1. Snack on Cheesecake Squares at Simma’s
EVAN MUSIL, ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR
I learned a dangerous fact this weekend: You can buy little squares of cheesecake for less than $5 from Simma’s Bakery in Wauwatosa. I had wrongly assumed that one could only order a full cake, for which I had little occasion. But no! Random snacking of one of the best cheesecakes in town is a true possibility, one that’s quite tempting. The small squares are crustless – a concession I’ll take for convenience – but come with the bakery’s standard thin raspberry filling and chocolate ganache coating. And they’re filling, too! If you need your pick-me-up to do some heavy lifting, these squares are up for the task.
2. Try the Caviar Tater Tot at EsterEv
ANN CHRISTENSON, DINING EDITOR
If EsterEv had a mascot, it would be the caviar tater tot. The high-low taste sensation is impervious to menu changes at the Bay View restaurant co-owned by “Top Chef” alum Dan Jacobs. It’s a crusty potato patty – the server might say to envision “a McDonald’s hash brown,” topped with creme fraiche and caviar from the Kaluga sturgeon. The comparison to Mickey D’s ends at the first bite of this rich tuber revelation. The shiny, briny pearls of luxe roe resting on a creme fraiche carpet shoot off firecrackers of opulence. I can confirm, as per a recent visit to EsterEv, the caviar “tater tot” is still a fitting mascot – and a compulsory experience.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
3. Hear a Cocktail Legend Talk at Bryant’s
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Legendary bartender “King Cocktail” Dale DeGroff is coming to town for a talk with esteemed Milwaukee-based cocktail writer and historian Robert Simonson. If you haven’t heard of DeGroff, I’ll let Simonson describe his outsized impact on the modern cocktail landscape: “Any conversation about the cocktail revival has to begin with DeGroff, who fathered the movement with his work at The Rainbow Room [in New York] from 1987 to 2000.” It’s the first in a series of talks to mark the 10th anniversary of Simonson’s book on the cocktail movement, A Proper Drink: The Untold Story of How a Band of Bartenders Saved the Civilized Drinking World. It’s a fitting start to the series; DeGroff was Simonson’s first interview for the book. Cocktails created by DeGroff will be served. Monday, May 11, 5 p.m. at Bryant’s, 1579 S. Ninth St.
4. Try the Butterbeer at Dead Bird Brewing Company
AMRITA THAKKAR, DIGITAL EDITOR
It’s time to confess: I’ve lived in Milwaukee a while, and yet, still haven’t developed a taste for beer. While I’m aware this was probably an arrest-worthy offense in Wisconsin at one time, nowadays, breweries have accepted that not everyone loves hops and yeast, and offer a plethora of delicious, non-alcoholic options, such as the Butterbeer at Dead Bird Brewing Company.
Despite growing up on Harry Potter, I genuinely have never touched a Butterbeer until this weekend, and while I’m certainly not a fan of the franchise anymore, I had to try one for the nostalgic factor. Dead Bird’s Butterbeer is full of butterscotch flavor, blended with basically nothing else, so if you don’t have as sweet a tooth as mine, I would probably not go for this. For me, though, this was a refreshing cool-down after a sunny, active day, paired with their (delicious) vegan pickle pizza. It might even become my drink for the summer.
5. Huddle Melodramatically Over a Drink at Nessun Dorma
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
Last week, I found myself wandering the streets, haunted and desolate and in search of solace for my weary soul.
“Hey there,” I called out to passersby. “I’m wandering the streets, haunted and desolate, and in search of solace for my weary soul.”
They mostly just avoided eye contact … or laughed. Anyway, I soon found myself outside a small bar I’d heard positive reports about but never patronized – Nessun Dorma. The warm glowing lights behind the windows of Riverwest institution were calling my name. “Arthur,” they said. “Arthur, come in here.” Common mistake, I thought, and went inside. Within the small, packed place, I managed to get a little table in the back underneath a dimly glowing lamp. I ordered a stout and hunched my shoulders with my head down in such a way as to appear cool, mysterious and fundamentally unknowable. It’s possible I failed because at one point someone, unprompted, pointed to the back and said, ‘The bathroom’s over there.’
Well, after enjoying that stout in the friendly, familiar, strangely comforting Nessun Dorma atmosphere, I gotta say the place won me over. I’ll be back soon. 2778 N Weil St.
6. Take a Stroll or Drive Through Forest Home Cemetery
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
New Kids on the Maibock was already a cool beer because of the premise: a beer made in collaboration by eight breweries that brewed their first beer in 2025. But now that it’s out in the wild, and I’ve had a pint of it, I can also say it’s cool because it’s good. NKOTM is a rich, hearty lager with a bright, refreshing profile, perfect for a cool spring day. It was brewed at Vault 202 in Appleton, which, by the way, is a heck of a brewery. Shout out to my friends Greg Washington and Joel Geier – my colleagues at Badger Beer Report – who got the ball rolling on the collab project. Locally, the first Class of 2025 brewery to tap NKOTM was Lombardi Brewing, where it’s on now. St. Francis Brewery & Restaurant rolls out its barrel on Wednesday, and MobCraft Beer (2.0) is releasing it on May 16.
