1. Grab Your Popcorn for the World Cup
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
World Cup play begins Thursday and we should all be prepared to lose our soccer-loving friends and family for the more than a month. The mammoth event gets even bigger this year with the largest tournament yet – expanded by 12 teams – and the bulk of the games will occur right here in the US of A. The field is unusually broad, with several legit contenders and no consensus favorite. The U.S. team is, um, let’s just say not one of those contenders. Nevertheless, I’m hoping we avoid embarrassing ourselves while I look for the team that captures my secondary rooting interest.
2. Try Some Baked Goods from The Bread House
ANN CHRISTENSON, DINING EDITOR
The Bread House (5326 S. 27th St.) is aptly named. This Middle Eastern bakery’s bailiwick is flatbreads and rolls (stromboli) and while I haven’t eaten all the varieties made here, what I have ordered has been really good. The Bread House goes deep into its flatbreads, with 6-inch and 14-inch versions and toppings ranging from za’atar and olive oil to akkawi, a salty white-brine cheese. The crown jewel, though, might be their stromboli – chewy, oblong-shaped rolls stuffed with akkawi and mozzarella, as well as spinach and mozzarella, among other delicious combinations.
Tell us who you’d pick to be a Betty this year!
3. Chill on the Hill at Chill on the Hill
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
If you didn’t know, Bay View hosts one of the best outdoor concert series in Milwaukee. Chill on the Hill is incredibly self-explanatory – there’s a hill at Humboldt Park, people chill on it, bands play music on the stage. Plus, the beer garden still cards me so it’s a nice little boost to my aging ego. The crowd is often impressively large without being rowdy or obnoxious – it’s just a lot of nice Milwaukeeans hanging out. The first iteration of the summer-long series is on Tuesday. Vendors get there at 5 p.m., music starts at 6 p.m.
4. Test Your Trivial Might at The Landing at Hoyt Park
EVAN MUSIL, ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
Trivia nights are often a tiny affair – just a handful of tables in a contest of wits. A summer Wednesday at The Landing at Hoyt Park in Tosa is more akin to a battlefield. My partner and I certainly didn’t anticipate what seemed like 50 teams vying for the trivia throne when we attended last week, but there’s something about the scale that makes you let go of any stakes – any pretense of winning – and simply enjoying the quizzing. Couple that with the lush outdoors and free-flowing booze, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more guaranteed good time.
5. Try an Ice Cream Drink at Buckatabon
AMRITA THAKKAR, DIGITAL EDITOR
Having tried the ice cream drinks at At Random, I wasn’t expecting Buckatabon’s to hit me as hard as they did – but when they say boozy, they mean boozy. Granted, I’m a bit of a lightweight, but those drinks are huge, and they also happen to be delicious, so it’s easy to get a bit carried away on a warm summer’s day. If you don’t drink, you can also get them made without alcohol. Either way, they’re the perfect pairing for their signature cheese curds (which come with a pesto ranch!)
