Bar Time Contest

By Nick Kotecki You walk into Foundation. The first thing you notice is that it is a tiki bar. The second thing you notice is how it is like no tiki bar you’ve seen before. You see the spikey blowfish that hang from the ceiling, how they glow blue and green and red. You think how nice they would look in your kitchen or bedroom, how if only you had the gumption and a pair gloves you would untangle them from their cords and make a run for the door. You think the same when you smell the flickering candles…

By John Zdroik Jr. A uniquely European experience is sure to be had when visiting the Von Trier Tavern located at the corner of North and Farwell Avenues in Milwaukee. John and Cindy Sidoff continue the tradition of this Milwaukee landmark after purchasing the tavern in October 2009, applying some needed TLC and reopening it a few months later in December. The interior walls adorned with ornate beer steins, cuckoo clocks and antlers give you the feeling of sitting in a Bavarian beer hall. Dark woodwork and stained-glass windows add to the German appeal. The outdoor beer garden – otherwise…

By Mark Koenig Walking through the door at Blackbird you either walk up the stairs with ease (old hand) or you don’t (rookie). I didn’t. The howl heard during the straining of my hamstring drew attention from those near by as I tried to turn clumsy into classy. My girlfriend may disagree, but honestly, I think it worked. The lengthy bar was attended nicely by those watching a Brewer game on the two TVs that flank the bar while other groups peppered the tables and vintage circle booths at both the front and back of the house. It was Tuesday…

By Leslie Phillips The morning after my night at TJ Aliotas, I not only awoke with a wicked headache and the desire to begin a week long liver detox, but also with fond new memories. As a loyal Milwaukee Eastsider, I was curious about this seemingly out of place bar/restaurant located at 261 E. Hampton Road in Whitefish Bay. It is located next door to a pizza joint, which is next door to a Dairy Queen. Could this be a mini-stripmall dream come true? I decided that I must find out so I convinced a friend to join me and…

By Rebecca Rinn I had recently moved back into the area when a friend from college informed she was planning a trip to visit. In an attempt to ensure she would be entertained I commissioned a former co-worker and Milwaukee enthusiast to create a young adult’s guide to the city. He included brewery tours, places to get the best fish fry and of course a slew of bars and their infamous cocktails and happy hour specials. Amongst those was At Random, a bar in Bay View (2501 S. Delaware Ave.) known for their creative menu featuring inventive concoctions including rum…

By Tobi Collins As a newcomer southern gal to Milwaukee from Athens, Georgia, home of the University of Georgia with a great downtown bar and music scene, Nomad World Pub reminds me of home. A tip from a friend led me to check it out. Walking into The Nomad feels like walking into “Cheers.” Friendly bartenders who know your name after your first few visits, 24 beers on tap from locals to crafts and great people who keep people coming back time and again make this bar the place to be on Brady Street. An eclectic collection of items from…

By Mark Stoddard Taylors is a place that I hate to like. I’ve walked by from point A to point C so often, Taylors used to be a good point B, but now it’s joining the ranks of A and C! Hope you can follow that. The point is, you simply can’t miss Taylors when driving or walking around, and it’s difficult to resist it’s siren song. Once inside you will probably stick it out becuase it doesn’t try to be much of anything but what it’s patrons make of it. It has two bars, although the main bar is…

    Sometimes we as a culture get hold of a word we like, and then with no regard to its true meaning, we paint the walls with its richness, rendering it ubiquitous and less significant. “Unassuming” is one of those words. But I can’t think of a more appropriate term to use when describing one of my favorite drinking spots in the city, Bay View’s Blackbird Bar. It’s unassuming. Located near Kinnickinnic Avenue and Rusk, at what might best be described as the ankle to the neighborhood’s beating heart, Blackbird is a bar that you probably wouldn’t see unless…

By Kate Clark Going out drinking in Milwaukee is like traveling. We abandon the doldrums of our work-a-day. We spend more money than we can afford. If we are lucky, we are grateful that, even if only for a night, we are exactly where we want to be. When experiencing the outdoor bar at the 5th Ward’s The Iron Horse (a.k.a. “The Yard) it is the bar, not the booze, that will take you away. The parachutes that shade in Frank Lloyd Wright-esque fashion conjure a Manhattan rooftop; the sprawling couches evoke an L.A. coastal bar; the fire pits and…

By Darcie Markowski Besides 7 other bars within stumbling distance of my house, i prefer to frequent the Art Bar in Riverwest. The ambiance is low key and friendly.The service is outstanding, and there is always an abundance of local art featured in monthly exhibits, and for sale at a modest price. Art is always in the eye of the beholder, and that what makes this bar unique. One month you may not love the exhibit, and will rave over the following months creations. There is also a "one week" painting that anyone can sign up to create, and regardless, they…