1. Eat Pozole from El Tlaxcalteca
ANN CHRISTENSON, DINING EDITOR
This is soup weather. I don’t remember when I first had pozole but I’ve loved it from the get-go. This Mexican soup’s got everything – a tasty, mesmerizing broth; tender, starchy hominy (which are dried corn kernels treated to an alkali); plus a mix of flavor-enhancing toppings like onion, fresh avocado, radish, fresh limes and dried chile pepper. Typically the broth contains either pork or chicken. There are three kinds of pozole – white, green and red. I’m most familiar with the green and red versions, different and equally delicious. Green uses tomatillos, cilantro and green chiles. The red uses a combo of dried and fresh red chiles (like guajillo and ancho) – and that is the version I just had at El Tlaxcalteca, a little Mexican place on 13th and Burnham. This pozole was a firework of flavor, with lots of tender pork and bright toppings, along with crispy tostadas for dipping.
2. See The Eras Tour Movie
BRIANNA SCHUBERT, ASSOCIATE DIGITAL EDITOR
Am I even Milwaukee Magazine‘s resident Swiftie if I don’t recommend that y’all watch The Eras Tour movie? I saw it over the weekend, and I can confirm that it captures all the glory of the live show. I enjoyed getting to see up close the details I loved about the concert when I saw it back in June. And as I sat in the theater – yes, I sat, though a few people in my theater did stand up and dance – I found myself thinking over and over again how impressive it is that Taylor Swift performed that hard for three hours. And I couldn’t help but wonder if she thought of the screen as she dreamt up all the sets and costumes and storytelling while planning the tour. I wouldn’t be surprised if she did.
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3. Scream at the Milky Way Drive-In’s Fright Night Double Feature
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
One of my greatest regrets is never going to the drive-in theater in Kenosha, where I grew up, before they tore it down. Drive-ins combine all my favorite stuff – watching a good movie, eating trash, being protected from other people by a large metal container, etc. Since I missed out on the Keno Drive-In as a kid, I’m making up for it by checking out the other drive-ins our state has to offer, one of which is The Milky Way in Franklin. On Thursday, the theater is hosting a Halloween double feature – Scream followed by Don’t Breathe. As a horror movie aficionado, I appreciate both flicks (Scream, more so), and am looking forward to revisiting them.
4. Go to the Pumpkin Patch
EVAN MUSIL, INTERIM EDITOR
Spring is the best season, with its budding flowers bearing new beginnings. (I also have a May birthday, so I’m biased.) But fall is a close second, and it’s not a Midwestern fall without pumpkins, apples and corn mazes. So, my partner and I are going to a pumpkin patch this weekend to make our fall official. But where do we go? Although the acres of activities at Basse’s Taste of Country are enticing – apple cannons! – we want to keep our picking relaxing. The family-owned Barthel Fruit Farm in Mequon has pick-your-own apples, plums and pumpkins on 55 acres. I’m also eager to taste Apple Holler’s apple butter. Whichever fall farm we end up visiting, the season won’t feel complete without a cider donut.
5. See Thousands of Pumpkins at the Hollow
Three-thousand hand-carved pumpkins illuminate the 1-mile walking path along the Phantom Lake YMCA Camp near Mukwonago. The pumpkins create scenes ranging from fairy gardens and unicorns to Harry Potter and Vikings (complete with a massive ship!). “It’s artistic, it’s whimsical, it’s magical,” says camp CEO Jeff Spang. “And it’s not scary at all.” What really makes Spang smile is the event’s mission – the funds raised help make the camp more accessible to all. Dates are Oct. 13-14, 20-21 and 27-28. The Hollow will add more if tickets sell out (which they usually do).
– Alli Watters, from the October issue
