Date night on the cheap
Last night, Adam and I made smart financial decisions. No really, we did! $2 tacos at BelAir Cantina. They run the $2 special every Tuesday and Thursday at their Milwaukee and Tosa locations. I'd never been to BelAir, but had heard only good things — and it was all true. I couldn't wipe the stupidly happy grin off my face.
First of all,
the decor. Very airy and window-y (new word!) with a pleasant hustle and
bustle. I spied patio seating covered with white string lights, but it
was 58 degrees and rainy so we sat at a booth inside. (Thank you,
Wisconsin in June.)
Still, the stupidly happy grin was helped by three — count 'em, three! — kinds of salsa, one more delicious than the next. The green one was our favorite though. And then the tacos. Oh the tacos! Adam went for the carne asada, al pastor (seasoned pork with pineapple), and pollo verde. He particularly raved about the al pastor.
For me, it was the carne asada, baja tilapia, and black bean and corn — all equally tasty. And equally $2. Beans and rice were served on the side, no extra charge, and we finished up with a bill of just $12.73. See? I told you we made smart financial decisions. Next stop: Enchilada Wednesday.
Backyards, books, & nail clippings
This past Sunday, my family got together at my mom's brother Mike's house for eats, chats, and tours of the backyard and not-so-secret libraries. My Uncle Mike and Aunt Kathy are mischief-makers and artists; they teach at Catholic Memorial, where my brother and I went to high school. When school's out for summer, they turn their talents not to sketch books and camera lenses, but to the great outdoors. Their forest-like backyard oasis has been a labor of love these past 20+ years; they've sculpted and nurtured it, and it's ever-evolving.
As Uncle Mike took Adam and me on a mini-hike through the trees, he explained how all of this had once been nothing but dirt. But with time, he and Kathy planted a tree here and a tree there. They built stone walls and eventually hauled those very same boulders to form new forest paths and enclosed plots of foliage and found objects.
Throughout the wooded area there are rustic birdhouses — dozens of them, hanging from trees and perched atop posts plunged deep into the soil. Uncle Mike thinks about five of the houses are currently occupied; Adam and I can attest to at least one such resident. As you walk the various paths, you'll find a sign for "Uncle Tom's Trail" (named for my grandpa's outdoorsy younger brother), a wooden throne, a garden gate that leads to nowhere, and an old bench just waiting for nature-lovers in need of a rest.
Inside the house, it's like a museum. My aunt and uncle are avid collectors of African artwork and masks; the walls are covered with them. Adam gravitated toward the various antique book shelves, trunks, and card catalogs. Sensing our interest in the museum pieces, Aunt Kathy took us upstairs to see the unofficial library, which spans more than one room. An entire wall in the guest bedroom is in fact a book shelf packed with rare finds, and the closet in another spare room gave way to additional book storage long ago. Kathy said Mike knows where every single book is, the story behind each, and how much he bought it for. We didn't test him, but I don't doubt her for a moment.
Back downstairs, we admired (as I do with every visit) the old card catalog in the kitchen. Instead of labeling each drawer with A to Z, Kathy and Mike have given the drawers truly unique contents — things like "Face," "$13," "Peanuts," and "Whiskers and nail clippings." If you're wondering: Yes, the labels are spot-on, nail clippings and all. The "Ewww!" reflex upon opening that drawer results in peals of laughter from my aunt and uncle, which I suppose was their intent all along.
Downtown Dining 2014
When the menus came out for Downtown Dining 2014, there was much drooling and indecision. The premise of Downtown Dining is that for one week only, select Milwaukee restaurants offer a fixed three-course menu for a set price. My friend Rachel was in town from New York for her nephew's high school graduation and I was working the Bead&Button Show all weekend, so we only this one meal to catch up.
After weighing the pros and cons of truffle popcorn vs. burgers topped with cheese curds vs. deep-fried Girl Scout cookies, we consulted the fellas and eventually settled on Indulge.
Indulge is a wine bar near Cathedral Square Park with a welcoming picture window, modern interior, and tall tables with impossibly heavy chairs. Our favorite part of the evening was when the resident wine guru chose a glass of white for Rachel after asking her "What's the first thing you drink in the morning?" (Coffee, black.) She was pleased with his choice in wine, and we were all impressed.
For our dinner selections, we indulged (pun intended) in cheese and charcuterie, truffle popcorn, small but tasty sandwiches, and chocolate & cupcake trios. Ask my tastebuds, they'd tell you that the first course took the cake. Oh to bath in truffle oil!
The sandwiches, though tasty, were small. Adam was rather hung up on that fact and found his ham and gruyere a bit basic. For my part, I must say the Italian sammy is something I can't wait to recreate in my own kitchen: proscuitto, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, and basil pesto mayo all toasted on a baguette.
As for dessert? Meh. Except for the white chocolate, coconut, and bourbon truffle. I wonder if Downtown Dining really shows off the best of each restaurant? I can't say. But I will say this: Despite the so-so food experience, I'd go back. The vibe is winning, the wine and apps are tasty, and the sandwiches show potential — that's enough to get me to Indulge again.
A poem by Lindsey Angisetty
Oh to be a turtle
with your home on your back,
to cuddle inside
when you sense an attack.
Oh to be a lion
with your home in a den,
to supervise your cubs
in a natural play pen.
Oh to be a bee
with your home in a hive,
to buzz all around
with a wail, jump, and jive!
Oh to be a bird
with your home in a nest,
to look out for danger
and keep your babies abreast.
Oh to be a human,
but where is our home?
In a tree like a monkey?
In a hole like a mole?
In a house like a mouse?
Oh no, it can't be!
Our home is in our heart,
with our beloved family.
- - - - - - -
Lindsey wrote "Oh! To be a turtle" for Kaitlyn's family after they suffered a house fire just a few short weeks ago. In all honesty, we chuckled when Linds told us she'd written the Branchaws a poem. Who among us not only writes poetry, but also sends it out into the world?
But when Lindsey read her poem aloud, we got goosebumps, teared up, and all agreed it sounded like a picture book. I can see it now: the cardboard pages, the whimsical artwork — a sweet little lesson taught in rhyme. Never change, Linds. Never change.
The greatest show on earth
All this week and through the weekend, the jewelry magazines at Kalmbach Publishing Co. (where I bat for Team Bead Style) host the Bead&Button Show in downtown Milwaukee. It's a serious event for jewelry lovers, boasting over 300 bead and jewelry vendors and 10+ days of jewelry-making classes — over 700 in all!
Today I took an all-day class in making glass flowers, leaves, and berries. "Making" as in firing up a torch and molding molten glass into the aforementioned bouquet. But that's (hopefully) a story for another day. The fruits of my labor are currently baking in a kiln, so I won't know how story-worthy the goodies are until tomorrow.
After class, it was time to walk the Marketplace: a cavernous exhibit hall packed with vendors selling the stuff of jewelry-makers' dreams. I always drool over the dyed jade. But for today there was no buying, only browsing. And mixing and mingling with artists, prospective advertisers, and magazine contributors like it's my job (because it is). But tomorrow's another day filled with an infinite array of sweet, juicy, bead-y goodness. My pocketbook and I make no promises.
