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Milwaukee Road Trip, and not a bratwurst had [pics]

Milwaukee Road Trip, and not a bratwurst had [pics]
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  • Post #31 - December 22nd, 2005, 8:18 pm
    Post #31 - December 22nd, 2005, 8:18 pm Post #31 - December 22nd, 2005, 8:18 pm
    TonyC wrote:7 hrs after the encouter w/ the Queen, i felt the NEED for Honey1... but DARNIT, they were closed at 10:30pm!! the sign always said 11pm!#$@%!$# argh..

    LTH,

    Speaking of Honey 1, I hear business is a bit slow, which could account for them closing early.

    Personally, I'm going to try to get to Honey 1 at least twice between now and January 1st.

    Enjoy,
    Gary
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #32 - February 2nd, 2006, 7:57 pm
    Post #32 - February 2nd, 2006, 7:57 pm Post #32 - February 2nd, 2006, 7:57 pm
    c8w wrote:
    However, the main reason for this post ... if one is ever making the drive
    from the North bubs to Milwaukee (ie along the 94, not the 294 from
    the westerb burbs)... I think one must pretty much always try and make
    a little 10-minute detour off the highway at Racine and visit Bendtsen's
    Bakery for an Authentic Danish Kringle. I dont even think anyplace in
    Chicago makes em.

    Basically you hang a right on the 20 (towards Racine), and keep going
    on it for about 10 minutes. The 20 turns into Washington Avenue, and
    at 3200 Washtington is the little bakery with 3/4 tables attached. The
    kringles are terrific, made fresh every morning at 5:00 am IIRC (or so
    the girl behind the counter told me). The only real drawback is that its
    a bakery, with Abundance/Old-Fashioned like bakery hours - that is,
    closed on Sundays, and only from about 6-6 on Saturdays IIRC. The above
    trip was on a Saturday, wasnt it? So Bendtsen's *would* actually have
    been possible.

    Ive only tried a couple different types of kringles - the "turtle", which is
    very very rich and excellent, and the pecan (which is the most popular
    and also very good, but not quite as overwhelmingly rich due to the
    lack of chocolate). Have never bothered to try anything else there,
    though Ive been told that their other products are excellent too (from
    the elephant ears, to the muffins etc - but those are, after all, found
    in Chicago too, and Kringles are not, so thats the only thing I concentrate
    on during any visit). The next time I think I'll try one of the fruit ones - the
    Kringle itself is too big, but they do occasionally have a few pieces on the
    side for individual sale.

    c8w


    Last year after meeting a client in downtown Racine, I stopped by Bendstens and purchased 3 kringles. I was back in the office by 2pm and had put them out in the break room knowing that a few slices would be taken but that I could expect to come back the next morning and have some kringle for breakfast. About 4pm I roll by the break room only to see 5-8" of each kringle left!! That kringle was one of the best dinners I've had :) GREAT BAKERY STUFF!!!!!!

    no need to keep chiming in on Zaffiro's but I will, at this time it is the THE BEST thin crust pizza I have had anywhere.
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #33 - February 3rd, 2006, 4:20 pm
    Post #33 - February 3rd, 2006, 4:20 pm Post #33 - February 3rd, 2006, 4:20 pm
    With all the Zaffiro's love, I wonder if anyone has had Pizza Man? This random sample seems to indicate that Pizza Man gets higher scores than Zaffiro's.

    http://www.onmilwaukee.com/dining/articles/pizzachallenge.html
  • Post #34 - February 3rd, 2006, 6:10 pm
    Post #34 - February 3rd, 2006, 6:10 pm Post #34 - February 3rd, 2006, 6:10 pm
    Pizza Man has been discussed here twice, once by ChiNOLA and once by Al Erhardt above in this same thread. Neither were very impressed with the pizza, but both liked other aspects of the joint.
    Ed Fisher
    my chicago food photos

    RIP LTH.
  • Post #35 - February 7th, 2006, 2:21 pm
    Post #35 - February 7th, 2006, 2:21 pm Post #35 - February 7th, 2006, 2:21 pm
    RheS wrote:Now, personally, I grew up with Gilles, on Blue Mound, where I remember many more people ignoring the flavor and ordering sundays. That seems to be the exception at Kopp's.


    I have many fond memories of Gilles, I grew up just on the other side of Wauwatosa. I have to say I think Kopp's custard and burgers are better. Best combination for me - total comfort food.

    Incidentally, Elsie Kopp was a wonderful woman. I worked at a pharmacy next door to her house (the same 4 flat shed lived in for decades). We would deliver her items to her house and she'd tip us a dollar for walking across the street. A wonderful businesswoman and a very kind lady.
  • Post #36 - July 1st, 2006, 10:02 pm
    Post #36 - July 1st, 2006, 10:02 pm Post #36 - July 1st, 2006, 10:02 pm
    We had our first experience with milwaukee frozen custard this evening at Kopp's. Although I really liked the mouthfeel and richness, I thought the flavors were really pretty weak. It tasted like standard grocery store ice cream flavoring in a really good custard base. I was a bit disappointed. Leon's next time, I suppose.

    Somewhere we have a picture of the line of white cows -- except for the one black one -- lining the back of the parking lot behind Kopp's. I'll try to remember to upload it.

    This was the Port Washington Rd location.
    Ed Fisher
    my chicago food photos

    RIP LTH.
  • Post #37 - July 2nd, 2006, 7:26 am
    Post #37 - July 2nd, 2006, 7:26 am Post #37 - July 2nd, 2006, 7:26 am
    gleam wrote:We had our first experience with milwaukee frozen custard this evening at Kopp's. Although I really liked the mouthfeel and richness, I thought the flavors were really pretty weak.

    What flavors did you have?
  • Post #38 - July 2nd, 2006, 10:52 am
    Post #38 - July 2nd, 2006, 10:52 am Post #38 - July 2nd, 2006, 10:52 am
    Three of the four available yesterday - swiss chocolate, vanilla, and sprecher's root beer float. The chocolate and vanilla were especially blah, as you might expect. The root beer float did indeed taste like one, so I supposei t was probably Sprecher's syrup and vanilla base. It was the best of the three.
    Ed Fisher
    my chicago food photos

    RIP LTH.
  • Post #39 - July 2nd, 2006, 8:12 pm
    Post #39 - July 2nd, 2006, 8:12 pm Post #39 - July 2nd, 2006, 8:12 pm
    The special flavors are often the best ones in terms of intensity, although often the mix-ins, rather than the flavoring of the custard, provide it, such as the fresh raspberries that go into the raspberry custard that will be tomorrow's flavor of the day. Kopp's chocolate is quite mild and milky and the vanilla is more about rich, pure dairy and egg than a strong vanilla flavor.

    Frozen custard is not gelato; if you're looking for those kinds of intense flavors, you may be disappointed everywhere. Frozen custard is designed to highlight the creamy dairy flavors rather than cover them up.

    In any case, I expect the high level of butterfat has a muting effect on added flavoring. The fat, coating your tongue, masks other flavors.
  • Post #40 - July 2nd, 2006, 9:00 pm
    Post #40 - July 2nd, 2006, 9:00 pm Post #40 - July 2nd, 2006, 9:00 pm
    The frozen custard we make is nearly as high in butterfat and a bit eggier compared to Kopp's. It's also more strongly and more naturally flavored.

    We disagree on whether or not something that is fundamentally ice cream should have flavors. I'm saying if one expects real flavor, the custard itself will probably disappoint. If you're using it as a base for mix-ins, or whatnot, it'll probably be just fine. But then you could just go to cold stone.
    Ed Fisher
    my chicago food photos

    RIP LTH.
  • Post #41 - July 2nd, 2006, 9:14 pm
    Post #41 - July 2nd, 2006, 9:14 pm Post #41 - July 2nd, 2006, 9:14 pm
    LAZ wrote:The special flavors are often the best ones in terms of intensity, although often the mix-ins, rather than the flavoring of the custard, provide it, such as the fresh raspberries that go into the raspberry custard that will be tomorrow's flavor of the day. Kopp's chocolate is quite mild and milky and the vanilla is more about rich, pure dairy and egg than a strong vanilla flavor.

    Frozen custard is not gelato; if you're looking for those kinds of intense flavors, you may be disappointed everywhere. Frozen custard is designed to highlight the creamy dairy flavors rather than cover them up.

    In any case, I expect the high level of butterfat has a muting effect on added flavoring. The fat, coating your tongue, masks other flavors.


    I'm not sure if I agree with all of this, but generally, I do think the "plain" flavors at Kopps are the best, the vanilla and chocolate. It is true, I think that you taste the yolks in this flavors in ways you do not on the FOD.

    Rob
    Think Yiddish, Dress British - Advice of Evil Ronnie to me.
  • Post #42 - June 2nd, 2008, 10:33 am
    Post #42 - June 2nd, 2008, 10:33 am Post #42 - June 2nd, 2008, 10:33 am
    G Wiv wrote:Last stop of the day was Zaffiro's for thin crust pizza perfection. Matzo crisp crust, flavorful sausage, great bar, when it's not so crowded, and great pizza. Oh, did I already mention great pizza? :)


    Ever since I read this quote last summer I knew it would be my favorite pizza in the world before I even got to try it, which I did a few days after reading about it here. I finally made it back the other day and was just as impressed as I was on my first visit.

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    I dont eat many pizza thats not of the cracker-thin, square cut Chicago style done with crispy pieces of Italian sausage so this is what I believe to be the "best pizza in da world". Unfortunately a pic I took to justify its reputation didnt show up in the batch I was emailed. I took the very middle piece of our sausage and green pepper and held the end of it in between my thumb and index to display it remained in form due to the fact the pie is crispy all the way thru, great stuff. You cannot make a pizza any thinner without it just disintegrating into thin air. If only they used a little better sausage, like they use at Pat's and Vito & Nicks, but like your mama always said "nothing is perfect in life".

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    I was tempted to give Zaffiro's its own thread because I consider this to be destination dining and with summer here, now is a great time to take a trip to Milwaukee which I consider to be by far Chicago's best suburb. In the summer it really is a great city with everything goin on.

    http://www.zaffirospizza.com/
  • Post #43 - January 5th, 2009, 9:35 am
    Post #43 - January 5th, 2009, 9:35 am Post #43 - January 5th, 2009, 9:35 am
    Regarding Zaffiro's

    I cant guarantee the news I received is accurate but I got this in the email this morning.

    "Don't know if you got my earlier email about the pizza place in Milwaukeee,
    but a relative of mine bought the rights to Ziffranos and they are building
    a whole Restaraunt to open in May in Milwaukee and then he is going to try
    and franchise them"

    I told him good luck and make sure not to change a thing about the pizza. I'm keeping my fingers crossed as this is my favorite pie on earth.
  • Post #44 - January 6th, 2009, 4:08 pm
    Post #44 - January 6th, 2009, 4:08 pm Post #44 - January 6th, 2009, 4:08 pm
    Da Beef wrote:Regarding Zaffiro's

    I cant guarantee the news I received is accurate but I got this in the email this morning.

    "Don't know if you got my earlier email about the pizza place in Milwaukeee,
    but a relative of mine bought the rights to Ziffranos and they are building
    a whole Restaraunt to open in May in Milwaukee and then he is going to try
    and franchise them"

    I told him good luck and make sure not to change a thing about the pizza. I'm keeping my fingers crossed as this is my favorite pie on earth.



    He was right as you can see by this article. Well It's good to know that the original location will stay and remain the same. Its the naming rights that were sold. It will become a chain. We shall see.
  • Post #45 - January 6th, 2009, 5:25 pm
    Post #45 - January 6th, 2009, 5:25 pm Post #45 - January 6th, 2009, 5:25 pm
    http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/06/16/story3.html wrote:Marcus Corp. already carries Zaffiro's pizza at its Marcus Majestic theater in Brookfield.


    Seems easy enough to see what the bastard child of Ziffiro's will taste like. Do I smell road trip?

    Marcus Majestic Theater
    770 Springdale Road
    Brookfield WI, 53186
    Movie Recording Line: (262) 798-6800

    http://www.marcusmajestic.com/
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #46 - May 7th, 2009, 10:31 am
    Post #46 - May 7th, 2009, 10:31 am Post #46 - May 7th, 2009, 10:31 am
    Last Friday I made a trip to Milwaukee for Zaffiro's and Flight of the Conchords.

    Zaffiro's really does serve delicious pizza. The Zaffiro's special with hot pepper giardiniera was fantastic. My friend and I polished off a large in no time, if we weren't short on time, I would have thought of ordering another. They really should make bigger pizzas.
  • Post #47 - July 26th, 2009, 2:16 pm
    Post #47 - July 26th, 2009, 2:16 pm Post #47 - July 26th, 2009, 2:16 pm
    I finally made it Solly's after its been on my list for years. I feel like a fool since the only reason I never tried it was because I always google texted "Sollye's" for an address and never got results back. Count me in the minority group of those who didn't grow up on Solly's BUTTER burgers yet still likes them. Now don't get me wrong this is something I an eat maybe once or twice a year for the gamesmanship of eating. I did however find it good in a sick way.I like the bites around the edge much more-the middle bites tasted and felt more like a Twinkie texture wise than a burger and I really couldn't taste the patty. The combo of the grilled onions and butter is always going to be good in my book. I didn't read about adding the raw onion with the grilled ala GWiv but I def. will next time.

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    butter burger sitting in...butter

    I was the only one of the three of us who enjoyed it and the other two aren't lightweights so it really is a fine line between good and gross I guess it just depends who you ask. I still cant believe they actually put that much butter on it when the burger is also cooked in butter. My friends thought that was enough.

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    No that's not mayo layered in between

    I had to opt for a Sally original since it was my first visit but one of my friends got the Jalapeno burger which you can see below is something of a monster. I could see why people might be scared. Two pattys, grilled onions, jalapenos and pepper jack cheese with a little butter.

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    I never thought Id find a spot that uses more butter than The Charcoal Inn uses on their tavern steak sandwiches.

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    I thought the fries were your average crinkle cut variety but did enjoy the onion rings.

    If I'm brave enough on my next visit I'll get the Cheesehead burger which had two patties, sauteed mushrooms, grilled onions, raw onions, Swiss and American cheeses and of course butter. I will disagree with the great one in that I think the butter burgers at Kopp's down the road are a little more my style with just the right amount of butter. Whats makes Kopp's so great in my book is 1) the bun-I love it and 2) the toppings like Nueske's bacon and fried onions make the burger special.

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    Cheeseburger with 30's style toppings (fried onions instead of raw)

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    Butter burger with everything including that Nueske's bacon crack

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    In other finds (for me anyways) I cruised past a cool looking Corner grocery store in the Eastside neighborhood. Koppa's has been serving the students and residents of the neighborhood with their groceries and signature sandwiches. It reminded me a a past time in Chicago when we also had plenty of spots like this pre-corporate chain day's.

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    This place sure wasn't your average grocery store and has an atmosphere and feel all its own. I thought it felt like someplace straight out of Madison. It had a real college town feel and you could tell its big with UWM students and the younger crowd that lives in the neighborhood. On top of groceries they also have a real nice beer selection and the fulbeli deli which pumps out some damn good sandwiches at an even better price.

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    They introduced housemade fluffernutters and homemade whoopie pies for the tough economic times not too long ago and so they said they sell alot of each. While your waiting for your sandwich to made from one of the 20+ selections they have a little chill area with an atari gaming counsel, a bunch of games and couple lazy boys. Gotta love that...this place is old school. More on it here.

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    A rimpish-ham, turkey, tomato, onion, lettuce, mayo, bacon and secret sauce

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    Pinkowski-shaved pastrami, Swiss cheese, red onions & spicy mustard on marble rye

    Its easy to put Milwaukee up there with one of the best eating cities in the country esp. if your thing is burgers, butter, corned beef, sausage, beer and the rest of the manly eating gems within the city.

    In case you were wondering-yes I ate all this in a days visit along with a trip to Maria's for what is a top 5 pizza anywhere. In between the butter burgers and pizza we hit up Germanfest which was free admission Thursday night. We had spanfarkel, broasted chicken from the Elk's lodge, potato pancakes, sausage roll,cherry strudel, some brat's, a wiener schnitzel sandwich and some of those tasty little mini donuts from Sil's who had a spot there. Good eating if I may say.

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    Solly's Grill
    4629 N Port Washington Rd
    Milwaukee, WI 53212-1084
    (414) 332-8808

    Kopp's Frozen Custard
    5373 N Port Washington Rd
    Milwaukee, WI 53217
    (414) 961-3288
    3 locations

    Koppa's Farwell Foods
    1940 N Farwell Ave
    Milwaukee, WI 53202-1410
    (414) 273-1273
  • Post #48 - July 28th, 2009, 11:28 am
    Post #48 - July 28th, 2009, 11:28 am Post #48 - July 28th, 2009, 11:28 am
    Da Beef, you are a beast. Your dedication to eating is something else.
  • Post #49 - April 22nd, 2010, 10:18 am
    Post #49 - April 22nd, 2010, 10:18 am Post #49 - April 22nd, 2010, 10:18 am
    Milwaukee: Adventures in Time Travel

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    Chicago has been such a booming, wealthy city for so many decades that entire eras of its past have been almost wiped out— the wedding cake-Victorian Loop obliterated by the imperial classicism of the 1920s; the cheesy modernism of the 1960s hanging on only in ungentrified suburbs.  But just when I'm regretting the obliteration of great chunks of our past, I remember that there's a city not far away where they survive unselfconsciously.  Milwaukee has been prosperous enough all these years that it hasn't fallen into disrepair, like Detroit, yet at the same time it hasn't boomed with the force of an atomic bomb, the way Chicago sometimes seems to have.  A trip last Saturday with a small group of LTHers to visit an artisanal meat-curing facility was also a chance to travel back in time to several pasts much harder to find traces of in Chicago.

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    The first stop was Bolzano Artisan Meats, who I've posted about before here. Bolzano is Wisconsin's first cured whole-meat producer (ie., things like prosciutto, rather than sausages), and owner Scott Buer offers "Charcuterie School" to a small group each weekend, in which he explains the basics of how he makes his products.  (You can check it out here.)  Since we were, so to speak, advanced students who've mostly made charcuterie ourselves at some point, we skipped the class and went straight to the factory tour.

    I knew Bolzano was located in the former home of Great Lakes Distillery, which I imagined to be some 19th century brick factory in a rapidly gentrifying area of lofts and nightclubs.  Turns out it was actually a streamlined 1950s facility in purest Industrial Moderne originally built as a Sealtest dairy, including the former laboratory, armored around with sturdy industrial tile:

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    —all of which gave "Charcuterie School" even more of a high school feel than I'd expected at first.  The refrigerator cases and smoker are all located in a larger, gleaming white room.  The first walk-in is for meat that's been cut up and salted (or will be shortly):

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    while the second is for things hanging and drying out:

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    There's also a little shop open on weekends, where you can pick up their goods.

    Scott told us how the business has evolved since he sent me his first products some months back.  He's now working with whole hogs, which since he doesn't make sausage, has necessitated some creativity in terms of his product offerings; he's invented some of the cured products he's offering, such as Suslende, which means sweet loin and is simply a cured loin with some maple syrup added to the cure.  It also requires managing refrigerator space carefully, when you have a products, prosciutto, which takes nine months; it would be easy to fill the fridge with hams and then have nothing to sell for most of a year, at which point you would go bankrupt before anyone got to try any of those hams.

    He also told us about the regulatory hurdles he had to overcome.  Fortunately for him, since he's mostly dealing with the state, who are at least vaguely supportive of agriculture-related businesses, he was able to find at least a certain level of cooperation in exploring this uncharted territory, and wasn't caught in the Catch-22 of "nobody's doing it, therefore there are no rules, therefore it can't be done," as Chicago food businesses have been lately.

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    One change that's unfortunate, if understandable, is that he's about to switch to only selling sliced product; he's had too much trouble with people who buy chunks and then can't cut them properly and come back, looking to get their product sliced.  But I like dicing the pancetta and guanciale from larger than the paper-thin slices, so I stocked up on those in chunk form during this trip, and recommend making your reservation for charcuterie school and picking up a little of everything at their store soon.

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    Our next stop was the new home of Great Lakes Distillery. They give tasting tours on the weekend, but since we arrived late and it's all in one room anyway, we just listened to the tour and went straight to the tasting.  They've made everything from bourbon to pumpkin brandy, much of which has sold out quickly, so on this day we got to try a straight and flavored vodka, a very floral gin (not sure how this would mix— I guess there's one way to find out!— but I liked it a lot), some fruit brandies (the pear, which has a really nice real-pear aftertaste, was by far the best), and finally, two absinthes.

    One is a straight green absinthe, the other is called red from added hibiscus, though it's actually clear.  This latter seemed odd to me, too floral, but I'm sure it has its uses.  The green absinthe seemed very good, and about half the price of others I've seen, so that's what I came home with, though whether I'll ever get to making it in the traditional way (as opposed to using in sazeracs, say) is questionable.  Anyway, another great and welcoming experience, I'd certainly recommend this as well.

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    Next up were a couple of abortive attempts to connect with Milwaukee's old Italian heritage in the Brady street area.  We arrived at Glorioso's, Milwaukee's best-known Italian deli, just as they were closing, but did note that they're about to move into a bigger building across the street, so will have to visit them before that happens.  Another more mysterious stop was Dentice Bros., an Italian sausage supplier which Rene G thinks may have gone out of business (the owners being quite elderly).  Yet when we found the shop, everything looked as if they had just closed up five minutes earlier— and really, it is often hard to tell between a 100-year-old business that's still around or one that's preserved in death like a museum display.  So who knows?

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    What was still in business after 100 years was Kegel's, an old German bar and restaurant where it could easily be 1890.  There are others like this in Milwaukee, such as Mader's and Karl Ratzsch's, but they depend on the tourist trade to no small part; Kegel's, on the other hand, feels like it's still serving a thriving German neighborhood clientele, and the idea that it's picturesque hasn't really occurred to it.  We had a beer and two orders of pork shank rolls, another example (like Mader's reuben rolls) of the odd Milwaukee tendency to take bits of Germanic meat and roll them up in eggroll wrappers and deep fry them.  I have to say, they went with the dark German beer very happily.

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    Kegel's, however, was merely an appetizer before our main dining event, Maria's, which comes close to the platonic ideal of the old school pizza joint— located in a building that looks like somebody's 50s ranch house, decorated on the outside with world-class neon and plexi 60s signage, and on the inside with a mixture of paint-by-religious paintings and the usual sports geegaws, while a staff of mostly family do what they've been doing forever.

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    Zaffiro's has a reputation on LTHForum as the Milwaukee old school pizza, and it's a fine one, but Maria's is the one I'm jonesing to get back to right now; I loved the burnt-edged, crispy cracker crust, the simple tomato sauce topping, the sausage bright with fennel.  As far as I'm concerned, it's about as good as an old school pizza joint experience gets (though I could tell the one Easterner in our group, still under the spell of Pepe's in New Haven or whatever, was the less enchanted one among us).

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    We ended the night with another temple of neon, Leon's, for custard.  Again, LTHForum has anointed Kopp's among Milwaukee custard emporia, but Leon's seemed just as good, and it certainly had the 70s-brutalist Kopp's location in Brookfield beat.  By this hour it was quite chilly out, but that didn't seem to have stopped anyone from standing in line for custard cones, and it was a fitting end to our travels through many pasts in Milwaukee.
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  • Post #50 - April 22nd, 2010, 12:10 pm
    Post #50 - April 22nd, 2010, 12:10 pm Post #50 - April 22nd, 2010, 12:10 pm
    An epic post to match an epic afternoon. I had a great time traveling around Milwaukee with the group and sampling tasty morsels all along the way.

    Mike G wrote:...a very floral gin (not sure how this would mix— I guess there's one way to find out!— but I liked it a lot),
    I made a Negroni with this gin last night and really liked it. I vary the gin I use in my Negronis (recently rotating through Bluecoat, Hendrick's and Junipero) and this one may be my favorite so far. Now, in something like a Songbird from Bar Deville it might be too much, but in a Negroni, it works. Also, it's a steal at $30/bottle.

    -Dan
  • Post #51 - April 22nd, 2010, 11:09 pm
    Post #51 - April 22nd, 2010, 11:09 pm Post #51 - April 22nd, 2010, 11:09 pm
    Count me as one who was originally enamored of Leon's, made the "switch" to Kopp's and then realized that each has its own virtues and should be valued respectively. While Kopp's is definitely the winner when it comes to fresh, high quality mix-ins and creative flavor creations, I think when it comes to the pure basic flavor of the custard itself, whether chocolate, raspberry, or cinnamon, among others, Leon's holds the edge.

    Just last Saturday a gang of us invaded Kopp's 76th & Layton location and were dazzled by Caramel, Pralines, & Cream. Crispy, crunchy burnt sugar and candied pecans, how can you go wrong?

    Buddy
  • Post #52 - April 25th, 2010, 5:37 am
    Post #52 - April 25th, 2010, 5:37 am Post #52 - April 25th, 2010, 5:37 am
    BuddyRoadhouse wrote:Count me as one who was originally enamored of Leon's, made the "switch" to Kopp's and then realized that each has its own virtues and should be valued respectively. While Kopp's is definitely the winner when it comes to fresh, high quality mix-ins and creative flavor creations, I think when it comes to the pure basic flavor of the custard itself, whether chocolate, raspberry, or cinnamon, among others, Leon's holds the edge.

    Just last Saturday a gang of us invaded Kopp's 76th & Layton location and were dazzled by Caramel, Pralines, & Cream. Crispy, crunchy burnt sugar and candied pecans, how can you go wrong?

    Buddy


    I'm with you, Buddy. When I think of Milwaukee frozen custard, it's Leon's that comes to mind for me. I don't dislike Kopp's, but Leon's vanilla is really my favorite by a landslide.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #53 - April 25th, 2010, 6:17 am
    Post #53 - April 25th, 2010, 6:17 am Post #53 - April 25th, 2010, 6:17 am
    stevez wrote:I'm with you, Buddy. When I think of Milwaukee frozen custard, it's Leon's that comes to mind for me. I don't dislike Kopp's, but Leon's vanilla is really my favorite by a landslide.
    Everyone is entitled to an opinion, no matter how wrong. ;)

    Leon's, Gilles, terrific/delicious/wonderful. Kopp's, the custard of my youth, the custard of my dreams.

    Enjoy,
    Gary
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #54 - April 25th, 2010, 11:44 am
    Post #54 - April 25th, 2010, 11:44 am Post #54 - April 25th, 2010, 11:44 am
    Mike did a great job of documenting the trip with photos, but I did notice that there were no shots of the actual custard at Leon's.

    Hot Fudge Sundae
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    I've actually never been to Kopp's, so I can't speak to the comparison, but the custard at Leon's was damn fine.

    -Dan
  • Post #55 - April 25th, 2010, 9:20 pm
    Post #55 - April 25th, 2010, 9:20 pm Post #55 - April 25th, 2010, 9:20 pm
    Hi,

    I finally got a copy of Milwaukee magazine's March issue featuring 40 area pizzas. In the opening remarks, I laughed when they noted Maria's pizza was "Amoeba shaped." Maria's is mighty fine people watching in addition to a unique pizza style.

    I look forward to returning to Kegels to try their pork shank. If it is anywhere near as good as their leftovers recycled into eggrolls, I will be very happy.

    It was interesting touring the BolZano artisan meats. The next day my family saw their products in the refrigerator. First question out of the box: why did you get more bacon?

    It was a terrific day running around Milwaukee.

    Anyone find out if the Schlitz Executive Beer Hall is really gone? Is it the Brown Bottle Hall? If yes, it is now Libiamo Restaurant.

    Libiamo Restaurant
    221 W. Galena Street
    Milwaukee, WI 53212
    Lunch: Mon–Fri: 11am–2pm
    Dinner: Tue–Thu: 5–9pm,
    Fri & Sat 5–10pm
    Phone: (414) 271-1155

    Regards,
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #56 - April 26th, 2010, 9:11 pm
    Post #56 - April 26th, 2010, 9:11 pm Post #56 - April 26th, 2010, 9:11 pm
    Had a great quick trip to Milwaukee a couple weekends ago.

    Hit Solly's - as noted, intensely beefy/buttery flavor, really great experience. The kids loved it and I will go again next time I'm in Milwaukee. An old school beauty:


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    Lakefront Brewery had a Friday Fish Fry - enormous, hundreds of people. Good beer and decent fish. A real community-feel to the event. Started to get a feel for the good things going on Milwaukee.

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    Best eating of the weekend was at Jake's - a real gem of a deli. Matzoh Ball Soup was fantastic, great fatty broth with nice chicken floating around. The ball was a little dense, but it was nice to get some real broth. It erased the memory of Steve's deli in a couple slurps. Then, the sandwiches - outstanding Pastrami and I don't think I've had corned beef as good as the thickly-sliced Jake's style. Left happy that Jake's was around and grateful that it isn't too far.

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  • Post #57 - April 29th, 2010, 10:09 am
    Post #57 - April 29th, 2010, 10:09 am Post #57 - April 29th, 2010, 10:09 am
    Mike G wrote:Another more mysterious stop was Dentice Bros., an Italian sausage supplier which Rene G thinks may have gone out of business (the owners being quite elderly). Yet when we found the shop, everything looked as if they had just closed up five minutes earlier— and really, it is often hard to tell between a 100-year-old business that's still around or one that's preserved in death like a museum display. So who knows?

    I'm afraid Dentice might be closed for good. Their phone is disconnected and a couple neighborhood strollers told me they thought it was gone. If true, that's too bad. It was a great old place that I only got to know in its last years. They made only a single product—a fine-textured Italian sausage, minimally seasoned, simply excellent. Here are a couple photos from 2006, its hundredth year of business. The shop stands at the corner of Jackson & Pleasant, diagonally across from Sanford.

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    Mike G wrote:What was still in business after 100 years was Kegel's, an old German bar and restaurant where it could easily be 1890. There are others like this in Milwaukee, such as Mader's and Karl Ratzsch's, but they depend on the tourist trade to no small part; Kegel's, on the other hand, feels like it's still serving a thriving German neighborhood clientele, and the idea that it's picturesque hasn't really occurred to it.

    Actually Kegel's Inn is a mere 85 years old. It opened as a speakeasy in 1924, then was rebuilt in its present form in 1933. I have high hopes it will easily make the century mark because a member of the fourth generation recently took his place behind the bar.

    Cathy2 wrote:I look forward to returning to Kegels to try their pork shank. If it is anywhere near as good as their leftovers recycled into eggrolls, I will be very happy.

    I'll try to post more soon on Kegel's Inn, one of Milwaukee's less-known treasures. I've liked nearly everything but their roasted pork shank is probably my favorite.

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    Mike G wrote:Zaffiro's has a reputation on LTHForum as the Milwaukee old school pizza, and it's a fine one, but Maria's is the one I'm jonesing to get back to right now; I loved the burnt-edged, crispy cracker crust, the simple tomato sauce topping, the sausage bright with fennel.

    I'm a fan of Zaffiro's as well but really do prefer Maria's, especially the crust. As I understand it, Zaffiro's premakes their crusts, essentially baking a giant cracker earlier in the day. When a pizza is ordered they add toppings and warm it in the oven to melt the cheese. There's a dedicated Maria's thread over here.

    Cathy2 wrote:Anyone find out if the Schlitz Executive Beer Hall is really gone? Is it the Brown Bottle Hall? If yes, it is now Libiamo Restaurant.

    Yes, it was the old Brown Bottle, now Libiamo, that we were looking for. Sorry for my poor navigation skills; we couldn't have been more than a block or two away. The old Schlitz Brewery is well worth a visit. It has been converted to an office complex so most of it is off limits but the old company bar is now an Italian restaurant. The dark, subterranean room is a perfect spot for a beer (maybe even a Schlitz) but somehow Italian food doesn't seem to fit.

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    Dentice Bros Italian Sausage (closed)
    1600 N Jackson St
    Milwaukee WI
    414-276-1314

    Kegel's Inn
    5901 W National Av
    Milwaukee WI
    414-257-9999

    Maria's Pizza
    5015 W Forest Home Av
    Milwaukee WI
    414-543-4606

    Libiamo
    221 W Galena St
    Milwaukee WI
    414-271-1155
  • Post #58 - October 28th, 2010, 10:56 am
    Post #58 - October 28th, 2010, 10:56 am Post #58 - October 28th, 2010, 10:56 am
    I've been to Milwaukee maybe three or four times, never for food. I've got two trips there coming up, both for fun, with potential to be food-focused, but the eating parameters will be very different for each trip.

    Tomorrow is a quick day trip with my mom and older relatives. Mama happy_stomach does not like pizza, Italian food in general, spicy food, Mexican or sweets. She loves meat and potatoes, Polish, Chinese, bratwurst and pastrami. One aunt who will be coming with us is an extremely adventurous eater, the other aunt, the most conservative eater of the group. My plan so far is Jake's for lunch, Kopp's for an afternoon snack, Thai BBQ if we stay for dinner. Is there a preferred Kopp's location? Given our non-food stops, I think the Kopp's on Port Washington makes the most sense, but we could go to another location if there's reason. Are there any smaller stops we should make, for snacks or perhaps food we could take home? We could bring a cooler. Also, I've planned for us to get there in time for lunch, but my relatives would like to get on the road early. Any thoughts on a place for a lighter breakfast, if we have to have one in Milwaukee? Are pasties breakfast food?

    My other trip to Milwaukee will be in mid-November to visit a good friend who just moved there. She swings toward fine dining, but loves Hmong food, so we will definitely go to Rice Palace. The places she's proposed are Lake Park Bistro, Roots, Hinterland and Crazy Water. Any strong feelings if I had to pick a place from this list?

    Thanks in advance for any thoughts.
  • Post #59 - October 28th, 2010, 11:34 am
    Post #59 - October 28th, 2010, 11:34 am Post #59 - October 28th, 2010, 11:34 am
    happy_stomach wrote:Is there a preferred Kopp's location? Given our non-food stops, I think the Kopp's on Port Washington makes the most sense, but we could go to another location if there's reason.

    I don't see a reason to choose one particular Kopp's over another and the Port Washington one is pretty nice. Jake's Deli followed by that is a pretty strong one-two combo.

    I also like the public market for soups and old-fashioned baked goods (not bread, though). You could certainly buy snacks and food to take home at the market, but it's not overwhelmingly awesome.

    Alterra seems to own the coffee scene in Milwaukee and the cafe by the lake (located in a former flushing station) is really cool. It's only a few minutes' drive from the art museum.
  • Post #60 - October 28th, 2010, 11:56 am
    Post #60 - October 28th, 2010, 11:56 am Post #60 - October 28th, 2010, 11:56 am
    happy_stomach wrote:My other trip to Milwaukee will be in mid-November to visit a good friend who just moved there. She swings toward fine dining, but loves Hmong food, so we will definitely go to Rice Palace. The places she's proposed are Lake Park Bistro, Roots, Hinterland and Crazy Water. Any strong feelings if I had to pick a place from this list?


    Rice Palace is a good call, and I've had two terrific meals at Roots - one posted about here
    ...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

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