1. Eat Real Chili
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
It’s getting harder to find good late-night eats these days. Certain parts of the city are nearly entirely dark, foodwise, after 9 or 10 unless you’re willing to swallow your pride and a couple Chalupas. Real Chili, catty corner from Cathedral Square, is open until10 Monday-Wednesday and beyond bar time Thursday-Saturday; if you’re fixing for a late meal early in the week, the Marquette campus location is open even later, as well as on Sundays. And after a recent re-acquaintance with this late-night chow, damn it’s good – spicy, hearty and satisfying after a few drinks. 419 E. Wells St., 1625 W. Wells St.
2. Bury Your Sadness in Meats at Bavette
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
After a vaguely sad morning working in Walker’s Point last week, I decided that a nice lunch might be just the mood-booster ol’ Archer needed. But, being a lonely, miserable man, I had no one to eat this lunch with and was consequently very self-conscious when I walked into Bavette and asked to eat alone at the bar. That self-consciousness didn’t last long because of my waiter Patrick – that dude did not let me feel like a lonely weirdo. He was super friendly, got me set up at the bar, and saved me from my own awkwardness. Shoutout Patrick. Oh, and the food was fantastic. I already knew that because Ann Christenson put the Third Ward restaurant on her 25 Best Restaurants in Milwaukee list, but it was proven to me when I tried the Muffuletta Sandwich, a delicious collection of meats so Italian they’d make my Great Uncle Vinnie proud. And the fries with aioli were dangerously good – I ate to the point of bursting.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
3. Go to Mexican Fiesta
ALLI WATTERS, DIGITAL & CULTURE EDITOR
It’s the 50th anniversary of this amazing festival! It goes without saying the food is excellent, but so is the music, dancing and events. The fiesta starts Friday and runs through the weekend.
4. Enjoy the Patio at Lakefront Brewery
ANN CHRISTENSON, DINING EDITOR
I’ve got to bottle this for mid-January: For a recent work get-together a bunch of my coworkers and I met up on the RiverWalk patio at Lakefront Brewery (1872 N. Commerce St.). By the time I arrived, the sun was going down and the outdoor beer hut was shutting down for the night – which felt symbolic of summer’s soon-to-be departure. I hate that point of the season, but the night was everything it could be – mellow, gentle, satisfying. I want more nights like this and the heat wave expected later this week might just give me that.
5. Chomp Cheddar at Wisconsin’s Simply the Best Cheese Event
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
The Elegant Farmer holds a special place in my cold, rotten heart. Many years ago, when I was but a little one, my parents and I took road trips up north to visit my uncle. On the way back, we would always go out of our way to stop for the Farmer’s apple pie in a paper bag.
“For God’s sake, I’ve been driving six hours, can we just go home?” my dad would say. “I’m going to fall asleep on the highway and kill us all.”
“Pie!” I would respond.
I cherish the memory.
All that goes to say that I like the Elegant Farmer a lot, and I still take the opportunity to visit frequently, both for the nostalgia and the delicious selection of meats, pies, cheese etc. So I’m looking forward to this weekend’s Simply the Best Cheese Event at the Farmer, where they’ll be selling blue ribbon-award winning Wisconsin cheese. I plan to leave with a belly full of cheese and a head full of dreams.
