Milwaukee

In late June, I took a trip with friends to visit friends who live in Milwaukee. After having spent time last year in the state's capitol of Madison, I was so glad to return and experience more of the lovely state that is Wisconsin.

Milwaukee, nicknamed Brew City and overlooking the vast Lake Michigan, is home to Miller Park where we took in a Brewers vs. Cubs game, and to Summerfest, a two week long music festival where we saw Fun. one night and Tom Petty another. (Both incredible shows! Tom Petty though, wow.)

We went on a brewery and bar crawl along the Riverwalk and the next day we explored the public market and art museum. We ate some really good meals and drank a lot of good beer.

Here's the run down of restaurants, all of which I would highly recommend should you ever find yourself in Wisconsin's largest city... 
Seafood dinner at the chic and classy Harbor House overlooking the lake 
Mexican and plenty of tequila shooters at BelAir Cantina 
Lunch in the Historic Third Ward on Wicked Hop's sidewalk 
Cheese curds, pulled pork, tater tots and craft canned beers outside at Hooligans
Cashew chicken salad and delish beer at Milwaukee Ale House 
Breakfast on the sun drenched Alterra patio
Tapas, (omg those patatas bravas!) local cheese plates and fancy drinks at Allium 
A leisurely brunch, and perhaps my favorite meal of the trip (friend chicken and waffles, beermosas, incredible bloody marys!) on the Cafe Benelux roof deck

Our bar crawl where each and every spot proved to be lively and fun, with friendly bartenders, delicious beer and good crowds: 
Milwaukee Ale House | it began with beer samplers and lunch on the river
Mo's Irish Pub | here we discovered the vine video app! and I taught my gfs how to use twitter, hours of entertainment ensues
Rock Bottom Brewery | yes it's a chain but their wraparound outdoor bar and terrace, on the river, awesome
The Harp | gritty Irish pub w/ a sun drenched deck overlooking the river (pictured above)
Water Street Brewery | things got rowdy
Stubby's | really cool gastropub, all kinds of entertaining bar games like giant jenga and shuffleboard
BelAir Cantina  | a very tipsy and delicious Mexican dinner
Balzac | a trendy wine bar to end the festivities

Cheers, Milwaukee. Thanks for being such a blast. 

Marigold Kitchen | Madison

I miss Madison. (Of all the places, Wisconsin!) Downtown, there are some lovely little breakfast spots to wake up and relax at. One morning at Marigold Kitchen a frothy cup of chai tea and fluffy blueberry pancakes do the trick. Another time, pretty lattes and a nutella, banana and almond crepe at Bradbury's, and I don't mind for a second that 18 inches of snow left me stranded here an extra day.

Merchant | Madison

A casual, hip vibe and welcoming energy, live music and local food, where dark modern furnishings and industrial iron barstools are met with damask wallpapered columns and walls of liquor for sale; Merchant is definitely somewhere you'd want to drink a Carolina ($10) and eat Charred Bone Marrow ($14) regularly if you lived in Madison. 

The bone marrow is striking with parsley butter, lemon marmalade, shallots, and grilled bread, and the aforementioned drink is an eclectic blend of Torres Brandy De Jerez, Grape cocoa nib shrub, lemon juice, Bittercube cherry bark vanilla bitters and Cava. The cocktail menu here is extensive and ingredients are fresh and intriguing, take the Smoking Barrels ($10) with Redemption Rye, maple syrup, angostura and pipe tobacco tincture as another stellar example.

If you can't decide, the bartenders are happy to create on a whim, the coupe glass pictured with Makers Mark, Aperol and St Germain is straightforward and still ideal. Madison seems well in tune to the craft cocktail scene, but no where elevates the drink quite like they are doing here. A night spent at Merchant should certainly be a good one. 

Graze | Madison

Another impressive restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin following suit by sourcing from small local farms, Graze serves inspired comfort food in a dramatic space on South Pickney Street. The single room interior is expansive, centered around a giant U-shaped bar backed by cubes of heavy wood shelving. Entire glass walls meet a soaring ceiling to showcase a magnificent view of the capitol building, opposed by bold chalkboard menus that frame the glass paneled kitchen. The space has a decidedly industrial feel, where concrete floors, metal chairs and dangling light bulbs juxtapose glossy wood tabletops with Kelley green legs that pop. 

Choose from about 20 bottled and draft beers, Furthermore's Fatty Boombalatty ($4.50) had me doing a double take, (what's in the name?) the bartender described it perfectly as a funky Belgian white meets a crisp pale ale, a 10 oz pour is served in a wine glass.  On another night, cocktails get mixed reviews around the table, The Ginger Snap ($8) with ginger vodka, contreau and sparkling wine wasn't at all ginger-y, however the Rosey, Dear ($10) made with Tangueray, green charteruse, lemon, campari and rosemary syrup achieved a better balance of flavors without succumbing to being too sweet. 

From the "snacks & shares" section a Soft Pretzel ($4) embedded with crunchy sea salt is the perfect vehicle for a trio of house mustards and an irresistible goat cheese meets butter, Widmers Spread. The Deviled Eggs ($3) are three classic but tasty organic eggs over a thick smear of paprika aioli. Squeaky, hot, melty and incredibly satisfying, the Sassy Cow Cheese Curds ($8) come in a vodka batter with zesty house ranch for dipping. For my entree, the whimsical plate of Fried Chicken and Waffles ($16) appeased with three large drumsticks and a nontraditional flat and thin waffle. The juicy chicken meat encased in a wonderfully crisp, lightly salted and only slightly greasy skin was matched by a refined take on the Belgian style waffle, benefiting from real maple syrup and a spiced compound butter. Evoking comfort through to the very end, my favorite dessert was the plate of Cookies & Sassy Cow Milk ($6) - chocolate chip, with a hint of sea salt, baked to order.

Harvest | Madison

One of my favorite meals in Madison was at Harvest. Located in the downtown isthmus on Capitol Square it presents with crisp earth tones and white linen table cloths. Wall art is simple but eye catching; an oversized vintage Lillet poster opposes small black and white photographs. It's upscale, intimate and relaxed. It's the type of place you want to linger beginning with a strong aperitif - try a Marquette & Joliet ($9) made with local Death's Door Gin, fresh lemon, angostura bitters and house bubbly.
Specialty cocktails keep the pace, when I inquired with the waitress as to how the Vesper Rouge ($9) was she replied "strong" and explained it was inspired by James Bond's cocktail of choice in Casino Royal and Quantum Solace, combining two parts extra dry gin with one part vodka and Lillet Rouge (it's Blanc in the Bond movies) with a lemon twist. Local distiller Yahara Bay supplied the gin and vodka for this one.

I was here with a large group (nine of us) and that worked out well; our waitress had a good knowledge of the menu items, the evening was set at the perfect pace, and everyone's dishes elicited high praise. An amuse bouche of mushroom and butternut squash soup was a delicate sip balancing the earthiness of one vegetable with the sweetness of the other. Rolls are served hot with soft butter. (There really is something special about the butter out there. It never fails to be really good anywhere you go.)

My first course was a memorable Duck Confit ($9), served with pickled plums, frisee, fennel and a five-spice plum puree. The pickled plums stood out, sweet and juicy, they added a dynamic counterpoint to the tender pieces of duck . I also tried the Pan Roasted Sea Scallops ($14) - some of the biggest, meatiest scallops I've seen, cooked perfectly to boot, topped with toasted pistachio and sitting in a vibrant green puree of herbs and brown butter, alongside concord grapes. 

For my main course, the house made Pumpernickle Gnocchi ($19) was an exciting twist on your typical potato version. They were slightly grainy in texture, and super fluffy. Tiny cubes of butternut squash, pickled cranberries and an apple-caraway jus emphasize the fall season and compliment the gnocchi well. 

The dessert menu is worth checking out. I sipped on Holz's Apple Crisp Liqueur ($8) (also Yahara Bay Distillery) while sampling bites of the Carrot Cake ($8) with cream cheese ice cream, toasted walnuts and carrot caramel and the PB & J ($8) consisting of chocolate miso pound cake, hickory nut mousse and grape gelee. 

Harvest succeeds with elegantly prepared dishes using the finest seasonal and local ingredients - and while this is nothing new it's still worth mentioning - they're doing it right. Have dinner here and you will not be disappointed. 

The Old Fashioned | Madison

This place is great. A local tavern serving Wisconsin fare, I felt it was necessary to order an Old Fashioned, the bars namesake also gets an entire page on the menu dedicated to it. I picked the Rye Bourbon Old Fashioned ($7), it's made with Redemption High Rye Bourbon, a brand which I have long been a fan. After that, a pint of Ale Asylum Madtown Nutbrown ($4) to fill my WI beer quota; and then I couldn't resist the little guy I spotted in the beer case, so I wrapped my time at the bar with a Rhinelander "Shorty" ($1).  In the meantime, I snacked on a Spicy Pickled Egg ($1) and a plate of most exceptional Wisconsin Cheese ($12) a Camembert (sheep's milk and cow's cream, Butler Farm, Whitehall), an Evalon (Goat's Milk, La Clare Farms, Chilton) and a Avondale Truckle (cloth bound cow's milk cheddar, Brunkow Cheese, Darlington.) Accoutrements included wheat crackers, walnuts and green apple. On another visit, the No. 13 ($6.95) which is the house made Wisconsin beer battered cheese curds, prove themselves worthy. 

If you love cheese as much as I know you all do, there is no way you could be disappointed if you randomly had to travel to Wisconsin. Between happy hour (free apps) at my hotel, meals out and about and the stash I brought home, I am constantly eating WI cheese and couldn't be happier about it.