“I know you’re going to hate this but I am just going to throw it out there,” said my beautiful Friday night bar hopping companion on where we should spend a quarter of our paychecks that evening. “La Fuente for margaritas?”
“Definitely not.” Reason’s being I don’t do fake Mexican. Why? Well, because I don’t do blended margaritas, either. Also, I prefer not to spend my Friday night at what I like to deem as the official suburbanite watering hole. Not my type of scene.
A very good friend of mine, who was born and raised in Mexico City, had some guy she met in Milwaukee take her on their first date to La Fuente. Rule #1: Don’t take a Mexican to what you think is a “Mexican” restaurant. Rule #2: Don’t even think she is going to want to see you again. She was disgusted, mortified and worst of all, hungry. I think all she ate were the chips. Poor guy never even stood a chance. I digress…
Granted, it is hard to have a true Mexican eating and drinking experience in this fish-bowl we like to call Mil-town, but when it comes to authenticity, some places shadow over the rest and we are forced to choose.
So here we are, Friday night all dressed up and nowhere to go.
“Have you ever been to Cubanitas?” I asked my beautiful Friday night bar hoping companion but I already knew the answer. Although not Mexican, Cubanitas dishes up their version of tried and true Cuban classics.
We went, she loved and I scoffed. Nothing too out of the ordinary went on there.
Their sangria, while completely thirst quenching, irritated me. Cubanitas cubes up the fruit that is traditionally a part of the sangria making process. But they have to realize that true sangria uses fruit only as an overall garnish and it is only supposed to lend a little bit of flavor. My wine glass was full of cubed fruit and half full of sangria. So if you order the sangria, remember: It’s more of an appetizer than beverage.
If the sangria is a meal in a glass then their mojito is a one-way ticket out of your next dentist visit. With them skimping on the muddled mint leaves (about 3 of them in a tall glass), the only way that drink held its overwhelming mint flavor was by adding mint extract of some sort. Am I surprised? No. Did I have fun regardless? Oh, yes.
We decided to skip on over to Kenadees and see what was going on within their neon lights. What did we find? Not much going on within their neon lights.
We were trying to think of why we were two of five bar-hoppers in there and then I realized it was only 9 p.m. A little lame, maybe, but showing up early proved it has perks.
As soon as we walked in, we were immediately escorted upstairs to the V.I.P. lounge.
Our server told us it was ladies night and martinis were only $5 until 11 p.m. That was a nice surprise. But you know what they say about too much of a good thing…
A word to the wise: 4-inch heels + 2 sangrias + 1 ½ mojitos + 2 ½ martinis = 2 scraped knees and partial indecent exposure. That formula never fails. Especially while trying to teeter along the cobblestone that lines Milwaukee Street.
Summer is almost over, people! Get out there and have some fun before we have to start using coat checks and wearing layers again (sorry for that horrifying visual). Here are some ideas to get out and about this upcoming week.
August 11 – SoHo 7 – S.I.N
SoHo 7 has been going around town in recent weeks and giving out special stickers to people who work in the industry. If you are already stickered up, flash that id and get $3 Effen Vodka drinks all night and enjoy $100 bottle service with some of your hard-working friends.
August 12 – Centanni – Totally ’80s Tuesday
Join pianist Khris Crow as he takes your ’80s music requests all night long. If the music isn’t enough to relive your shoulder pad wearing days I bet drinking Tabb soda will. All night Rum and Tabb drinks are on special as well as Effen Vodka mixers.
August 7 @ Mi-Keys on Jefferson
Do you ever feel like Jazz in the Park just doesn’t last long enough for you every Thursday? Well head across the street to Mi-keys. They have a live music set starting at 9 p.m. every Thursday night. Come in from off the grass and pull up a stool. Jack Wayd has the mic this Thursday and $4 Effen cocktails will keep you hydrated all night long.
August 8 @ 8 p.m. Live on North Avenue
Check out Chicago’s Javier and The Bear this Friday night all while sipping on 2 for 1 Absolut or Bacardi mixers.
New bar Opening
A new casual and smoke-free bar is in the works in the Third Ward from the people who brought us Centanni’s and SoHo 7. Opening date is looking to be around late December 2008. Keep checking “Bar Time” for the latest info.
