1. Buy a Pumpkin
ANN CHRISTENSON, SENIOR DINING EDITOR
Because the orange gourds everywhere! To be honest, I haven’t bought a pumpkin in years and didn’t even think about getting one this season until I drove past a farm stand in Brookfield (Alsum Sweet Corn, at 130th and North). My foot hit the brakes almost against my will. After carefully inspecting the rows of big shiny fruit (yes, pumpkin is a fruit), I found what seemed like the perfect one. I also waded through a sea of lush potted mums – enchanting. That stand, open until Oct. 24, also sells apples, farm vegetables and jars of salsa, apple butter and jam. I might have to pop back over there before they close for the season. And my little pumpkin – now I wish I’d chosen one larger – might actually get carved this year.
2. Shop Around at Lilliput Records
ALLI WATTERS, DIGITAL & CULTURE EDITOR
A few of month’s ago, Exclusive Record Co. closed all of its locations. Heroically, local record-store lovers around the state stepped in to keep these shops running, including a spot on the East Side that now goes by the name Lilliput Records (1669 N. Farwell Ave.). I stopped by last week to scope out the new scene, and it is as cozy as ever. I perused the selections and there’s plenty for music lovers in any genre to love.
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?
3. Play Pool at Romine’s High Pockets
ALLI WATTERS, DIGITAL & CULTURE EDITOR
I love pool! But often, when you go to a bar, there’s only one table and you have to wait your turn to play. That’s not the case at Romine’s. The pool hall has dozens of tables surrounding the bar. You pay for balls by the hour and claim whichever table calls to you. I was there in a group of five, and that made for a lot of competitive games of cut throat. And while I didn’t order the food, it certainly smelled delicious.
4. Get a Plant at STUMP
BRIANNA SCHUBERT, ASSOCIATE DIGITAL EDITOR
I went to the new(ish) plant store, STUMP, in Walkers Point over the weekend for a MKE Social Yoga class (which was amazing, by the way, but I shall elaborate at another time). It was such a lovely little oasis! The shop had an impressive selection of plants, from big fiddle leaf figs to teeny tiny succulents, and everything in between. I picked up a string of pearls and a jade to add to my ever-growing plant collection, and trust me, I will be going back for more.
5. Watch The Wolf of Snow Hollow and/or The Beta Test and/or Thunder Road
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
Jim Cummings is one of the most exciting guys working in film right now. Honestly, I’d probably say he’s the most exciting if Nicolas Cage didn’t exist. He’s essentially a DIY filmmaker who’s bucking the studio system to make his own stuff. And he’s doing it amazingly well. He’s written and directed and starred in three movies over the past five years: Thunder Road, The Wolf of Snow Hollow and The Beta Test. They are all fantastic, and entirely unique. Thunder Road is a family drama, The Wolf of Snow Hollow is a murder mystery/horror, and The Beta Test is a psychological thriller. While they span genres, they all share Cummings’ brand of uncomfortable comedy. (For example, Thunder Road opens with the main character, played by Cummings, attempting to perform a tribute dance routine at his mother’s funeral and breaking down into hysterical sobbing.) Cummings’ performances are risky, off-the-wall and in the final estimation, quite moving. I’m a big fan of all of these movies, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.
