Weekend recommendations for Milwaukee

Mrs. Trpt and I are going to be in Milwaukee for the weekend (love Hotwire.com for good hotel rates). Any recommendations for good neighborhood joints near downtown?

A friend of mine just ate at Coquette Cafe, which is a restaurant by Sanford D'Amato, of Sanford's fame. He loved it.

http://www.coquettecafe.com/

trpt2345-

There have been some recent threads on Milwaukee that should be useful in your quest. The search function will pull them up.

-The GP

I'll second Coquette. It's actually quite bistro-ish, with first-rate food and cheerful and helpful servers. Not terribly expensive, either. Final plus: great Third Ward location.

Geo

The Palomino has a really good beer selection, and how can you dislike their slogan: "If it's good, it's better fried!" Had some good fried pickle spears there, as well as a BLT with country-fried bacon. Also - they're vegan friendly, if that's ever a consideration.

2491 S Superior St
Milwaukee, WI 53207
(414) 747-1007

Also, we like to stop at Mader's for their Sunday brunch. Nothing says "Milwaukee" like knackwurst and goulash for breakfast.

http://www.madersrestaurant.com/brunch.shtml

This Sunday's NYT includes an article entitled, "36 Hours in Milwaukee" which includes restaurant, cheese, and sausage recommendations:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/tr ... hours.html
(registration required)

Seems like a good read for anyone planning a trip.

I'd like to add my voice to those praising Coquette Cafe. I had a very nice dinner there this weekend, and it seemed to please everyone ranging in age from low 20s to upper 70s. Not to imply that everything else wasn't good, but the highlight may well have been the mini-baguette they put on the table at the beginning of the meal. Crusty and flavorful, I'd be happy to have that and soup for a meal.

Jonah

we are headed to Milwaukee the day after Thanksgiving, with a 2 year-old and 6 year-old in tow. We will be staying at the Hilton. Can anyone tell me if Coquette is kid-friendly? If anyone has any other recs for Milwaukee places that are, I would very much appreciate it. Thanks!

bjt

Hi bjt--

We made a similar trip last spring with a 5-yo and a 2-yo, staying at the Hilton, and had a delightful meal out at Karl Ratzsch. I don't know if I would expect it to be kid-friendly in general, but on this very cold March Monday night it was nearly deserted, so when we inquired if they could accommodate a squirmy two-year-old, they seated us in a great old booth in the bar area of the restaurant. There appeared to be only one other table of patrons on the other side of the restaurant.

The place is, befitting a 100-year old German restaurant, very old world, with dark woods, leather banquets, stained glass, murals. My older daughter called it a fairy castle restaurant. The beer was great and the food well prepared and just what we were in the mood for on a cold night. I think I had a lamb shank, which was rich and succulent, and, well, shanky.

They brought crayons and coloring books for the girls too, so they are certainly no strangers to kids.

It was walkable from the Hilton (6 or 7 blocks, I think), even on a blustery night.

Karl Ratzsch
320 East Mason Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 276-2720

http://www.karlratzsch.com/

I had a really great time at Mader's German Restaurant in downtown Milwaukee. I actually wrote a blog post about it here: http://chewonthatblog.com/2008/09/22/my ... n-cuisine/

This may or may not be helpful but there are a dozen restaurants near Karl Ratzsch's in the Theatre District that are well worth a visit.

While Milwaukee pales in comparison to Chicago, for a midsized city, there is quite a lot of theatre, sports, and cultural activities to keep you entertained.

Some of the larger hotels in DT Milwaukee are offering rates like $45/night on Priceline and Hotwire.

Has anyone tried the Comet Cafe? It was started by friends-of-a-friend and I hear good things (I suppose I would ), but I don't get up to Milwaukee much.

I believe that for a while they had a night where everyone who bought drinks got complimentary bacon. Not sure if that still happens. And yet they also claim to "have lots of vegan and vegetarian options for those who love bacon only in spirit."

The Comet Cafe
1947 N. Farwell Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
414-273-7677
http://www.thecometcafe.com/

Hey Maple Leaf: If I remember correctly, you and Ms. Maple Leaf and the girls went to the Milwaukee Market on that same trip, no? You had told teddyg all about it, something about oysters, no? if you have time you can pm me or just share it with the forum here. Did you all stay one night or two? I am wondering if one night will even be enough to eat where I want to eat, go to the MAM and do the crazy indoor swimming action at the Hilton.

And I am torn on whether to eat dinner on Friday at Karl Ratsch's, Zaffarino's or even the Fried Fish at Serbian Community Hall (it's some name like that).

bjt

Hi bjt--

Oysters and shanks are by no means mutually exclusive. The full details of our trip were something like this.

9 am Monday: Leave Chicago (Hyde Park) and drive about as far as Racine on I-94 before deciding we were already hungry. Exit I-94 and head into Racine for lunch at Kewpie's. Walk around Racine and decide we should really return some other time because it is surprisingly vibrant and lovely.

Noon: Arrive Milwaukee and check into the Hilton. Go for a swim at the indoor water park.

4 pm: Go for a walk to the public market, which is about 6 or 7 blocks walk from the Hilton and is very kid-friendly. Most of the stands are take-away and there is a pleasant seating area on the second floor. I think we had a light snack and then kept walking into the historic third ward. I also took note of the oyster bar at one end of the market, for future reference.

5 pm: While walking through historic third ward, youngest daughter falls asleep in stroller. The future is now. Leave wife shopping in Anthropologie and bring daughters back to oyster bar. Daddy orders a dozen oysters. Very nice woman who runs the counter offers to have even nicer woman at the stove fry some fish for older daughter who thinks that between the fish, the sitting at the counter, and the free oyster crackers, this is the best thing that has happened to her since the hotel with a water park.

6 pm: Wife joins us, has a few oysters of her own. Little one wakes up.

6: 30 pm: Time for dinner at Ratzsch. See previous post.

8:00 pm Back to Hilton for another quick trip to water park.

8:00 am next morning: Mommy wakes up with headache. Daddy runs down to hotel shop. Amid $9 bottles of Advil, I find a $2 packet of "Dr. Goody's headache powders." Inspect to make sure it hasn't been there since the hotel opened in the 1920s. Decide it's legit. Mommy very dubious.

9 am: Back to water park.

Noon: Check out of hotel and drive to lakeshore. Park and go into Milwaukee Art Museum, whose main entry hall is one of the greatest contemporary spaces I have entered. Only Koolhas' new Seattle Public library had a similarly profound an effect on me. Youngest one falls asleep again. Decide to have lunch at Museum cafe, in the new wing. This was delightful. Interesting menu with some eastern european dishes inspired by the current exhibit. Excellent beer on tap. Fabulous architecture. I could not have been happier. The weather was delightful that day and the girls not in the mood for an art museum, so my wife went in to the exhibit and I took the girls out on the lawn to play in the suggestive curves of the pillars holding up the museum. They curve up where they meet the ground and the girls thought hey were thrones in some kind of cloud palace.

3 pm: Drive south into Bayshore neighborhood, which we passed through on the way into town (we took local roads north from Racine). Went to the very cool branch of the public library and hung out for a while.

5 pm: Thought about hitting Three Brothers Serbian place for dinner but girls didn't seem ready for sit down dinner. Back to public market for dinner. Had a somewhat mediocre takeout dish for the Italian place there and some good lavender ice cream. Stocked up on discounted post-Easter bunnies from Kehr’s.

6 pm: Hit the road for Chicago. Record video of two-year-old saying “I Like Mi-Wau-kee” in cutest possible way. Wondering if we should send it to Milwaukee Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

thanks so much Maple Leaf, these details will not be lost on us at all, and in fact, we might re-trace your footsteps in an "honoring and thank god for your wisdom" kind of way.

As far as Racine goes, we have stayed there 2 times for simple get out of town motel therapy action. We like the humble little Ramada on the water very much and the Racine Art Museum (RAM) and their lakeside parks and the kringle, you can't forget the kringle.

We'll let you (all) know how the Milwaukee action goes. And thanks for the tip on the food in the museum (the Museum with Wings as my little guy Sam calls it). And being reminded that kids sometimes want to play with the actual physical being/architecture of the building.

bjt

There's some more stuff about Ratsch's, Racine and other parts in this post. Kenosha has really been on a museum-building tear, with a dinosaur museum which opened, closed and may or may not have reopened, and a civil war museum.

bjt wrote:we are headed to Milwaukee the day after Thanksgiving, with a 2 year-old and 6 year-old in tow.
. . .
And I am torn on whether to eat dinner on Friday at Karl Ratsch's, Zaffarino's or even the Fried Fish at Serbian Community Hall (it's some name like that).

Since you'll be in town on Friday it would be a shame not to go for Friday fish fry, a big deal in Milwaukee. Serb Hall is the biggest, serving thousands of dinners in what seems like a warehouse with chandeliers as well as from a drive through window. It's good. Within walking distance from the Hilton is Turner Hall for good fish and great dark-wood atmosphere. There are many, many more choices.

I didn't have such good luck with oysters at the Public Market but hope you'll do better. Don't miss C Adams Bakery, not far from the oysters. Just about everything is good but the weekend-only cheese Danish is my favorite.

Zaffiro's would be a good choice but I'd also consider Maria's, whose pizza I actually prefer. The old school tavern atmosphere at Zaffiro's is great but so is the feverish Packers-and-Madonna decor at Maria's. I've always wanted to see their Christmas decorations, and they might already be up. Note that Maria's doesn't open until 4; Zaffiro's recently started serving lunch.

On your way out of town maybe stop at Reynold's to grab some pasties for the road and consider a stop at European Sausage (especially if you haven't already taken advantage of the inexpensive seconds table at Usinger's). Also don't forget Northern Chocolate for a beautiful shop with a beyond-eccentric proprietor (I'm not sure how kid friendly this place is but you could quickly flee if things don't go well).

I tried searching for all things Milwaukee, but it usually yielded me things on Milwaukee Avenue (understandably).

So, I started this tread. I am newly transplanted in SE Wisconsin (Kenosha) and have decided to take a trip to Milwaukee to taste what they have to offer.

Any suggestions would be great. I will ultimately chime in with a review of wherever I went. Maybe we can fill this up with some choice selections.

Otto

Hi,

If you did a limited search for 'Milwaukee' in the 'Beyond Chicagoland' forum choosing 'topic titles' only, you have already over 40 threads to select from.

You will also find threads on Racine and Kenosha, too. Perhaps you can add to those with whatever you dig up.

Regards,

You would do well to check out http://www.Roadfood.com. There is a strong Milwaukee/SE Wisconsin contingent on that site. There are frequent posts with reviews and recommendations for the area representing all levels of dining, from white tablecloth to fast food.

Buddy

Otto,

Before venturing to Milwaukee, check out the following destinations:

Kenosha

Frank's Diner: breakfast
The Coffee Pot: breakfast
Andrea's: breakfast & lunch
Mangia's: lunch & dinner
The Spot Drive-In: burgers, fries, & malts
Big Star Drive-In: burgers, fries, & malts (seasonal)
Tenuta's Deli
Grateful Dog: Chicago style hot dogs/Polish in front of Stein Garden & Gifts on Saturdays May-July

Racine

Sebastian's: dinner
Oh' Dennis: bbq ribs
Kewpee's: burgers, fries, & malts
Mexico Lindo: Mexican
Main Moon: Chinese

Thanks Buddy and CSD.

Otto.

We were in Milwaukee for the day on Sunday and although we only had time to eat at Benji's, we were pleasantly surprised by what seems like a pretty great assortment of restaurants, especially given Milwaukee's size. I'm looking forward to returning for a fish fry and I'm trying to move beyond my raging jealousy over the indoor market. Why in the world does Chicago not have one yet? It is a scandal beyond all scandals.

Just happened to be in Milwaukee yesterday for a quick business trip. I found a nice little spot on Farwell, the Comet Cafe. They claim they serve "slow food", everything made from scratch. A cafe with attached bar, the clientele and staff seemed to be college student age or thereabouts, a lot of tattooed ladies. The food was quite good, and slow, which was not an impediment, we had plenty of time. My dining companion ordered breakfast, a plate sized pancake, fluffy and delicious, with a perfectly done sunny side egg and two home made sausages. Superb coffee too. I had a rueben that was one of the best I've ever had. Terrific corned beef, nicely grilled but tender, just the right amount of kraut and cheese, and on point dressing on what appeared a toasted whole grain rye bread. Not overdone with cheese and glopped with dressing as is too often the case, just an understated finely crafted sandwich. Hand cut skin on fries that were tasty, if not a little less crispy than I might have liked. A good find and one I will return to. Doesn't hurt there is there a daily "beermergency" special from 4 to 7.

Comet Cafe
1947 N. Farwell
Milwaukee,WI
414-273-7677
www.thecometcafe.com

We stopped into Three Brothers for some Serbian food over the weekend. They were written up in the NY Times a while ago, and it sounded pretty good. It's located on a residential street and the parking is all street parking in front of houses so it has the feel of visiting a friend's house for a dinner party. The space has a very charming old-school tavern feel and formica tables. (Reservations are highly recommended)

The menu promotes the burek that takes 45 minutes to cook. So of course we ordered two. We started with a couple orders of chicken dumpling soup. The entire meal had a very home-cooked quality to it, especially the soup. The broth had a bold, hearty chicken flavor and the dumplings were soft and crumbly.



They also brought a simple salad of fresh lettuce and tomatoes topped with a vinaigrette. The two courses held us over while we waited for the bureks to cook. And they were definitely worth the wait. We ordered both the spinach and cheese and the beef and both were excellent. The top of the burek was well browned and the inside very gooey and rich.



We also ordered the roasted free range goose and the stuffed grape leaves. They warned us when we ordered the goose that they could not get the skin crispy without drying out the meat. The meat was very full-flavored and moist so we didn't mind at all. It was served with a big spoonful of stuffing. The goose was the only entree that didn't remind me of the home-cooked Turkish food I grew up on.



The grape leaves were stuffed with ground beef and served with a side of spongy dumplings and gravy made from what I assume is the cooking water. The stuffed grape leaves were nice and sour and not overcooked at all which can be a problem with dolmas.



This was an excellent meal top to bottom. It's a pretty unique setting with a laid-back atmosphere and huge servings of Eastern European comfort food. I'd never had Serbian food before, but the dishes were similar enough to Turkish food that I felt like I was visiting a relative.

Three Brothers Bar & Restaurant
2414 S Saint Clair St
Milwaukee, WI 53207
(414) 481-7530