The Pop of Joy Official Holiday Gift Guide 2014

Not many things bring me as much joy as choosing the right gift for someone, and the Christmas season is the best time to get my gifting on.  In fact, picking the perfect gift for someone is way more rewarding than receiving gifts, and the receiver can see that you gave some thought and love their way.  Here are some of my favorite gift ideas this year, in case you are still looking to pick up a few items this season.

For Classy Ladies:

Copper monogram tray - Mark and Graham

This tray is so cute - Mark and Graham has awesome monogram gifts, and this is a versatile tray that can last a long time.  A bit high-end, so look for knockoffs if you can't spring for the real thing here.

Photo via MarkandGraham.com

Bite Beauty Best Bite Lip Crayon Set of 4 - Sephora

I bought these for myself during a moment of weakness in the "impulse purchase bins" while standing in line at Sephora last year, and I am so glad I did.  They have them this year as well, so march right in the store and just get in line to shop.

Photo via Popsugar.com

Baggu Dipped Tote Bag - West Elm

I often can't help but buy a few things for myself when I find cool gifts for others.  This was one of the "one for you, one for me" gifts of last year.  Very sturdy, good size and shape, great adjustable strap that can be worn cross body, and super cute colors.

Photo via Westelm.com

For People Who Like Fun:

Gnome Terrarium - CB2

I don't need to tell you why this is cute.  Plant sold separately.

Photo via CB2.com

Chicken Wine Stopper - Fred and Friends

This is the ultimate rubber chicken gift (that is, other than incessantly chickening people year round).  I hope my sister is ready for her wine to be super-chickened in a few days.

Photo via Fredandfriends.com

Boozers/Foodies:

Wine 2 Go Flask - Flask 2 Go

I know a lot of people whose problems would be solved with this wine container that holds an entire bottle of wine.  Poolside, picnics, shenanigans, you name it.

Photo via flask2go.com

City Tin - Milwaukee Edition

This is available for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but also for Madison.  The tin includes coaster gift cards for $10 off your $25 bill at 20 Milwaukee area restaurants.  I will note that the list of restaurants in the tin is legit, and a fine selection by the tin creators.

Photo via Citytins.com

Kids:

Less stuff - Want, Need, Wear, Read

This was a concept shared with me this year (Thanks, Kathryn!) and I think it is a great idea, especially for young children.  Buy only four items, one item for each category listed.  This helps you and your child prioritize what is really important and what they really want the most.

Experiences

Make a gift out of a family vacation, special day, or other experiences.  Or, buy something that the family can use to make memories or experiences.  One mom I know is picking up a "Go Pro" camera as a family gift, and think of all of the fun things that can come of that with the family!

Kiwi Crate

Okay, if you need more than those four items, check out the Kiwi Crate.  It is a box shipped to your child (age range is 3-8 years) once a month with fun activities in different themes.  You can buy a subscription, a single box activity, holiday boxes, or other smaller items.

Photo via kiwicrate.com

Handmade:

I think that handmade or "hand assembled" gifts are always a nice way to put a personal touch on a gift.  I love a good themed basket or kit for a gift, it is a great way to put together some smaller items and make it feel really thoughtful.  This list from the berry.com is one of my favorite lists of basket ideas for all year round.  The key is throughout the year when you see containers or baskets on sale or clearance, snatch them up so you have a few on hand to make a basket when you need it.  World Market is also a great source for cheap basket and wrap kits in a pinch.

Photo via theberry.com

There you have it!  Only 8 more shopping days before Christmas, so this is your last chance for online shopping without paying a ton for shipping.  Go get 'em, tiger.

Madison Restaurant Review: Jacs Dining and Tap House

Jacs Mac & Cheese

We took a trip out to Madison, Wisconsin to visit some local friends and taste some of the local fare.  Madison has no shortage of great restaurants, and Jacs Dining and Tap House is no exception.

 

Below are the menu items that we tried:

• ROASTED BEET SALAD: Red beet, chèvre, red onion, walnut, mixed greens, balsamic vinaigrette, baguette
• BOURBON BURGER: Grilled Strauss Farms ground beef, bacon, muenster, fried onions, tomato, romaine, sweet bourbon aioli, ciabatta
• SMOKED SALMON BLT: Cherrywood-smoked bacon, smoked salmon, romaine, tomato, classic aioli, Texas wheat
• FRITES: Hand-cut French fries, classic aioli, with the sauce trio: cranberry mayo, sage aioli & house BBQ
• PHEASANT FLATBREAD: Smoked pheasant, wild mushrooms, leek, parmesan
• MOULES ET FRITES: Prince Edward Island mussels, baguette, Garlic-Chardonnay sauce
• MAC & CHEESE: Jones Dairy Farm ham, bacon, Swiss and Cheddar cheese, parmesan bread crumbs

Everything was delicious!  In addition, this was a "top 5" mac and cheese performance for me.  The noodles cheese, and crispy breadcrumb toppings were all great, and ham and bacon always help.

 

There are also delicious craft cocktails and gluten-free menu options for the booze hounds and celiacs of the world.

 

Make this a stop on your list for casual food in Madison, and not terribly far from Camp Randall in case you are in town for a football game.  On Wisconsin!

The Weekend Edition: A Weekend in Chicago

Image Source

It has become a bit of an annual trip for us in January to take a weekend trip to Chicago and mix friends, shopping, and food.  We have gotten pretty good at this, and we made a few great stops to recommend to the world.  First, here are the necessary ingredients to a great weekend in Chicago:

1. A fun and funky hotel for your stay
2. Some shopping on and around Michigan Ave.
3. A delicious restaurant for dinner
4. A purely Chicago brunch joint on your way out of town

We accomplished all of this and more!  Let me share my favorite spots from this weekend.

Hotel: Hotel Monaco, Chicago
I love to stay at Kimpton hotels in general, and Hotel Monaco in particular.  The décor is colorful and worldly, the entire staff is so friendly, and as a pet-friendly hotel, they lovingly provide me with a goldfish during my stay as a travel pet.  Meet Sven, my pal fish for the weekend:

I also love that I get to raid the mini bar with a free $10, drink wine during the daily happy hour in the lobby, and lounge around in my animal print robe.  The Monaco always has great rates during these slow weeks of January, and it is an awesome value.


Shopping: Michigan Avenue and the surrounding area
I make sure to do two things to prioritize my shopping time: I only go to stores that I can't shop at near home, and I make sure that I don't stay in one place for too long so that the hubs doesn't get too bored.

Dinner: Eataly, Chicago
The Chicago location of Eataly (a play on the word Italy) opened recently and has been incredibly busy ever since.  It is an all-things-Italian marketplace/restaurants/café/bar.  And it. is. INCREDIBLE.

The restaurants are so busy, you need to go put your name in and expect to wait 90 to 120 minutes.  While you wait, you can get a coffee, wine or beer, some prosciutto and fresh mozzarella, or buy anything from pasta to fresh meat and fish, cheeses and meats that you've never heard of, chocolates, or cooking utensils.  We ate at the pizza and pasta restaurant area, and everything we ate was incredible.  I have an entirely new outlook on what pasta should be, and I can't wait to experiment with my new found pasta respect.

Make sure you save room for dessert because the night would not be complete without a delicious LavAzza coffee and a gelato, artisan dessert, or crepe from the Nutella bar.  I bought a giant bag of beautiful Italian treasures that I have never seen before, and the next week will continue my culinary adventures.  Eataly serves as dinner and entertainment for a full night out.

Via Eataly

Brunch: Eleven City Diner
This cute, totally Chicago-type restaurant feels like a hybrid between an old school diner and a Jewish delicatessen.  And the food is impeccable. 

The challah french toast is a great staple to the menu, and the Bad A** breakfast sandwich was a perfect breakfast sandwich with perfect potatoes.  Intelligentsia coffee tops off the menu with love. While there are a lot of fantastic brunch restaurants in the city, this one continues to deliver every time I am there.

Bonus!
Mariano's Fresh Market, Halsted and Monroe
Even though we were so full from breakfast, we still managed to buy a ridiculous amount of fresh food.  Why go grocery shopping anywhere else when you can go buy lots of deli salads and pot pies, topped off with delicious gelato, oysters, fresh sushi, or bulk spices in the same place?

This was my own suggestion for a weekend in Chicago, but there are lots of other great weekend ideas for the taking!  If you need an idea starter, check out a book like this for your path of travel:
The New York Times - 36 Hours

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.

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.