The Weekenders

N is for Newsroom Pub

Posted on by NicholasOfMKE

Newsroom-14

NEWSROOM

“Finkel is Einhorn,” I yelled emphatically, but incorrectly, during our dinner at Newsroom Pub, quoting Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and suggesting that the Third Ward is part of Walker’s Point.

Though my assertion was untrue, in another context the phrase proved very telling about our ‘N’ dinner stop, Newsroom Pub (Shannon’s pick)–I’ll get to the big reveal in a moment. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Some of us had been to Newsroom before, strictly for drinks. It is directly across from The Pabst Theater and The Rep on Wells, a stone’s throw from The Bronze Fonz. Nevertheless, none of us had ever tried their food. Did they have food? Read More

That’s Local Flavor: Open House at the Milwaukee Brewing Co.

Posted on by NicholasOfMKE

IMG_3208

In 2006, Clear Channel, a communications company, sponsored an event at the Milwaukee Art Museum that instantly became local lore. It was called Martinifest. All-you-can-drink martinis, only $30.

The results, even if you don’t recall the story, were predictable. In our most culturally important building, people were, according to news reports, “punching paintings, climbing on sculptures, vomiting everywhere, and then passing out.”

There will never be another Martinifest at the Milwaukee Art Museum. But if you are looking for the closest facsimile, albeit, one with a few smart substitutions–beer instead of martinis and a crowded Walker’s Point warehouse instead of the world-renowned Calatrava-designed wing–let me tell you about Milwaukee Brewing Co.’s Saturday Open House.

Read More

M is for Meritage

Posted on by NicholasOfMKE

Meritage-10

meritage

Cindi described her aspirations for Meritage, and expensive meals in general, in what will heretofore be known as “The Cindi Principle”:

When I spend a lot of money at a restaurant, I want to feel like I would be satisfied if it were my last meal. It’s dramatic but its the truth.

It’s a tremendous point and, as I reviewed the online menu for Meritage (Cindi’s pick), I hoped it would live up to The Cindi Principle. The girls decided that we would dress up for our dinner at this American fine-dining establishment.

Read More

My Year in Concerts: 2012

Posted on by NicholasOfMKE

The Hold Steady in Chicago. Photo by TJ Uttke

The Hold Steady in Chicago. Photo by TJ Uttke

2012 was an extremely busy year for me. Michelle and I planned a wedding. I took work trips to Colorado and New Orleans. I enjoyed a bachelor party in Las Vegas. We bought a house. We got married. We went to Cabo on our honeymoon. It was the most amazing year of my life!

But there wasn’t much time (or money) for concerts. I only attended eight in 2012, a depressingly low number for me, especially coming off such an incredible, musical 2011 (i.e. We saw ARCADE FIRE!).

Nevertheless, I saw shows in three states with a dozen different friends. I had my face melted from breakneck hard rock and was lulled to euphoria by sweet three-part harmonies. Read More

L is for Louise’s Trattoria

Posted on by NicholasOfMKE

image

Reflecting on the year that was, the first of this quest, it seems we fulfilled all of the hopes we began with. We enjoyed great meals (and a few okay ones). Great conversations. Great beer. We’ve gathered for dinner less than a week before Cindi and Adam brought their beautiful baby into the world. We had dinner shortly before Michelle and I got married. There were new homes, new jobs, travel, photography awards–we saw so much in a wonderful 2012.

The ABCs of Milwaukee Dining was a excellent excuse to gather and discuss these things over dinner and drinks.

So it was fitting that we got together one last time in 2012, only days before a brand new year. We headed to Cathedral Square–home of Whiskey Bar (yuck)–to give the downtown location of Louise’s a try. It was my pick (Shannon chose it too) and I had never been there before, though Michelle insists that she tried to get me to go to the Brookfield location on numerous occasions, which I do not recall. Half of us had been there before, and Adam didn’t hide that he hadn’t been a huge fan in the past, though he was determined to give the place a fair shake. Read More

K is for Kyoto

Posted on by NicholasOfMKE


When people harangue me for my notorious pickiness when it comes to food, I always cite sushi as my lead counterpoint. Sushi isn’t for everyone, but I love it!

So it is amazing that, for several years, I’ve possessed the knowledge that all-you-can-eat (AYCE–thanks Cindi) sushi is available in our area but I haven’t given it a try. Thanks to Adam selecting Kyoto and winning during this quest, that was about to change.

On a chilly Monday evening we ventured out of Milwaukee for the first time during this quest. Kyoto, like many sushi places for whatever reason, is located in a strip mall–known to no one as Woodland Court. (Does anyone ever know the names of strip malls?) This one, on the southeast corner of the intersection of 76th and Layton in Greenfield, is bookended randomly by a jewelry shop and an employment services provider. Read More

J is for Jow Nai Fouquet

Posted on by NicholasOfMKE

On a chilly, rainy Thursday night, we ventured out to our second ethnic restaurant and second Cindi pick in a row, Thai place, Jow Nai Fouquet.

The place has only been open for a year and none of us had been there before, but we were back in familiar territory, on Farwell, between two of our other stops, Eatery on Farwell and Comet Cafe. Several of us had never even been to a Thai place before, so we were all curious about what Jai Now Fouquet would have to offer.

They do not take reservations and we were lucky to arrive when we did. Read More

I is for Irie Palace

Posted on by NicholasOfMKE

Irie is a Jamaican word commonly used by Rastafarians that means “the state of feeling great–like paradise or nirvana.”

Often, I fear trying new things, but one of the points of this quest is to get out of my comfort zone. I think, for several of us, a Jamaican restaurant on the Northwest-side of Milwaukee, pushed us a bit. In fact, this was our first time out of the little downtown bubble we had established for ourselves.

So with that in mind, we traveled nearby 76th and Appleton and pulled up to Irie Palace, which is hard to miss. Large, bright blue and red panels span the front of the restaurant, located in a strip mall that also features an Asian grocery store, a Chinese carryout place and a nail salon. Read More

H is for Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub

Posted on by NicholasOfMKE

The definition of hinterland is the area surrounding a city. For our group of diners, though, our next restaurant, Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub, was right in heart of the Third Ward, an area where we’d enjoyed our last dinner together.

Hinterland is a brewing company from Green Bay, Wis. This was their second foray into the restaurant business–they also operate Hinterland Green Bay, another fine dining establishment. I’d tried and enjoyed their Pale Ale before, and was excited to find out what the food was like at a gastropub, which is why I chose Hinterland. (I won again!)

Read More

G is for Ginger

Posted on by NicholasOfMKE


The worst part about the Ginger experience happens before you even get there. Settled on a busy section of 2nd Street in Walker’s Point, Ginger is hell to park at. Michelle and I drove in circles two or three times before I eventually pulled into a spot that someone was leaving from.

Once we sat down at the bar though, the experience improved drastically. Ginger’s decor is stylish; all earth tones and soft light, with floor-to-ceiling windows opening onto 2nd. We arrived before everyone and sat at the bar for a drink. The bartender was friendly. The beer selection is suitable.

The main room was mostly empty, although the outdoor seating behind Ginger was nearly full. We decided to stay inside to take in the atmosphere. As the others arrived, we began getting excited for our second tapas experience for ABCs of Milwaukee Dining. I was excited, after all, this one was my pick (though TJ and Michelle also submitted it) and, though it has been open for parts of three years, none of us had been there before. Read More