1. Get All Dolled Up for a Night on the Town at Carbon Steak
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
Last week, I was invited to the new Carbon Steak’s soft opening night. Our dining critic Ann Christenson, if you didn’t know, dines incognito – her face is a mystery to restaurant owners across Milwaukee so that she never receives special treatment when she does a review. Me, on the other hand, I’m not a dining critic. I can stuff my face while shouting, “My name Archer. I work for Milwaukee Magazine. I is big important boy,” as much as I want without causing any ethical issues. And so that’s what I did when the folks at Carbon gave me the chance. Amongst the many fancy people of Milwaukee enjoying fine dining in the tony new establishment across from the Pfister, I felt super out of place. The decor is almost all black, real sleek, and a far cry from the red-and-gold plastic decor of my favorite dining haunt. I enjoyed a fine filet, and for dessert I noshed on an “old fashioned cream puff.” When I ordered it, I assumed that meant, like, a classic cream puff, but it actually meant old fashioned like the drink. A boozier puff I have never tasted – it was pretty great. As a journalist, I can’t afford to eat out at nice places much, but if I could, I would be planning a return visit.
2. Make Gochujang Caramel Cookies
ANN CHRISTENSON, DINING EDITOR
You haven’t seen the last of my holiday cookie baking. Really, I’ve barely begun. By the way, last week’s tiramisu snowballs were a complete failure. It was a new recipe from the December issue of Bon Appetit that I followed to a T. I don’t know what went wrong but they were balls of bitter sandpaper and all of them went in the trash. Next up is the gochujang caramel cookie recipe (from the NY Times) that were such a hit in the 2022 Xmas holiday season. I made a batch last weekend and will make another right before Xmas. That recipe is amazing – definitely a keeper. The gochujang (Korean red chile paste) adds a shadow of umami. It’s not in your face but it beautifully offsets the sweetness. If you’re not much into baking, the recipe is also a breeze to make.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
3. Check Out Enchant Christmas
EVAN MUSIL, ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
Last Saturday night, my partner and I visited Enchant Christmas, the holiday light extravaganza at Franklin Field that has flooded social media algorithms. Long story short (and you can read the long story here) – the lights are very pretty, and the tree is huge! We spent about an hour and a half exploring each light sculpture, and the whole scene gives off a palpable jolliness. It’s high-end, though; if the price puts you off, it might be hard to justify. But if this is the one holiday activity you decide to splurge on, you won’t be disappointed – just don’t forget to bundle up.
4. See The Nutcracker
BRIANNA SCHUBERT, ASSOCIATE DIGITAL EDITOR
First of all: my full review of this show is to come this week. But what I will say now is … Wow! The newly reimagined version of The Nutcracker was just spectacular. It was playful, full of wonder and made me feel like a kid on Christmas – which is like, exactly the point. Plus, it was absolutely beautiful from beginning to end. I highly recommend you check it out. Stay tuned for the full review very soon! It runs through Dec. 26, and you can get tickets online.
5. Buy the Homies a Portable Ping Pong Net
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
A few weeks ago, I made my best purchase since the XL vat of antifungal cream I bought in college. It was a Franklin brand portable ping pong net. I realize this might sound like sponsored content or something, but I swear it’s not – I just freaking love this thing. It was only $30, and that includes paddles and balls. You just stretch out the net on any table that works for you, and boom – you’re pinging those pongs. I keep my net in the office, where I challenge my enemies (aka my coworkers) to do battle with me. “Archer, you have a real job. You can’t just play ping pong all day,” they say, but I know that’s just because they’re scared to face the power of my pong.
