When the Packers were playing on Sunday night, I knew that finding options for dinner out that night would mean going to a place that had televisions. After going past several local haunts, my suspicions were confirmed - many were closed due to anticipation of EVERYONE being glued to the TV.

I'll admit I'm a happy Bears fan in Cheesehead Country with the resulting peace and quiet after a nail-biter of a game. But hey, it was my 35th birthday and I wanted to go out for dinner and the football game wasn't going to stop me!

One of my favorite go-to restaurants in Milwaukee is Maxie's Southern Comfort, which is "open every single day at 4pm" (except for major holidays). And yes, they have televisions, so they were open on this night when Milwaukee had become a ghost town.

We bellied up to the bar and were immediately greeted by Sam, our friendly bar-keep. The staff is always smiling here, an extra dose of that southern hospitality that Maxie's brings to the Midwest.

The menu is full of mouth-watering Creole and Cajun inspired specialities. My entree of choice is usually the NC pulled pork, with a heaping mound of creamy slaw (in my gluten-free situation, because their fries don't have a dedicated fryer, hold the rough-cut fries...) 

But tonight I was in a saucy mood and selected the half-rack of St Louis spare ribs, with a thick layer of Kansas City-style tangy BBQ sauce slathered over the fall-off-the-bone meat. 

I substituted grits for the fries and beans and was not disappointed. Their grits are super thick and creamy, the perfect compliment to sooth the bite of the sauce. And don't forget the corn-arugula salad - one recipe that I'm still trying to replicate! The fresh taste makes me instantly slip into memories of lazy summer nights, when we can eat dinner along the front sidewalk and suck down Happy Hour oysters and drink specials. Until then, there's plenty of cocktails to keep us warm while we wait out the rest of these winter months.

Head down to Maxie's and... "Get some South in yo' Mouth"!
~Kati

Growing up, I would have never touched sushi with a 10-foot pole. But my boyfriend made me try it (reluctantly) several years ago and now I can't get enough of it! Even in the dead of winter, I regularly crave the sticky rice and fillings of a good roll. Luckily, my best friend is also a fan, so we meet up about once a month to catch up on what's going on in each other's lives and enjoy lunch together. 

Screaming Tuna is regularly voted one of the best places in Milwaukee for sushi and they have a fantastic lunch rolls special. The restaurant sits in a great spot at the juncture of the Menomonee and Milwaukee Rivers, facing north toward the high-rises of downtown Milwaukee. During warmer months, you can sit on the outdoor patio and watch several bridges go up as boats meander the waterways. Though the restaurant boasts a fun and trendy decor, they are very strict in their commitment to using only sustainable seafood and keeping the oceans full of healthy creatures. They are one of a few Midwest restaurants - the first and only in Wisconsin - that have partnered with the Montgomery Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.

BONUS: Many of their rolls and other entree options are gluten free, which is often hard to find. (They do offer gluten-free soy sauce there but I tend to bring my own bottle of coconut aminos, a lovely substitute that my best friend also introduced me to a few years ago!)


DOUBLE BONUS: They have a punch card program! When you dine in for lunch, get a punch... get 6 punches, get a free lunch! (This really does NOT help the sushi cravings go away!)

The friendly staff starts you off with a piping hot bowl of miso soup. They stopped putting soy sauce in it a few years ago, so it's a true treat to warm up on a cold January day with a bowl of tofu, seaweed, and mushrooms mingling in hot broth. 

My favorite rolls are sweet and simple - tekka maki (tuna), sake maki (salmon), and the Philly (smoked salmon, cream cheese, scallions, rolled in sesame seeds), which I also have them add avocado into the mix. Hold the ginger and wasabi... still haven't quite acquired a taste for these yet. 

My friend is a big fan of the vegetarian AKA (avocado, cucumber, asparagus) and the Wasabi Tuna (tuna, avocado, tobiko, wasabi mayo) even though the wasabi normally has her tearing up within a few bites. She says it's good for clearing out her sinuses; I say she's a glutton for punishment.

So far in my travels, the only sushi that I've loved even more than Screaming Tuna is a little place on the Big Island of Hawaii - Sansei Seafood, Steak & Sushi Bar - where they literally pulled the fish out of the Pacific Ocean (a stone's throw away), fresh that day.

Cheers and may your sushi never smell fishy,
~Kati

FREE. That is always a great way to get someone's attention! 

I love that the Milwaukee metro area boasts some great farmer's markets in the summer... but when they all combine and move inside for the winter months, it's like a farmer's market on steroids! (Though the Dane County Farmer's Market during the summer around the Capitol Square in Madison WI still has the #1 spot in my heart!) 

EVERYONE can enjoy FREE parking and FREE admission to the Mitchell Park Domes from 9am-1pm on Saturday mornings (November to mid-April, excluding holidays) to attend the Milwaukee County Winter Farmer's Market, which is spread out through the main corridors and inside one of the domes! 

This is a great time for families - and anyone else - to get out of the house, shake off some cabin fever, and take a lovely stroll through the gardens without having to be bundled up in bulky winter gear. 

And while you're there, pick out some fresh produce, honey, soups, baked goods, cheeses, meats, elk antlers for your dogs... and more!

Onesto Italian, Milwaukee WI
Step out of the cold and into the cozy at Onesto Italian in the Third Ward. The warm glow of the overhead lights - which look like golden glass balloons - adds to the ambience and had me slightly mesmerized throughout the night. The interior boasts my favorite decor in this area - exposed ductwork, dark woodwork, and Cream City brick walls.

There was a short wait (15 minutes) so we grabbed a seat at the bar. It was pretty busy tonight, but it didn't seem overly loud or crowded. A mix of trendy disco instrumental music played in the background, not too overpowering that you couldn't have a conversation without shouting. We tried a few craft cocktails - my Cranberry Pomegranate Mojito (light on the lime) was fruity without being too sweet, his Third Ward Manhattan was just right.

Our table was ready after just a few sips - the hostess apologized for the wait, but it was so minimal that it was unnecessary. I was grateful that we were seated at a back table, farthest from the front door, so we didn't feel any draft from outside. Our waitress was also extremely friendly and knowledgeable in what was gluten-free - or could be modified to do so - on the menu. She was happy to check with the kitchen to confirm what was safe for me to eat. She was patient with us as we read the menu over and over; it was so hard trying to decide what we all wanted to try, so we ended up putting in our order course-by-course as we came to our decisions.

There were two soups available tonight; both were gluten-free so we got a cup of each. The roasted chicken vegetable soup tasted like it was straight out of grandma's kitchen - it was the perfect way to cut through this week of bitter cold, snowy weather. The tomato soup tasted roasted, with a hint of peppers, very thick and delicious, with a garnish of shredded basil on top (they left off the croutons to make it gluten-free). Between the two of us, both cups were almost licked clean.

The arugula prosciutto salad included juicy purple grapes, chunks of celery, and a smattering of mushrooms, tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette. It could have used a little less dressing, and I added a bit of ground black pepper, but overall it was a great combination of sweet and savory flavors.

We couldn't decide on just 2 entrees - we wanted to make sure that we also tried one of their housemade pasta dishes, so we got 3... best decision! My crispy seared salmon was very tender, served on a bed of sweet tomato sauce, peas, and onions. The small clams that came with it had just a tiny bite to them, but excellent flavor when mixed with the sauce. His seared chicken was served with a blossom of prosciutto on top and a basil marinara sauce that made the dish (the chicken had a few spots where it has been seared a touch too much, so the sauce covered it a little.) 

The highlight of the meal was the brisket bolognese. At first, I couldn't wrap my head around the combination of these two concepts, but with the housemade gluten-free fettuccine noodles, it was amazing. It was surprisingly light, as the bolognese sauce was subtly tossed with the noodles. The brisket was melt-in-your-mouth tender and blended perfectly with the sauce and noodles. I am glad I waited to try it until the end of the meal... the perfect crescendo of flavor! 

We walked away, satisfied but not overly stuffed, with enough leftovers to make at least 2 more small meals. Definitely check out this warm, friendly spot - especially during the blast of winter weather we're having!

OVERALL RATINGS:
5.0 stars for service
4.5 stars for food
5.0 stars for decor
4.5 stars for value/price