Play in the City

You Say Tomato, I Say Farmers Market!

I love farmers markets.

From perusing the vast selection of fresh fruits and organic veggies to taking in the incredible aroma of the various seasonal flowers and pungent herbs, farmers markets are a great alternative to supermarket shopping.

Actually, beginning last summer, I started taking full advantage of the East Town Market and The East Side Open Market almost every Saturday. They are close to my apartment and offer a great variety of produce.

While I’m usually an avid market shopper anyway, there’s another reason to shop there right now: for salmonella-free tomatoes. I’m serious!

Seventeen states including Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia, Texas, California, and so on, have experienced salmonella outbreaks linked to three types of raw tomatoes – red plum, red Roma and round red tomatoes – and the list of supermarkets and restaurants yanking those varieties off the shelves and menus keeps growing.

Come to think of it, I went to Qdoba the other day and was shocked that they didn’t have any salsa for my nachos. It later donned on me that it was due to the tomato scare.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said to news sources that since mid-April, 167 people have been infected with salmonella of the same “genetic fingerprint” and at least 23 of those people have been hospitalized, and one person has died.

To be safe, the FDA suggests avoiding tomatoes unless they were grown in unaffected states. Additionally, cherry tomatoes and grapes tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes or those sold with the vine still attached are likely not the source of the salmonella outbreak. So, besides those tomatoes grown in your backyard, another place to get some red and raw tomatoes that aren't tainted is at your neighborhood’s farmers market.

Now everyone should be more inclined to visit their local farmers market, no? Not only will you find a fresh, organic and appetizing assortment of fruits and vegetables, you’ll be able to pick up tomatoes of the non-salmonella variety.

Open for the summer and always close to home, the markets give local farmers the chance to display their goods, while giving residents the chance to socialize and browse the homegrown produce lining the aisles in an open-air and inviting setting.

I did a little research online and found a list of Wisconsin farmers markets. I encourage you to take the time to find one in your vicinity. Let’s not fear the tomato anymore!

'Sex and the City' at the Oriental

In 1927, the majestic Landmark Oriental Theater opened for business in the heart of Milwaukee’s East Side. During the Oriental’s beginning era, going to the movies was more of an all-day experience or, at the very least, an evening escapade requiring gowns and feather boas, or tuxedos and top hats.

In some ways, opening night of Sex and the City was reminiscent of this historic time.

A crowd congregated outside of the Oriental Theater hours before the doors even opened for the 7 p.m. showing of Sex and the City. By the look of it, any passersby probably would have assumed that it was a gathering for a wedding reception or graduation party or something of the like based on the pink nail polish, updos, stilettos and sundresses that almost every woman wore that evening.

While the throngs of women weren’t sporting frilly evening dresses, the fancy attire was still quite atypical for modern moviegoers. By no means is this a dramatic exaggeration, either. I think I was the only person who didn’t get the memo about the dress code for the night’s flick. Evidently, Sex and the City on the silver screen was more than just a Friday night movie with the girls, it was an enormous event that corralled the largest bunch of women I’ve ever seen in one enclosed location.

Sex and the City was highly anticipated by many women, including myself. I was a little nervous after reading several reviews that gave Sex and the City a mere satisfactory rating, only three stars. I really didn’t want to be disappointed or leave unsatisfied. But after seeing the movie and falling in love with the characters and story all over again, clearly those critics weren’t fans of the HBO series in the first place. On a whole, the movie was better than I could have envisioned. It was witty and sharp, sensitive and endearing, raunchy and lively, and perfect. I loved it!

I also adore the Oriental Theater, which is why I chose to see my favorite TV show’s big screen debut there. The Oriental has been showing movies for about 75 years and still is able to attract audiences. It first began showing short runs of Hollywood classics and cult double features, and then expanded its repertoire to foreign, specialty and indie films, in addition to a mix of first-run movies and blockbusters in order to keep up with the Joneses.

Eventually, the owners decided to turn the single-screen theater into three smaller theaters because such one-screen cinemas were turning into somewhat of a white elephant in modern times, I read. Currently, the Oriental features one main auditorium that seats about 1,000 people and two 250-seat theaters, says the website.

On my jog to the Oriental from my apartment, I could see the theater’s distinctive minaret towers breaking the East Side’s skyline. My sister and I bought tickets earlier in the week, but rumors surfaced that the show was sold out, so despite having tickets, I was frantic to get there to secure two superb spots for the day’s main feature: Sex and the City.

Jazz in the Park Returns!

Jazz in the Park returns for its 18th season TONIGHT!

Pack your pic-a-nic basket with dinner and your favorite bottle of wine and, for tonight at least, a poncho, and head to East Town.

On Thursday evenings from early June until late September, Cathedral Square comes alive with people swarming the park and covering it with picnic blankets and folding chairs, even spilling over into the streets, across the streets and practically on each other’s laps just to enjoy a summer night filled with live music and, perhaps, a delicious glass of vino.

Jazz in the Park is my new favorite outdoor music series. There’s just something about it. Possibly my favorite aspect about Jazz in the Park – besides the fact that it’s FREE – is its location. There’s a makeshift stage setup right smack in the middle of the city in a lush and beautiful park that provides an incredibly serene oasis from the bustling city. Even though you’re still amid the buildings downtown, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell once you get lost in the night’s smooth melodies.

Jazz in the Park features a wide variety of acts spanning Milwaukee, the region and across the nation. All season-long attendees will hear a variety of jazz music ranging from straight ahead jazz mixed with some Latin sounds, to contemporary and acid jazz, to everything in between.

I went for my first time last year and now I’m anticipating this season’s lineup – Blue Number Nine on June 19, Back Alley Band on August 14, and Big O and the Nite Owls Showband on September 11, to name a few.

For a look at the complete Jazz in the Park schedule, click here.

If you haven’t gone yet, I highly recommend that you check it out this year. Bring a date, bring a friend, bring your cat... I guarantee you’ll have a great time!

_______________

Jazz in the Park
Cathedral Square Park
E Wells Street & N Jefferson Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202 
Thursday evenings from June 5 through September 25
Starts at 6 p.m.
FREE

Bradford Beach Makes a Comeback

It’s about time!

I always wondered what was up with our beaches, why few people hung out there.

I’ve been to the popular sandy patches in Chicago and was always amazed by how packed they were on the weekends – beachside decks had live music and offered happy hour specials while providing a fun atmosphere for the entire family. Milwaukee's beaches, on the other hand, had filthy sand and a rank smell. What gives?

Finally, Milwaukee might have come up with a novel idea to revamp Bradford Beach, giving the community a reason to hit the sand.

Last weekend, Hi-Hat Group, one of the city’s leading restaurant groups, assumed control of the Bradford Beach House and programming at Milwaukee’s sandy pad.

According to OnMilwaukee, Hi-Hat Group has teamed up with G1, Inc. and X-Ray Marketing to begin restoring nearly every aspect of the deserted Beach House. I think this is wonderful news for a part of Milwaukee that has been dying a slow death.

After hearing reports, Eric and I decided to check out the progress ourselves. So that Saturday, we attended the revived Bradford Beach House’s kick-off party.

The spot wasn’t teeming with beach-goers by any means, but it did welcome a larger crowd than what I recall seeing on most days prior. There were rows of top-notch volleyball nets where teams of three played in the Cuervo Gold Beach Volleyball Tour while amateur athletes bumped the ball around on the other open courts.

Around the Beach House, spectators took in the gorgeous lakeshore panorama and watched some intense volleyball games while soaking up the sun. At the same time, kids built sand castles and dug through the dry sand looking for shells. It was really great to see a vivacious crowd breathing life into a once desolate beach.

Shag on the East Side, Baby!

Nestled in between Landmark Lanes and the Cutting Crew on Milwaukee’s East Side is Shag Custom Apparel and Gifts.

While Shag is a custom apparel shop inspired by other stores in cities like Chicago, New York and Las Vegas, the shop itself is a Milwaukee original, as well as, a first of its kind in the city.

Wouldn’t you think that since this make-it-yourself T-shirt shop is only two blocks from my apartment, I would have already checked it out? Not so much.

You see, I’d been making a huge effort to avoid entering Shag simply because I knew that once I’d step inside, I’d be hooked!

The problem is that I’m a T-shirt junkie and because I work in "Corporate America," I can’t wear shirts adorning 80s TV show characters or 90s grunge bands anymore, so I’ve been making an attempt not to buy any and to stick with pretty J.Crew blouses. But since Shag conveniently offers the opportunity to design and print your own shirts – I love making and wearing my own unique designs – I couldn’t avoid it any longer.

On my way to the bank the other day I was finally coaxed into entering the shop by the variety of hokey Brewers T-shirts on display in the window. Instead of scouring eBay for hours searching for perfectly fitting vintage Brewers gear, I thought, now would be a great opportunity to make my own one-of-a-kind Brewers shirt.

While figuring out if I wanted black lettering on a yellow shirt or white words on a blue tank was a minor challenge, the concept of clothing design at Shag is very simple. Shag lets you create your own, original clothing by bringing in your own art, photo, phrase, and so forth to be imprinted onto a shirt or polo (among other things), or you can simply choose one of the shop’s 3,000 designs in stock and just adjust the color to your liking.

To help you in finding the right design there are a series of thick binders filled with 2,000 picture transfers, over 1,000 phrases, 11 fonts and six letter colors that are carefully organized by category and conveniently placed on shelves around the store.

'Iron Man' at the Rosebud Cinema

Saturday night was damp and chilly and after a late night on Friday, all I wanted to do was curl up on the couch and watch a movie with my honey.

Eric, however, had been dying to see Iron Man since it came out last weekend and wanted to watch it on the big screen at the cinema. We made a compromise and decided to see Iron Man at the Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse because this way we both got what we wanted: Eric got to see his movie of choice and I got to sprawl out on the sofa. It was perfect.

The Rosebud Cinema is a charming single-screen movie theater located in the heart of Wauwatosa. When we walked through the entrance and into the foyer, it was like taking a step back in time to when such neighborhood theaters flourished. The theater was built in the 1930s, and in 1999 it was gutted and reopened. The Rosebud's oriental style and upscale décor was warm and inviting and after the building was revitalized almost ten years ago, an emphasis was not only placed on preserving its history but on comfort as well.

The spacious theater was arranged to look like a living room space, well, more specifically, it looked like Elvis’ living room. The theater boasts stadium-style seating that’s furnished with red and black plush love seats and velvet coaches in lieu of conventional chairs. Each seat has access to either an end table or a coffee table where you’re able to place your food, which is a lot more accommodating than having to hold your munchies on top of your lap during the movie.

The theater itself is small – it only seats about 240 people – but what it lacks in seating capacity it makes up for with coziness and style. My favorite feature is the intimate seating, which makes you feel like you’re watching a movie in the comfort of your own home. And just like at home, you’re able to enjoy a relaxed dinner at your sofa if you wish.

After the theater’s face-lift, it now has a rather extensive menu that offers traditional snacks like popcorn, candy and soda, but also includes thin crust pizza, sandwiches, pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and comfort foods like chicken tenders, corn dogs, French fries and soft pretzels. The menu also provides a long list of libations including micro brews such as Lakefront Brewery’s Cattail and the Milwaukee Ale House’s Louie’s Demise, and about a half-dozen of select house wines, as well as, a variety of hard alcohols for various mixed drinks.

Earth Day at the Urban Ecology Center

With the plethora of Earth Day events taking place lasts weekend, I couldn’t think of a better place to celebrate Mother Earth than at the Urban Ecology Center (UEC).

The neighborhood-based, non-profit community center is located in Milwaukee’s historic Riverside Park. The center is dedicated to educating locals about the environment by offering multifaceted outdoor recreation, environmental resources, and science and ecological schooling.

The day was calling for rain, but around noon the skies were still pretty clear, so Eric and I rushed to get to the UEC to partake in their Earth Day festivities before the rain had a chance to spoil the day.

We found parking along Locust Street near the entrance to Riverside Park. This niche of the East Side once was a little ragged and the park was pretty underused and overgrown, but that afternoon you wouldn’t have been able to tell. Although there were marks of graffiti left on some picnic tables, the swing sets and jungle gyms were alive with kids.

As Eric and I strolled along the sidewalk and into the park, we began to get a little confused about where all of the alleged Earth Day events were taking place. We were in the right place at the right time, but aside from the kids on the playground, no one was around. That is, until we came upon a handsome, four-story, metal-sided timber building abuzz with face-painted children competing in a bean bag toss and making crafts at tables along the sidewalk outside.

Most environmental education centers have been set in the country, usually in a nature preserve surrounded by bountiful and vigorous wildlife habitats in order to better connect with nature. However, the UEC is an exception as it’s located in a dense city neighborhood amid several acres of once-decrepit parkland.

We followed the path around the building and past a stunning 40-foot climbing wall where brave kids and adults scaled its vertical course. We wound around a rainwater-retention pond and a garage built of salvaged brick, and then we found the main entrance.

Through the front door we entered straight into the main hall where we were warmly welcomed by a lady at a table who provided us with a schedule that was jam-packed with crafts, classes, demonstrations, music and so on.

Milwaukee Brewery Museum Opens!

As most Milwaukeeans know, our city was once the home of four of the world's largest breweries – Schlitz, Blatz, Pabst, and Miller – making Milwaukee the number one beer producing city in the world for many, many years.

Three out of the four breweries have since left Milwaukee, but due to Miller's solid position as the second-largest beer-maker in the United States and by basing its world headquarters in Milwaukee, the city remains known as a beer town despite now only representing a fraction of its economy, sources say.

Naturally, last summer when I heard the buzz about the city’s plan to revamp an old Schlitz Brewery building and transform it into a beer museum, I was elated. I mean, seriously, it’s about time, people! I’ve always said that Milwaukee should have a beer museum; after all, the city once was the beer capitol of the world and, as many might say, the breweries were responsible for putting Milwaukee on the map.

Evidently, Milwaukee was able to pool together some resources and raise the needed money through local funding and private donations to fashion this local visionaries’ dream into a reality. Now, the heart of Brew City is home to the recently opened Milwaukee Brewery Museum and I’m thrilled!

On Saturday afternoon, Eric and I were two of the first few people to set foot through the heavy wooden doors and into a place that’s brimming with Milwaukee history.

After paying $8 for admission, we entered the brick reception hall and moved toward a vast collection of photographs strewn across a gold-colored wall in the middle of the foyer. The multi-room exhibit was captivating and educational and really exciting; unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to take any photos.

As we perused the first floor, the entire museum remained quiet even though it was teeming with visitors. Many people filed in wearing headphones as they began their guided tour. The audio tour only cost an additional $6, so if you’re not penny-pinching like I currently am, I highly recommend taking advantage of that opportunity if you want the full experience. Base on my knowledge, the audio tours take you around the entire exhibit and offer extra information that’s not found on display, which in my opinion makes for a valuable learning tool.

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.

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.