BY DANIEL GOLDIN, BOSWELL BOOK CO.
Editor’s Note: This year, Milwaukee Magazine asked several notable Milwaukeeans for their takes on the Best of Milwaukee. Many responded with much more great stuff than we could publish in our print issue, so we just had to share more of their picks here! Daniel Goldin is owner and proprietor of Boswell Book Co.
Many bookstores feature signage that says, “Eat, sleep, read,” and that pretty much defines me – if you just add “walk,” as that’s the other thing I do with my free time. On my days off, if the weather is right, there is nothing that pleases me so much as a long walk, and if I can read while I am walking, so much the better. (For those who are concerned, I do stop reading when I cross streets.) This used to be considered an oddity, but now it’s just an analog version of walking while scrolling your phone.
Tell us who you’d pick to be a Betty this year!
I could mention a few of my favorite places to walk, but there are a number of books at Boswell that have covered this. Instead, I would like to mention some of my favorite things to eat in the Milwaukee area, the treats that keep me going. Sadly, almost 40 years of eating in Milwaukee has left me nostalgic for things that are gone, such as the Heineman’s lush torte cake, the inch-high chocolate cookie from Oakland Café, and the turkey club sandwich from Oriental Drugs. Fortunately, though, I have found other foods to fill the snack-filled hole in my heart.
EXPLORE MORE OF THE BEST OF MILWAUKEE 2024 HERE
Cupcakes
Cupcake places come and go; I still mourn the salted caramel cupcake from Milwaukee Cupcake Company in the Third Ward. But my go-to now is the pistachio cupcake at Classy Girl on Cathedral Square. I love that they flavor their cake as well as their batter, and the flavor is strong and unexpected. I also love the texture of their frosting.
Brownies
To me, I don’t care if a brownie has nuts, but it’s chocolate chunks that take it to the next level of texture. The Outpost Natural Foods brownie is truly amazing, especially if it’s on the fudgy side. I am just not a fan of a brownie that’s too cakey.
Ice Cream
I hate to play favorites from local ice cream purveyors, and it turns out that I have two favorites – salted caramel waffle cone from Scratch and malted chocolate chocolate chunk from Purple Door. Despite them both always being in my freezer, I still periodically get a scoop from a shop.
Sweet Dim Sum
Dim sum carts have just never caught on in Milwaukee, despite several attempts. But I can still go to Lucky Bakery in West Allis and pick up my favorite sweet dim sum: sesame balls with red bean paste.
Bread
A fresh loaf of bread is one of life’s great joys, but my problem is that I will eat the whole loaf at one sitting. But if I get it sliced, it creates a natural portion size so that I space things out. Ever since Boswell opened, I have been obsessed with the Breadsmith granola bread, but sadly, it has gone from being offered twice a week to once every other month. It’s so good. I freeze multiple loaves and eat it every morning with peanut butter.
Soup
There was a time when I wondered why Milwaukee wasn’t called Soup City. From my job in the Third Ward, I could walk to five different soup places to lunch. Heaven! My favorite was The Soup House on Michigan (which closed in 2021). I had so many favorites there, but the one I mourn most is the chicken tikka masala. I will take suggestions for a new favorite place!
Quiche
Beans and Barley makes my favorite quiche, especially the Italian and spinach/mushroom varieties. I really love the crust, it’s a great value, and it’s often sold out, which makes it even more valuable, in my eyes. It’s basic economics!
Dinner
If I could rotate between an Oakland Gyros spinach pie, Thanamite fried rice, and a Paisano pizza from Transfer, I’m not sure I would need anything else. It sounds good in theory, but I’m guessing I would get bored.
