for baba ghanoush (pureed eggplant).

Hopefully this week, I'll get out to a couple more restaurants on the Downtown Dining List. On my short list are: Sake Tumi (the hubs had the lunch and raved/bragged about it), Hinterland (I've only been there once! can you believe it), and Zaafaran.

Which restaurants looked good to you? Have you been to any this week? (tell me! tell me!)


If you're curious about some of the restaurants, check out other Milwaukee Restaurant/Food Blogs:

Eating Milwaukee
Eat MKE
FOODcrush
Hungry In Milwaukee
Milwaukee Food
Milwaukee Brunch Reviews

Milwaukee Faves: Magikist

photo: Nuclear Art

When I first drove past this store, I laughed so hard. "A Magikist??.......uhhh, do you mean a 'Magician'?"

Turns out joke's on me. They really did mean to say Magikist. It is a real, legitimate business--a rug cleaner that supposedly kisses the carpet clean through magic, however they sold the business and name to a car wash equipment manufacturer. The red lips logo is hundreds of indoor/outdoor commercial rugs in the Chicagoland and surrounding areas.

You win this round, Magikist. However, I may someday use the word Magikist for someone I find magical and awesome.

Milwaukee Faves: Third Ward balcony

Photo: Nathan Guy

I dream about living in a condo downtown with an awesome balcony. Not like I want to move, but sometimes I wish I had a "weekend condo" downtown (don't we all). There are a few buildings that I have always admired, the Soap Works lofts being one of them. I would love to just sit outside, enjoy the view, smell the flowers, get some sun and have a big glass of lemonade. Ah, the life.

Milwaukee Faves: Milwaukee Public Library

It's good to be back home in my favorite city. Here's one of my favorite buildings in Milwaukee. A few weeks ago, my mom and I went to the court house to pick up the marriage license and made a quick stop into the Milwaukee Public Museum to look around. I used to live in the Marquette dorm across the street and would frequently study at the library back in college. The marble in the lobby is just breathtaking. There's a rare books library, many historic displays in the hallways, and an art gallery on the 2nd floor. You could spend hours in there and never even pick up a book. Take a look. Or take a tour: every Saturday at 1:30PM.





P.S. I know you want to WIN a moka pot.

Milwaukee Faves: Barnacle Bud's patio

Jeremy Pettis on flickr

I always feel like a Parrothead when I go to Barnacle Bud's. It must be the boat docks, Corona, Cheeseburgers, the smell of the water, and the laid back lazy days of summer vibe of the place. This place is tucked away, and when I say tucked away I mean it takes four turns down no name roads in the boondocks to get there. But once you're there, it feels like a world apart from downtown Milwaukee, which is nice for us who live in the city. It's a small restaurant/bar near the boat docks and warehouses in the Menomonee Valley with a large deck on the river, lots of picnic tables, corona buckets for the napkins/condiments, and plenty of boat parking. If you're lucky enough to own a boat, that has to be the best way to visit Barnacle's. If not and if you're down a road saying "This doesn't look right", then you're probably close.

Milwaukee Faves: Leon's Frozen Custard

photos: retinal fetish, brittany a. miller
Matt and I took the Vespa over to Leon's Frozen Custard for dessert the other night. Frozen custard is like ice cream but only ten times better. I don't know if other places have it, but it seems like a "Wisconsin thing". When I was sitting there, people watching and listening to the car radios, I remember thinking 'I don't think I've had real ice cream, only custard, in a long time'. Then I dropped my cone right in the parking lot.

Milwaukee Faves: Downtown Trains

I've always loved driving or biking through downtown and riding alongside or under the bridges with the Amtrak or freight trains. I guess it makes me feel like I'm in a big city, things are coming, things are going, there are places to go, things to do. I found these amazing photos from cp4510 (Ryan Schoenfeldt) on flickr. I like trying to pick out the familiar downtown buildings. The top one is my favorite--it's the same Amtrak train and bridge I pass everyday. Speaking of Amtrak, isn't the Hiawatha train to Chicago great?! I love taking a day trip and going to Union Station.

Fox and the City

Everyone is coming out of hibernation; jackets are off, people are outside, and that Fox has re-emerged. Several years ago, I was training with the Beans & Barley cycling team and would ride the wooded Oak Leaf Trail everyday. I saw a fox running up from the river's edge and was completely shocked/frightened/excited. Holy crap! There's a fox! In the city limits! Over the summer months, I would be lucky to see it, but then people started feeding him and he became very people-friendly. C'mon people, we know better than to feed wild animals. Well, several years have passed and they've multiplied, mostly the near East Side, the lakefront, and South Shore Park. Last night, we were driving north on Water St. and almost hit one! Watch out, little guy, it's a dangerous world out there!



Photos: (top to bottom) gesika22, thaumazin, j03

Milwaukee Faves: Rockabilly Chili Contest

Last Sunday was the 8th Annual WMSE Rockabilly Chili Contest. This was my first time going but it won my heart and is now a solid Milwaukee fave. I did take some pictures, but I won't bore you with my crappy iPhone pictures. These pictures are from Rebecca Gagnon at Cake Walk, a great Wisconsin foodie blog. My pictures will never look as good as hers.


Sidenote: You may be wondering what's up with the stainless-steel cream whipper......that's the avocado sour cream whip that went on top of Roots' vegetarian black bean and sweet potato chili.

Milwaukee Faves: Koppa's Fulbeli Deli

Somedays, I wish I could hang out in a grocery store playing video games all day long......

Koppa's Fulbelli Deli and Farwell Foods
1940 N Farwell Ave - Milwaukee, WI
Open Everyday 7am-9pm.
Here's the Deli's sandwich menu. Try the Hodag. Do it.

Photo: technabob

99 Bottles of Beer on the door

These beer bottle doors can be found in lower level lounge at The Blatz Condos (270 W. Highland). Johnsen Schmaling Architects rehabbed the entire Blatz Brewery several years ago and added a lot of cool features to the now condo building, including these doors, a pool, and very sleek lobby and concierge desk. The bottles were apparently found in the basement and were leftover from the old brewery. I love that they kept some of the history of the building yet made this incredibly modern and translucent door. Very cool.