Where would you take your guests in your home town?

Via blog.wisconsinlodging.org

Here is a fun game to play.  I have been asking myself and others this question: If you had friends coming in to town for three days, where would you take them to eat to get them good food but a quintessential city experience?  As we debated about Milwaukee destinations, the hubs and I decided that this was still a bit too wide open, so I tried to think of the different experiences I would want to have during that time.  I would want a great breakfast/brunch, a good lunch, and if there were three dinners, a low end, medium, and higher end restaurant.  And maybe some sweets, or some drinks? Here is what we came up with for Milwaukee.

Breakfast/Brunch: Blue's Egg

Image by Jeff Beutner via Expressmilwaukee.com

Sweet or savory, you cannot go wrong at this place.  Make sure you get some stuffed browns (hash browns done right), and enjoy some Valentine coffee, one of the many awesome Milwaukee based roasters.  Honorable mention to Maxie's Southern Comfort, their sister restaurant, for dinner.


Lunch: Milwaukee Public Market

Via milwaukeepublicmarket.org

You can get all types of food here, or just look at the big fish case, or wander aimlessly.  I personally like to sit at the counter of the Margarita Paradise Mexican restaurant, get some salads to go from Aladdin, a Middle Eastern restaurant, and end my trip with a glass of wine at Thief Wine Bar.


Dinner ($): Rustico

Via rusticopizzeria.com

This is some delicious pizza you can enjoy with some classic exposed cream city brick walls and a taste of the Historic Third Ward.  This pizza tastes amazing even when you are sober, which cannot be said for every pizza place as you edge closer to campus.


Dinner ($$): Crazy Water

Via expressmilwaukee.com

As an American fusion restaurant with perhaps some French bistro-like roots, the menu is always comfortable and flavorful.  We are still waiting for an episode on the Cooking Channel filmed at Crazy Water on which we were interviewed.  If you are lucky and have only two people, you might get the little bar nook table.


Dinner ($$$); Lake Park Bistro

Via onmilwaukee.com

Part of the Bartolotta restaurant dynasty in Milwaukee, this is a great setting for a very nice dinner that doesn't feel too steakhouse-y or supper club-y.  Fancy chic, and always fantastic classically prepared dishes.  And the service is impeccable.  I couldn't decide between the chocolate mousse and the crème brulee, so the waiter brought me both.


Sweets: Rocket Baby Bakery

So Milwaukee-cool in the older part of Wauwatosa (North Avenue).  Bread, pastries, and the most vibrant selection of colorful macarons ever.


Drinks: The Safe House, and The Nomad
For touristy fun, go to the Safe House, a hidden spy lair that is unmarked, and you need a password to get in.  I am not going to tell you the password, that is what the Internet is for.

For casual dive bar fun, hit up Brady Street starting at the Nomad.  In true Milwaukee style, you can get the "Prix Fixe," which consists of a shot of Jameson, a can of Pabst, and a cigarette for the bargain price of $5.


Other Cities?
Blog readers, share what you would do differently for a tour of Milwaukee, or share a few from your city. Madison, WI?  Twin Cities? Chicago? Baltimore/DC? San Francisco?  Sharing is caring.

Enjoy your own city, and love where you live.