Road trip to Milwaukee- tasty places to explore this unexpected special city while still staying in your comfort zone this summer!
As we take small steps forward exploring new cities, summer of 2020 is all about the road trip and exploring at a safe distance! MILWAUKEE is an unexpected gem of a city that feels youthful, energetic, diverse and radiates a hip vibe! There’s a large mix of Mexican, Southeast Asian, Indian, and African American populations—and we think that keeps Milwaukee’s food and cultural options more varied and on par with many larger cities. Milwaukee feels surprisingly European, too, with German, Polish, and Italian roots so deep that an assortment of imported traditions have blended to form a unique culture based on some very good things: drinks, festivals, and food. Although the festivals have been temporarily put on hold there is plenty of culture to explore and so many tasty things to eat!
Here are some of our Milwaukee favorites: what to see, eat, do and goodies to bring home. This city has plenty of its own local businesses and brands to explore. It’s affordable, down-to-earth sensibility makes it a place for everyone. Check out why Milwaukee is much hipper than most tourists would expect:
Local food that makes an impression: Food first!
Yes, Milwaukee is known for its cheese and beer but there is so much more that needs to hit your taste buds when your there. Of course we can lead you to an awesome Friday Fish Fry, the craziest Bloody Mary, and literally anything at Odd Duck! We aim to encourage you to experience places that are a bit more off the general radar and want to suggest some not so traditional options. Here is just a small sample of our favorites:
Breakfast/Lunch:
EngineCompany 3- We LOVE a great local weekend brunch. Their love of Wisconsin and local farmers shines through in a multi-cultural menu designed to meet their mission to support sustainable practices as much as possible from the farm to the table. The menu changes often and being tucked into a former firehouse just adds to the charm. Lots of GF options too.
Honeypie Cafe- Just save room for dessert here! Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday but you can get the “breakfast all day” menu anytime during the week. The BISCUITS should not be missed!! Obviously Pie is the prize here so don’t leave without trying some. They even offer pie making classes if you want to bring the tricks to making the perfect pie home with you!
Head to the far West of Milwaukee if you are a breakfast lover! Blue’s Egg does “traditional” yet “innovative” breakfast food. Blue’s does itself proud with its “browns”- the “very stuffed browns” are our favorite. And, the Monkey Bread is sticky, gooey yumminess.
Colectivo Coffee- We love our coffee! All the beans used for the coffee here are prepared right in Milwaukee, so it has a local taste to it while still bringing coffees from around the world. Their Troubadour bakery scratch makes all the baked goods and they work with local farmers and producers to create the rest of their food menu. Their all day breakfast is there for you! We love the Lakefront Cafe location but you can find seven different locations in Milwaukee.
Lunch/Dinner/Dessert:
Momo Mee is where you must go for Asian noodles (we love the Japchae) and dumplings (Shanghai Soup Dumplings- OMG!). The Taiwanese Gua Bao are a must try as well. The outdoor tables with umbrellas are perfect for summer dining and street parking was easy. Chef Tony Ho was born in Hong Kong. He grew up appreciating the diversified cuisines of China, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. Living in Japan opened his eyes to the exciting trans-cultural use of ingredients in cooking and how fusing multiple traditions in one dish is a celebration of culture and flavor. Who would have thought that Milwaukee would have such amazing Asian food?!
Glorioso’s Italian Market- More on this destination below as we think it qualifies as an “activity” as well as a lunch destination! Order fresh sandwiches, salads, pastas or pizza from the deli and take it outside to eat at one of their outdoor tables. Make sure you walk over to the cannoli counter and get a little treat too!
St. Paul Fish Company- Another food stop that is also a “must do activity” listed in more detail below. Located in the Milwaukee Public Market they are not only home to the epic lobster claw/bacon/shrimp Bloody Mary but also the freshest fish you will find in Milwaukee. Literally everything here is amazing- the oysters and fresh fish made us feel like we were on the east coast! We love sitting at the bar (which is nicely partitioned in seats of two for proper social distancing) and highly suggest trying a Spotted Cow beer on tap to go with your food!
Custard needs a mention when in Milwaukee- it’s part of their culture and is enjoyed year round. It’s richer and denser than ice cream and if you have never tried it you MUST have it here! There are many great custard shops to get your dairy on but if you have never had custard we think you should go to Kopps first! They also serve an amazing burger if you feel like having a complete meal. The staff is all dressed in white uniforms with black bow ties and you feel like your in a 1950’s ice cream shop. We love the Greenfield location because their outdoor seating is full of greenery.
Meaningful, must do activities with a splash of culture:
There is no shortage of cool things to do in Milwaukee and although our first passion is food we know you can’t really get to know a place through food alone so we like to mix in local activities that teach you a thing or two about your destination. There is more to Milwaukee than cheese and beer (but we have you covered in those categories too!).
A slice of Italy:
In the lower east side of Milwaukee you will find Glorioso’s- a nationally recognized Italian market that has been on the eclectic Brady Street since 1946. Italian deli meats, cheeses, prepared foods, wines and spirits, sandwiches, famous pizzas, fresh bakery, and gelato. This long-standing Italian establishment was founded in 1946 by three Glorioso brothers. We love the surrounding neighborhood of modern and traditional homes blended together and encourage you to check out the colorful, melting pot, pedestrian-friendly destination called Brady Street. Two other Italian places to seek out are Scioritino’s Bakery for awesome Italian breads and pastries and Zaffiro’s Pizza for a thin crust extra cheesy Milwaukee pie.
Distillery:
Looking for an oasis in a desert of craft breweries? Twisted Path Distillery has the BEST crafty cocktails and an awesome tour led by the owner. Twisted Path makes organic spirits (Gin, Vodka, Rum and Chai) from scratch in Milwaukee and is located in the Lincoln Warehouse, a location shared by Component Brewing and Top Note Tonic. Distiller Brian Sammons opened Twisted Path in 2014, an unusual twist for someone who had spent much of his career working in counterterrorism. Sammons was working in Washington, D.C., for the Department of Defense during 9/11 before turning over to the clandestine service side and training to be a field spy. Eventually, he came back to Wisconsin for law school, where he met his wife and the “priority shifted.” Right now the tasting room is closed however the silver lining is that to-go cocktails are now available along with bottles and they alone are worth the trip to Twisted Path!
Milwaukee Public Market/Historic Third Ward Neighborhood/Riverwalk:
A local market is always on our hit list when visiting a new city and the Milwaukee Public Market does not disappoint. This indoor market is located on the edge of Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward neighborhood which is at the top of our must do list as an area to walk around and explore. The market is stuffed with local vendors and restaurants featuring artisan ethnic products all independently operated. It’s a perfect place to satisfy everyone and offers plenty of opportunities to purchase foodie souvenirs as well! We mentioned the St. Paul Fish Company already but some of our other favorites in the market include Thief Wine Shop and Bar (you can even bring food from other vendors to their bar to enjoy with your wine!), The Spice House (see below in foodie souvenirs, Aladdin (amazing flat breads, pitas, dips and falafels), On the bus (literally a 1971 Volkswagen bus!) for plant based food and vegan ice-cream, Anodyne coffee (a quick energy boost with a Cortado or a Sport Tea), West Allis Cheese and Sausage Shoppe where 95% of their products are made in Wisconsin and the C. Adams bakery for cookies or cupcakes. When your done feasting at the market explore the historic warehouse setting of the Third Ward, “Milwaukee’s Arts and Fashion District” and take a stroll on the Third Ward Riverwalk where you can even stop and rent a kayak to sightsee from the water!
Clock shadow Creamery:
In 2012 Bob Wills opened Clock Shadow Creamery at a former brownfield site in Walker’s Point. Today, it is home to Milwaukee's first urban artisan cheese factory (and the second urban cheese factory in the U.S.) providing fresh, local cheeses such as: cheese curds, chevre, mozzarella, and quark made from RBGH-free milk supplied from local family dairy farms. Come take a tour here and learn about urban cheese making and what makes Wisconsin cheese unique. You can also experience their amazing cheese at many of the top restaurants in Milwaukee- we recommend trying the cheese curds at The Lakefront Brewery (where they also have a great brewery tour, yummy food and obviously some genuinely good beer to drink!). Clock shadow cheese is special cheese, and they ship!
Other Cheese (and where we think the best fried cheese curds are!):
We have to tell you about a couple other cheesy destinations-
The Original Cheesehead Factory- where you can take a tour and yes, make your very own cheesehead! Lot’s of cheesy jokes and fun are involved and it is perfect for a family activity, a Packers fan or for anyone who loves building history and is interested on how foam products are made. The custom Cheeseheads were our favorite and we definitely had fun modeling a few! This place is certainly a Wisconsin classic.
Mars Cheese Castle- we are cheating a little as this destination is actually located in Kenosha off the highway if your coming from south of Milwaukee. It’s one of those places you may drive by a few times before you actually take the time to stop in- but DO IT! There is SO MUCH cheese here!! They have a little restaurant in the back and we read that Jeff Mauro, from the Food Network said that the grilled cheese sandwich (provolone and cheddar) was one of his “top eight” sandwiches in the US?! But, we want you to try the fried cheese curds here…apparently they are “world famous” and we are here to tell you we think they could be the BEST fried cheese curds! The batter on these curds is crunchy and a bit darker in color and what makes them stand out is that contrast between the crunchy outside and the creamy, melty curd inside. Plus they serve them with a side of Ranch. Very Wisconsin!
Must grab foodie souvenir(s):
We love to support local businesses and bring home a taste of our journey destination! Always on the look out for foodie souvenirs, here are a few goodies we brought home with us from Milwaukee:
1. Spice House- We think there's no better one-stop shop for spices in this country than the Milwaukee and Chicago-based Spice House. This second-generation family business sells some of the best spices around, and no matter what spice we were looking for, the Spice House has it. Actually, they had multiple kinds of what we were looking for! Our summer favorites are some of the rubs: Brisket of Love, Bronzeville and Chicago Fire are all hitting our grill soon.
2. Milwaukee’s Twisted Path Distillery “experimental series” take out bottled cocktails are the perfect way to incorporate Milwaukee into your happy hour back home! We tried the Miss Siera Daisy, Barrel Rested Gin Old Fashion and the the Cucumber Ginger Cooler (our favorite!). They also sell awesome local sparkling mixers called Top Note (grapefruit is our favorite mixed with local Gin!). Their dedication to “wandering spirits” has us excited to return for a distillery tour and cocktail time in the tasting room when that re-opens.
3. Colectivo Coffee. We love a local bag of coffee to bring home! Started more than a quarter century ago in a Walker’s Point warehouse every Colectivo bean batch is roasted by hand in Riverwest. We love the Black and Tan coffee beans and the fact that they offer free shipping on 5 pound bags of coffee as well as Coffee Gift Subscriptions.
4. Purple Door Ice Cream. They say this is Wisconsin’s favorite ice cream and we thought it was so good that we bought pints to bring home in our YETI cooler! Their hand crafted, small batch, local ingredients, 14% butterfat ice cream uses milk and cream from Wisconsin dairies- it’s SO creamy and the flavor combinations range from classic (we loved the malted chocolate chocolate chunk) to crazy (coconut, almond, cardamom- yum!). Seriously SO GOOD! If you don’t bring your cooler not to worry as their online shop ships all across the country. Awesome for gifts (even to yourself!).
5. Bring Italy home from Glorioso’s (mentioned above). Under the giant hanging cannoli you will find hand crafted cannoli shells and cream to fill them with at home- just ask and they will provide you with a pastry bag! Their refrigerated/frozen pastas are amazing too (if your traveling with a cooler). We also love their Glorioso branded pizza sauce and Calabrese Spice Rub that can be easily transported home.
6. Cheese from the Wisconsin Cheese Mart and Clockshadow Creamery. Quintessentially Wisconsin, we couldn’t leave out CHEESE!. The Wisconsin Cheddar is a classic (we like the 5 year old extra sharp Cheddar from Cheese Mart). Another Cheese Mart favorite is the Juusto Baked Bread Cheese. It is a buttery flavored baked cheese that has been produced in Finland and Sweden for over 200 years- made in Wisconsin now! We talked about the Clockshadow Creamery above- their extra sharp cheddar with jalapeños and “Coalby” (a Colby you can grill) are favorites along with their fresh cheese curds (check their website for days they produce the curds as they are best within 24 hours of production).
From a day trip to a long weekend we have so many more foodie/culture adventures in this cool midwestern city to share! We know the best rooftop bars, places to explore in the Historic Third Ward neighborhood, favorite photogenic murals throughout the city, walking tours and culinary tastings just to name a few. Let Taste Journey craft your ultimate Milwaukee food and culture itinerary. From one day to a long weekend we’ve got you covered!