The Noble

If you’re wanting to check out a fresh, hot spot these days, chances are you are going to be heading over to the Walker’s Point neighborhood, which in my opinion should be renamed “foodie heaven.”  Add The Noble to your list if you are looking for a quaint and vintage ambiance, coupled with sophisticated, comfort food.  The menu is about as small as the place (with only 7 tables and 8 bar stools inside), but packs a punch with the daily specials and the drink menu.  Rivaling the Blond Manhattan I had at the Rumpus Room, The Noble’s, Blood Orange Manhattan (made with Bulleit Whiskey) certainly gave a smooth entry into evening.  We tried two of the Saturday night specials, which I highly recommend.  First the chorizo mussels, which really had a nice, bright and zesty dipping sauce, and then the creole red-fish that was seasoned and cooked to perfection, served over rice.  The Noble is as refreshing as it is gratifying.  I will definitely be returning.

Smoke Shack

Well, Happy Fat Tuesday everyone!  I wish I could indulge this evening with you at Turner Hall for their second annual Mardi Gras Bash, but I had quite the fat Monday (to say the least).  We checked out the Smoke Shack for some bbq last night in Milwaukee’s Third Ward neighborhood. Due to the 2.5 hour wait on the weekend we figured a Monday night would give us a chance to get at some of that scrumptious bbq in a reasonable amount of time!  My husband and I consider ourselves to be quite the bbq connoisseurs, as we’ve even pursued a “bbq road trip” down to St. Louis, Memphis, and Nashville a few years back.  Even though the Smoke Shack has a nicer interior than most of the places we patroned while we were down south, we were still impressed with the service, the sauces, and the tender meat selection the Smoke Shack laid out for us.  The Smoke Shack ‘s motto is, “Quality meats, dry rubbed, slow smoked and sauced by you.”  So naturally we ordered the four-meat combo, which is a delicious sampling of House made Sausage, Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken and Sliced Brisket, (as they were out of their ribs).  Served with corn bread and mac and cheese, this meal was a pleasant memory of southern hospitality.  I still can’t get over the sauces!!!   The decision is totally up to you, whether you are a Kansas City, sweet and smokey, a Texas Bbq, tomato based with a little kick at the end, a House Bbq, not too much of one thing and just enough of the others, or a Carolina Gold, mustard based with a vinegar bite, each will bring out the ultimate flavor of the meat (or the mac and cheese)…really whatever you are inclined to spread it on!  This dark, kitschy locale is a must visit, even with a menu at the pricier end for bbq.  You can even find out what your “blues name” is!

See y’all later.

Salty vs. Sweet

Thank you, Anne, for you kind words yesterday per milwaukeeisnotthatbad.com.  You definitely got me typing again!

I’ve had this idea for a while now…it all started when I was leaving the Iron Horse Hotel after a date night with my husband at Smyth, (which I just have to say, I love the “bar food” at the Iron Horse so much more than their “upscale” selection).  After dinner, my hubby desperately wanted something sweet as we headed to our favorite late-night dessert place in the bar/cocktail area at Bacchus for their Molten Chocolate Hazelnut Cake and a quick glass of Mirabelle champagne.  Don’t get me wrong, it was a fabulous way to end the night, but my salty craving is just as strong, as his sweet…and no, bacon ice-cream does not do it more me either!  I just couldn’t stop thinking about the Iron Horse’s  house-made truffle chips and wondered why I decided to order a $30+ steak instead.  Well here’s my plight for individuals who crave the savory and tried and true places you can find home-made potato chips to satisfy your inner-salty.

• Cafe Lulu
• Saz’s State House Restaurant
• Bigg’s Roadhouse
• Swingin’ Door Exchange
• Miss Katie’s Diner
• Kokopelli’s Pub & Grub
• O’Lydia’s

Cafe One24

I think it’s safe to say that great restaurants in the burbs are hard to come by, as most of them are chains with high calorie options.  When Cafe One24 opened up in Brookfield, it was not only intriguing being new, but everything about its clean eating philosophy seemed to good to be true…even one of a kind.  Located in between a Chipolte and a Culver’s (on 124th and capital), Cafe One24 wasn’t very busy on a Tuesday evening.  I met a few friends with wide smiles ready to dive into a new menu.  The wine list was decent, nothing very high-end, in fact many of the options you can actually get at Thief Wine in their $10 and under table (although no qualms there).  After splitting a lovely crostini trio of smoked chicken, wild mushroom, and fresh tomato and basil, in addition to our cafe salad, I was pleasantly surprised.  It was when it came to the main dish of the evening, when I became disappointed.  My friend and I decided to split the flank steak, after over indulging in appetizers.  An herb crusted, grass fed flank steak, with braised rainbow chard, and sautéed wild mushroom sounds amazing, right.  Well, to our dismay it was over cooked and quite tasteless.  I keep thinking maybe this is completely my fault for ordering steak at a new, shi-shi organic place, but if you’re new and trying to make it, everything on that menu should be delightful and cooked to taste.  I’m not saying, don’t try it, but the “experience rich in taste,” on their website wasn’t quite a truism in our case.

Attn all Foodies:

A February 2nd event that is being held at Milwaukee’s, Iron Horse Hotel, will certainly give our mid-winter blues a boost (well, at least our taste buds)!  Wisconsin Foodie’s own Kyle Cherek is hosting the Thursday night event, entitled Sound Bites, which will be centered around pairings of food and music, benefiting 88Nine Radio Milwaukee.  Top Milwaukee chefs from Pastiche Bistro and Wine Bar, Hinterland, La Meranda, Umami Moto, Firefly Urban Bar and Grill, Bartolotta Resturant Group, Ryan Braun’s Graffito and Trocadero are collaborating with 88Nine DJs to develop the perfect playlist to accentuate the evening’s dishes.  For a ticket price of $125 you will be able to enjoy eight chef-hosted tasting stations, passed champagne, sample wine, spirits and craft beer selections from Milwaukee Brewing Company, Great Lakes Distilary, and Wollersheim Winery, as well as a chance to win fantastic music collectibles in the Rock ‘n Raffle.  Tickets to Sound Bites may be purchased on the 88Nine Radio Milwaukee website.  This is one Milwaukee event that should not be missed!

Foundation Tiki Bar

Tonight is one of those nights where visions of tiki bars (on the beach) are running through my head.  Low and behold, Milwaukee’s only Polynesian themed bar is only blocks away in the Riverwest neighborhood.  Known for its killer Mai-Thai (which certainly gives Bangkok House a run for their money), Foundation serves up a mean Hawaiian version of this popular cocktail.  But that’s not all friends, the Foundation has an ambiance and drink list along the lines of Byant’s and At Random (my two favorite winter date spots), with a lot of rum.  Just think Polynesian in Wisconsin, and you have it!  Don’t miss, the Singapore Sling, nor the Little Grass Shack, and that’s the end of my advice…the rest is for you to experience yourselves.

Gluten Free Options

I love my mother dearly, but I’m being completely honest when I say, sometimes it’s difficult to have dinner with her due to her gluten-free dietary restrictions.  What I’m finding though, is that more and more Milwaukee restaurants are adding more gluten-free options (especially pasta, even pizza and bbq sauce) to their menus, which just makes my mom happy and my life a lot easier!  So, whether you have a dietary restriction yourself, a loved one does, or you just don’t like gluten because you think its bad for you, here are some fantastic hot-spots to hit up!

• Restorante Bartolotta in Wauwatosa
• Centro Cafe in Riverwest
• Transfer Pizzeria in Bayview
• Il Mito in Wauwatosa
• Beans and Barley on the Eastside
• Eddie Martini’s in Wauwatosa
• Water Buffalo in the Third Ward
• Cafe Manna in Brookfield
• Stack’d Bar in the Third Ward
• Cafe Tarragon in Bayview
• Saz’s in Milwaukee
• Roots in Brewer’s Hill

The Raw Bar

Okay, I blogged about mussels, but what about those delicious, aphrodisiac pieces in a half shell that have some people just crazy over oysters!  There are several spots in Milwaukee where the oysters are just outstanding.

Here’s where to get them:

Harbor House, during Happy Hour you can order oysters for 89 cents a pop!

Maxie’s Southern Comfort, during Happy Hour (daily from 4-6pm) fresh shucked oysters are half-off!

St. Paul Fish, get them fresh everyday, but on Thursdays, Blue Point Oysters are 2-for-1.

Barnacle Buds, (currently closed for the season), but Milwaukee’s only outdoor oyster bar sells them $18/dozen.

Mason Street Grill, “Throw ‘Em Back Thursdays” gets you a dozen oysters and a pitcher of beer for $20.

 

 

 

Tuesday Night Music

Once you get through a Monday, some of us need a pick-me-up now and again.  Since the weather is bordering “real” WI winter temperatures, I am not exactly inclined in hopping all over the city.  Several, very cool, Milwaukee hot-spots offer great music series’ on Tuesday nights, which may give you the hop, skip, and/or jump you need to get through the rest of the week!

Check out my top 3 picks:

Tonic Tavern for Jazz at 8pm

Brocach for an Irish Music Session at 8pm

Charro for Soul, Flamenco, Rock at 6pm

 

The Best Italian Beef

When it comes to Italian food, Milwaukee doesn’t have a “Little Italy” portion of the city, but that certainly doesn’t imply that we don’t have our fair share of authentic restaurants and famous Italian, immigrant families.  Today I would like to praise the Italian Beef sandwich, which encompasses a rich history of juicy meat, soppy bread, and either spice and/or  sweetness from a crazy, homemade giardiniera!  As a connoisseur of the sandwich myself, here is where I go to experience such an epic piece of heaven (in several areas of the city).

• Dr. Dawg
• Frankie’s Sammiches
• Martino’s
• Glorioso’s
• Sammy’s Taste of Chicago

Which establishment is your favorite?