It’s February, and your New Year’s resolution has quietly crept out the window. Indulge in the sweet, frothy and spicy goodness at three offbeat events happening Downtown.
1. Milwaukee Public Museum’s Food and Froth Fest – Friday, Feb. 19, 7-10 p.m.
Forget the chicken dinner and silent auction, the Milwaukee Public Museum’s annual fundraiser allows guests to sample more than 200 different beers from Midwest and international breweries as they run amok through the same great exhibits of prehistoric beasts and European villages seen on grade-school field trips. Soak it up with appetizers from local restaurants and caterers. And there will be plenty of local bands providing the musical soundtrack for your frothy adventures. Click here to see the participating breweries and vendors. Look out for my top picks: Bell’s Brewery, Furthermore, Horny Goat and Milwaukee Brewing Co. (Mmm … Louie’s Demise!)
Tickets are $50 for museum members and $55 for non-members. Grab your ticket before you go and get there early – last year, there were 3,000 people sprawling three floors of the museum. Call 414-278-2728 for tickets. Proceeds from the event benefit the museum’s exhibits and educational programs.
2. WMSE and Iron Cupcake Milwaukee’s PRO/AM Cupcake Clash – Sunday, Feb. 13, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Iron Cupcake Milwaukee, in partnership with 91.7 WMSE, is challenging 30 bakers (pros and amateurs) to present two different cupcakes in an “Iron Chef”-style bake-off. The icing on the cupcake – celebrity judge Duff Goldman from Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes” will be there to make a final ruling on the tastiest of treats, but event attendees will vote by text or paper ballot, too. Winners of Food Network’s Cake Challenge Vinny and Michelle Garcia from Bleeding Heart Bakery in Chicago will also be on hand. Goldman was the top choice for a judge. “He’s also a musician and artist, and supports what we are trying to achieve with local business,” Ploy says.
Although this is the first event of its kind with WMSE, Ploy hopes to attract about 1,000 people: “Everything changed once we got Duff involved; it became bigger than we ever dreamed! Several local businesses have pulled together and made this effort grassroots times a million – it just goes to show how awesome Milwaukee is.”
Just when and how did cupcakes become so trendy? Ploy set out to bring the trend to Brew Town and began blogging about it three years ago. She credits their portability, size and association with fun childhood memories for their popularity. “Plus, they’re just so cute,” she adds. In Milwaukee, there is Classy Girl Cupcakes, Milwaukee Cupcake Company and Miss Julia’s in Brookfield to fill your fix.
Aside from the cupcake challenge, there will be a competition for all artists of any medium, incorporating the theme of cupcakes and opposites attract. There will be hundreds of giveaways from local businesses and more than $2,000 in prizes awarded.
The event will take place at the MSOE Kern Center (1245 N. Broadway), and tickets are $6 at the door or available in advance here. Tasting tickets are $1 each, but anyone who brings an egg carton to carry their cupcake will receive one free tasting ticket. Proceeds from the event will go to WMSE.
3. Ninth-Annual WMSE Rockabilly Chili Contest – Sat. March 6, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Here is what Milwaukee’s biggest and best chili contest looks like by the numbers:
o 45 competitors
o 56 different chilis
o 39 meat chilis
o vegetarian/vegan chilis
o 4 award categories: Best Meat Chili, Best Vegetarian Chili, Best Heat, and Best Table Presentation & Display
o 3,000 attendees expected
For the second year in a row, WMSE will unveil a branded hot sauce called “Rockabilly Red” at the Rockabilly Chili Contest. “When you think of WMSE, we hope a part of you thinks food,” says Station Manager Tom Crawford. “We love spice and peppers and hot sauce, so continuing to create our own sauce just makes sense.” WMSE is also compiling a cookbook for the first time of Milwaukee’s favorite chili recipes.
This event also takes place at MSOE’s Kern Center and proceeds benefit WMSE Frontier radio, which has been community-supported for 30 years. Purchase advance tickets for $10 (which include four tasting tickets) here or $7 at the door. Two-ounce tastes of chili are just $1. A donation of two or more non-perishable food for Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force gets you two tickets redeemable for two chili samples.
