Play in the City

In Only One Week...

Opening Day at Miller Park will be upon us!

...and I'll be cursing my dad for bringing my brother AGAIN instead of me.

Are you going?

If not, you can always get tickets for some exhibition baseball this weekend at Miller Park. These are the final tune-ups before Monday's season opener at Wrigley Field.

Now, if you're not already hyped for Opening Day, this should definitely get you keyed up!

The Brewers left training camp yesterday and boarded their flight to chilly Milwaukee where they'll host the Royals tonight and Saturday afternoon.

According to the team's official website, Brewers executive president of business operations Rick Schlesinger says the team is expecting a crowd of about 15,000 people tonight and up to 30,000 fans on Saturday. With all exhibition game tickets being sold for ONLY $10, I'm not surprised. In fact, I might try to get my paws on a pair.

On Sunday morning, the Brewers will travel to Chicago for a workout at Wrigley Field. Then, the Cubs right-handed pitcher Carlos Zambrano will throw his first pitch to Brewers leadoff Rickie Weeks shortly after 1 p.m. on Monday.

It’s almost here and I’m stoked!

Soho 7

Milwaukee is in a bit of a flux these days. There seems to be a new store, restaurant or bar opening every week and it’s getting difficult to keep up!

In the heart of the Historic Third Ward, the posh Soho 7 opened early this year and I finally went.

Soho 7 is the babe of Bobby Head, the owner of Water Street’s swanky Centanni Piano Bar. As the classy new kid on the block, Soho 7 promises a posh yet comfortable setting with a vast selection of unique spirits. Supposedly Soho 7 is the new place to be seen on weekends, but if that’s the case, I think I’d rather stay at home.

In my opinion, Milwaukee is casual and unpretentious, which are some of the qualities people like most about our city. You can stop at a bar like Wolski’s and feel at home with a complete stranger or spend time simply chewing the fat with the amicable barkeep. But, when my friend Rose and I went to Soho 7, it felt more like we were crashing a private party.

We arrived at the bar exactly at 7:15 p.m. and when we went to let ourselves in, the heavy doors were still latched. Rose tugged on the handle a couple of times until a woman eventually came to let us inside. Other than being reminded by the woman that they don’t open until 7 p.m. (it was a quarter after mind you), we weren’t greeted by any of the five people on staff let alone acknowledged as we entered. There was only one other patron in the entire place – a lady who sat at one end of the bar and sipped on wine – so it’s not like they were busy mixing a profusion of cocktails or tending to an unruly crowd. Whatever, I don’t hold grudges.

Despite being a bit turned off by the inhospitable and somewhat snobbish staff, Rose and I slid into two chairs mid-bar and began to scan the drink menu that was lying in front of us. Exotic cocktails and martini were aplenty, most of which were made with vodka and unusual flavors like thyme, sage, basil and rosemary. The extensive drink list also included rare vintage scotch blends and premium liquors for personal bottle service, which costs $170 and includes the mixers. With all of the fancy-pants drinks, I was quite surprised to see that there was room for Milwaukee classics like Miller and PBR on the beverage bill. That was a saving grace.

A few minutes passed and the bartender approached us and uttered “Ready?” apparently as our cue to order. I decided to be adventurous and try the “ehm be”, a lemon ginger pomegranate molasses concoction, which was a little heavy on the molasses – I’ve never had that in a drink before, so the first two sips were a little overwhelming. Rose played it safe and asked for a raspberry martini, and then with nothing more than a blink, the toffee-nosed bartender turned away and began mixing our cocktails.

As we waited, we caught up on the day's happenings and admired the swanky joint. It’s a far cry from our usual stomping ground, which was a nice change. I don’t mind stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new places, especially to witness the evolution of Milwaukee.

Downtown Workers, I Envy You.

I’m sitting at my desk starving because I don’t have a car, so I can’t leave the office to get food and I left my brown bag lunch in my fridge at home.

At the moment, things are a little stressful – the Focus is down the road and in the shop getting its brakes replaced. I’m totally depressed since I just found out that it’s going to cost me an arm and a leg and, say, $900 to fix it. OUCH!

Now I’m trapped at work, lost in a state of utter disillusion while munching on Girl Scout cookies that I had stashed away in my desk drawer. All I keep thinking is, man, if only I worked downtown, then I could easily take my bike to work.

Mark my words, if I could, I'd definitely hop on my Schwinn and ride to the office everyday. If my job was in the city, I wouldn’t have to pay such an ungodly amount for car repairs because I wouldn’t even own a car. That means I certainly wouldn’t have to worry about how the heck I’m going to afford gas after coughing up that ghastly amount of money! On top of that, I wouldn’t be stuck in my cubicle gorging myself on overpriced cookies since there's a vast selection of restaurants downtown that I could simply walk to, dine at, and enjoy.

Ugh!

I guess I’ll bum a ride to the neighborhood Culvers. Maybe I can talk a co-worker into buying…

My Date with the Public Market

Last night I had a date with the Milwaukee Public Market.

I fell in love with farmers’ markets when I moved downtown a few years ago. I like them so much that in the summer I spend almost every Saturday morning biking from the East Town Market to the East Side Open Market to take in the aroma of fresh herbs and flowers, and to sink my teeth into ripe plums and sour apples.

Up until 2005, I spent the long winter months pining for the healthy, local, organic foods found at the outdoor markets and the vision of winding through aisles of stands and perusing their offerings. But once the Milwaukee Public Market opened, the city’s premiere year-round market easily filled that void and stole my heart.

Located in the Historic Third Ward, the Public Market offers the same feel as most weekly farmers’ markets, but it’s a little different. The Public Market is a permanent, all enclosed fixture rather than a collection of farmers stationed under foldable tents temporarily taking over Cathedral Square. Still, the Public Market features specialty food vendors that are all local or family owned and about half of which are actual farm/produce stands like a typical farmers’ market.

I usually shop and dine at the Milwaukee Public Market a couple times each month. And last night I longed for a visit.

After an exhausting day at work I didn’t feel like cooking, so I stopped in the Ward on my way home to get supper and to pickup a pre-made entree for lunch tomorrow. I found parking unusually fast and then headed toward the allure of the Market.

First, I needed a caffeine fix, so I hurried to the Wisconsin-based Cedarburg Coffee Roastery, which was all the way on the opposite end of the Market. On the way there, I snatched a sample of Havarti cheese from atop a glass case filled with rows and rows of cheese. Note: this is the Cheese State. The line for coffee was surprisingly long, but it moved fairly quickly. With a steaming cup of Americano, I could now enjoy a leisurely stroll through the bustling market.

With a variety of food vendors – The Soup and Stock Market, Sushi-A-Go-Go, St. Paul Fish Company and C. Adam’s Bakery – the Public Market is an ideal place to stop for a quick bite downtown or to grab dinner for the family on your way out of the city.

Cooking with Irish Spirit

I believe that ethnicity is part of what defines a person.

I’m of Polish-Italian decent and one of my family’s ways of celebrating our heritage is by passing down authentic recipes – kuchnia Polska like pierogi or kielbasa or golabki and Italian fare such as tortelloni alla zucca or gnocchi di semolino. While I take pride in my family’s customs, I also enjoy being cultured in others, especially their traditional cuisine.

Speaking of which, a few days ago I got to learn about the Irish, in particular, about Irish food.

Several months back The Heartland Chef, Sandra Hillmer, invited me to one of her cooking classes. She had read my December 22 post about a cooking class I took at the Milwaukee Public Market where I mentioned I was disappointed by the lack of hands-on cooking classes in the Milwaukee area and how that particular class was like paying to watch The Food Network. Sandi stated that she has been offering privately held hands-on cooking classes at her home in Oak Creek for about six years, so I decided to take her up on the offer.

Initially I thought it was a little strange that the class was held at her home, but her kitchen was specifically designed to accommodate a large amount of people and heavy duty cooking. Sandi's home was well equipped with several feet of open counter space, two ovens, stainless steel appliances, an abundance of electrical outlets and the best kitchenware any cook could dream of!

As a cooking instructor Sandi is very familiar with the deficient of hands-on classes in our area. She explained that the scarcity is due to the fact that many cooking teachers favor the demonstration style of training. However, she also noticed that most students prefer getting down and dirty in the kitchen over merely watching a chef lecture, which is probably why she began teaching. Needless to say, when I was invited to partake in one of Sandi’s hands-on cooking classes, I was delighted!

Sandi’s classes are usually centered on a theme and planned around recipes for a four to five course meal. Each class always has a very versatile menu, but the Irish Spirits class was the one that immediately caught my eye.

When you think of Irish cuisine, what particular dish comes to mind? Any? I automatically think of corned beef hash with a side of green eggs. Apparently, I'm not very cultured. But, at this cooking class we expanded our palates by creating and tasting a traditional Irish dinner composed of Murphy’s onion soup, Chicken Cashel Blue, chive smashed potatoes and Guinness applesauce cake – it definitely wasn't St. Patrick's Day pub food...Thank goodness!

Finally Spring!

…And we're getting six to eight inches of snow tomorrow. Yuck!

Clearly, my exclamation of delight over springtime was a little premature. But what do you expect? After a long and taxing winter, I think all of us are anxious for a change, not to mention sunnier days – I know it will help me get out of this rut and maybe get some color back into my pasty skin.

As expected, warmer temperatures will eventually come to southeastern Wisconsin and regardless of the amount of snow that will pileup tomorrow, we can bet our boots that it’ll quickly melt – there’s always a silver lining, you see.

Even though the last four months were brutal with endless snow and bitter cold temperatures, I’m glad I took advantage of the winter wonderland by cross-country skiing and tobogganing instead of hiding underneath my covers.

Looking back all the way to December, I had a fabulous first-time visit to the u-cut tree farm and a blast celebrating Christmas and New Years. I also got to check out Body Worlds, take part in my first non-job interview, and test my swing dancing abilities. Now that I think of it, it was a great winter, probably the best I’ve experience in years!

By now I think it’s safe to say that we're all ready to move on, though. With the spring thaw, the vivacious sounds of Milwaukeeans emerging from hibernation will resonate off the buildings and echo down the streets. It’s no surprise considering Milwaukee offers locals and visitors a plethora of fun things to do, especially as the weather heats up.

One of my favorite things about living downtown is how the city comes to life in full force on beautiful days. Every picnic table, grassy patch, or bar patio becomes occupied by sunglasses or Brewers cap-wearing locals ready to bask in the city and Mother Nature’s splendor.

I certainly plan to take advantage of the spring temperatures as soon as they arrive and play in the city as often as I can. Hiking through Lake Park, biking on the Oak Leaf Trail, window shopping along Brady Street or picnicking in Veteran’s Park are just some of my beloved springtime activities, that is, as long as I’m able to keep my allergies at bay.

Besides relaxing in the sun, I’m hoping to get my body toned for swimsuit season, which will creep up on us in no time. I’m looking to take dance lessons through Milwaukee Recreation – what do you think, Argentinean Tango or Salsa lessons? Or perhaps I should finally commit to a three-month jazz/modern class at Danceworks to get back to my roots as a dancer. Also, sand volleyball at The Tracks Tavern begins again in April. As reigning champions, I’m thrilled to play on two competitive teams this season!

Beyond burning calories, I’ll be participating in some activities at the Urban Ecology Center and will hopefully sign-up for summer sailing lessons and skydiving. I’m also going to finally take a trip to Discovery World and the William F. Eisner Museum of Advertising and Design, along with the new Sensory Overload exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Most of all, I’m keyed up for baseball season! My tickets already came in the mail, so I’m eager to tailgate and root for the home team. On a side note, I’m glad that Bill Hall moved infield. Last season was rough for him, but I think this change will instill the confidence he had before. (Billy Boy is my favorite Brewer. I don't care what you say.)

But, before Hall and the rest of the Brewers hit the field, I’m hoping to make it to an Admirals or Bonecrushers game – I’m not even going to discuss the Bucks though. Did you see Tuesday night’s abomination against the Heat? Ugh! Despite another disappointing NBA season, I have enough sports events to keep me thoroughly entertained until I’m completely enthralled with baseball once again.

As you can see I have a laundry list of things to do and I'm raring to go and delighted to share my adventures with all of you. There’s plenty to look forward to – blooming flowers, warmer days – so get out and enjoy the new season and the prospect of a fresh beginning.

Maybe I’ll see you around the city!

The Circus Parade Returns!

Last week in the news I read that Milwaukee is planning to revive a long lost tradition: The Great Circus Parade!

Watching the Circus Parade was a tradition for my family that spanned many years. Sadly, our custom fizzled out once my brother, sister and I grew up, and then after nearly two decades the parade was eventually canceled for everyone.

After a six-year hiatus, the Great Circus Parade will be back in 2009 in celebration of the Circus World Museum’s 50th Anniversary. This news elicited nostalgia for me and many Milwaukeeans.

Do you have any memories of the Great Circus Parade?

It’s funny because just a few days before the news broke I asked my dad, “Hey dad, whatever happened to the Circus Parade?” Over lunch he explained the lack of funds and its cancellation. Then, we reminisced about how people would camp out downtown just to wait for the parade and how the entire week was deemed "Circus Week" as it was filled with special activities to attract families from all over the country, even the world.

This annual festival culminated in the Great Circus Parade and as a kid we’d pack a cooler and head from Brookfield to downtown early in the morning to find a spot along Wisconsin Avenue. There we'd wait curbside on lawn chairs and on blankets for hours and hours along with hundreds of thousands of wide-eyed locals all anticipating the Circus Parade's arrival.

Then, the blast of a train horn commenced the magnificent spectacle and the whimsical antique wagons, peppy marching bands, goofy clowns, exotic animals, and the stream of other fantastic circus performers flooded the streets of Milwaukee.

Back then it was the world's only annual circus parade and it was a Milwaukee treasure. I’m thrilled that the Great Circus Parade is coming back to our city and I'm delighted to relive this Milwaukee tradition!

Slainte!

For those of us at work...bummer.

But for those of you with green beer already flowing through your veins or those who are out on the town for corned beef, I leave you with a toast in honor of St. Patrick's Day...

Here's to a long life and a merry one.
A quick death and an easy one.
A handsome man (or woman) and an honest one.
A cold beer and another one!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

No matter what you're doing today, have a good one!

Spring Fever

I woke up this morning to the sound of birds chirping and the sun peeking through the cracks of my blinds. It's funny how things like that can make me, someone who's Mr. Hyde in the morning, rise from bed early and in a pleasant mood.

With temperatures flirting with 50 degrees for the last two days, I think most of us are ready to shed our winter coats and bask in the sun.

Seeing as though the official start to spring is just a few days away, I'm even more excited to get my bike out of the garage, watch baseball and play outdoor volleyball.

Spring is just around the corner. I can feel it!

A Steamy Friday Fling

Frankly, I’m neither turned on nor entertained by half-naked men thrusting their pelvises and swirling their hips in my face. Nope. Not even the slightest.

I probably shouldn't divulge how I find male strippers unappealing because apparently I’m in the minority. As it turned out, last Friday swarms of young professional women filled Ess Elle Style Studio for their Friday Fling that featured the Midwest Heartbreakers – yes, male strippers were on the fashionable East Side.

I wanted to check out Ess Elle’s Friday Fling for months, but before I knew the theme for March I had already made plans to go with my sister. After receiving word of the night's entertainment, we both were a little reluctant to go when 7 p.m. finally rolled around.

During our short walk to Ess Elle, our conversation went something like this:

"I can’t believe we’re actually going to this. It’s so humiliating!"

"I know. We won’t stay long… We don’t have to tell anyone either."

Despite my promise, I decided to delve into the experience anyway regardless of how embarrassed I was because the fact of the matter is that Ess Elle really knows how to throw a party. Even though Terry and I were acting a little juvenile and slightly prudish by avoiding the strippers for nearly two hours, the Fling was a hit and everyone there seemed to be having a ball!

Ess Elle is part of the booming retail businesses that are quickly shaping the East Side neighborhood into a fashion district. Voted Milwaukee’s Best Women’s Clothing Boutique on WISN’s A-List, Ess Elle is a classy, fashion-forward shop that offers affordable and quality apparel that suits a woman’s everyday needs.

Not only does Ess Elle create amazing synergy in the neighborhood with seasonal boutique crawls through the North Avenue corridor, it brings local women together at special weekly and monthly events.

Beginning at 7 p.m. on the first Friday of every month, Ess Elle hosts a Friday Fling. This event cordially invites ladies to shop and mingle while being treated to complimentary drinks and snacks as they are pampered and made to feel FABULOUS.