1. Melt Chocolate’s Bonbons
ONE OF EACH COLLECTION, $35
The flavors are what distinguish the bite-size chocolate bonbons made by confectioner Bjorn Rogness at his Lincoln Warehouse shop. Orange Dreamsicle, Lemon Theory, hazelnut cassis, passion fruit, almond praline and more. You will want to sample them all, and you can, too, in the One-of-Each Collection.
2. Emmanuel’s Mix
9 OUNCES, $12; 14 OUNCES, $16
Addictively snackable, the spicy version of this better-than-trail-mix took first place in the Wisconsin State Fair’s 2022 Eats & Treats competition. It’s that balance beam of sweet and salty, plus, OMG, the huge pecans! The treat is named after owner Jacqulyn M.N. Tucker’s son and is about as homey – it was created at Tucker’s kitchen table – as a beloved bite can be.
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3. Blakesville Creamery’s St. Germain
$28/POUND
Any of the many award-winning goat milk cheeses from this Port Washington-based creamery will give your cheese board a star-making spin. But St. Germain, just wow. With its creamy murmur of earthy mellowness, this semi-firm, natural-rind cheese will make even the most pedestrian cracker memorable.
4. Semolina’s Culurgiones
DRIED PASTA, $6/BAG; GNOCCHI AND HAND-SHAPED PASTA, $18/POUND; EGG PASTAS, $15/POUND
Bay View’s Semolina is where the artistry of pasta-making (and the teaching of it) blossoms. Owner Petra Orlowski makes dried and fresh pastas, the former of semolina and flour from Wisconsin’s Meadowlark Organics mill. You’ll find singular marvels here like culurgiones, a fresh Sardinian pasta filled with potato and mint.
5. Crème de Liqueur
SORBET, $10/PINT; CUSTARD, $15/PINT
Let your pint of this spirit-infused “ice cream custard” soften outside the freezer for a few minutes before scooping. The texture will be silky, with a wave of balanced booziness coursing through. Milwaukee-based co-owner Elizabeth Nash uses local distillers like Twisted Path and Central Standard to make a kaleidoscope of flavors including (drum roll, please) Spirited Raspberry Cheesecake, loaded with chunks of Simma’s Bakery cheesecake.
