1. Get the Instant Gratification of Pizza
ANN CHRISTENSON, SENIOR FOOD EDITOR
So… pizza. One of nature’s most perfect foods. And nothing soothes the ache of disappointment (oh, Bucks) than a pie. Flourchild (722 N. Milwaukee St.) recently joined the brick-and-mortar restaurant community, after a few years of operating as a pop-up. This member of the Third Coast Provisions/Merriment Social family of restaurants doesn’t do the standard Milwaukee-style cracker-thin crust. Nope, the base is chewy, medium or so thickness, easy to pick up in your hands. You can build your own, or choose one of the composed options (which include cheese curds to meatballs to Doritos). Most recently I chose a pie that pushed the seasonal button – the Green Machine, a veggie-based blanket of ramp pesto, asparagus, pickled ramps, fontina and aged mozzarella cheeses, plus crispy artichokes. Lots of earthy flavors building on each other for the win!
2. Have a Beer at Component Brewing
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Component opened in its new, much larger space – still in the Lincoln Warehouse in Bay View, but with a much more visible first floor entry – in March, but it took a few weeks for this Tosa man to check it out. I’m glad I did. It’s a cool space, with a classic Edison-bulb taproom vibe despite having the working part of the brewery open to the space. Co-owners Jonathan and DJ Kowalske are taking Component’s beer in two different and crowd-pleasing directions: really well-done lagers and traditional styles (hefeweizen, Italian pilsner, dunkel) for curmudgeons and olds like me, and hazy IPAs and sours for normal contemporary beer drinkers. My favorite pour that night was Freiheit kottbusser, a (kind of) pale ale of German origin that Component brewed with Westallion Brewing in Stallis.
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3. Read Atomic Habits by James Clear
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
Is your life maybe a little bit of a pile of trash? If your answer’s yes, then welcome to the club, my friend. If you want to improve yourself, and by extension, your life, this self-help book isn’t the worst place to start. Atomic Habits isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s a useful compendium of ideas on both breaking bad habits and implementing good ones. One strategy I found helpful was using small habit changes to build to big ones. Clear uses the example of adding a five-minute workout to your routine, then building it to 10 minutes, then to 20, then to an hour, etc. I already lift like an absolute beast, so I decided to use this strategy to incrementally improve my almost absurdly poor social skills. So, to build my new social habits, I’ve just been going up to people, saying, “Hi. How are you?” and then walking away. Maybe next week, I’ll work myself up to, “Good, thank you for asking.”
VOTE FOR MILWAUKEE’S BEST BEER!
What’s Brew City’s best? We’ve picked 16 of our favorite Milwaukee craft beers for a March Madness-style tournament, but it’s up to you to pick the winner! Will it be bright and hoppy? Dark and malty? A zippy lager? Every one is worthy of the title; who will claim the sudsy crown?
4. Walk in the Milwaukee County Parks
BRIANNA SCHUBERT, ASSOCIATE DIGITAL EDITOR
I know this beautiful weather we’ve been having has been all anyone can talk about the last week (hello, small talk!) but seriously, it’s been wonderful outside. My go-to way to spend time in the great outdoors has been going on walks in the park – my favorites include Humboldt Park in Bay View, Atwater Park in Shorewood, Lake Park and Hubbard Park on the East Side. They all have lovely scenery and are all by some body of water, be it pond, river or lake. Personally, it’s a great way to get my steps in each day while also appreciating nature, especially because I sit at a desk and stare at a computer screen all day (ah yes, like I’m doing right now…). I know I’m not the only one in this boat, so if you need a break or a way to relax after work, going for a walk in the park is, well, a walk in the park.
5. Get Your Flowers and Baskets at Tehan’s Greenhouses
ALLI WATTERS, DIGITAL AND CULTURE EDITOR
This year, my husband and I have gotten big into gardening – mostly because we bought our house from a master gardener and have been pressured into participating in the neighborhood garden walk. Unfortunately, we don’t know that much about gardening, so this weekend I thought we could put a little lipstick on our pig by picking up some annuals to plant in our beds and pots. My mom said the best place to go in town is Tehan’s Greenhouses in Oak Creek. Of course, she was right. Not only did I find the perfect plants for my spots but I also walked away with three stunning floral baskets. I got to work planting right away and I couldn’t believe how nice my yard was suddenly looking. We may trick those garden walkers yet!
