1. Watch (or Participate in) the Santa Cycle Rampage
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
Last December, I was eating a gyro outside a gas station. This is not an unusual occurrence in my life. You see, I really like Gyro Palace in Walker’s Point, connected to the corner Mobil – so much so that sometimes I can’t quite wait to get home to eat my takeout and just start chowing down on that sucker in my car. Am I proud of this? … Yes, actually, kind of. I’m a man of mighty appetite, like Julius Caesar if he was from Wisconsin and scared to leave the house.
Anyway, this particular chowing occasion stands out in my memory because the neighborhood had been overtaken by an army of cycling Santas. These weren’t your garden variety weirdos, no – they were organized and police-escorted. You see, I had accidentally planted myself right in the middle of the Santa Cycle Rampage, an annual event put on by the Wisconsin Bike Fed that sees a teeming horde of Kris Kringles bicycling through Milwaukee’s lakefront neighborhoods, spreading seasonal cheer and baffling unaware drivers with their traffic-halting merriment. It’s quite the surreal seasonal site, a wave of bright red sweeping through the city’s gray winter.
So heads up – if you’re not in the mood for the most wonderful time of the year, avoid Bay View up to Lake Park on Saturday. But if you’re overflowing with holiday spirit, stop by and watch the rampage. And if you’re really feeling it, sign up for the race yourself here.
2. Grab a Hot Chocolate at Colectivo
AMRITA THAKKAR, DIGITAL EDITOR
I’m a firm believer in the fact that once the temperatures hit below freezing, humans do not belong outdoors. My friends do not agree, and for some reason, think the snow is actually for “building things” and “having fun.” My definition of fun doesn’t involve my fingers falling off from frostbite, but I digress. After being wrangled into building one solitary little snowman, we abandoned our brave snow soldier to the elements and did the thing we were truly meant to do during this time: Go to the Colectivo on the Lakefront and inhale their sweet, sweet hot chocolate. Some may declare it a touch too sugary, and to those people I say: I spent about an hour shoveling my driveway, and you can pry my sugar-suffused drink out of my cold, dead, very frostbitten hands.
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3. Warm Up in a Dome at a Local Restaurant or Bar
EVAN MUSIL, ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
Your mileage may vary with the domes, igloos and greenhouses that pop up at local bars and restaurants during the winter. Though they hit the height of their popularity in 2020, heated dwellings seem here to stay – seasonally, at least. Personally, my family and I rented one while I was out of town during the holiday weekend, and we had a blast. For us, it was less the thrill of (kinda) drinking outdoors – although a bit of evening rain on the transparent roof added some ambience. It was about being all together in this enclosed space, sequestered from everyone else, which gave us permission to be as loud and as much ourselves as we could. What resulted was plenty of laughs and memorable moments. I think that’s worth it. You can find a dome to rent in our holiday bar pop-up guide.
4. Stay in and Watch “Pluribus”
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
What if humanity all shared one consciousness? It’s the premise of “Pluribus,” the fantastic new-ish Apple TV show from Vince Gilligan, auteur of no lesser series than “Six Feet Under,” “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.” His new endeavor so far certainly seems to belong in that lofty television company.
“Pluribus” centers on Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn, aka Kim Wexler of “Better Call Saul”), who – spoilers withheld – suddenly and traumatically finds herself one of only a handful of people in the world on the outside of a new mega-consciousness that took over every other person. She’s grieving the loss of her partner – and basically everyone she’s ever known – and figuring out how to navigate and ultimately undo this new world. Gilligan doesn’t hit you over the head with the myriad ethical questions it raises, but I’ve been thinking a lot about the nature of self-determination, artificial intelligence, morality and more during and after my watchings. The morning after my first binge of the first three “Pluribus” episodes, I woke up immediately thinking about Carol and her plight. It’s that kind of show.
5. Grab a Bánh Mi from Saigon Baguette
ANN CHRISTENSON, DINING EDITOR
I am on a quest to find good bánh mi. This sandwich is Vietnamese on the inside and French on the outside. The fillings range from grilled pork to paté (another French element) to tofu to chicken. The new Saigon Baguette has a saucy chicken version that is not like any bánh mi I’ve eaten before. The meat (described as shredded) was chunky, very tender and plentiful, with very good flavor. While the other toppings (daikon, carrots, cucumber) were a tad sparse and the baguette-like bread just crusty and chewy enough (could be better), I’d order this sandwich again. 2238 N. Farwell Ave.
