Grab a New York slice in Milwaukee
I love in The Office when Michael Scott goes to "get me a New York slice!" — and goes to Sbarro. Lucky for us in Milwaukee there's actually giant slices of pizza in the New York style at Classic Slice in Bay View. Check this slice — it wouldn't even fit in the frame!
The crust is hand-tossed and perfectly thin-but-not-too-thin. The toppings: fresh. Everything about this pizza was delicious and I want to go back and try more kinds. While I loved the fresh basil and mozzarella, I was envying my cohorts with their cheese and pepperoni. Sometimes you just want greasy and indulgent, you know?
Pre-pizza, we ordered cheesy breadsticks (because who doesn't need some bread and cheese before their bread and cheese?) and fried macaroni and cheese. First up, the cheesy breadsticks: Yummy. Especially delicious with the ranch dipping sauce. Mmmm ranch.
The fried macaroni and cheese: Not worth it. I know that sounds like blasphemy, but they just weren't all that. They were kind of bland and not ooey-gooey cheesy. The best thing about them was, again, the ranch dipping sauce — therefore, not worth it.
I've heard that the jalapeño poppers are awesome, so I plan to try those next time. Anyone else have a Classic Slice favorite? Holler in the comments so we can help each other live deliciously!
Hayao Miyazaki comes to the big screen in Bay View
If you're a fan of animation and children's movies and haven't seen anything by Japan's famous Hayao Miyazaki, you're missing out on a hugely wonderful, magical, and genius slice of the genre. Whether you'd be experiencing Miyazaki's work for the time, or if you're an established fan like me, this is the time to catch some select Studio Ghibli films on the big screen right here in Milwaukee.
Every week in March, the Avalon movie theater in Bay View will play a different Miyazaki movie. You'll have three chances to see each one: Tuesday or Thursday at 9pm (in Japanese with English subtitles) and at 10:30 Saturday mornings (dubbed in English for the kiddies). This week it's My Neighbor Totoro, the first Miyazaki movie I ever saw and one of my favorites. I can't wait for more in the upcoming weeks.
Tickets are just $5 and can be purchased online (for $6). When my brother and I went to the Tuesday night Totoro showing, the place was packed and the line was practically out the door. I suggest getting your tickets ahead of time and arriving early.
Formerly Antiques on Second
Once upon a time, there was a three-storey antique shop in Walker's Point, Milwaukee. Antiques on Second was a maze of goodies — and some baddies (but let's turn a blind eye on the creepy dolls, shall we?).
Somewhat recently, the shop moved from Second Street to Pierce Street — just a stone's throw away, really. Adam and I finally made it over to the new digs this past weekend. I especially loved the welcoming street signage, complete with a patchwork packing-tape job.
If you're in search of old favs, it's mostly all there. Even that freaky wood carving of a mustachioed man wearing a real fur hat ((shivers)). Other gems from this trip: a carousel of plastic ponies, bright nesting dolls, and a trio of Oscar Mayer weenie whistles.
Adam says he prefers the old location on Second Street to the new Pierce Street shop, but I told him he probably just needs to get used to it and learn where everything is — as do we all. Either way, Antiques on Pierce is certainly well worth getting lost in for an hour or two. The store is open daily from 10:00 to 5:00. Happy antiquing!
Local and global goodies on Milwaukee's East Side
Though Beans & Barley is probably most well known for its healthy café creations, I love it just as much for its gift shop and mini marketplace. I’ve already written about their greeting cards — many from local Milwaukee artists — and those cards keep me coming back. It’s nice to know that, if I need a small gift to go with a card, I can usually count on Beans & Barley in that department, too.
The shop isn’t big, but its collection of must-have (or must-give) trinkets and treasures is vast. Recently I’ve bought die-cut dinosaur earrings, felted and paper garland, and whimsical candle-sticks as gifts for friends. I’ve also treated myself to some fancy soaps and a little mug with a dog that (if you squint) looks like Pippin.
There are giftables of the more practical variety: shapely candles (many made locally), exotic table linens, and charming kitchenware. There are children’s picture books and toys, richly-hued scarves, stone paper weights, and an aisle filled with tea in pretty tins.
Then there are the marvelously useless presents: pocket-sized music boxes, miniature rubber cats and “Frog to Prince” (just add water!), and crystal-growing kits. Though it’s off-season, this gift shop has “stocking stuffer” written all over it. Buying for people seems harder than ever these days, but I love knowing I can always turn to Beans & Barley for something small that’s sure to draw a smile.
Once you’ve found your gift of choice, there are not only the aforementioned awesome cards to pick from, but lovely wrappings, too. And as you do your shopping, you can order a drink or something to eat from the deli. Last time we were there, Adam and I shared a coco-kale smoothie (sounds awfully green, tastes awfully great!) and a tuna melt. Tasty eats while boutiquing — it's a shopper's dream!
Basic ingredients get seriously scrumptious
I love hearty, healthy dishes that come together quickly and easily. I also love it when I find a recipe that actually doesn't need any tweaking. Most times I find myself adjusting spices or salt, but not this vegetarian chili from Cookie and Kate. Okay actually I did make one change: I swapped the celery for more bell peppers. I just don't like what happens to celery in soups, what can I say?
Anyway, with that one little substitution, I can safely say I'm obsessed with this chili. I've happily eaten it four times this week for dinners or lunches, and I want more. Shouldn't I be sick of it by now? But I'm not! I even brought some to my parents house to share, and both my mom and dad texted me separately the next day to say how much they loved it. To quote my dad: "WINNER WINNER CHILI DINNER!!!!" Yep: a bad pun rendered in all caps, topped off with a string of exclamation marks. He's my favorite texter/dad joker.
- - - - - - -
VEGETARIAN CHILI
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
2 TBS olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
2–3 carrots (depending on size), chopped
1/2 tsp salt, divided
4 cloves minced garlic (or 2 tsp jarred)
2 TBS chili powder (yes TBS!)
1 tsp cumin
1 and 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
2 15-oz. cans petite diced tomatoes with their juices
2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp lime juice
chopped cilantro, avocado, shredded cheddar, sour cream (to garnish)
WHAT YOU'LL DO
1. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, warm 2 TBS olive oil until shimmering. Add chopped onion, bell peppers, carrots, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir to combine, then cook until the veggies are tender and the onion translucent, stirring occasionally — about 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano. Cook until fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute.
3. Add diced tomatoes and their juices, drained/rinsed black and pinto beans, vegetable broth, and bay leaf. Stir to combine, then bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove from heat.
4. For the best texture and flavor, transfer 1 and 1/2 cups chili to a blender and blend until smooth (or transfer to a bowl and use an immersion blender like I did). Pour the blended mixture back into the chili. *Note: If you don't want to blend it, you can use a potato masher to get a more chili-like consistency. The consistency is key — don't skip this step!
5. Add chopped cilantro and lime juice; stir to combine. Taste the chili, and add another 1/4 tsp salt if desired (I did!). Serve with more chopped cilantro, avocado, shredded cheddar, and sour cream.
- - - - - - -
Make this chili. Eat this chili. Love this chili. Tell your friends.
A 50s-style breakfast & burger joint in Milwaukee
I'm always surprised when people haven't been to Miss Katie's Diner, but that's probably just because I lived mere blocks away from it during college. I remember they always made something as simple as eggs and toast taste great, and the same holds true today.
Miss Katie's is nothing fancy, but that doesn't mean it's nothing special. It's been in business for 25 years and has a unique 1950s diner theme that looks and feels like a snapshot in time. Even the waitresses' uniforms harken back to a jukebox golden age.
Speaking of the waitresses, I've always found the gals at Miss Katie's to be a little, well, gruff. I know I'm generalizing and typically you'd rather have servers of the Tour Guide Barbie variety, but it actually adds to the Miss Katie's charm. The composite Miss Katie's waitress in my mind is a surly chain-smoker named Blanche with a heart of gold. See? Charm up the wazoo.
If you're still not convinced that Miss Katie's is worth a trip, wait til you hear about the celebrities. Both Hilary Clinton and Michelle Obama have dined at Miss Katie's, each of their tables immortalized with a sign overhead. Our group actually sat at the Hillary table. Whatever your political leanings, it's pretty cool that a couple of First Ladies visited Miss Katie's of all the eateries in Milwaukee.
Need more? There are milkshakes and malts, pinball machines and a long bar lined with stools. As for what the rest of my party ordered for breakfast, there was Eggs Benedict (too much to finish in one sitting, but worthy of a to-go box), a cheesy omelet, golden pancakes (which I was told tasted like McDoland's pancakes — but he meant that in a good way), and steak & eggs. Happy campers one and all!
A few weeks back, I was lucky enough to sit in on a rehearsal for The Invisible Hand, a play that just opened at the Milwaukee Rep this past weekend. According to the Rep's website, the story is "a tale of kidnapping and world financial markets." Now that I've seen it, I can safely say The Invisible Hand is so much more than that.
Playwright and Pulitzer Prize winner Ayad Akhtar was at the rehearsal I saw and explained what he hoped folks would get out of his play: a richer vision of the world, raised consciousness, and something to think and talk about. Mission accomplished. I've been mulling over The Invisible Hand's fiery words, sizzling action, and impassioned performances for almost three days now.
To expand on the Rep's simple summary, The Invisible Hand follows an American banker named Nick (played grippingly by Tom Coiner) who is being held hostage by a militant group in Pakistan. Nick persuades his captors to let him use his skills with the stock market to earn his ransom of $10 million. I know next-to-nothing about the stock market, but as Nick explains his trades to his captors, the audience gets schooled. It's a nice approach an otherwise convoluted subject.
Much emphasis is put on stocks and money, but also the bigger question of money as power and how that power affects us as humans. Each character in The Invisible Hand has their own journey and struggle with power — most starting on opposite ends of the spectrum, but all meeting somewhere in the middle.
The actors in this Rep production bring such fierce performances to the stage, it's easy to get caught up in each character's carefully-crafted arc. Akhtar wrote an ensemble of men into being that, though three of the four would be viewed as the enemy to an American audience, you feel for each of them as well-rounded characters. Of course it's easy to feel for Nick: powerless, desperate, and American — something we can relate to. But what's special about this play is how, at times, the audience is called to feel for the enemy.
Imam, the leader of Nick's captors (played by the commanding Tony Mirrcandani with his booming Tevye of a voice), is shown to be manipulative and wastes no time asserting his power — a power that, at first, has little to do with money. Imam's stooge and fighter-in-training is Dar (played with quiet nuance by Owais Ahmed), a man who begins timid and non-threatening but is slowly groomed into a weapon.
The second-in-command, Bashir (rousingly played by Shalin Agarwal), is a UK transplant who came to Pakistan to fight for a cause he believes in. He gets the most stage time as Nick's vocal, belligerent opponent and partner in stock trading. Bashir begins ruthless, hating all that Nick stands for, but working side-by-side the two find some middle ground — and arguably a bit of friendship. Watching Bashir's relationship with Nick, we see that stereotypes go both ways and that time spent in each other's company can break down those walls. However, the thirst for power is ever-threatening.
Yes there's a lot to The Invisible Hand: A hostage, stocks, the threat of the Middle East, stereotypes, power struggles, religion, ruthless acts, questions like "What is power?" and "Who's responsible?", and I could go on. With so much to take in, it's impossible to go out into the world unaffected. Like I said, I've been mulling over this Milwaukee Rep production for the past three days — everything from the brilliant performances to the smart set design to the story itself and the real world questions it poses. Clearly The Invisible Hand is still working its power over me.
The Invisible Hand is playing now through April 3rd at the Milwaukee Rep. Find more info and tickets at milwaukeerep.com.
