1. Eat Wings with the Garlic Lime Mayo Sauce at Todd I Believe I Can Fry
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
I’ve heard good things about Todd I Believe I Can Fry for a while now. The tiny Bay View joint tucked behind EsterEv is a new favorite with local foodies, largely for its wings. When I was meandering the streets of Bay View the other week, I decided it was high time to try the joint out. And damn. I repeat – damn. I ordered the nine-piece bone-in wings, with garlic lime mayo sauce slathered across them, grabbed a seat at the small counter, and went to town. Those wings were fantastic – the sauce was delicious and tangy, and the way they fry those suckers gives them this awesome crunchy bite. Let me tell you, I was full by wing six but there was absolutely no stopping me from finishing them all. I will be back soon.
2. Grab a Beer at 1840 Brewing
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
I had a good time at The Great Stoutdoors block party at Bay View’s 1840 Brewing last weekend, and it was a good reminder that that’s a pretty damn good brewery and a pretty damn good taproom. I partook of the event’s namesake beer, a blend of imperial milk stout aged one year and three years in bourbon barrels, and the classic Cashmere Sweater double IPA, but I was left wanting to sample so many more beers on the menu – Kyle Vetter’s wide-ranging creations just don’t disappoint. And, as a little extra motivation to support a local business during this frigid week, we’re not too far removed from the announcement that brewery co-founder Stephanie Vetter is battling stage four metastatic pancreatic cancer. Your dollars are always support for something, are you supporting what you care about?
3. Explore MAM After Dark
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
I’m nothing if not a man about town, well-known for charming the who’s who of Milwaukee with my suave demeanor and handsome visage. (OK, so I’m actually awkward and weird-looking, but I’m still going to call myself a man about town!) A few weeks ago, I stopped by the first of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s long-awaited MAM After Dark events. The series, which opens the museum after hours for a party, has been sorely missed since COVID shut it down, and it’s easy to see why. When I went a few weeks back for the Salsa-themed night, Windhover Hall was jam-packed, the whole place alive with music and dancing. And it’s not just that main hall – the rest of the museum is open, too. I took the opportunity to visit Robert Longo’s exhibition as well as a few of the permanent galleries. This Friday, MAM After Dark returns with a new theme, “New York Nights.” Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door ($10 in advance, $15 at the door for museum members).
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
4. Read ‘The Number Ones’ by Tom Breihan
EVAN MUSIL, ARTS AND CULTURE EDTIOR
For the past few months, I’ve been obsessed with Stereogum’s Number Ones column. In it, writer Tom Breihan reviews every song that’s hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 since the chart began in 1958. What’s emerged is a strange history of popular music seen through a uniquely distorted lens. It turns out you can’t paint a simple picture of the public’s taste. So many times, undeniable classics (like Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”) are followed by the worst songs ever recorded (like Bobby Goldsboro’s “Honey”). Breihan brings out these idiosyncrasies with sharp humor, but he also lends surprising weight when writing about the songs that continue to capture our imaginations.
He adapted the column into a book, picking 20 songs that he thinks represent some shift in the cultural landscape. It lacks the offbeat charm of the column, but Breihan makes up for it with detailed, compelling essays about musical moments in time. I’ve only read a third of the book, but I’m eager to find the through line between the Beatles and Soulja Boy.
5. Watch ‘Yellowjackets’
ANN CHRISTENSON, DINING EDITOR
The third season of TV show “Yellowjackets” just dropped. This is a show I’ve wanted to watch for a while but didn’t have the right streaming platform. Turns out I sort of do now. Netflix is running season one, so that’s pretty much how I spent my weekend. I’m on the second to last episode – the show is so nuts, I had to take a break and clear my head. But now I’m invested. Here’s the premise: While they’re on a flight to a soccer competition, a high school girls soccer team’s plane crashes in a remote area. There are survivors, but it all just gets weird from there. The show toggles between two time periods – 1996, when the crash happened; and present day. I don’t watch much TV, to be honest, but when I do, I always seem to sign up for “intense.” This is no exception. You can stream the latest season on Paramount+ and Showtime.
