The calendar said March but the weather said November. But, neither snow nor sleet stays this bar hopper from the swift completion of her appointed rounds.
The weekend began with an after-work drink at our usual hole, MJ’s on Milwaukee (review to come). But we quickly left after noticing that a nearby table was sucking all the fun out of the place – which isn’t much, by the way. We decided to head north to Prospect and North Avenue.
When we arrived at the corner of Kenilworth and Prospect, I pondered the similarity between the signs and exteriors of Yield and Vox. “What’s the difference between these two?”
“We haven’t been kicked out of Yield,” my bar-hopping companion quipped.
I can’t say I’ve ever been kicked out of a bar, but I was intrigued. Yet, I resisted further inquiry.
Yield was spacious with plenty of seating and different areas for different interests, including a separate room with arcade games, another area to play darts and quieter corners more suitable for conversation. It was a busy Friday night, but it never felt over-crowded. There seemed to be a lot of dudes around, but I wasn’t complaining. The music selection was pleasurable to my ears, which are often assaulted with bumbling, contemporary pop music, and the walls were covered with music posters and album art, everything from Hendrix to Weezer.
We sat at the smaller of the two bars and ordered our first round. The lady bartender poured a nice drink and the prices were reasonable. They had great daily specials visibly displayed on the bar post. I noted our bartender received constant attention from the dude clientele and she subsequently took a few shot offerings.
Yield succeeded in quenching my thirst, but we were hungry. Luckily Qdoba was right across the street and even better was the readily available Spotted Cow.
I took it easy on Saturday night, but went out for a short while on Sunday to attend a quiet, musical house show stocked with plenty of wine and cheese. But first, I met a friend out at Foundation in Riverwest. The bar was one of the coziest choices for a snow-covered night. However, holy smoke! Definitely the smokiest bar I’ve ever been to in Milwaukee.
My friend led us to the back corner, where a large booth, that easily could seat 10 people, was tucked away next to the pool table. With hands outstretched, guiding my way through the mist, we made it. We were greeted by a huge ashtray resting in the middle of the table, with four or five cigars snuffed out.
For a moment, I was no longer in Milwaukee. The décor was cluttered but nonstop fun for the eyes. The tiki theme was everywhere with blowfish lights, lanterns, nets, foliage and exotic paintings.
Foundation specializes in Mai Tais, but I couldn’t resist a cheap happy hour beer ($2 Lakefront taps). I recommend trying Foundation if you can handle the smoke cloud – the atmosphere far outweighs the impending possibility of premature death.
I hope future warmth and sunshine will loosen this week’s Bar Time inhibitions.
Yield
1932 E. Kenilworth Pl.
Fridays and Saturdays: 9pm to close
$2 PBR and Blatz taps
$3 Black Haus and Rumple Minze shots
For daily specials, check out Yield’s MySpace page.
Tuesday, April 7: Live music from neo-soul folk rocker, Ethan Keller.
The Foundation
2718 N. Bremen St.
Daily happy hour with $2 Lakefront pints and $2.50 well drinks until 10 p.m.
Stonefly
735 E. Center St.
Saturday, April 4: Everthus The Deadbeats, post-SXSW show. 10 p.m. Check out this glam/pop/experimental band with a fabulous wardrobe.
Sprecher Brewery
701 W. Glendale Ave.
Sunday, April 5: Easter fun for the kids! $4 Adults, $3 Seniors and Minors. Put your photo with the Easter Bunny on a bottle of Sprecher Root Beer or Cherry Cola! Parents and other adults welcome to take a brewery tour at noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., or 3 p.m. Prices, $2.00 per bottle
Decibel/DeepBar
1905 E. North Ave.
Tuesdays: SIN Night featuring $3 Effen Vodka. No cover, music by Milwaukee’s DJ Fred X and other guest DJs.
Fanatics Sports Central
185 N. Jefferson St.
Thursday, April 2: Mexican Fiesta: Mexican Beer, $3.50 a bottle; Bucket of Cornitas, 5 for $6 all day; $4 Cazadores margaritas. Three hard or soft shell tacos with Spanish rice and beans $6.99.
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What should a boyfriend do when his girlfriend wants to get rough? Nikol Knows.
