Milwaukee Restaurant Review: Hom Wood Fired Grill

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Hom (pronounced "Home") Wood Fired Grill has recently opened in Brookfield in the greater Milwaukee area, so we decided to make a stop in to see if it was worthwhile.  It is located in a location that has been operated by their parent company for years as several other restaurants that have come and gone, including the Ryan Braun/Aaron Rodgers-themed sports restaurant, "8-twelve" as well as pan-Latin type restaurant "Charro" and Asian-themed "Monsoon" to name a few.  SURG Restaurant Group, the parent company of Hom Wood Fired Grill, operates at least eight establishments in the Milwaukee area, and also plans to open a second Hom Wood Fired Grill at Bayshore Town Center on the Northeast side of Milwaukee County early in 2014.  Other bars/restaurants under their management in the Milwaukee area include Carnevor (steaks), Mikey's (American), Distil (bourbon/wine), and Umami Moto (Asian).

As a self-proclaimed "farm-to-table" restaurant, the décor supports the rustic "barn-chic" feel, with pictures from local farm landscape.  Here is what we ate off the menu, and our thoughts on each item:

Cornbread: Warm cornbread is served to every table.  It was good, but would have loved it if it was slightly more firm and served with flavored butter.  I prefer the cornbread at Maxie's.

Mac N Cheese Risotto: Shredded Smoked Ham, Wood Grilled Green Onions, Sartori Bellavitano Gold Cheese, Cheddar Pie Crust Crumbles
As you may know, I do not pass up mac and cheese.  The ham was good, but the cheese sauce was a little too thin and soupy and the pie crust crumbles added a doughy topping that did not add anything.

Yukon Gold Potato Gnocchi: housemade smoked pork sausage, roasted poblano pepper, winter spinach, shaved garlic, Sarvecchio parmesan
This was our favorite dish of the night.  The pork sausage was good, and the garlic added great flavor.

Chicken and Waffles: Wisconsin Maple Syrup And Black Pepper Glazed Thick Cut Nueske’s Bacon, Cornmeal Waffles, House Churned Sassy Cow Butter, smoked honeycrisp apple butter
We wanted to like this, we did.  It felt more like waffles and fried (bone-in) chicken on the same plate, rather than a cohesive dish.  The bones made it hard to eat together, and the waffles were too small in size and lacking in flavor.  I would go to Meritage for a more amazing chicken and waffles.

"Hashbrown" Pancake: Creme Fraiche, Smoked Honeycrisp Apple Butter
This was a bit of a misnomer, because by hash brown I would have assumed more pronounced potato shreds or chunks, and by pancake, I would have assumed it was not so thick.  So, a slightly thicker almost mashed potato fritter was more accurate.  The apple butter was tasty.

Overall, the restaurant looked good on paper, but failed to execute in the end.  It has been my experience more often than not at the SURG restaurants that I walk in hopeful and leave feeling a bit let down based on what I expected from the menu and the service.  I would not need to go back to this restaurant, but you are encouraged to test it for yourself.

All menu descriptions were from the Hom Wood Fired Grill website.

Milwaukee Restauranting: Meritage Review

Via http://meritage.us

We recently tried Meritage for the first time, a "new American" cuisine restaurant in the Washington Heights area of Milwaukee that has been open since 2007.  After I responded to the question of "What do you feel like tonight" with a careful response of "American fusion," the hubs did some research to find a lesser known restaurant of that type that we hadn't actually been to yet.

Meritage is led by Chef Jen Kelly (a less common female chef) who has held chef positions at several other Milwaukee restaurants after originating in California.  The Meritage menu focuses on local, but particularly seasonal ingredients.  The menu available was full of fall inspired dishes with kale, spinach, apples, pears, and cider.  Here is what we ordered:

 

Roasted Pear and Fennel Crostini: Buttermilk blue cheese, pears, fennel and shallots on crostini with red wine rosemary reduction.  Good flavor, but since crostini is so hard to eat in a clean manner anyways, I would have liked to have had the toppings sliced a bit smaller.

 

Fried Chicken and Waffles: Potato waffle with fried chicken, spicy coleslaw and red pepper jelly. In-cred-I-ble!  Best dish we had all night.  The flavor was incredible in the chicken, the waffle wasn't too sweet and the slaw really balanced the dish out.  I would totally go back and order three of these.

Fried Chicken and Waffles
Via yelp review

 

Toasted Farro Salad: Autumnal vegetables and toasted faro with maple syrup apple cider vinaigrette, walnuts and asiago cheese.  This was a very "fall feeling" dish, and a good vegetarian option with healthy ingredients, so it was not heavy at all.

 

Braised Pork Shoulder: Pork shoulder braised in apple cider and milk with sage rice and sautéed spinach (from the specials).  I thought the milk and cider sauce was delicious, but we would have liked it just slightly thicker.  The rice and spinach had good flavor, and the pork was very tender.

Click here to check out the Meritage menu.

 

Other restaurant thoughts:

Pro: Quality wine list and craft cocktail menu

Pro: Attentive service from the entire house staff

Con: Ambiance and décor were underwhelming, bland, and seemed less fancy than the food

The experience overall was very good, but the décor in the restaurant seemed unfocused and uneven compared to the food.  Luckily, I was too busy going nuts about the fried chicken and waffles to spend too much time noticing.

Across the street from the restaurant is a Valentine coffee shop (one of Milwaukee's best micro roasters) and a gelato shop that looks amazing as well if you are looking to round out your Washington Heights night out!

Bottom line? We would go back for the chicken and waffles, the cocktail menu and wine, and for all the other things on the menu that look great but we didn't get to try.

The "Burger Challenge" Trifecta

The time finally came for us to complete the burger challenge.  Milwaukeeans all know about the epic "Food Wars" TV show battle between Sobelman's and AJ Bombers for the best burger in town.  We decided to do some research for ourselves, and throw in another local underdog favorite, Oscar's.  Here are our findings from comparing the burgers, sides, and overall experience at all three restaurants famed for their "best" burgers.

AJ Bombers: The new guys (and Food Wars winner)
+ Cute menus that are dry-erase for ordering
- Peanut shells on the ground

We ordered a burger with cheese and bacon, with the Bomber sauce on the side, and a side of cheese curds since that was the recommendation as a favorite side from a few staff members.  As a side note, we will have to go back and get the burger with peanut butter on it, but for the sake of the integrity of the experiment, we decided to keep our burger choices more "apples to apples."

Sobelman's: The heavy favorite
+ Best sweet potato fries ever
- Bloody Mary was nothing special

 Now, South-siders and Marquette University grads tend to favor Sobelman's, but I have never taken their opinions as gold, so why start now?  We ordered the Sobelman, which has three kinds of cheese, jalapenos, and some other toppings, and sweet potato fries.  I also tried the Bloody Mary because it is supposed to be a big deal.  Lots of good toppings, but the drink is totally average. (Best Bloody Mary in MKE = The Wicked Hop)

Oscar's: The underdog
+ Indiana Jones pinball machine
- Lack of specialty drinks

We ordered the "Big O" and the Aloha burgers, and they came with garlic parmesan fries.  I normally love pinball, but I instead eavesdropped on a bunch of guys complaining about their HR people (is this how people complain about me?)  Jason felt the bun was best, but I felt like the bun ratio was a little too high.  Another plus? Bendy straws.

Overall scoring:
We differed on our scores as to how the burgers ranked.  Our method is very scientific, obviously.  The total score is an average of our two overall scores.  Jason picks Oscar's as the winner, and I prefer AJ Bombers.  Overall, our averages still come out to Oscar's being the winner, but I am still skeptical...

 

So there you have it.  The only thing that we have proven is that the age old argument of the best burger will go on, since we can't even decide amongst us.  If nothing else, we got to see more of our great town.

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.

Race Day part II: "I really rocked that half-mile when Ke$ha was playing..."

Race day is here, and we rocked it.  It was good weather, a good pace (this is a relative statement), and good tunes.  It is always a motivating and humbling experience to run a race as a normal person.  It is incredible to see all of the real runners who ran a half-marathon in less time than I ran 6 miles, and I am also amazed at the number of people who are less prepared to run a 10-K than I am.  Both are helpful motivators. 

I am a slow runner, so I always pick a few people out of the crowd that I am running near and race them.  Good news, I beat all of my fake competitors.  I was not so lucky at the last Brewers' race that I ran where I was actually beat by a real racing sausage, the Hot Dog.  Today was a nice day and a great route to run - we ran through Miller Valley and Miller Park, which is a route that you normally don't get to run and certainly not without traffic.

Let's talk about race day "Do's and Don'ts" based on my observations today.  Do wear exciting colors, people are mostly drawn to neon yellow (the kind that the cows, my running buddies, like).  Do have funny signs if you are in the crowd cheering people on, we love that.  Don't have three different flavors or Gatorade strapped around your belt for a six mile run, you'll just have to pee.  I wanted to do a top ten cool running shoes blog, but the hubs convinced me that it was creepy to walk around and ask people if I could take a picture of their shoes.

The best moment(s) of the run was first when the hubs started running really fast, and I was like, "WTF?" and ran to keep up.  This phenomenon was explained later with the quote, "I really rocked that half-mile when Ke$ha was playing."  It all began to make sense.

All in all, a worthy project for us to train and run the race. Now let's eat some of that leftover spaghetti.

Race Day part I: Pasta for me, the hubs, and 30 of our closest friends.

Race Day eve is here, and it already has been entertaining.

In preparation for the hubs and I running the Brewers' 10-K tomorrow, we are doing the standard pre-game routine: Pick up the race packets, eat our body weight in pasta, and finalize outfits and playlists.  I asked my husband if he picked out what he was wearing, and we was like, "Um, shorts? And a t-shirt?"  Bo-ring.

 

I go to pick up the packets, and make a few key observations.  First, if the lack of traffic control at packet pick-up is any indicator for the race, I am a little concerned.  Second, I got to drive behind this guy, who I could safely assume was going where I was going:

 

 

The walk to the packet pick-up was oddly long.  As I was walking I thought, well, it is for a half-marathon race so what is an extra half mile?  Well played, Brewers, well played.  While I was walking this guy totally speeds past me...walking.  Good thing that I am just running for fun because he can walk faster than I run.

 

When I got home, the hubs had made enough pasta to feed ourselves and 30 of our closest friends.  Except, it's just us.  It was delicious, and I can't wait to eat it through next Thursday.  Finally, I check the weather to make a final decision on the race day outfit, and spruce up my playlist.  Bright colors (obvi), and some bitchin' new dubstep.  At least I will look legit right up until I start running, and take a pasta-coma nap after 4 miles.

 

Wish us luck!

Downtown Running: "Did you tell the cows you'd write?"

Ahh, nothing like switching up your run like a little new scenery.  Don't tell the cows, I don't want them to feel like I am cheating on them with the Milwaukee lakefront.  Except that I totally am.

While it is a little awkward to haul my cookies around while I see people that vaguely recognize me from work, I suppose I just better plan good running outfits.  Anyways, the park and trail areas downtown are great venues for thinking and exercising.

 



There are of course pros and cons to every location.  Pros of downtown include:

 

1) Waterfront scenery

2) Lots of runners and bikers so you feel like you have to push to run faster to keep up

3) No bushes for creepy murderers to hide in or jump out of

 

Cons, on the other hand:

 

1) Wiiiiiindy

2) Lots of runners and bikers so you feel like you have to push to run faster to keep up

3) High probability of getting pooped on by the bird army

 

There are few things in life that freak me out more than the prospect of (A) getting attacked by a bird or (B) being pooped on by a bird.  I ended up running in a zig zag to not be underneath hovering seagulls.  I've seen the Alfred Hitchcock movie, and I am statistically due for being shit on, so it is only a matter of time.

 

I'll try out a few different areas and report back.  I think I saw a trail that looked less windy, relatively bird-free, and still urban chic.  Except still no cows, I will have to bring my own. B.Y.O.C.



Life is a sitcom, or sometimes a quirky British comedy.

Mr. Bean, via tvrage.com

The reason that I often feel the need to "soundtrack my life"  is because there are so many moments when I realize the ridiculous humor of my day.  Small snippets that could easily be part of a TV sitcom, and often better than fiction.  Today was one of those days.  I know what Mr. Bean must feel like.

I seriously have to question sometimes whether or not I am living in a TV show that I am unaware of, like when Jim Carrey was part of a never-ending channel in "The Truman Show" that lasted his entire life.  If people around me start to do commercials of every day products while we are having a conversation, I will be on to their game.

Here were some of the humorous things that happened to and around me today:

The man in the "business casual" lederhosen look: As I am driving to work downtown Milwaukee early in the morning before most of the business world has stirred up, a man passing off some cargo shorts, short-sleeved dress shirt, and suspenders with an incredible beard made it look like a native German had to take to the city.  I loved it.

The karma of hurry up and wait: So I am standing behind this guy at the Kwik Trip trying my hardest to get out quickly before I break down and buy some blueberry cake donuts.  The man in front of me was the change-digging, "no that's the wrong price", slow-as-molasses guy at the checkout.  I found this humorous and ironic that he was the exact person behind me back on the highway and he could barely stand the fact that my 12 mph was not fast enough for him.  I slowed to eight over to get him back for making me buy a donut.

Neck spider: I am driving today, when the biggest daddy long legs spider CRAWLS UP MY NECK.  I am not sure how I did not crash, seeing as I am particularly ticklish in my neck area.  The turtlenecks are getting dusted off tomorrow, I don't care if it is 90 degrees.

Runaway grape: I was in one of the really nice conference rooms with a few co-workers on a conference call webinar.  While I probably should not have been eating grapes in the meeting, I dropped a grape that rolled away in the middle of the meeting, never to be heard from again.  I looked and looked while trying to pretend I was stretching and looking casual, but after a while I just had to hope no one stepped on it.  At least my husband would be happy to know that he is not the only victim of my grape shrapnel.

I am really just blogging until I find out that I have been on TV this whole time, or until someone realizes that they should pay me for the rights to a movie/mini-series/book deal about the funny and mundane.  Meh, it was probably a better show when it was called Seinfeld.

Just try to turn your day around. The worst that can happen is that you make someone else's.

Image Source

Sooo, I wake up an hour and a half late, because I just simply did not set my alarm clock.  Awesome.  I haul my cookies out to work, and find small ways to sabotage my day such as getting stuck on a door handle and spilling coffee all over.  And all before 8:00 a.m.  Ok, world, slow your roll.

At any rate, I eventually decided that the day was handing me total crap and I wasn't going to accept it any more.  The best way I find to do this is by doing nice things for other people.  It is so much more joyful to do nice things for other people - you get a lot out of it and of course, they do too.

If you are in a funk, try some of these nice things and you'll feel better in a hurry:

If you want to donate to a really good cause:
Are you a Milwaukee local?  Donate to the 88Nine Sound Foundation, supporting the local, independent radio station that is quintessential Milwaukee.  Here's why this is TOTALLY worth it: An anonymous donor will match your donation right now 3 to 1, and 4 to 1 if you have never donated before.  That means your $50 would be $250 if you were a first time donor. Click HERE to check out 88Nine.

Via www.radiomilwaukee.org

Nationwide? Find someone that you can make a difference for.  Like, say, Bode, the 6-year-old nephew of my friends who continues to battle a rare form of cancer for the second time.
Click HERE to make a difference for Bode.

Bode and Uncle Ryan, Via facebook.com

If you want to make someone feel special and supported:
Cheer on the other people working hard in your group fitness class.  I started cheering people at the end of their sprints today in an interval class, and no one was catching on. But then, the people who got cheered, started cheering for others.  I almost forgot that I was doing sprints and wanted to die.  Almost.

Tell a co-worker that they look really nice in the color they were wearing.  The caveat here is that it must be true and genuine, as well as I do not encourage you to be creepy or do anything that may be misconstrued for harassment in the workplace.

If you want to start something bigger:
Pay it forward.  Find a way to do nice things for other people, and encourage them to pay it forward.  You could write someone an unexpected and genuine thank you card, and then ask them to write a thank you card for someone else to pay it forward, and so on.  Warm fuzzies until the end of time!

If you want to go smaller, but for every day:
Make eye contact and take time to genuinely smile at everyone you encounter.  The guy that holds the door for you, the lady at the checkout, and every other person we tend to take for granted and not "see."

If all of these things fail, eat a cupcake.  That may work too.  But try the other things first, because they don't make you chubby.  Trust that I have done the leg work on both methods.

Temporary art: Restoring my faith in humanity

Buffalo Street between Water Street and Broadway, Milwaukee

Earlier this year, Milwaukee's Third Ward was chosen as one of America's top art places in the country.  How exciting!  The Third Ward is arguably my favorite place in the city, and I am glad it is getting deserved recognition.  In fact, I love some of the things that are popping up all over the city that remind me about some of the people that are working for good in the brew city.

I was walking through the Third Ward this week with all of the time in the world (Ref: The Week of Katie) and looked up to see, for the first time, the picture above painted on the side of a building.  I wasn't sure if I had missed it all this time by watching for traffic, but after a brief bit of research, I found out it was just finished in the last two weeks.  It became a reality by the ideas and support of Hanson Dodge Creative and Lululemon.  See the scoop here.

I love this type of pop-up art, conceptualized by the people that live and work right in that community.  This shows a commitment to where they spend their time, and sharing the same positive energy with the world.  Just think how many moments of impact a simple mural like this will have over time.

An impactful example of more temporary art in the city can be seen while driving down Fond du Lac Avenue where 16 locations of temporary art can be found.  Some are paintings on boarded up buildings, some are messages tied from bright streamers on chain link fences.  In one of the parts of the city that can most benefit from the positive message, I hope non-denizens make the trip down Fond du Lac Avenue as well to see what impact a small visual effort can make.  Click here to see more of the story.  Below is a map of the art stops.

Via radiomilwaukee.org

Who are the ringleaders behind the temporary art beautifying these areas of the city with temporary art? In:Site Milwaukee. This is the same organization that brought us art on boarded up buildings in the Century City neighborhood off Capital Drive in 2011.  Artist Christopher Willey painted brightly colored animals with messages to address environmental issues in the neighborhood, and it was AWESOME.  I am proud to be in the city that is one of the best kept secrets in the Midwest for art and culture, if you know where to find it.

Milwaukee Restauranting: Wolf Peach review

Via www.wolf-peach.com

The hubs and I like to try different restaurants in the city, and I also like to pass on this information to others so you can make educated decisions for your dining experience.  Our most recent stop was at Wolf Peach restaurant near Brewers' Hill in Milwaukee, located in the old Roots restaurant location.

The décor and food is described as "rustic European," and the service style is "como viene" where they basically bring out the food as soon as it is ready, and all dishes are meant to be shared in a communal fashion.

Here is what we ordered:

• Watermelon Salad: Watermelon salad, mizuna, feta, pistachios, coriander & brown butter vinaigrette
• Fried Broccoli: Fried broccoli, parmesan, pickled jalapeño aioli
• Hawaiian Blue Marlin Sashimi: Sashimi of Hawaiian blue marlin, banana peppers, garlic oil, cilantro, grilled peaches
• Pork Sausage Wood-Fired Pizza: Pork sausage, tomatoes, mozzarella, onions, fennel, pecorino, fennel pollen

For dessert, we tried the chocolate polenta cake with salted caramel ice cream and caramel sauce and the zucchini bread french toast with a sort of fruit compote.  Both were delicious as well.  To see the full Wolf Peach menu, click here.

Overall, the food and the craft cocktails were very good, but overall the service bothered me.  The servers were nice, but there were a few key details that detracted from the experience.  First, they neglected to bring out new plates with every dish that they brought out, nor did they notice that this was an issue so I had to ask for new plates.  For example, my little plate covered in marlin sashimi and olive oil was not the appropriate spot for my pizza.  Also, I didn't like the t-shirts the servers were wearing, and they almost felt too casual.  I know that sounds minor, but we both actually picked up on the weirdness of it so I know it was not just me!  I would also note that the volume level was somewhat loud in the dining room.

I would certainly go back, but I don't feel the need to do so.  I miss Roots a little bit.

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