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Milwaukee Road Trip, and not a bratwurst had [pics]

Milwaukee Road Trip, and not a bratwurst had [pics]
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  • Post #61 - October 28th, 2010, 12:09 pm
    Post #61 - October 28th, 2010, 12:09 pm Post #61 - October 28th, 2010, 12:09 pm
    It's Friday, what else can you do in Milwaukee but go to a fish fry. I wish I had deeper knowledge of all the ins and outs of local fish fries. Maybe, someday (as David Adams would say). More often, or I should better say, several times, I have been to the fish fry at Turner Hall. It's more than good enough, and combined with the gorgeous room, makes it a bit hard for me to roam.

    It's kinda a crappy fact of life that the none of the 3 Kopps locations are especially convenient to other fun Milwaukee stuff. In fact, none is even really on the route to/from Chicago. Now, if you were heading west to Occonomowoc or such, which we've had to this year, then the Brookfield location works just fine. The Port Washtington location is fine if you combine with Solly's, but I'm not a Solly's lover. Long story, short, I find the Layton Av/Greenfield the easiest one to deal with, especially as it is right off of 894.

    I agree with cilantro to take a visit to the Public Market. Of course it compares poorly to say, Cleveland's, but after our "French" attempt, it seems almost Harrods. The C. Adams baked goods are worth the visit as is the cheese shop. I also like the Alterra on the lakefront mentioned, and generally like Alterra, but even more I like Annodyne, a good stop if you are exploring Brady St.

    I wanted to like Rice Palace more than I did on my visit, but maybe you all can crack the menu better than I did.
    Think Yiddish, Dress British - Advice of Evil Ronnie to me.
  • Post #62 - October 28th, 2010, 12:37 pm
    Post #62 - October 28th, 2010, 12:37 pm Post #62 - October 28th, 2010, 12:37 pm
    cilantro wrote:Alterra seems to own the coffee scene in Milwaukee and the cafe by the lake (located in a former flushing station) is really cool. It's only a few minutes' drive from the art museum.

    I like this idea. I thought maybe we'd have afternoon tea at the art museum cafe since we'll be there, but as much as I love the Calatrava, the cafe space feels cold and could feel too fancy to my family. And I get really excited about re-purposed buildings, so the Alterra in the former flushing station is just my type of thing.

    Vital Information wrote:It's Friday, what else can you do in Milwaukee but go to a fish fry.

    [...]
    I agree with cilantro to take a visit to the Public Market. Of course it compares poorly to say, Cleveland's, but after our "French" attempt, it seems almost Harrods.

    [...]

    I wanted to like Rice Palace more than I did on my visit, but maybe you all can crack the menu better than I did.

    I don't think it's likely we'll stay in MKE for dinner tomorrow, and for Mama happy_stomach, pastrami > fried fish (though she loves both), so we'll probably have to save a fish fry for another visit. The market is an excellent idea, especially since I'm short on places for us to just hang out. The two aunts I'm taking to Milwaukee are both from Melbourne, one regularly shops at Queen Victoria Market and the other grows mostly her own food, and both have spent extended time in France, so there's basically no chance I'll impress them with any market. But they like to browse and snack, so I think the market in MKE will be a good stop for us.
  • Post #63 - October 28th, 2010, 12:57 pm
    Post #63 - October 28th, 2010, 12:57 pm Post #63 - October 28th, 2010, 12:57 pm
    happy_stomach wrote:I've been to Milwaukee maybe three or four times, never for food. I've got two trips there coming up, both for fun, with potential to be food-focused, but the eating parameters will be very different for each trip.

    Tomorrow is a quick day trip with my mom and older relatives. Mama happy_stomach does not like pizza, Italian food in general, spicy food, Mexican or sweets. She loves meat and potatoes, Polish, Chinese, bratwurst and pastrami.


    It doesn't get more "meat and potatoes" than Coerper's 5 O'Clock Club...home of several of the best steaks I've had in my life and gigantic baked spuds.

    ETA: Oops...if you're not staying for dinner, this is not going to help you.

    Reservations necessary.

    Coerper's 5 O'Clock Club
    2416 W State St
    Milwaukee, WI 53233
    (414) 342-3553
  • Post #64 - October 28th, 2010, 1:11 pm
    Post #64 - October 28th, 2010, 1:11 pm Post #64 - October 28th, 2010, 1:11 pm
    To avoid possible disappointment, I should also point out that Jake's specializes in corned beef and not pastrami.
  • Post #65 - October 28th, 2010, 2:26 pm
    Post #65 - October 28th, 2010, 2:26 pm Post #65 - October 28th, 2010, 2:26 pm
    cilantro wrote:To avoid possible disappointment, I should also point out that Jake's specializes in corned beef and not pastrami.

    And holy hell what corned beef it is.

    Learn from my mistake: if you buy an extra corned beef sandwich to take home, put it in the spare tire well in your trunk, not on the passenger seat next to you. Disregard my advice and your sandwich will not make it south of the I-43/I-94 junction, and you will be covered with spots of corned beef grease and onion-shaped mustard stains. And when you get home, your wife will say, "where's that awesome sandwich you said you were bringing for me? I want to eat it for dinner". And then you'll have some 'splaining to do, and she'll be all pissed off at you...but I digress :lol:
  • Post #66 - October 28th, 2010, 6:03 pm
    Post #66 - October 28th, 2010, 6:03 pm Post #66 - October 28th, 2010, 6:03 pm
    cilantro wrote:To avoid possible disappointment, I should also point out that Jake's specializes in corned beef and not pastrami.

    Khaopaat wrote:
    cilantro wrote:To avoid possible disappointment, I should also point out that Jake's specializes in corned beef and not pastrami.

    And holy hell what corned beef it is.

    Learn from my mistake: if you buy an extra corned beef sandwich to take home, put it in the spare tire well in your trunk, not on the passenger seat next to you. Disregard my advice and your sandwich will not make it south of the I-43/I-94 junction, and you will be covered with spots of corned beef grease and onion-shaped mustard stains. And when you get home, your wife will say, "where's that awesome sandwich you said you were bringing for me? I want to eat it for dinner". And then you'll have some 'splaining to do, and she'll be all pissed off at you...but I digress :lol:

    Ah, yes, corned beef. I lazily use "pastrami" to refer to all of the deli meat my mom loves. I'm pretty sure there's no chance I'll accidentally eat any extra corned beef packed for the road because I'd have to wrestle Mama happy_stomach for it--same woman who raised me on smoked meat and fills her suitcase with it on every visit to Montreal.
  • Post #67 - October 29th, 2010, 11:08 am
    Post #67 - October 29th, 2010, 11:08 am Post #67 - October 29th, 2010, 11:08 am
    Attention must be paid. I recently bought a boatload of deli from Langers (to bring to in-laws) that included a pound each of the CB and pastrami, and of course a loaf of the rye, and some smoked fish, all good. First time I'd tried the meats side-by-side. Now, everyone knows the pastrami is the Chrissy and the CB is the Janet in the Three's Company of Langer's, but still. It's as if they came from different kitchens. The pastrami is the uncontested champion of US delis, was is and may it always be. The CB, not so much.
  • Post #68 - October 30th, 2010, 7:27 am
    Post #68 - October 30th, 2010, 7:27 am Post #68 - October 30th, 2010, 7:27 am
    JeffB wrote:Attention must be paid. I recently bought a boatload of deli from Langers (to bring to in-laws) that included a pound each of the CB and pastrami, and of course a loaf of the rye, and some smoked fish, all good. First time I'd tried the meats side-by-side. Now, everyone knows the pastrami is the Chrissy and the CB is the Janet in the Three's Company of Langer's, but still.

    OK, time to go back to Milwaukee. If there's one way reliable way to get my attention, it's with Three's Company food metaphors. Seriously.

    The happy_stomach clan made out pretty well in Milwaukee yesterday. Jake’s was a big hit with my mom and two aunts, and I agreed; a one-and-a-half- to two-hour drive is entirely rational for even a single corned beef sandwich. We polished off several piles of beautiful, fatty beef. Here’s Mama happy_stomach prepping her sandwich:

    Image

    I did sample some pastrami, from my aunt’s combo. I found the seasoning overdone, but it didn’t really matter as the corned beef more than made up for it.

    After a visit to the art museum, we made it over to the Public Market. I had forgotten; I’d been there before. It was bustling at around 2pm yesterday. We were planning on having afternoon tea there, but there wasn’t comfortable seating inside (Mama happy_stomach doesn’t like counter seats), and it was too cold to fully enjoy a table outside. So, we picked up a few items at the Spice House and a dog treat for our canine companion at the deli counter and got back in the car for the lakefront Alterra.

    Image

    I loved the approach to the building and property overall, but the inside of the Alterra disappointed me. The indoor signage was very loud--like less intelligent Maira Kalman on steroids, reminded me of Einstein’s bagel shops--and the space felt cluttered with all of the t-shirts, mugs and crap for sale. Still, we were able to get a table and relax for a while before making the drive to the Glendale Kopp’s.

    Calatrava aside, Kopp’s was the architectural and design highlight of our trip (which included a visit to the “European Design Since 1985” exhibit at the art museum). I loved the circular plan, the spoon and cherry at the center of the floor (less elegant than Oldenburg and Van Bruggen’s Spoonbridge and Cherry but adequately playful) and the line of cows.

    Image

    Image

    Taken together, it was impressively neo-decorative. Has anyone seen the documentary that was supposedly made about the controversial installation of the fiberglass cattle at Kopp’s? I’d like to see it.

    My aunts had the tiramisu custard, and I had a caramel apple sundae.

    Image

    Image

    Both aunts seemed to like the tiramisu, though one noted that the single serving at Kopp’s would be more than two and a half scoops at home [in Australia]. (I thought of LTHer fattyfatfat.) The sundae was perfect for a first visit to this Milwaukee institution since I ended up wanting to eat only the custard--too many peanuts over too-light of a caramel sauce with barely noticeable apples and cinnamon. (Is there even cinnamon in/on caramel apples?) The custard was softer and sweeter than Andy’s, more similar to what I remember of Ted Drewes. I don’t think frozen custard is ever going to be a dessert I truly crave, but I can understand why Kopp’s is a favorite. For the sake of thoroughness, I’ll visit Leon’s when I’m back in Milwaukee in a few weeks.
  • Post #69 - October 30th, 2010, 10:26 am
    Post #69 - October 30th, 2010, 10:26 am Post #69 - October 30th, 2010, 10:26 am
    I never sit in the main room at that Alterra; the room with the old pump is quiet and weird, away from the crowds and the merch.

    I've always found that phalanx of cows lined up Triumph of the Will-like (awaiting orders to do what?) a bit creepy.

    Incidentally, the public market has a good deal of seating upstairs (not counter seats).

    Glad you had a good time.
  • Post #70 - October 30th, 2010, 11:22 am
    Post #70 - October 30th, 2010, 11:22 am Post #70 - October 30th, 2010, 11:22 am
    cilantro wrote:I never sit in the main room at that Alterra; the room with the old pump is quiet and weird, away from the crowds and the merch.

    Yes, unfortunately, I discovered the pump room while in line for the bathroom, on our way out.

    cilantro wrote:Incidentally, the public market has a good deal of seating upstairs (not counter seats).

    Another helpful note for next time, especially since it likely won't be warm enough to sit outside for a while...
  • Post #71 - November 1st, 2010, 8:44 am
    Post #71 - November 1st, 2010, 8:44 am Post #71 - November 1st, 2010, 8:44 am
    happy_stomach wrote:My other trip to Milwaukee will be in mid-November to visit a good friend who just moved there. She swings toward fine dining, but loves Hmong food, so we will definitely go to Rice Palace. The places she's proposed are Lake Park Bistro, Roots, Hinterland and Crazy Water. Any strong feelings if I had to pick a place from this list?

    Thanks in advance for any thoughts.


    Definitly do Crazy Water. Its always awesome and actually might be the best restaurant in Milwaukee...if not its at least in the discussion. People are shocked when they see how small teh kitchen is too (its right up front so you can see whats going on). The paper did some interviews with local chefs and asked where they like to eat and bunch of them all said Crazy Water too. Can't beat that kind of endorsement. http://www.jsonline.com/features/dining/95029319.html

    Lake Park Bistro is always solid but you aren't going to find anything inventive there. Pretty straight forward (though perfectly executed) French food. The Bartolotta's have a new place called Harbor House that is getting rave reviews.

    Alterra is great but don't rule out Stone Creek, another local favorite.
    Visit my new website at http://www.splatteredpages.com or my old one at www.eatwisconsin.com
  • Post #72 - November 1st, 2010, 8:54 am
    Post #72 - November 1st, 2010, 8:54 am Post #72 - November 1st, 2010, 8:54 am
    I didn't see the documentary about the trouble with the cows but I can tell you why there was controversy as I worked for the City of Glendale at the time they requested it and I was the person who initally told them no (I was the Planner & Zoning Administrator at the time). Our rationale was solid. Kopps felt the cows were art, and we agreed, however we also thought they could be seen by others as signage. They wanted the cows to line the sidwalk on Port Washington road which while looking cool, would have invited others to emulate it. We envisioned McDonalds lining the road with their charaters (Grimace, Ronald, etc). We saw car dealers following suit with plastic cars. If we opened the door for Kopps then we had no grounds on which to deny future requests by other businesses. Kopps likes to protray it as the evil City beating up on them (and he can get away with it because of his legions of customers) but it wasn't really anything against him, it was fear of what this would do to the City who had spend the prior decade cleaning up the City and making it look nice after years of neglect. We had previously worked with Kopps to get their artistic sign approved (it didn't meet several of our sign ordinance provisions) so there has always been a willingnes to work with them. The cows were just too hard to justify so a compromise was reached that allowed them to be placed on the perimeter of the parking lot (I had left the City by the time that happened).

    Also intersting was that I got to witness Solly's being physically moved when I worked there. It was quite the scene seeing a building get moved along metal beams to its current location.

    I might add that working 5 minutes from both Solly's and Kopps was quite tasty.
    Visit my new website at http://www.splatteredpages.com or my old one at www.eatwisconsin.com
  • Post #73 - November 1st, 2010, 10:11 am
    Post #73 - November 1st, 2010, 10:11 am Post #73 - November 1st, 2010, 10:11 am
    eatwisconsin wrote:I didn't see the documentary about the trouble with the cows but I can tell you why there was controversy as I worked for the City of Glendale at the time they requested it and I was the person who initally told them no (I was the Planner & Zoning Administrator at the time).

    Thank you for the back story! I completely understand. I know all about bovine sculpture being put to garish ends. (I curated an exhibit about Chicago's fiberglass cows for our city's history museum in a past life.) Actually, I liked that Kopp's cows were located at the rear of the property--they were a treat to discover. I'm also glad that Kopp's sign was eventually approved. I'm notorious for driving past my destinations; I'm certain that I would have missed Kopp's had it not been for the flare of its signage.

    eatwisconsin wrote:Also intersting was that I got to witness Solly's being physically moved when I worked there. It was quite the scene seeing a building get moved along metal beams to its current location.

    That is very neat. I don't think I've ever seen a restaurant being moved, but I've watched plenty of video of other buildings lifted and transported.
  • Post #74 - November 2nd, 2010, 2:06 pm
    Post #74 - November 2nd, 2010, 2:06 pm Post #74 - November 2nd, 2010, 2:06 pm
    Yeah I have seen buildings moved on trucks and stuff but Sollys was such a short distance they just used metal beams and slowly pulled it along them to its new foundation.
    Visit my new website at http://www.splatteredpages.com or my old one at www.eatwisconsin.com
  • Post #75 - November 2nd, 2010, 2:36 pm
    Post #75 - November 2nd, 2010, 2:36 pm Post #75 - November 2nd, 2010, 2:36 pm
    I saw this building being moved in 1995.
    Image
    Image
    It was reportedly the heaviest building
    moved in the United States up to that time.
    It's now a restaurant (Dunaway's - in Indy).
  • Post #76 - November 2nd, 2010, 6:47 pm
    Post #76 - November 2nd, 2010, 6:47 pm Post #76 - November 2nd, 2010, 6:47 pm
    SCUBAchef wrote:I saw this building being moved in 1995.
    Image
    Image
    It was reportedly the heaviest building
    moved in the United States up to that time.
    It's now a restaurant (Dunaway's - in Indy).

    Cool! In recent years, much architecture and design discussion has centered on temporary and/or mobile structures (in this country, largely spurred by post-Katrina recovery and development), but one of my interests in regards to architectural history are structures intended to be permanent and site-specific that are then moved. I became interested in this topic all because of a hypothetical case. When Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House went up for sale back in 2003, speculation was rampant about what would happen to the famous glass home. I think it was Sotheby's that made a schematic video of how easy it would be to pack up the Farnsworth House and move it upon sale. The video horrified me. I would rather have the house swallowed and completely digested by the Fox River (which it's almost been) than have it packed up and moved and preserved. That particular spot near the river in Plano is the soul of that building. </tangent>
  • Post #77 - November 22nd, 2010, 12:22 pm
    Post #77 - November 22nd, 2010, 12:22 pm Post #77 - November 22nd, 2010, 12:22 pm
    eatwisconsin wrote:
    happy_stomach wrote:My other trip to Milwaukee will be in mid-November to visit a good friend who just moved there. She swings toward fine dining, but loves Hmong food, so we will definitely go to Rice Palace. The places she's proposed are Lake Park Bistro, Roots, Hinterland and Crazy Water. Any strong feelings if I had to pick a place from this list?

    Definitly do Crazy Water. Its always awesome and actually might be the best restaurant in Milwaukee...if not its at least in the discussion. People are shocked when they see how small teh kitchen is too (its right up front so you can see whats going on). The paper did some interviews with local chefs and asked where they like to eat and bunch of them all said Crazy Water too. Can't beat that kind of endorsement. http://www.jsonline.com/features/dining/95029319.html

    I had dinner at Crazy Water on Friday night. The meal was a disaster on all counts. According to my Georgia-reared dining companion, the food started out at Shoney’s caliber and tanked from there. The Crazy Water Shrimp were super shiny and cloyingly sweet. The crumbled chorizo made for an especially unpleasant texture. I should have known “Asian bbq sauce” meant trouble. We had some outstanding food bargains in Milwaukee this weekend, which made the $22 price tag of these shrimp particularly offensive.

    Image

    The langoustine special was disgusting. The shellfish was overcooked and rubbery. Ravioli were too doughy and dry. The sauce looked like Kraft Thousand Island dressing and could have been.

    Image

    Recommended by our waiter, the lamb tenderloin with red wine risotto was also tragic. The lamb was overcooked and very tough. Friend said the risotto made her think of dish water, and it was crunchy.

    Image

    All three entrees seemed cooked from start to finish in a microwave and then held under a heat lamp for several hours. I don’t what compelled us to stay for dessert, but we tried the molten chocolate cake and maple mascarpone cheesecake. I’ve made five-minute mug cakes with none of the right ingredients better than the former, and the latter was lumpy with the appearance but without the taste of maple.

    Image

    Image

    We were guilty of not expressing our dissatisfaction to our waiter, but I think we were in denial. Neither of us could believe the food was as bad as it was, especially since the restaurant was filled with people who appeared to be enjoying their meals. Our waiter was friendly but didn’t seem to take note of the fact we were barely eating anything.

    The space is cozy, but I can't think of any other redeeming qualities for this place. I feel like I got massively ripped off. Fortunately, our other Milwaukee meals this weekend were much, much better. More posts soon...

    Crazy Water
    839 S. 2nd St.
    Milwaukee, WI 53204-1822
    414-645-2606
    http://crazywatermilwaukee.com/
  • Post #78 - November 23rd, 2010, 9:07 am
    Post #78 - November 23rd, 2010, 9:07 am Post #78 - November 23rd, 2010, 9:07 am
    Completely shocked at your experience at CW and I feel bad for such a strong recommendation. My last visit was about 1 year ago and everything was spectacular. I have never had a bad meal there, nor has anyone that I know.
    Visit my new website at http://www.splatteredpages.com or my old one at www.eatwisconsin.com
  • Post #79 - November 23rd, 2010, 10:26 am
    Post #79 - November 23rd, 2010, 10:26 am Post #79 - November 23rd, 2010, 10:26 am
    eatwisconsin wrote:Completely shocked at your experience at CW and I feel bad for such a strong recommendation. My last visit was about 1 year ago and everything was spectacular. I have never had a bad meal there, nor has anyone that I know.

    It happens...no more than once every three or four years, but it does happen. ;)

    Now that I've been to both Roots and Crazy Water, I'm baffled as to why these two restaurants seem often shortlisted together. Aside from quality of food (which I can't imagine being comparable, but I'm still annoyed about my Crazy Water experience), they seem to have completely different agendas.

    Oh, an aside, but how do chefs eat at Crazy Water after work? Chicagoans eat early, but Milwaukeeans eat really early from what I could tell. Crazy Water closes at 10pm on Saturdays. Hinterland didn't want to seat us later than 8pm, so we took a 7:15 reservation, and it felt like everyone was eating then.

    Moving on, in less than 48 hours, my Milwaukee eating companion and I more than made up for our Crazy Water experience. Our first stop the next morning was Simma's Bakery. From what I understand, Simma's baked goods are widely available in Milwaukee, at Sendik's and such, but my friend had never visited their shop so we stopped by the bakery en route to lunch.

    Simma's struck me as a pretty traditional Midwestern bakery with muffins, cookies, bar desserts and birthday cakes.

    Image

    After trying to convince (I think unsuccessfully) another customer who watched us order and was sure we were bulimic (my friend is skinny, not a wholly pleasant conversation), we sat down to our box-o-snacks. Five desserts didn't seem like enough, so we got up and ordered a sixth.

    Image

    Image

    The chocolate-covered cheesecake was our favorite, on the lighter side and very smooth. For some Chicago context, I'd put Simma's in the same league (for some items) as Lutz's and Taste of Heaven, better than Roeser's and Dinkel's and much, much better than Alliance. My friend told me Simma's was a Groupon yesterday, so I'm pretty sure I'll be going back there.

    Simma's Bakery
    817 N. 68th St.
    Milwaukee, WI 53213
    (Google says Milwaukee, but Simma's website says Wauwatosa.)
    414-257-0998
    http://www.simmasbakery.com/
  • Post #80 - November 23rd, 2010, 10:50 am
    Post #80 - November 23rd, 2010, 10:50 am Post #80 - November 23rd, 2010, 10:50 am
    Next time you're in the SE Wisconsin area and want to find a great fish fry, check out If you the Milwaukee Fish Fry List http://milwaukeefishfrylist.com It is a guide to every fish fry in the area and lets you search by the location, type of fish or all-you-can-eat. You can also see the details and photos for each place's fish fry including prices, photos, menus and coupons.
  • Post #81 - November 23rd, 2010, 10:57 am
    Post #81 - November 23rd, 2010, 10:57 am Post #81 - November 23rd, 2010, 10:57 am
    Fish Fry,

    Do you know anyone who keeps a list of lutefisk dinners? Have you heard of sauerkraut community dinners?

    Regards,
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #82 - November 23rd, 2010, 1:24 pm
    Post #82 - November 23rd, 2010, 1:24 pm Post #82 - November 23rd, 2010, 1:24 pm
    Cathy2 wrote:Fish Fry,

    Do you know anyone who keeps a list of lutefisk dinners? Have you heard of sauerkraut community dinners?

    Regards,


    No, but I was behind a car with the license plate LUTFISK today. :roll:
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #83 - November 23rd, 2010, 5:11 pm
    Post #83 - November 23rd, 2010, 5:11 pm Post #83 - November 23rd, 2010, 5:11 pm
    Cathy2,

    I'm a long time lurker, and you responded to my one and only previous post asking me the lutefisk question. Sorry that I did not respond, but since the other response to my post was a knock on the place that I touted, I just decided to go dark again.

    Anyway, I have no lutefisk experience myself, but I searched and found someone that gathers information on all the lutefisk suppers, and would seem to be your go to guy.

    http://www.lutefiskloverslifeline.com/lutfiskDinner.pdf

    I looked at a couple places on his list, and they still host a dinner every year, so if you are willing to drive to Milwaukee, Janesville or Madison, this list will hook you up.

    Sadly, it looks like peak lutefisk supper season has just passed, but there's always next year.


    FFG
  • Post #84 - November 23rd, 2010, 5:53 pm
    Post #84 - November 23rd, 2010, 5:53 pm Post #84 - November 23rd, 2010, 5:53 pm
    HI,

    That is some list you found. It is especially impressive when it includes location in Texas and Arizona.

    I wish I had thought about this a few weeks earlier, too. I see my next best chance is at the beginning of February near Milwaukee.

    It is always a thrill to find someone enthused, obsessed or compulsive to put together lists like these. It is a treasure.

    Thank you for responding, I really appreciate the information.

    Regards,
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #85 - November 26th, 2010, 2:14 am
    Post #85 - November 26th, 2010, 2:14 am Post #85 - November 26th, 2010, 2:14 am
    Vital Information wrote:It's Friday, what else can you do in Milwaukee but go to a fish fry. I wish I had deeper knowledge of all the ins and outs of local fish fries. Maybe, someday (as David Adams would say). More often, or I should better say, several times, I have been to the fish fry at Turner Hall. It's more than good enough, and combined with the gorgeous room, makes it a bit hard for me to roam.

    Isn't the restaurant at Turner Hall closed? I thought their lease expired a few months ago and the website still says "Closed for remodeling." I've had some enjoyable fish fries there over the years but my final visit eighteen months ago was very disappointing.

    Image

    The mushy Mrs-Paul-esque fish was so poor I asked what species it was. "Pollock," came the answer without so much as asking if things were okay. They knew. Can't say I'm too sorry to see it close. Great room though. Hopefully it will reopen under new management with fish like they used to serve. From what I understand, the rest of Turner Hall remains open; only the restaurant has closed.

    Historic Turner Restaurant (closed)
    1034 N 4th St
    Milwaukee WI
  • Post #86 - November 26th, 2010, 9:51 am
    Post #86 - November 26th, 2010, 9:51 am Post #86 - November 26th, 2010, 9:51 am
    Another good source for lutefisk dinner listings is:
    http://madisononthecheap.com/lutefisk-dinners-2010/

    You do have to hurry a bit, though - the last ones are this weekend.
  • Post #87 - November 27th, 2010, 10:06 am
    Post #87 - November 27th, 2010, 10:06 am Post #87 - November 27th, 2010, 10:06 am
    Cathy2 wrote:That is some list you found. It is especially impressive when it includes location in Texas and Arizona.


    I was disappointed to see the list indicate the last "confirmed" dinners in Arizona and Texas were in 2006. I was hoping to put my sister in Scottsdale on to something.
    But a quick Google shows lutefisk dinners still being held in at least one Arizona location.

    http://www.sofn.com/event/Lutefisk_F10.pdf

    Now that's some enticing photography. (But the inclusion of a second featured entree seems wishy-washy.)

    And there's more.

    http://sofnaz.com/Lutefisk-2010.html

    Keep hope alive!
  • Post #88 - November 29th, 2010, 12:11 pm
    Post #88 - November 29th, 2010, 12:11 pm Post #88 - November 29th, 2010, 12:11 pm
    Rene G wrote: Isn't the restaurant at Turner Hall closed? I thought their lease expired a few months ago and the website still says "Closed for remodeling." I've had some enjoyable fish fries there over the years but my final visit eighteen months ago was very disappointing.


    The restaurant, which was owned by the R.C. Schmidt restaurant group (also own Trinity Three Irish Pubs, Water Street Brewery, Louise's Trattoria, etc) has closed but I hear they are looking for a new operator. I had been there for a fish fry a few years back and thought it was pretty good but nothing extraordinary. In general I find there to be more mediocore to bad fish fries in SE Wisconsin than truly good ones. Culver's (fast food) has better Fish Fries than 75 percent of the restaurants around here. I have had more mealy, overcooked, soggy, disgusting fish fries in this are that I ever though possible.

    What I'd like to see is them lure Kevin Sloan (formerly of Sol Fire and The Social) to take over the space. He works for the group that manages Turner Hall, Pabst, and Riverside and is the chef who cooks for all the bands who come through. It would seem to be a perfect fit and I love his style of cooking.
    Visit my new website at http://www.splatteredpages.com or my old one at www.eatwisconsin.com
  • Post #89 - December 28th, 2010, 8:38 am
    Post #89 - December 28th, 2010, 8:38 am Post #89 - December 28th, 2010, 8:38 am
    (Not sure this is the right place to post, moderators: Please feel free to move)

    Although I know how a gyro is supposed to taste like(well, we call it doner and IMHO best in Chicago area could be found at Café Orchid ), for what it is worth I think Oakland Gyros makes one fine gyro sandwich . It is fast food Greek place by UWM.
    It is a Christmas tradition for us to stop by there on the way to in laws. My husband frequented the place as a college kid and now the whole family enjoys it. You can easily see a ton of college students, locals with kids and many others nursing a hangovers. Located on a restaurant row and connected to the next door bar (how convenient for midnight snack!); this place is an institute. According to my husband, the same cashiers; who offer a very efficient/fast service; have been there over 15 years.

    They use Grecian Delights gyro cones, and I love the fact that they give a big squirt bottle of tzatziki sauce on the side without asking. Pita, onions, feta cheese, olives and tomatoes(as much as they can be now) have ALWAYS been very fresh. Unfortunately I cannot talk to the whole menu since I only had gyros plate with very good curly fries ( I like them with a little crisp outside; mostly soft); Avgolemono soup and couple bites of our purist daughter’s plain burger. All I tried have been very tasty and satisfying during cold Milwaukee Christmas Eve Eve days.
    Image


    Menu:

    Sandwiches(deluxe: w/fries&works)
    Gyro $4.50
    Baby Gyro $2.50
    Chicken Shishkabob $4.70
    Beef Shishkabob $4.85
    Vegetarian Gyro $3.80
    Deluxe $4.75
    Fish Fillet $3.30
    All Beef Hot Doc $4.10 deluxe
    $2.70
    Hamburger $3.45 deluxe
    $2.10
    Cheeseburger $3.90 deluxe
    $2.50
    Double Hamburger $4.65 deluxe
    $3.15
    Double Cheeseburger $5.10 deluxe
    $3.60
    1/4 Lb. Hamburger $3.95 deluxe
    $2.55
    1/4 Lb. Cheeseburger $4.25 deluxe
    $2.95
    Dbl 1/4 Lb. Hamburger $5.00 deluxe
    $3.75
    Dbl 1/4 Lb. Cheeseburger $5.60 deluxe
    $4.10
    Side Orders
    Rice Pilaf $2.40
    Pita Bread $1.00
    French Fries $2.75
    Breaded Mushrooms $3.70
    Mozzarella Sticks $4.10
    Curly Fries $2.70
    Feta Cheese $1.50
    Olives $1.50
    Peppers $1.50
    Plates(includes peppers, olives, feta cheese and your choice of french fries, rice or salad.)
    Gyros(w/pita) $6.70
    Beef Shishkabob(w/pita) $6.95
    Chicken Shishkabob(w/pita) $6.75
    Athenian (1/2 Chicken) $6.60
    Spinach Pie $6.40
    Lamb Shank(w/pita) $7.80
    Mousaka $7.80
    Shrimp Basket $5.90
    Fish Fry (4 Pieces, Cod) $6.30
    Dolmades $6.10
    Soup/Salad
    Avgolemono"egg, lemon, rice" $2.30
    Greek Salad $5.20 Lrg
    $4.20 Sm
    Ala Carte
    Spinach Pie $5.15
    Mousaka $5.75
    Athenian Chicken $5.30
    Lamb Shank $5.85
    Dolmades $4.85
  • Post #90 - December 28th, 2010, 8:49 am
    Post #90 - December 28th, 2010, 8:49 am Post #90 - December 28th, 2010, 8:49 am
    Thanks, afaust. I'm now madly hungry for Greek food at 9 AM. Oakland Gyros was my old late night haunt. Always a "Combo Plate" (half gyro, half chicken shishkabob) with an extra pita...enough food for two or more. I can vouch for the chicken, it is reliably moist with fresh off the hot grill flavor.

    ETA: Another favorite, and probably one of the things that first sent me down a road toward more adventurous eating in high school was the lamb shank. Try it with the rice...in fact, the rice is a decent side with just about anything...even when I'm not having the lamb, I get the rice "with sauce" (the vaguely reminiscent, subtle combination of juniper, nutmeg & cinnamon served over the shank).

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