Taste of the Town

Cookie Craze

The other day I flew Midwest Airlines for the first time. While those large, leather seats certainly made it one of the most comfortable flights I’ve experienced in a long time, it was that other thing that sealed the deal and made me wish Midwest offered flights to every city on earth.

You know what I’m talking about. The chocolate chip cookies.

                   

Yes, mid-flight Midwest passengers are offered two, very large, very warm, very yummy chocolate chip cookies.  They are delicious. And they are also free. None of the, “We’ll need five dollars for a tiny bag of stale peanuts,” that you get with most airlines.

I was totally smitten. Just as many others have been. So much so that Midwest has now made their famous cookie dough available exclusively at Milwaukee-area, Balistreri-owned and -operated Sendik's Food Market locations, as well as the stores in Elm Grove, Grafton, Mequon, Wauwatosa and Whitefish Bay.

Apparently it sold out quickly on its first day in stores. But fear not. A rush shipment has been ordered and more cookie dough is expected to be on the shelf by Saturday.  The packages of 32 frozen, ready-to-bake cookies sell for $8.99.

Speed Queen Bar-B-Q

Before I fly south for a few days and gorge myself on mom’s cooking and all the Tex-Mex I can stand, I thought I’d swing by Speed Queen Bar-B-Q and get some lunch.

                  

Located on 12th and Walnut, right near I-43, Speed Queen has a reputation for some of the best barbecue in town. This is the real deal, people. It’s a small, unassuming little place that serves up pork, beef, chicken and turkey. All cooked until it’s incredibly tender and served with either a zingy mild sauce or a super spicy hot one.

Since the inside seating area is small, with a great deal of space devoted mainly to the kitchen and smoke pit, most people make use of the drive through.  Those who are super hungry can get a sizeable dinner or family meal with ribs, tips, shoulder, chicken or turkey along with some cole slaw. While I’m usually all for some ribs, I just wasn’t that hungry today and decided to have pulled pork on a bun instead.

The sandwich came with a side of baked beans and smelled so good as I was pulling the bag into the car that I completely forgot I wanted to ask for a slice of pecan pie, too!

Honestly, it was all I could do to pull my car out of the drive through and back on the street without digging into the bag. If there was a way to eat messy barbecue and drive safely at the same time, I probably would’ve consumed every bite before arriving home.

                   

Once home, I threw all my other packages on the couch and sat down at the table to devour my sandwich. The meat was tender, the sauce a little tangy but not too sweet. Perfect.

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Speed Queen BBQ
1130 W. Walnut St.
Milwaukee, WI 53205
Phone: (414) 265-2900

Butter Burgers at Solly's Grille

Solly's Grille has a far-reaching fan base; the family owned and operated diner has been in business since 1936, and its butter burger has been recommended in USA TODAY and featured on Food Network and the documentary, Hamburger America. But to be honest, when faced with the prospect of having to try one of these butter-laden, artery clogging specials, I thought I’d rather be forced to down a whole bottle of cheap tequila. By myself. In one night.

But that’s just me. Other people willingly travel from miles around to belly up to a counter seat and sink their teeth into one of the acclaimed burgers.

As luck would have it, Scott and I were able to snag two seats right next to the grill, which was flanked by a row of silver toasters and a massive supply of butter. After ordering one regular hamburger ($3.99), one Solly’s burger ($3.39), and a large plate of fries ($3.59), I watched another lady stationed behind the grill expertly slip thin-cooked patties off the grill, slide them onto a toasted bun, top them with stewed onions, and smear them with what had to be at least two tablespoons of creamy, yellow butter.

Meanwhile someone else was busy whipping up rich, thick malts old-school style, in tall, silver cans for a couple of young boys seated near the door and the ever-increasing crowd of people waiting for a seat.

The fries arrived first. We dipped the hot, golden and thickly cut fries into a huge pool of ketchup and tried not to eat the whole plate before the burgers were ready. Soon though, there it was. The Solly Burger. Sitting right in front of us and glistening in all its dairy-packed glory.

Well actually, it was sitting in front of Scott. I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t commit to eating all the cheese, butter, meat and onions at once. So I tried one bite. (After scraping off a few spoonfuls of butter.) Just to say I’d done it. And then I picked up my own “regular” hamburger. To my surprise, tiny rivulets of butter ran out from it too. I guess I thought only the Solly’s Burger was made with butter. But apparently they incorporate this ingredient in all of their burgers, with varying degrees of application.

While I don’t think I’ll ever be a die-hard fan of the butter burger, I can say that it is only due to the excessive grease, and not the actual ingredients used to prepare said burger. Solly’s meat was quality, the bread fresh, and even the large, green leaf of lettuce on my burger was crisp and cold. At any rate, I’m glad I gave it a try. It’s sort of legendary around Milwaukee and if you’re visiting I urge you to at least try it.

Then go take a looooong walk around the lake.

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Solly's Grille
4629 N. Port Washington Rd.
Glendale, WI 53212
Phone: (414) 332-8808

Eagan's on Water Street

At least once a week my husband grabs lunch at Eagan’s. It’s only one block away from his office, on Water Street, which makes it easy for him and many other people who work downtown, to pop in for something quick. 

                     

With its great location, cosmopolitan mirrored walls, tile floors, and wood-trimmed bar, Eagan’s is also the perfect place to have drinks or dinner if you are catching a show downtown. A full menu is served from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week, and a late-night menu is available until midnight on weekend nights. Brunch is served on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

                   

Just a couple of days ago, on a very overcast, crisp, fall day, I met Scott in front of his office and we walked over to Eagan’s for lunch. They offer a full range of salads, sandwiches, and daily-changing soups and specials at affordable prices.

Salads include Lemon Parmesan Pasta, Sun-dried Tomato Chicken, Pecan Chicken, and Grilled Salmon salad, while sandwiches like the Lobster Roll, Turkey Ciabatta and Gourmet PB&J (peanut butter and jelly, fresh berries and toasted almonds on whole wheat bread) keep things interesting.

                   

Scott ended up with a hot meatloaf sandwich with caramelized onions topped with a spicy tomato sauce ($5.50). But for me, this was a day for chili. White bean chicken chili ($2.25 - $3.50). Warm and creamy with just the right amount of spice, this chili was the perfect thing for such a cool day. And now that I’ve had it, I think I may need to rent a nearby office space so that I, too, can indulge in their food on a more frequent basis.

Middle Eastern Food Finds at Aladdin

This is embarrassing. Lately I’ve been totally addicted to Bret Michael’s "reality" show, Rock of Love. Everybody else I know watches, too; they just don’t want to publicly admit to watching something so trashy.

Two other, (less embarrassing) things I can’t get enough of in recent weeks are chocolate banana cream pie and falafel. Not together, of course. The pie I make myself. The falafel? That has to be procured elsewhere.

One of my favorite places to secure good falafel and an excellent array of other tasty Middle Eastern food on-the-go is Aladdin – Tastes of the East deli, located inside the Public Market. I stopped in the other day after getting my hair cut at Yan (419 E. Menomonee Street), a hip new hair salon in the Third Ward.  It’s amazing what an appetite you can work up while sitting in a chair, flipping through fashion magazines, and getting your ‘do done!

                   

At Aladdin, you can get a variety of made-to-order combo plates that both meat eaters and vegetarians will find exciting. Items include chicken curry, chicken and Egyptian rice, kabobs, gyros, falafel plates, and for dessert, baklava. Should you find yourself in need of a single item, say some olives, baba ghannouj or hummus, those can be purchased as well.

Being in a hurry, I grabbed one of the pre-made platters offering a mix of falafel, creamy hummus, tabouleh, yalanjee (rice-filled grape leaves), and a pickle. It came with two warm slices of pita bread on the side. I also ordered some of the rosewater lemonade. The fragrance alone made it a wonderful thing to sip on a warm afternoon.

                        

Now that our warm weather has taken flight, (Hello sweaters and boots!) I don’t know that I’ll be ordering any more rosewater lemonade. But I will be making frequent stops at Aladdin for falafel. That is for certain.

Where I Spent Last Weekend

I just HAVE to tell you how wonderful Saugatuck, Michigan, is for a long weekend getaway. I read about it a couple of months ago in an old issue of Cottage Living that my mother-in-law had (fortunately) kept.

                     

Located just across Lake Michigan, about 2 ½ hours from Chicago, this tiny little artist colony is home to breathtakingly beautiful beaches, wind swept sand dunes, a ton of cool art galleries (no crochet or bears carved from tree stumps), and some excellent restaurants. Even though most of the summer visitors were gone, almost all of the cottages were still booked and we were lucky to get a room at The Pines, a recently restored motorlodge boasting retro-chic décor.

             

In another stroke of luck, we also found ourselves blessed with unseasonably warm weather, and thus spent half a day doing nothing but sitting on the beach, digging our toes into the smooth, golden sand. Since this blog is supposed to focus on Milwaukee, I don’t want to bore you with too many details, but I just had to share this gem of a place with all of you who might be looking for a nearby place to escape the daily grind.

Autumn Already?

Just like that. Summer sifted away and fall arrived, showering my yard with hundreds of golden leaves, like some sort of treasure-filled pirate’s chest had been split open above it. Prompted by the changing colors, I pulled out the oversize summer foliage from my window-boxes and replaced it with rich hued chrysanthemums and fall grass.

My pantry is already  beginning to take on a more end-of-year feel as well, finding itself stocked with a couple of butternut squash, sweet potatoes, some Honeycrisp apples, steel cut oatmeal, and a jar of molasses that I will soon use to make a pan of my grandmother’s gingerbread.

As the last of the farmer’s market tomatoes disappear and the season shifts into cooler gear, I find myself craving more substantial fare: Stuffed pork chops with apples, squash soup, corn muffins, spiced pecans, apple crisp, and of course, some hot-n-spicy chili. None of that cheese-laden, Cincinnati-style spaghetti stuff either. I just want meat, beans, tomatoes, and a whole lot of spice! You know – something warm to nosh on while I try to wrangle the remote away from my motocross-loving husband and check Big XII football scores on Saturdays. (Sorry people, I will never be a Badger fan. My loyalty lies with the OU Sooners.)

That said, I’m signing off for now. I have a ton of work to get done before Scott and I take off for a little visit to Saugatuck, Michigan, a few days from now. I’ll check back in soon with another food-related report from somewhere downtown.

Support Local Radio at Food Slam

Show your support for local radio station WMSE  by purchasing a ticket for Food Slam 2007, at The Eisner Museum of Advertising and Design on Friday, October 5, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Twenty-six restaurants are slated to offer a variety of food for your tasting pleasure. Participating restaurants include some my favorites like La Merenda, Maxie’s Southern Comfort, and Simma’s Bakery.  Other plates not to miss will be provided by Sabor, Anonna’s Bistro, Beans & Barley, and Nanakusa.

Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. All proceeds will benefit listener-supported 91.7 FM, WMSE. Get full details here, as well as a complete list of participating restaurants.

Alterra Opens in Wauwatosa

Yes! Yesterday Alterra opened a location in Wauwatosa, just blocks from my house. I am so excited about being able to walk down and grab a cup of my favorite coffee any time I want. Scott and I stopped in yesterday on our way to look at cars and picked up a tropical smoothie for him and a hot cup of joe for me. The line was a little long, but we didn’t mind.

                        

The new location sits in Locker’s Pointe, on the corner of North Avenue and Swan. Along with Alterra, you’ll also be able to score some lovely flower arrangements from Locker’s as well as a nice array of chocolates and other candies from Chocolaterie Stam, a Dutch sweet shop. Men take note: This little development could come in handy next time you need to make a good impression on your lady!

                        

Let Them Eat Crepes

IHOP’s “crepe fever” commercials make me wince. No self-respecting French person I know would ever load up a crepe with such vast amounts of syrup-soaked fruit, cream cheese, and sugar-laden whipped topping. And you shouldn’t either.

I recommend you either make your own or go to the cozy Cream & Crepe Cafe in Cedarburg and order the Crepes Parisien. The paper thin “Parisien” crepes are served hot with just a tiny bit of butter, cinnamon, and sugar. Perfect for splitting with a friend alongside steaming hot cups of coffee

If you need something more substantial, you could opt for one of the entrée crepes which are offered with a variety of toppings that range from broccoli and carrots to hot corned beef and sauerkraut. And if you just can’t resist overwhelming your wonderful little crepe with an overabundance of sweet stuff, you’ll be happy to know the dessert crepes are available with everything from chocolate mousse to frozen vanilla custard topped with red cherries.

Non-crepe fans will be glad to know sandwiches and salads are also available. But seriously, who would pass up a good crepe? These simple, yet sophisticated flat cakes are always easily savored – especially when someone else is doing the cooking!

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Cream & Crepe Cafe
N70 W6340 Bridge Road
Cedarburg, WI 53012
Phone: (262) 377-0900