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Around Town
Food, Art, Entertainment
The European-inspired frites-n-ale concept of Café Hollander has been recreated four times, but back in May 2007, the Downer Avenue original was a newbie – and a hottie – featured in our 25 New Restaurants cover story. From day one, Hollander has drawn crowds for the experience – the beer, sure, but really the feeling of being part of a scene. The food has never been its strong suit, but that’s never mattered.
Reality TV took the Aughts by storm, and by our June 2009 issue Wisconsin had enough “stars” to break down, complete with snarky titles, over two pages. Who can forget “Smartest Dummy” Erinn Lobdell, a contestant on “Survivor: Tocantins”? Or “Most Pious,” Julie Stoffer from “The Real World: New Orleans”? Among them was a true star – Danny Gokey, the third-place finalist on the eighth season of “American Idol.” Known for his eyeglasses, Gokey launched his own eyewear collection and, in 2021, released his eighth album, Jesus People.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
When the Bronze Fonz statue went up in 2008, we took a moment to reflect on other possible tributes to other (real) Milwaukeeans. Gold Golda (Meir), Chocolate Gene (Wilder) and Onyx Oprah (Winfrey, natch) were solid, but our vote is for Diamond Lee (Liberace), “an all-diamond effigy draped in velvet.”
Serial entrepreneur Johnny V, aka John “my goal is to open 250 restaurants” Vassallo, didn’t fare well in our 2004 “Overrated & Underrated” cover story, in which we called his Mo’s steakhouse “MO-verblown.” Six months later, our Ann Christenson penned a mixed review of his new and short-lived Downtown seafood place, Moceans. But the steakhouse is still around, serving up beef “simultaneously rare and well done.” V has always loved a good pun.was “blazing up the Adult Album Alternative” charts. He stuck around, too, garnering a “Best of Milwaukee” nod in 2018.
The 5-Oh Test doughnuts
IN OCTOBER 2003, we lined up eight cops from around southeastern Wisconsin for a blind doughnut taste test. Krispy Kreme took home the No. 1 spot over local favorites like Canfora Bakery, National Bakery and Cranky Al’s. Respectfully, these cops clearly didn’t know their donuts.
WE WERE OBSESSED WITH …
Tom Barrett
IT IS NO SURPRISE given his 18 years in the mayor’s office that Tom Barrett has gotten plenty of our ink, but while he was often in the news, Barrett was rarely news himself. He cast such a slender political profile during his decade in Congress that he received only a passing mention in a July 2001 article speculating about contenders for a possible open mayor’s race after the incumbent John Norquist was accused of sexual misconduct. As mayor, Barrett was considered more manager than visionary. Even after 12 years in office, a 2015 assessment of his “legacy” showed a tenure that lacked bold leadership and big ideas. “The mayor is a nice guy, but…” was the mantra of that piece and framed his defining moment in office. In 2009, leaving State Fair Park with his family, Barrett encountered a woman fleeing a man carrying a gun. Barrett intervened and even landed a punch, but was badly beaten in the process. The incident earned him national praise as a hero, but the hype would not get him over the line in the 2010 governor’s race – in which he faced off with longtime rival and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker. Warning against a Barrett Milwaukee-first governorship, Walker’s first shots in the campaign hit a familiar tone, “Tom Barrett is a nice guy,” he said. “But…”
Big Debut: Iron Horse Hotel
The “Best of 2009” issue declares the new Harley-Davidson-inflected hotel in Walker’s Point “a bit industrial, a smidge naughty and a whole lot beautiful.”
New Power/Old Power, Aughts Style
Chris Abele
A February 2005 profile came as Abele was laying the groundwork for what would make him one of the city’s biggest political players, namely giving away millions from his family’s fortune and making sure everyone knew who was signing the checks.
Paul Ryan
“Those Eyes, That Hair, That Plan,” gushed the headline of a July 2005 profile. Praised as one of the future stars of the GOP, Ryan did indeed have big things ahead of him, but his cordial-wonk political approach became out of date as the foundations of the Republican Party shifted 10 years later.
Herb Kohl
For our April 2006 issue, we convened Milwaukee’s four-term U.S. senator with three of his college fraternity buddies – baseball commish Bud Selig; attorney Frank Gimbel, aka “Mr. Clout”; and Marcus Corp. honcho Steve Marcus – at Jake’s Deli for a round of hot pastramis and a chat.
Vel Phillips
Perhaps the most revered figure in Milwaukee’s political history received a glowing retrospective in January 2005. “I’ve had a pretty good ride,” she told us. “I think I’ll just die with my boots on.”
WHERE ARE THEY NOW …
David Clarke
WE PUBLISHED A PROFILE profile of David Clarke in July 2003, a year and change after the unapologetic conservative “came out of nowhere” to take the reins of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office. By the end of his 15 years as sheriff, Clarke seemed less interested in running the county’s law enforcement apparatus than boosting Donald Trump on Fox News and blocking journalists on Twitter. Clarke, who’s had two speaking engagements canceled after backlash in 2022, lists two jobs on his social profile: president of the fringe limited-government political group Rise Up Wisconsin, which has a Hales Corners address; and board member of the Montana-based Crime Prevention Research Center.
A City on the Upswing
“Can a couple of movable roofs help spark a city renaissance?” our April 2001 cover asked. Hopes were high that Milwaukee’s old rust belt image was bound for a makeover, and not just for Miller Park and the Quadracci Pavilion addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum. Other projects like the Midwest Express (now Wisconsin) Center, Potawatomi Hotel and Casino, and a major expansion of the Riverwalk were in the midst of opening, and plans were afoot for the Harley-Davidson Museum and the Milwaukee Public Market.
The issue included some of the now-familiar local bragging about the city’s inclusion on various lists (one of America’s most underrated cities, per the Utne Reader!) and cited Cleveland’s recent opening of the Jacobs Field ballpark and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum as a possible parallel for Milwaukee.
But while the aesthetic qualities of the city’s new movable parts were widely praised, our story tempered expectations for a citywide revival. The Calatrava could easily become a city trademark, but would mean little to residents living in poverty. The new ballpark would be a great place to catch a game and would help the Brewers’ bottom line, but it was unlikely to have any significant economic impact beyond that. “[Milwaukee has] been putting up some dazzling monuments lately,” economic consultant David Birch told MilMag. “So did the Egyptians.”
