1. Reject Suffering at Mittenfest
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
I’ve spent the vast majority of my life in Wisconsin, and because of this I’ve developed something of a winter ego. What, you think 10 degrees is cold? That’s nothing. I go out in shorts on 10-degree days. I was born frostbitten, buddy. Ain’t nothing to me.
But I must admit this recent cold snap has been … unpleasant. Maybe I’m just getting old, but man, winter just seems tougher this year. It’s just so freaking cold. Which might make my editor’s pick this week seem a little weird, but hey – I think you should go to an outdoor festival this week!
Mittenfest is Milwaukee’s party oasis in a desert of winter hibernation – a big local shindig right in the heart of the season when most people don’t want to leave the house. And frankly, I think that’s kind of beautiful. This year, the event – which is essentially a big block party with live music, food, drinks, etc. – is heading back to its original home in Bay View, outside Burnhearts on Saturday, Feb. 7. I say it’s the perfect opportunity to refuse to give in to the suffering of winter! A big outdoor block party in freezing weather? Ain’t nothing.
2. Catch Some Improv at the Interchange
AMRITA THAKKAR, DIGITAL EDITOR
I watched my first improv show this weekend (a charity event at Indeed Brewing, intended to raise money for the Bay View Community Center) and I walked away… more impressed than I thought I’d be, honestly. I was always under the impression that amateur improv wasn’t my cup of tea, but apparently someone coming up with the concept of manatee Botox (Manatox, if you will) to buff up the appearance of the aptly named “sea cows” is enough to have me rolling off my seat. At least, unlike a comedy show, you’re not likely to be the butt of the joke if you do end up doing something that undignified.
While Indeed Brewing doesn’t often host improv shows, I was told the troupe behind Manatox does perform at the Interchange Theater, alongside a host of other improv shows. You can even try your hand at it yourself – the Interchange has open mics every week.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
3. Grab a Cartocci at Scardina’s
ANN CHRISTENSON, DINING EDITOR
Cross a cannoli with a doughnut and you have a Sicily sweet pastry called cartocci. I walked into cartocci heaven while on a visit to Scardina Specialties (715 E. Locust St.) in Riverwest.
The Scardinas work their Sicilian food culture into the deli cases here, and Saturday is cartocci day. I saw them on one of the shelves and didn’t think twice. The deep-fried pastry has a tri-spiral shape made by wrapping the dough of each one three times around a tube-shaped mold. That gives it a hollow shape similar to a cannoli shell. After they’re fried, the cartocci are rolled in granulated sugar and the cavities piped with cannoli-like cream filling. I busted into my little bag of cartocci while I drove home – what a treat!
4. Visit Redbar to Get Your Dairyland Burger Fix
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
When Dairyland’s prominent location in the 3rd St. Market Hall closed last summer, I was mad. Its burgers, as I’ve written before, are SO GOOD. To be deprived of them seemed another cruel turn in this cruel world.
So I was ecstatic when news broke in November that Kurt Fogle and Joe McCormick’s eats were returning to Redbar, a little bar by the railroad tracks in St. Francis that earned a mention in our (award-winning) 2024 package on dive bars. It took a while for me to get down to Redbar (note: It’s not open for lunch weekdays for now at least), but it was worth it. The juicy smashburgers are just as good as always, and Redbar is a perfect setting for them – homey, friendly and eclectic.
5. Sip Coffee, Read and Relax at The Daily Bird
EVAN MUSIL, ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR
Finally, warmth approaches. Although, now that single-digit temps seem to be in the rearview mirror (for now), there’s something to be said about the way frigid weather forces us to slow down and take things in.
Case in point: Recently, I found myself in Riverwest in the midst of a flurry with a few hours to kill. Dusted with snow, I strolled into The Daily Bird, a cozy cafe stitched into the neighborhood. I snagged a cappuccino and a vegan banana bread, and I sat down facing the entrance with a good book in hand. I enjoyed my reading, but what I liked most was the people-watching. Each time I glanced up, someone new would walk in to meet with a friend or chat with the baristas. They’d carry skis or shovels. Someone, of course, wore shorts. We were all there for warmth and, perhaps, a bit of belonging. I know that’s what I got.
