Last Minute Event athon - Get Fat in Wisconsin Version

Through the magic of Priceline.com, the VI family snagged an unbelieveably cheap room in Milwaukee for tomorrow night--we plan on hitting the Wisconsin State Fair on Sunday. Tomorrow (Saturday, we plan on a late lunch in Sheboygan at Charcoal Grill and then dinner at our "favorite" Milwaukee Serbian restaurant, Old Town. Info on Old Town can be found here.

If you are interested in joining us for either lunch, dinner, a trip to Kopps in betweeen, or the State Fair, respond below, PM me, or e-mail. I will last look at the 'puter tomorrow at around 10:30. So, if this last minute plan appeals, do tell soon.

Rob

*the only Serbian place we have tried in Milwaukee, but it was really, really good!

For anyone interested in Old Town, we will be meeting there at around 7 PM. The place is a real trip, both for its flavorful Serbian food and its 70's faux gourmet meet old world atmoshpere. One of these days, I'd like to set up a dinner there with one of their pig or lamb roasts. You all should come check it out.

Rob

It was! Saturday featured a very good find in Lake Bluff called McCormack's. It was one of those near perfect, outlying roadhouses that is either so good or so bad. This was the former, and a really incredible burger at that. The day proceeded with custard at Fat Belle (OK, but no Leon's) a lot of books at Downtown Books (where we had the interesting fortune of running into, of all people, and I kid you not, I have witnesses, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Dinner was at the Serbian Old Town Gourmet. I have mixed feelings actually 'bout dinner, but I will save that for a fuller post.

On Sunday we finally found out what this ham and rolls Milwaukee thing was, and you know what, not much. Regular, cheap deli ham (althought the rolls are good). The one positive, actually a pretty redeeming aspect of the ham is that it is seeped in an elixer, clove scented, honey, who knows, but it really makes this cheap ham good (or shall I say partially beyond tolerable). Then, it was on to the fair, which meant quarter glasses of flavored milk (thanks Sen. Kohl), Sheboygan brats, baked potatoes, and yes, freakin yes (Cathy2), giagantic globs of whipped cream encased in a "puff." It was damn hot and we could not last at the fair to dinner, but high tailed it instead, to the GWiv recommended, Zafiro's pizza. I would say that Zaffiro's thin is a lot better than Candlelite (based on the pizza-athon), but I am thinking that perhaps, I just am not a fan of the ultra crisp/thin school of pizza. The pizza had a lot more flavor, which I liked, but the crust itself still verges on bland like the other thin-thins I've tried.

I really do love Wisconsin.

Rob

So what did you think of Downtown Books? And how was the State Fair? I am thinking about going up this weekend.

Rob -

You've piqued my curiosity - what was the deal on Priceline?? I am heading to the Wisc State Fair on Sunday morning.

Kenny, did I not describe the fair enough in my post above?? We really had a good time. The Wisconsin State Fair does not have, probably because it is in Milwaukee, a terribly rural feel to it. Yes, there are cows, and pigs and such (and over this last weekend, a big exhibit of Clydesdale horses), but there is also a lot of beer drinking. A week or so ago, someone, I forget who, challenged me on my statement that Wisconisn is more of a foodie state than Illinois, but the Fair really proves it. Or what I mean is, the Fair shows what a great food state Wisconsin is. I mean it is not that there is Alinea or Everest or authentic Chinese food, but that there is way more respect, appreciation and just flat out commerece in what might be called artisinal or at least off-mass-market food stuff's in Wisconsin. The thing is, people up there really do eat local fish, jerky made in state from elk and tons of brats. Don't believe me, there is a HUGE hall at the Fair devoted to Wisconsin food.

Downtown Books. Yes. Loved it. Like I say, the last place in the world I expected to see Will Smith. The cookbook selection was especially good. I got a book on Italian regional cooking from 1958. No chicken vesuvio recipie...

Priceline, I bid $50 on the highest catagory in Milwaukee (for Milwaukee they only go up to 3 stars) and got a place zippity. Hyatt which is on the western fringes of downtown. Given that we spent a total of about 2 waking hours in our room, being in a "nice" hotel hardly mattered. Yet, on the other hand, I do not think we'd get a room at Red Roof Inn for that little money. Try it!

Rob

I was the fifth wheel for Saturday's festivities, and had a blast in that role with VI and family. After a few false starts getting together, around 5:00 we met up at Downtown Books (which really is one of the best used bookstores I've been to). And, yes, Will Smith and his lovely wife and child WERE present; although in typical fashion I was completely unaware of them until Rob pointed them out to me. (I was too wrapped up in my purchase, the 1971 classic, "It's Smart to Use a Dummy" by Suzanne Hilton, an illustrated history of the mannequin, crash-test dummy, and Resusci-Andy, among others.)

Dinner at the Serbian restaurant Old Town was marked by (1) the 1974 time-warp of the interior decorations and waiters' hairstyles; (2) the best tomato salad I've had in a long while; (3) very good roast lamb, strongly flavored and recognizable as lamb (unlike so much stuff I find being marketed as lamb that basically tastes like sirloin); (4) very good pancakes stuffed with jam for dessert; and (5) strolling musicians that included Andy Warhol's doppelganger on guitar. After a full day of exploring Racine and Milwaukee before meeting up with these guys, I was exhausted and, dropped off at my hotel around 9:00, was out like a light before 10:00. I unfortunately had to work Sunday and therefore missed out on the State Fair, although as I cruised unmolested south on I-94 at 6:00 a.m. Sunday, I heard a radio interview with an organizer of the Fair who indicated that, among other great reasons to attend, there are available for purchase a full 43 different foods-on-a-stick at the Wisconsin State Fair.

JimInLoganSquare wrote:there are available for purchase a full 43 different foods-on-a-stick at the Wisconsin State Fair.

Jim,

I'd really love to see a list of all 43.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:

JimInLoganSquare wrote:there are available for purchase a full 43 different foods-on-a-stick at the Wisconsin State Fair.

Jim,

I'd really love to see a list of all 43.

Enjoy,
Gary

Seriously.

Well, considering that I was driving my car at the time, I hope you will forgive me for not taking notes! However, some of the items I recall include: Deep-fried Snickers; chocolate-dipped fruits; corn dogs. That leaves 40 others; they didn't actually list them all, so I recommend that you, Gary and Trixie, head on up there and figure it out for yourselves.

JimInLoganSquare wrote:Well, considering that I was driving my car at the time, I hope you will forgive me for not taking notes! However, some of the items I recall include: Deep-fried Snickers; chocolate-dipped fruits; corn dogs. That leaves 40 others; they didn't actually list them all, so I recommend that you, Gary and Trixie, head on up there and figure it out for yourselves.

The state fair IS worth it, even without the food on the stick. I realized that I missed some key food items such as some outstanding roasted corn, so I will soon do a more complete wrap-up.

Rob

The official State Fair Website indicates "over 30" foods on a stick, plus some other salient and fun food facts about the fair. Also, there are 30+ microbrew beers available at the fair, which sounds like the beginnings of a plan, to me...

did anyone try the blue ribbon brownies?