Play in the City

April Showers

It's often said that April showers bring May flowers.

This year, though, April seems to have had an identity crisis, thinking of itself more like a May, some days even an early June. Finally this weekend, April has snapped out of it, come to its senses and now it's playing catch up on all the rain it didn't give us the rest of the month. 

Today is the kind of day that causes kids to stare out the window with their heads in their hands, whining to mom about what they're supposed to do all day. Lamps light living rooms and TVs and movies fill the space where actual plans once were.

As I sat with my coffee and the paper this morning, I said to Dave, "Sundays are for walks and bike rides, not for rain!" It's odd to see such a gloomy day since every Sunday for probably two months now has been beautiful. We've been mighty lucky.

Thankfully, I didn't have any real plans today. I'm hosting book club at my place later this afternoon, which works out well – today is the perfect sort of day to commune indoors, discuss books and drink wine.
The rain isn't getting in the way of my blogging, either, as I have indoor plans this week. Tomorrow evening, Dave and I will be taking a tour of Bucketworks, a unique downtown venue dubbed "a health club for your brain." I'd passed by it before and even visited its website and was always quite curious, never really understanding what the place exactly was. As luck would have it, I met its owner at a Young Professionals of Milwaukee event this week and we decided right away that I must come see his facility. So I'll be back to post more about Bucketworks in a few days!

For today, I'd like to pose a question. If you have any opinion on the matter at all, I'd really like to hear what you think.

Yesterday, I saw the film United 93. When I saw that it was coming out this weekend, I knew I had to see it. I heard great reviews and wanted so badly to see this tribute to the passengers on that 9/11 flight that crashed in a Pennsylvania field. Dave absolutely refused to see it, no matter how much I tried to convince him. I ended up going with my dad, and as expected, I thought it was an outstanding film, and so did he.

As a viewer, you really feel like you're just a fly on the wall that day, watching the events unfold. You get to see the terrorists doing their prayers in the hotel that morning and making their way to the airport, the passengers and flight crew boarding the plane, going about their normal conversations and business. You see the air traffic controllers around the country go from business-as-usual to confused to absolutely terrified, to finally getting every plane in America grounded.
Throughout the entire film, my stomach was churning, my heart was heavy – it was hard since I obviously knew what was coming. I cried a lot, especially when all of the passengers made their good-bye phone calls, and then finally when the brave passengers took action and tried to overtake the plane.

The film was done so well, and I do see it as a tribute to those people who rose up and possibly saved a lot of lives. Dave didn't want to see it because he thinks it exploitation; Hollywood making money out of a tragedy. He also believes that United 93 was shot down that day, that it didn't actually crash, and that the government is covering that up. I can sort of see how that could be a possibility, but I really don't believe it.

We absolutely cannot see eye-to-eye, and I'm wondering what others think. Is United 93 tribute or propaganda? Will you see it?

I think it's something that every American should see. Yes, we were all there that day. We all know what happened, and we all saw countless images of the horror. But this film shows us what it would have been like to be those people. It makes us appreciate life more, and appreciate those heroes – and not just the passengers, but everyone who was involved that fateful day.

Bust out the bubbly!

Fun fact #101 about me: Although I absolutely love champagne, I will only drink it when there’s a reason to celebrate. Sometimes, I’ll try to find any little excuse to indulge, but this weekend, I have plenty of good reasons … and you can bet I’ll be popping a cork or two!

First, a toast to Brett Favre …

The Green Bay Packers #1 man announced last night that he will return to play for the Packers for one last season. This is such great news! Yes, the man has earned the right to retire. But I think it would have been completely unfair both to him and his fans if he left without anyone even knowing it was his last season. He deserves some hoopla, some fanfare, some ceremony and celebration – and this entire upcoming season will provide that. I just hope his teammates can help him pull out a winning season.

A toast to proud moments …

Last night, I was one of two featured speakers at a PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) event up in Appleton. I was first asked to do it months ago and at the time I thought, no problem! But as the date drew closer and closer, I started to get really nervous, and then starting about a week ago, it became all I could think about. It was so silly, but it was stressing me out! 

I was asked to speak for 20 minutes about Play in the City and the campaign surrounding it, and I spent Sunday and Monday nights preparing my presentation and a handout to pass around. I took a half-day at work yesterday, made the two-hour drive up to Appleton, and gave my presentation. And it went wonderfully!

I think my voice was a little strained at first, but the 35 or so people who were there were all very attentive, nodding their heads and smiling, and so I started to relax about halfway through and then it was a piece of cake. I got a few laughs, and was asked quite a few questions when I was done, too. When I sat back down, the relief I felt that it was over and that it had gone well was huge. I met a lot of nice people, and I got a great meal and a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble, too. I’m proud that I did it – and I’m so glad it’s behind me!
And while we’re on the subject, a toast to Play in the City …

I just signed a contract this week to continue the blog until at least May 2007. It’s a big commitment, but it’s a ton of fun and it’s obviously a huge, great part of my life. I’m proud to spread the word about Milwaukee and I’m proud to be continuing this for another year!

Keeping with blog theme for just another moment ….

I’ll reach a milestone today – 50,000 hits!

It’s a pretty big number when I think about my little website being viewed 50,000 times in less than a year. But on the other hand, I know that’s a lot of repeat business, people who come every day or every other day (which is great, don’t get me wrong!), so it’s not like it’s thousands of different visitors. I’m proud of the number though, and my goal is to greatly exceed another 50,000 hits in the second year.

And finally, a toast to upcoming nuptials …

Friday will be the six-month mark until Dave’s and my wedding. Holy moly, half a year! The time’s going fast!

And two of my oldest and dearest friends, Heather and Eric, will be getting married next weekend and I am so excited to watch them tie the knot after almost nine years together!

Yes, the causes for celebration are abundant today.

Cheers!!

Earth Day at the Urban Ecology Center

Just last week I'd mentioned wanting to visit Milwaukee's Urban Ecology Center in the near future.

This week, I was hoping to partake in an Earth Day observance of some sort.

Yesterday afternoon, the stars aligned with the Earth Day Celebration at the Urban Ecology Center, which is located in Riverside Park on Milwaukee's East Side, on the corner of Oakland and Newberry.



Rain threatened to ruin the outdoor festival, but thankfully, it never came. The expansive park was filled with families enjoying the jungle gyms, performance artists, hay sledding, carriage rides, softball games and art projects inside the Center.

Dave and I circled the perimeter of the park and took it all in. The whole park smelled of birch chips, which must have been freshly laid for spring. I couldn't get enough of that smell. Around us, young women were teaching a group of young girls to belly dance, small groups of people were sitting at picnic tables digging into pizza from the nearby Little Caesars, a band was setting up to play to a group of onlookers outside the Center, and two softball games were going on, the players yelling "heads up!" every time they smacked the ball past the outfield and into the path of festival-goers. (dangerous, yes, but it sure kept people on their toes!)



We went inside the Ecology Center to see what was going on but didn't spend too much time since we were mostly just in the way. Kids were running around, eating popcorn and hot dogs, showing off the kites they'd just made out of construction paper, sliding down the indoor slide, and checking out the aquariums in the animal room.



When we went back outside, we found ourselves under the platform that we'd been supposed to repel down during the Urban Tadpole race last summer. The view from up there is supposed to be pretty nice, but we didn't venture up this time. We made our way back to the park where we saw another group of artists getting ready to perform.

They were dressed all in white, and as they began to beat on their drum, they instructed the audience to clap along with them. Once they established a rhythm, they began a tribal singing/chanting. Two people at a time came forward and danced together, doing martial arts moves in a very precise, fluid manner. They kicked and turned and stood on their hands, never touching the other person. They looked very strong and graceful and it was just a really cool thing to watch.



I had never seen anything like it and I was unclear what exactly they were doing. Their shirts said "Capoeira." My full-of-knowledge fiancé told me that he thought it was a form of dance that slaves did to practice combat moves without getting in trouble for fighting. When I looked it up when we got home, sure enough, he was correct.

We watched for about 20 minutes, and I felt like I could watch them all day. I loved the way they looked, I loved the way they sounded, it was just awesome – the highlight of the festival for me.

Riverside Park is spacious and lush and the fact that it's smack in the middle of the bustling East Side makes it even more appealing. The Ecology Center sits on the far end of the park and offers programs, classes, trail runs, and numerous other events year-round.

The park borders the bike trail that leads all the way to downtown by the art museum, and hiking paths run throughout the woods and along the Milwaukee River just on the other side of the park, too. For a picnic, a pickup baseball game, a bike ride, a jog, or just for a nice walk or nap, the park is a definite perk for Milwaukee.

Sounds fans?

Anyone out there a fan of The Sounds and want two free tickets to their show at the Rave this Saturday night?

Dave bought two too many and doesn't want to see them go to waste ...

Email me if you're interested!

Look at these pretty pictures ...

... of Big Bay Park in Whitefish Bay that I took this weekend. Hopefully they'll distract you from the fact that there's no new activity to read about this week ...

My three-day weekend was busy, though nothing I did was overly blog-worthy ...

We got our first taste of summer with some 80-degree weather on Friday, and Saturday was beautiful, too. Took my bike out on Friday evening for the first time this season - that's when I took these pics - and went out for a run early Saturday morning. Despite being all alone, the first glimpse of the sparkling lake under the morning sun made me smile out loud (yes, it's possible) - it was breathtaking. Every single person I passed that morning smiled and said "good morning" with a friendliness that I haven't seen in months. I tell ya, spring and sunshine does something to people. I love it.

Saturday night Dave and I visited Cafe Vecchio Mondo on Old World Third Street to have a drink and scope the place out for our rehearsal dinner. With its long, narrow layout, its dark walls lit by candlelight, its small tables and chill atmosphere, it was just the perfect little place. We got to take a peek at the back room and we were immediately sold. We signed the contract, put down our deposit and were on our merry way. Another thing checked off the list!

After that we saw Thank You For Smoking, which was fantastic and hilarious. Easter Sunday was rainy and crappy, but was still a happy day filled with church, food and family. And the Easter Bunny even visited us! We woke up yesterday to a neighborhood filled with Easter eggs - some real, some plastic with candy inside - all over the place - on our cars, in the grass, on our mailbox. As for who our resident Easter Bunny could be - it's a mystery!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend, too.

April 15: Tax (FREE) Day

This Saturday, April 15, select retailers in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward will be offering customers a day of tax-free shopping. If you'll be out shopping that day anyway, or if you're like me and need to have a very good excuse to justify a shopping trip, this is your lucky day. Depending on how much you intend to buy, you could save a nice little chunk of change - just because it’s tax day.

I'm thinking I'll have to check out Lela and Urban Kitchenwares for the first time, and that little piece of heaven - a.ka. Broadway Paper - is definitely calling my name. OnMilwaukee.com has the complete list of retailers who will be participating.

Coming this summer: Pier Wisconsin

Construction is one of the major topics on everybody's mind in Milwaukee these days. One cannot go into or out of the city without being affected by the Marquette Interchange project that has been going on for months now and won't be completed until 2008. Exits are closed, lanes are rerouted, and with all the rubble and machinery, the area looks like a war zone.

The famous whale wall – which can be seen here in a picture Dave and I took while driving past it a few days ago – is even set to be demolished any day now; and a sad day it will be. (Although, the structure does contain asbestos, so it's probably best it comes down. And did you know it might be haunted?)

The new Marquette Interchange will be sleeker-looking and hopefully more efficient come 2008, but between the loss of the beloved whale wall, the traffic hassles and the ugliness that is the freeway at this point, construction has a pretty bad rap in Milwaukee right now.

However, I was reminded of a different construction project the other day when I decided to take the lakefront home instead of going my usual route on I-94, and it's a construction project that is set to be done much sooner than 2008 and that will add even more beauty to our lakefront. It's the new Pier Wisconsin, and it's set to open this summer.

Construction on the Pier has come a long, long way since last time I'd seen it, and as I drove by last week, I made a mental note to get down there soon and take a closer look.

Today was another gorgeous spring Sunday, and Dave and I took an hour-long walk around Shorewood and Whitefish Bay to enjoy it. We came upon Big Bay Park in Whitefish Bay, a park that boasted the most expansive and breathtaking views of Lake Michigan that I've seen. We sat on a bench and just gazed out for several minutes and we marveled, like we always do, at how lucky we are to live in a place set right on this huge, spectacular body of water. I've said it before, but most of the country doesn't have that. Unless you live on a Great Lake or on the ocean, you're out of luck. Sure, the ocean is grander and smells better and is nicer to swim in … oh, and usually has nicer weather along with it … but the Great Lakes are definitely the next best thing!

On our walk, we even saw our geocaching buddy, Charlie! He was out enjoying the day, too, riding his bike with a friend, and we both said hi as we passed each other. 

A little later in the afternoon, Dave and I drove down to the lake to scope out the new Pier Wisconsin. Ten minutes was about all we could take of the wind and cold that had rolled in, but we got some good pictures and it was fun to see up-close what will be.



After snapping a couple photos of the interior through the windows, we ventured onto the side of the building to check out the circular structure that overlooks the lake, but as we started walking a man came after us (you can see him in the background in the picture of Dave) and said we couldn't be out there. There had been a fence with a Keep Out sign blocking the way, but the wind had blown it aside and we hadn't seen it. Oops. We walked around the other side to check it out, thought, and it's really awesome. Talk about a primo party venue.

As we walked around, quite a few cars full of people were driving up so they could check out Milwaukee newest addition, too.

It's going to be a really great destination. The Discovery World Museum will be inside, the circular structure, called the Pilot House, will be available for rental for special events (and Bartolotta's has the exclusive catering contract, so the food will be outstanding), and the S/V Denis Sullivan, a replica of an 1880's schooner, will be docked there and will be available for public sails and dock tours.

I can't say for sure whether I'll ever attend an event in the Pilot House (though I'd sure like to!), but I'll definitely be checking out the museum and the schooner this summer. I can't wait! 

Meet Milwaukee's newest blogger ...

VISIT Milwaukee has just launched a third blog in its quest to showcase the best aspects of the city.

This one is called Taste of the Town and it covers everything food-related in Milwaukee: the restaurants, the ethnic festivals, the farmer's markets and specialty shops, as well as all the things that Milwaukee is best-known for - the beer, the brats, the fish fries, the custard ... Mmmm, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

The blog is written by Audra Shalles, a woman who just recently relocated to Milwaukee from Texas. Choosing someone new to the city seems like a smart move to me. Readers will be able to experience Milwaukee as Audra does – through virgin eyes and taste buds.

I met Audra for lunch yesterday at Pizzeria Piccola in Wauwatosa where we chatted about life and all things blog-related. She had pizza and I had pasta with grilled vegetables and it was delicious. Of course, to get the pro’s take on our food, you’ll have to check out her recap. She was a delight to talk to and I have very high hopes for her new site.

And she’s off to a great start. In just a few posts, she’s already covered the Milwaukee Public Market, the Milwaukee Spice House, Kopp’s famous custard and La Fuente, one of the city’s most popular Mexican restaurants. That’s impressive!

I very much look forward to following what she calls her “epicurean adventure.” I’m sure her readers will continuously be in for a real treat.

Brewers Kick Off

The Brewers season is officially underway!

The first game is going on as I write this – which means I'm not there.
After being at Miller Park yesterday and after having sold the tickets we originally had for the game, we just didn't want to try to get different tickets and head back there today. Plus, Opening Day is much more fun in a group – I'm not sure how much fun we would have had just the two of us. Penny and Carlo weren't able to go, either, so we all just decided we'll plan for it next year. Besides, we're having plenty of fun at home! We cooked fat free hot dogs on the grill for lunch and had a little picnic during the first couple of innings. And now Dave is lying on the floor in front of the TV, happy as can be that baseball has started again, and I'm sitting at the computer, enjoying being home on a Monday afternoon.

Yesterday we went to Miller Park for Brewers On Deck and it was really a fun event – we ended up spending about two hours there. Tons of people were there and there was a lot of excitement in the air. Players were signing autographs, clowns were making balloons and painting faces, the sausages were posing for pictures, and there was a Dixie Land band of cute old men playing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." 



The kids' area was the best – once again, I wished that I was a kid so I could jump in the big castle, play ski ball and see how fast I could pitch. Watching little kids practice their pitching was my favorite part – especially this first little guy. He was the cutest thing going when he'd wind up and give it his all and then the ball would go maybe two feet.

Miller Park was looking awesome. There are new screens all the way across the stands and in the outfield, some of the food stands and bars have new signs, and there's a new picnic area out in left field. After we did a whole lap around the park, we took a seat in the stands and waited for batting practice to begin.



We watched as cameras fixed on different unsuspecting fans who were then put up on the big screen. I love watching this – everyone has the same reaction, at first acting surprised and then getting all excited and waving in the direction of the screen rather than the camera. We never got on screen, but I was ready to do some waving if we did.



The team came out and warmed up, and then they played catch and took batting practice. Bill Schroeder and Darren Sutton, the Brewers announcers, had the crowd make all kinds of noise for their show, and they gave away some prizes, too. We didn't know how we could have signed up, but were bummed that we didn't even have a chance!

All around us, people were mowing down as if they were at a real baseball game. I guess that is one of the best parts about coming to the ballpark –the delicious food. The hot dogs, brats, nachos, and popcorn all looked so good, but we resisted the temptations. Well, until the end anyway. We gave in and got a small order of roasted nuts and boy, were they delicious.



When we were ready to leave, we looked outside and it was pouring rain. Like idiots, we had parked about as far away as we possibly could have. We've been to Miller Park countless times and yet got a little confused and parked in the farthest lot we could – and there was really no reason for it, as there were plenty of spots near the entrances. We definitely regretted not moving the car closer when it was time to walk back – the rain was freezing and we were completely drenched by the time we made it to the car. Nothing like cold, wet jeans and hair.

All in all, the day was really fun. I think it's really nice that the Brewers put on this event every year, to interact with the fans and get them even more excited about the upcoming season. Attendance seemed really high yesterday, which is good to see. Hopefully it was the kick-off to a really terrific season.

Go Brewers!

Zarletti

If I had my way, I'd be going out to dinner at least once a week.

I love going out to eat, being able to try new restaurants and different foods, being waited on and enjoying the company of whomever I'm with. Food is one of the greatest pleasures in life, and going out to eat is one of my favorite things to do.

Given my current financial situation, I don't get to go out to eat nearly as much as I'd like to – not even as much as I used to be able to.  Money is quite tight and Dave and I just can't be spending what little we have going out for dinner.

This week we got a couple of rebate checks in the mail from when we bought new cell phones a couple months ago. We were torn – do we put them in the wedding fund, or do we splurge and go out to dinner?

After a minute or two of thoughtful consideration, we decided on dinner.

Well, that was the easy choice. Deciding which restaurant to try was the tougher decision. Milwaukee has quite a lot of dining options and the list of restaurants we want to try is a long one. And then there's the list of restaurants that we've been to before, loved and want to try again – it's a much shorter list, but all of the options are still tempting.

The top contenders for last night were Bacchus, Osteria del Mundo, Zarletti, and Nanakusa. Bacchus and Osteria del Mundo were a little too expensive for just any old night, and I'd had sushi already this week, so we decided on Zarletti.

Whenever I'd pass the big Z sign on the corner of Milwaukee St. and Mason St., I'd think, I need to look into that restaurant. Yesterday while looking through Dennis Getto's Top 30 list, I saw that Zarletti made it the past few years, so that sealed the deal.

I called yesterday afternoon and was able to get us an 8:15 reservation. We walked in the door and were greeted promptly by the hostess – who I would guess was Mari Cucunato Zarletti, one of the owners. Our small table by the window was almost ready so we were told we could wait for five minutes at the bar.

We were the only ones sitting at the bar, which had maybe six or eight stools at it, but the rest of the restaurant was full. It's a small place, seating maybe 80 people, and has a very intimate feel to it with dark chocolate colored walls, tables that are very close together, and dim lights hanging from the ceiling. 

We ordered a drink – a glass of Zinfandel for me and a Guiness for Dave – and then were led to our table. It was small and right on the window, and was decorated with a candle and one flower in a small vase. The table had paper over it, adding to the restaurant's bistro feel, and a black Zarletti stamp gave it some flare.

Our server, Collin, was at our table almost immediately. He was extremely friendly and recited the night's specials with ease. After a few minutes with the menus, Dave and I decided to start with the bruschetta appetizer. It was hard to pass up the portabella mushroom with goat cheese and the Maryland crab cakes, but we knew we'd be too full if we ordered more than one appetizer.

When I ordered the bruschetta, I said it "bru-she-tta" like a lot of people in these parts say it. It's actually pronounced "bru-sKe-tta" though, and while he didn't make me feel dumb or correct me, Collin did say it the right way when we ordered it and when he put it down. Now I know that's how I should pronounce it next time. My bad.

The bruschetta was out no more than five minutes after we ordered it, and before we dug in, we ordered our dinner – chicken with mushrooms and spinach in a cream sauce for Dave and sea scallops over pesto fettuccine for me.

The bruschetta was awesome, with perfectly toasted bread and delicious tomatoes in plenty of olive oil. Our plates were taken as soon as we were done, and just a couple of minutes later, our entrees had arrived. I was amazed at how fast the food came. We didn't feel rushed, though – it was just right.

The presentation of our meals was beautiful. I tasted Dave's chicken and it was very tasty, but I liked my dinner much better. Six or seven pan-seared sea scallops, roasted red peppers and toasted pine nuts sat atop pesto-covered homemade fettuccine noodles. I cut off a piece of scallop immediately and had to close my eyes and savor it, it was so grand. So many scallops I've tried have been either tasteless or very sandy, but these were divine. I let Dave try one right away, too, and he said that it restored his faith in how good scallops really are.

The pasta was soft and the pesto and olive oil made it rich and so flavorful. The pine nuts added a nice little soft crunch here and there, and the peppers added just a little heat. My meal was absolute HEAVEN.

I never in a million years thought I'd be able to finish the whole thing, but I just kept on going and before I knew it, I was down the final bites. I didn't want to have to take any home since I knew I'd have to be back on my diet today and wouldn't eat the leftovers, and I'll be damned if I was going to waste any of that delicious dish. I gave Dave a few more bites, but devoured the rest myself.

I was pretty darn full when I was done, but I still had room for dessert, and when Collin ran through all that they had, we had another tough choice to make. There was Ghiradelli white chocolate cheesecake, tiramisu, chocolate cannolis, gelato, and something else chocolaty I can't quite recall. I thought we should share one but Dave wanted two, so we ordered two: the tiramisu and the cheesecake.

Once again, they were out in no time. And once again, the presentation was great – powdered sugar covered the tiramisu plate, and chocolate and caramel sauce made a swirly design over the cheesecake plate. The tiramisu didn't require any chewing, it just melted on your tongue. The cheesecake was really good, too – it was a huge piece and I can't believe we finished it, but we did.

In between all of our rich food, we both drank a lot of water, and the bus boy kept our glasses constantly full. Our waiter was attentive without being overbearing. The food was divine, and I commented to Dave that the place was really nice without being at all pretentious or intimidating.

There were only a few things I didn't like … The wine list was small – they only had four red wines by the glass. It got pretty loud in the restaurant, so I don't think it'd make for a good first date place, and the music was fast, kind of bump-and-grind-ish, and didn't really fit the atmosphere. And I thought I read in the reviews that we got bread and butter but I guess I was wrong because we didn’t get bread. I left there feeling like I was going to throw up I was so full, so I certainly didn't need bread, but I sure do like bread and butter when I go to dinner. These are small complaints though – overall, the experience was fantastic.

Our bill came to around $76 for two drinks, an appetizer, two entrees and two desserts, before tip. Not bad, but certainly not something we can do too often at this point in our lives.

When I am able to get out to dinner, I always hope that it'll be worth my hard-earned money – Zarletti definitely lived up to the hopes I had for it.