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Milwaukee, What It Does (Or Doesn't)

white_teawhite_tea 3,262 Posts
edited February 2007 in Strut Central
Putting together a little travel story about Milwaukee. I know, the airports are just bustling with people aching to get there at this time of year. Of course, I got the art museum, the Miller beer plant and Summer Fest. But I want to get some of the lesser-known but dope restaurants, clubs, shops and all that good stuff. Anyone have any reccomendations? As far as hotels, I think I've stayed at the Hyatt and the Wyndham, both were nice but weren't really that different or anything; just sterile accomodations. As far as food, what's it all about? What are the best regional dishes? I had a gourmet meatball sandwich last time I was there (some really trendy restaurant on the north side right by a fancy grocery store; uber achitecture, flourescent lights, yuppies galore) and also hit up that Moosehead pizza place (also good). As far as records, I only hit up a thrift store on the northwest side and the Musical Memories or whatever right on the lakefront (decent selection, overpriced). Any help here is greatly appreciated. You will be rewarded with riches and virginal bitches in the afterlife!

  Comments

  • HankScorpioHankScorpio 163 Posts
    Hey White Tea,

    Records:

    1. Lotus Land
    2. Neapolitan
    3. Bullseye
    4. Flipville

    And you've already been to Musical Memories.

    Clubs:

    I'm not up on. But, if you want a laid-back atmosphere check out The Jazz Estate.

    Cool Movie Theaters for indie flicks:

    The Oriental
    The Times - they show classic films on the weekend
    The Downer

    (The Oriental and the Downer are part of the Landmark chain).

    Food:

    Pub food try the Wicked Hop - good burgers and drinks
    Cheapskate local chain - George Webb (so necessary)
    Pizza - Zaffiro's Pizza & Bar (if you like thin crust)

    I know you mentioned the Art Museum, the Eisner Building is alright, too - it's a museum of Advertising & Design.

    If you ask Big Stacks really nicely I'm sure he'll have suggestions as well.
  • yoigotbeatsyoigotbeats 1,667 Posts
    paging Big Stacks.....
  • white_teawhite_tea 3,262 Posts
    Thanks, Hank.

    The Eisner looks like it would be perfect for what I'm doing. What makes George Webb so necessary? What type of food do they serve? Any special twists on old favorites?
  • HankScorpioHankScorpio 163 Posts
    What makes George Webb so necessary?

    I just like their burgers and coffee. It's kind of a love it/hate it (open 24 hours) type of diner. I put it in there because it's a place I would take people from out of town, just because. It's probably only necessary in my private mind garden.
  • hendravishendravis 689 Posts
    cream city indoor skateboard park!
  • francislaifrancislai 371 Posts
    best dive ressaurants:
    -conejitos - paper plates, strike that, see through paper plate mexican. unique to that region.

    -webb's - hashbrowns are popular. greasy spoon of choice for many. east side/farwell ave.

    -zafiro's pizza - word up, get the peppers with cheese. thin crust. east side/farwell ave

    -fuel cafe - get the butafucco sandwich, same peppers as the zafiros pizza & provolone w/ hot mayonnaise. riverwest/across from lotuslandrecords.

    -tacos de esmerelda - austin style cheapo taco's. huevos ala mexicana are off the chain. 3 homemade salsas at each table doesn't hurt. cheap as f*ck, high quality.near south side/ on 7th? near mitchell.

    ---
    if you have loot eats: go to Sanford's. world class french cuisine, julia childs eats there. about $100 per person, with dessert maybe $150. east side/jackson & lyon.

    --
    middle of the road eats:

    hit cempa zuchi on brady, killer clean oaxacan menu. do it. east side/brady st.

    maharaja is a good indian spot in eastside/farwell ave. malai kofta is off the chain at this place.
    --

    records, all of the spots hank mentioned PLUS lotusland OFFICE. REALHEADZKNOWTHEDEAL. if you are a big spender their will be a six pack waiting for you there.

    --

    nightlife: avoid looking at most women. avoid every downtown club. riverwest is the only way to go, and that isn't boasting much. just pray to god you are there for a getdown on saturday night (forget which one it is, but is a monthly) at riverhorse.

    if you are a yuppy, milwaukee doesn't have your back -"you got to thank god for that"
  • francislaifrancislai 371 Posts
    Putting together a little travel story about Milwaukee.

    BTW - who/what are you putting the travel story together for? mag, radio, airline?

    there is definitely more than meets the eye in milwaukee, discovery center and the calatrava are WAAAY to covered.

    you need to find prophet blackmon on north avenue, about one block east of oakland. he'll be kicking it all day in front of the eastside library. just ask him for a story.
  • buttonbutton 1,475 Posts
    IMO,

    best cheap eats = Bombay Sweets

    best bar = Depending on which end of town you're on, Foundation (Riverwest) or the Palm (Bay View), there are lots of great dive bars too, but thats a more personal journey you have to take for yourself.

    Best new restaurant, Chez Jaques on 1st St. (just listened to Jaques lay the smackdown on a Sysco rep. trying to peddle his frankenfoods)

    best espresso = gotta say Anodyne, and Alterra a close #2

    records: A few great places already mentioned, though I know Neapolitan in Bay View is sitting on some crazy raers all the time. Atomic on the east side is the classic indie record shop. A good place to grab all non-soul-strut-approved CDs and vinyls

    there's a start, but yeah there is a lot more happening around here than the usual attractions. Most of the interesting stuff goes on in Riverwest, and in Bay View to a lesser extent. Downtown is pretty much pointless except for your stock symphonies, plays, major sporting events. The East Side, Milwaukee's classic "happening" neighborhood, is being rendered more and more irrelevant with each passing year. Although it should be said that the most vibrant part of the city is probably Walker's Point.
  • white_teawhite_tea 3,262 Posts
    Thanks for the responses, guys. The article is going to be something similar to this. Looking for the big-time attractions and the small-time stuff too. I don't think the article will have a crazy amount of reach or anything, that would ruin the local flavor of any place mentioned, just something for business folk to keep in mind if they're ever in town. I'm going to have to read up on some of the neighborhoods, and maybe come through to check out a few places in the next couple weekends (I'm right down the lake in Chicago, though I'll probably travel there by car haha).


    Travel Postcard: 48 hours in Beijing
    Fri Feb 2, 2007 12:17 PM GMT

    BEIJING (Reuters Life!) - Got 48 hours to explore Beijing? Reuters Correspondents with local knowledge help visitors get the most from a short stay in the Chinese capital.

    FRIDAY

    7 p.m. - Cocktails at Jazz Ya to start the evening give an opportunity to experience Beijing's much-loved but fast vanishing and very seedy Sanlitun bar area -- plus their Long Island Iced Teas are top class.

    8.30 p.m. - From low class to high class -- dinner at The Courtyard. Set next to a moat by one of the walls of the Forbidden City, enjoy the delicate but pricey modern European cuisine.

    10 p.m. - More cocktails, this time in Face Bar, which has recently expanded to Beijing from equally swish locations in Shanghai, Bangkok and Jakarta. Located in an old, Communist-era school, the bar has a lovely retro-Socialist chic feeling about it. Try the Cosmopolitans.

    11.30 p.m. - Head back to Sanlitun if you're still standing. The athletic can pole dance at Kai bar with hip young students, who flock there for the five yuan Tsingtao beer. Round the corner, rest your dancing feet and sip imported Belgian beers in the more sedate atmosphere of The Tree.

    SATURDAY

    8 a.m. - After a quick breakfast, beat the crowds and head down to China's spiritual centre, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Gaze at Chairman Mao's portrait and climb onto the balcony where in 1949 he announced the formation of the People's Republic before plunging into the hidden chambers of the old Imperial Palace.

    11.30 a.m. - Early lunch at "axis of evil" restaurant Pyongyang Haedanghwa. Run as a money-making venture by the North Korean government, the grilled beef, pickled cabbage and seafood pancakes are surprisingly good. If you're lucky, the staff will serenade you with North Korean folk songs.

    1 p.m. - Shopping! Start off at the Silk Market, one of Beijing's most popular tourist attractions, for everything from knock-off designer clothes to pearls. Bargain hard as a lot of stuff is fake. Then jump in a cab to Ya Show, Nali Mall and 3.3, all within walking distance of each other, for more shopping.

    7 p.m. - No trip to Beijing would be complete without sampling Peking duck. Track down an outlet of Xiao Wang Fu (avoid the one in Ritan Park, despite the roof terrace) and enjoy their traditional wood cooked ducks. There's even an English menu.

    9 p.m. - Drinks at Bed Bar, in the hutongs or alleys north of the now far too touristy Houhai area. Hard to find, but relaxing and chilled out. Perch yourself on a traditional Chinese bed and watch the beautiful people float by.

    11 p.m. - Karaoke at Cashbox, also known as Partyworld. You'll have your own room to warble away in, so no need for performance anxiety in front of a room of strangers. Discover the Celine Dion in you. A very modern Chinese experience.

    SUNDAY

    8 a.m. - The Panjiayuan or Dirt Market is probably China's largest antique market. Get there at dawn for the genuine Ming vases, otherwise much else on sale is far from genuine. Don't pay more than a quarter of the asking price, even for the gorgeous ethnic minority cushions and flowing calligraphy.

    11 a.m. - Another early lunch, this time modern Japanese at Hatsune. Sushi rolls with perplexingly good sauces and strangely fluffy tempura.

    1 p.m. - Temple of Heaven. Because you really should see the sights in between all that shopping, eating and drinking. Plus, the temple has a spectacular, shimmering azure roof.

    3 p.m. - Dashanzi art district. Most galleries are in old factories, many of which still have their original Cultural Revolution slogans painted on the walls. The art is hit and miss, but the atmosphere is very 1960s and bohemian.

    7 p.m. - Dinner at Han Cang, universally known as "the Hakka". Food from the southern Chinese Hakka minority is not well know outside of China, which is a shame. Have the giant prawns steamed in a wooden bucket of unrefined sea salt.

    9 p.m. - One final drink at Drum and Bell. If the weather is good, sit on the roof and look at the floodlit drum tower, surprisingly well preserved amongst the chaos and pollution of a rapidly developing city.

    *Addresses and telephone numbers can be found in free English language listing guides found at hotels, restaurants and bars all over Beijing.
  • buttonbutton 1,475 Posts



    Travel Postcard: 48 hours in Beijing
    Fri Feb 2, 2007 12:17 PM GMT

    BEIJING (Reuters Life!) - Got 48 hours to explore Beijing? Reuters Correspondents with local knowledge help visitors get the most from a short stay in the Chinese capital.

    FRIDAY

    7 p.m. - Cocktails at Jazz Ya to start the evening give an opportunity to experience Beijing's much-loved but fast vanishing and very seedy Sanlitun bar area -- plus their Long Island Iced Teas are top class.

    8.30 p.m. - From low class to high class -- dinner at The Courtyard. Set next to a moat by one of the walls of the Forbidden City, enjoy the delicate but pricey modern European cuisine.

    10 p.m. - More cocktails, this time in Face Bar, which has recently expanded to Beijing from equally swish locations in Shanghai, Bangkok and Jakarta. Located in an old, Communist-era school, the bar has a lovely retro-Socialist chic feeling about it. Try the Cosmopolitans.

    11.30 p.m. - Head back to Sanlitun if you're still standing. The athletic can pole dance at Kai bar with hip young students, who flock there for the five yuan Tsingtao beer. Round the corner, rest your dancing feet and sip imported Belgian beers in the more sedate atmosphere of The Tree.

    SATURDAY

    8 a.m. - After a quick breakfast, beat the crowds and head down to China's spiritual centre, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Gaze at Chairman Mao's portrait and climb onto the balcony where in 1949 he announced the formation of the People's Republic before plunging into the hidden chambers of the old Imperial Palace.

    11.30 a.m. - Early lunch at "axis of evil" restaurant Pyongyang Haedanghwa. Run as a money-making venture by the North Korean government, the grilled beef, pickled cabbage and seafood pancakes are surprisingly good. If you're lucky, the staff will serenade you with North Korean folk songs.

    1 p.m. - Shopping! Start off at the Silk Market, one of Beijing's most popular tourist attractions, for everything from knock-off designer clothes to pearls. Bargain hard as a lot of stuff is fake. Then jump in a cab to Ya Show, Nali Mall and 3.3, all within walking distance of each other, for more shopping.

    7 p.m. - No trip to Beijing would be complete without sampling Peking duck. Track down an outlet of Xiao Wang Fu (avoid the one in Ritan Park, despite the roof terrace) and enjoy their traditional wood cooked ducks. There's even an English menu.

    9 p.m. - Drinks at Bed Bar, in the hutongs or alleys north of the now far too touristy Houhai area. Hard to find, but relaxing and chilled out. Perch yourself on a traditional Chinese bed and watch the beautiful people float by.

    11 p.m. - Karaoke at Cashbox, also known as Partyworld. You'll have your own room to warble away in, so no need for performance anxiety in front of a room of strangers. Discover the Celine Dion in you. A very modern Chinese experience.

    SUNDAY

    8 a.m. - The Panjiayuan or Dirt Market is probably China's largest antique market. Get there at dawn for the genuine Ming vases, otherwise much else on sale is far from genuine. Don't pay more than a quarter of the asking price, even for the gorgeous ethnic minority cushions and flowing calligraphy.

    11 a.m. - Another early lunch, this time modern Japanese at Hatsune. Sushi rolls with perplexingly good sauces and strangely fluffy tempura.

    1 p.m. - Temple of Heaven. Because you really should see the sights in between all that shopping, eating and drinking. Plus, the temple has a spectacular, shimmering azure roof.

    3 p.m. - Dashanzi art district. Most galleries are in old factories, many of which still have their original Cultural Revolution slogans painted on the walls. The art is hit and miss, but the atmosphere is very 1960s and bohemian.

    7 p.m. - Dinner at Han Cang, universally known as "the Hakka". Food from the southern Chinese Hakka minority is not well know outside of China, which is a shame. Have the giant prawns steamed in a wooden bucket of unrefined sea salt.

    9 p.m. - One final drink at Drum and Bell. If the weather is good, sit on the roof and look at the floodlit drum tower, surprisingly well preserved amongst the chaos and pollution of a rapidly developing city.

    *Addresses and telephone numbers can be found in free English language listing guides found at hotels, restaurants and bars all over Beijing.


    is this your actual job?!?! Hook a Strutta' up!
  • white_teawhite_tea 3,262 Posts
    Yeah, I wish. Those stories are mostly done by people IN ADDITION to their normal duties.
  • francislaifrancislai 371 Posts
    why are you hiding your employer? we just gave you YEARS of field research here, albeit massive misspellings (sp?).
  • white_teawhite_tea 3,262 Posts
    why are you hiding your employer? we just gave you YEARS of field research here, albeit massive misspellings (sp?).

    I'm not hiding anything. I gave it up right in the first line of that China travel story. It'd be the same deal for Milwaukee, 48 Hours for Reuters Life.
  • HankScorpioHankScorpio 163 Posts
    Hey T*m! Is all this talk making you miss your former home? You're missing some great snowy, sub-zero weather...
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