1. Sip Honey Lager at Water Street Brewery
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
Sometimes I feel the call of the highway. “Hello, Archer,” it says. “It’s me, the highway. I’m calling you.” No matter how stridently I attempt to ignore it, the highway, much like my ex, just will not stop calling. And so, eventually, I heed its voice and hit the road. This past weekend I did just that, heading north on a trip to Port Washington with a few business associates. On the way back, we stopped at Water Street Brewery in Grafton, right off the interstate, drawn by the sight of the tower and vast brewery alongside. Allow me to report, this roadside brewery is a scenic spot, all dark wood and high ceilings – very atmospheric and convivial. I’d heard reports from disgruntled drinkers that Water Street, which has been around since 1987, doesn’t have the best beer, but that was not my experience at all. I sampled the Honey Lager, and honey, it was quite good. I 100% would return here the next time the highway calls.
2. Hit the South Shore Farmers Market
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
This was a summer lover’s summer. Like, it was hot in Milwaukee this summer, or at least the last many weeks. While I, for one, welcome our new 50-degree-night overlords, it’s worth noting that farmers market season is not remotely over. Copious summer produce remained on offer at the South Shore market on Saturday, alongside the usual bounty of great eats (Guanajuato breakfast tacos FTW), fresh-cut flowers and doggos for the petting. And the weather was absolutely perfect. Sleep in long enough and you may miss the fastest-selling veggies but, hey, the beer garden with the best view in Milwaukee County opens at 11. Market runs Saturdays 8 a.m.-noon through Oct. 25 in South Shore Park, 2900 S. Shore Dr.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
3. Make a Salmon Rice Bowl With Soy-Honey Glaze
ANN CHRISTENSON, DINING EDITOR
I love a quick/easy weeknight dinner recipe as much as the next person. This one combines two of my favorite things – lots of flavor and not a lot of ingredients. Just enough, actually. It’s a salmon rice bowl with soy-honey glaze. One of the engines of flavor is the simple ginger-garlic vinaigrette. Mix it up while blanching some green beans. After you’ve drained and cooled the beans, pop them into the bowl of dressing with some cherry tomatoes and let them absorb the goodness while you prepare everything else. The second engine of flavor, the soy-honey glaze, is added to the cubed salmon while you cook the fish, making a thick, sweet-salty sauce that clings to each bite. Serve it all with steamed jasmine rice. Done and dusted.
4. Stroll the Third Ward Art Festival
EVAN MUSIL, ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
You rarely need an excuse to walk the most walkable neighborhood in the city, but the Third Ward Art Festival gives you one anyway. The juried art show lines up over 200 local and national artists on Broadway while serving up food, drinks, live music and art activities such as a painting class. I went last year and enjoyed my perusing. Sometimes, oppressive summer heat can make these kinds of outdoor markets a bit of a drag, but thankfully, the weather this Saturday and Sunday is looking just right. And if you’re like me, you’ll take any chance to wear short sleeves and stave off autumn until mid-September, at least.
5. Dine at Diner en Blanc
CAROLE NICKSIN, PUBLISHER AND EDITOR
I’ve heard about Diner en Blanc for years. It is an event where everyone wears white, brings their own table and chairs, and is told on the day of where to show up. The goal is to meet new people and strengthen your community. Well, it is happening in Milwaukee for the first time ever this weekend! You can find out all about it here. See you there!
6. Go to a Bar, Restaurant or Brewery You Love
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Every business closing is, for at least a handful of its customers, like a death in the family – just check out the sense of loss expressed in the comments of Biersal Tavern’s post announcing its closure. As beloved family members age, we often try to make more of an effort to spend time with them before we’re gone. We don’t often get that opportunity with our favorite places to spend a night. For me, these painful closures are a good reminder to spend mindfully, supporting businesses I want to endure, rather than the so-so bar down the street or the fast-food drive-thrus that are sometimes easier. In last fall’s Best of Milwaukee issue, I called out Biersal and fellow then-new bar Busby’s as great spots run by seasoned publicans. And this week I’m making an effort to get across town and into Busby’s, just because.
