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.

Weekenders: Summer weekend bucket list

Everybody is working for the weekend, particularly the sunny, summer ones that are currently upon us.  Here are my very best ideas for a summer weekend bucket list.

• Brunch: Don't go too early, because it is the weekend and going early would just qualify it as breakfast.  Make sure there is good coffee and plenty of time to sit, hopefully on a patio with bistro chairs.  Le Reve, Café Benelux, and Blue's Egg are my favorites, but here is a full list.
• Farmers' market: I like to buy vegetables that I never make at home normally so that I am forced to do something with them.  Like, beets.  Find one around Milwaukee here.
• State parks: Wisconsin state parks and trails are awesome, as all of you granola-munchers out there can confirm.  Check out some ideas from this recent Milwaukee Magazine article - Best Trails.
• Camp fires:  I prefer to make fancy s'mores, like strawberry and banana, nutella, or peanut butter chocolate.  Make sure you get those giant marshmallows that are better served on a double graham cracker.  Patience is a virtue for those monsters.
• Pools and boats:  Make new friends that have pools and boats.  No explanation needed, you know what to do.  You supply the beer, they supply the fun.
• Go country:  Pull out your inner redneck, put on a funny outfit, and do something country.  Such as visit the race speedway, or a country music festival complete with camping.  Then, tuck those denim shorts back in the closet for another year, because that is probably enough.  The phrase is "a little bit country," not a lot, so keep it classy.
• Summer beer flight:  Try all the tasty summer ales before they are gone for another winter!  Sam Adams Summer Ale, Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy, Lakefront Brewery Wisconsinite, and PBR in a brown paper bag.  Let's be real... the PBR is a year-round delight.

Drink Wisconsinbly

 

Ahh, summer.  The best time of year in Wisconsin where there are always outdoor festivals where local denizens find any reason at all to wander around and drink beer in the streets.  However, the locals know that there is more to do than just Summerfest in town.  Here are a few of my favorites if you are looking for something to do.

• June, Locust Street Festival of Music and Art: This street festival is in one of the most colorful neighborhoods of Milwaukee in River West and includes an amazing 1.8k beer run with beer instead of water to rehydrate and a great selection of reggae, blues, brass band, and other eclectic music.  Check out the casual side of MKE.

• July, Bastille Days: Complete with beignets, mimes, and a fun 5k night run called "Storm the Bastille."  Best food and unique music in the city on Cathedral Square in downtown Milwaukee.  We prefer to dress as Frenchmen before running through the streets.

• August, Lebowski Fest Milwaukee: This is a festival that actually is available across the country, and I am so excited to try it for the first time this year in August.  Where else can you get a movie screening, bowling, and white Russians all in one place?  Exactly.

Poster by Bill Green

While these are some unique favorites, there are amazing festivals for nearly every local ethnicity and church in the area.  If you just want some good local food and music, you can find a festival any weekend!  For more information on some MKE festivals, click here: Milwaukee Festival Guide, 2013