Bar Time

The other night, I paid $20 for a cannoli out of a hand-held cooler.   But now that I think about it, maybe on that particular Friday night, the cannoli really did cost $20 a piece. I think I’m on to something here…   So where did I get this dessert? If you are truly apart of the eastside scene (if I can even call it that) and you are the type of person who can hang out until the lights come on, you’ve heard his chant, “Pepperoni! Cannoli! Pepperoni and Cannoli!” That’s Frank and he is now $16 richer.…

It would be safe to say that I may be the only person in Milwaukee ready for autumn. Last week I was at Kenadees (725 N. Milwaukee Street), and it was about 70 degrees outside. People were sipping mojitos and more than a few customers were knocking back one of their summery signature martinis: The Blood Orange. I love fall. So as I excitedly await the green leaves to turn orange, I have to say summery mojitos and Blood Oranges put me off a little. I want my hot coffee with Baileys in it (Sunday morning only, of course). I…

In a world guided by clichés and filled with people trying to avoid them, there is one that will always remain: the all too important, Girl’s Night Out. We all do it and shamelessly, but you have got to admit how daunting the GNO can be. Now, before I get into it I should mention that the GNO takes on many different forms throughout different phases in life. Here they are.   PHASE ONE: 6- 12 years old We call the GNO a Sleepover. Generally, permission must be granted before the overnight adventure can take place. It typically involves some…

There is nothing better in this world than eating. Nothing can rival the pure pleasure that beautifully presented, expertly crafted cuisine can give, and that is why I like to eat out – a lot. I’ve been here and there and, when it comes to Milwaukee, practically everywhere. But sometimes the eating isn’t as important to me as the drinking. You knew that was coming, right? You’re reading Bar Time right now, after all. So let’s get down to the nitty-gritty, as they say. I’m not going to preach to you about food because we all know that when it…

It’s Thursday night. Do you know where your local Milwaukeeans are? They are sitting back to back with strangers, drinking Pinot Grigio out of a box and lounging on a sheet within the grassy plain that makes up Cathedral Square Park. It’s called Jazz in the Park, and yes, we all know it well. However, ask anyone who goes there frequently who the headlining Jazz spewing bands are and they will no doubt give you a blank stare. Sadly, Jazz in the Park has become so watered down with the social aspect of seemingly classy fun, that it is now…

It’s been a draining past couple of days. I’ve hardly gotten any sleep, my favorite hang-outs were converted into trashy watering holes and my parking spot…don’t even get me started on my parking spot. I feel like I have been waiting for this day to come for years, but, in reality, it has only been about four days. As I write, it is the first official day that motorcycles, mostly of the Harley-Davidson variety, are en route to wherever they came from. Truth be told, I purposely stayed away from the debauchery that I knew would be taking place this…

My unwavering love of being chauffeured around Milwaukee in a bright yellow sedan has trickled down to only a few rides this past month. It’s not that I don’t have the money for my preferred mode of transport; I’ve just been keeping it local these days. And by local I mean hanging around my close-to-home, Downer and North Avenue hot-spots. No makeup, flip flops and a brightly colored summer dress has been my uniform on these hot summer nights. It’s been fun lounging around on the patio of Café Hollander (2608 N. Downer Ave.) drinking Stella Artois and seeing people…

This past May, I went to London to visit my London Lolita as she was studying abroad there all semester. It was vital we caught up on our gossip, drank beer in pint glasses and exchanged European fashion tips. Just as I thought she would never want to leave London for its big city gleam with old world charm, she threw me a curve ball. “I’m obsessed with Ireland and I am going to move there when I graduate.” Ireland? Where the grass grows in 50 different shades of green and everybody knows your name? She loved it because everyone…

“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…

I was on a boat Friday night and let me tell you, it was fabulous. Ninety minutes of wave-crashing, hip-hop blasting, all you can muster Miller Light drinking ,$20 boat ride on the Edelweiss Cruise ship on the Milwaukee River. Now when I say fabulous I mean fabulous in a very limited way. I’m sorry I have to bring this up, but remember the awful winter we just endured? Well, that boat ride took me right back to January. It was mind (and various other body parts) numbingly freezing. Granted it was from 10:30 p.m. to midnight and we were…