1. Eat Something Super Weird at the State Fair
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
Last year, my MilMag colleagues dragged me (almost literally) to the State Fair, after they found out that I’d never been. The experience was eye-opening and gut-straining, full of pig races, cream puffs, and drinking near farm animals. But the wildest part was undoubtedly my Sporkies sampling. I went for the winner of the State Fair’s annual competition of bizarre foods – the Jalapeño Popper Pretzel Brat. Eating that thing bordered on a spiritual quest, a frantic, brutal, bizarre journey to conquer every spicy morsel. By the end, I was soaked in sweat, nearly in tears, and could almost hear the voice of God. Now, the State Fair returns this week, running Aug. 3-13, and there’s a whole new batch of intensely bizarre foods that I’m raring to sample. Dill pickle donut? Gator fries? Beer cheese Wisconsin lava cake? The list seems endless. So if you’re at the fair this week and see a little pale dude dripping with sweat and strange sauces, muttering to himself about metaphysical transcendence, feel free to introduce yourself – I always love to meet readers.
2. Dine at Ruta’s Fresh Indian Fare
ANN CHRISTENSON, DINING EDITOR
First introducing her food to a Milwaukee audience at Crossroads Collective food hall in 2021, Ruta Kahate recently moved into her own brick-and-mortar, in Walker’s Point (207 W. Freshwater Way). Ruta’s Fresh Indian Fare is in the old Bowls Milwaukee, which specialized in – yep – bowls. So it’s super fitting that Ruta’s is doing bowls, too. You build your own, choosing a base, protein, sauce, vegetables and flavor boosters. The one I had the other day was salad greens with roast chicken, creamy tikka, chaat potatoes, kale slaw, mustard beets and yogurt raita. That so was tasty I might get the exact same one sometime this week. This time I won’t forget the cheesy naan as a side! Open Tues-Sat 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
3. Take a Tour With Historic Milwaukee
BRIANNA SCHUBERT, ASSOCIATE DIGITAL EDITOR
Learn how Milwaukee’s industrial heritage shaped its landscape (Aug. 6), join an adventure mapped by children’s book characters (Aug. 12) or meet the city’s founding women (Aug. 25) with one of Historic Milwaukee’s tours. “Anytime you’re walking the city, you get a new perspective,” says Julia Griffith, the program director. Book a tour at historicmilwaukee.org.
– From the July issue of Milwaukee Magazine
4. Watch Fantastic Mr. Fox
ALLI WATTERS, DIGITAL & CULTURE EDITOR
In honor of the new hit movie Asteroid City, my husband and I decided to dig deeper into the Wes Anderson archives. In the process we stumbled onto this charming tale about a family of foxes. The stop-motion animation is superb and the characters are endearing. It’s a cozy film to curl up and enjoy when the dog days of summer make it too hot and humid to enjoy the outdoors.
5. Grab a Drink on the Iron Horse Patio
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Before the magazine’s Faces of Milwaukee party last week, it’d been a hot minute since I’d spent some time on the patio of the Iron Horse Hotel. Boy, I was reminded, it is a gem. Airy yet protected, sophisticated but comfortable, this is one of the coolest spots in the city. I’ll be back soon to grab a Happy Place or maybe a dish from the Ash restaurant and lounge in the cushy couches.
