http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=1195&mname=ArticleGroup POTS AND PANNED en-us 60 By Pat Metz of the Frontpage Milwaukee staff Feb. 9, 2009 Water Street Brewery is located on 1101 N. Water Street in downtown Milwaukee. When I entered, I was greeted by one of several hostesses- the restaurant, that night at least, was staffed primarily by females, including the bartender and manager. We were seated in the back near a window so we could see the beautiful winter decorations on Water Street and beyond. The restaurant was cold for most of the evening, perhaps partially due to the largely stone and glass construction of the 21-year old restaurant. At the bar, Chrissy the bartender recommended an Irish whiskey stout to try, which I quickly decided to purchase. The drink was delicious, with a strong coffee-like flavor accented by the strong bite of the whiskey. It had a strong black coloration and stayed cold for the entire duration of the meal. The dark-roasted barley that is used to make the beverage also lended a very mild chocolate-like flavor, though it is mentioned as stronger in the menu. Since the restaurant is renowned for its giant burgers according to many people I've talked to about eating there, I settled on standard pub fare in a Pub Bacon Cheeseburger, which took roughly 15 minutes to prepare and came served with WSB's unique and trademark potato chips. The potato chips are hand-sliced from whole and new potatoes and carefully seasoned and fried before being served. They were by far the best reason for coming to the restaurant, their sweet but salty flavor accentuated by the strong sour flavor of the stout and the juiciness of the burger. The burger itself was nearly a half pound and was one of the most delicious burgers I've sampled at many restaurants and pubs. It's made with a seeded sesame bun and topped with several slices of your choice of cheese (cheddar in my case) and lettuce, tomato, and onion. The burger was exceptionally juicy and the seasoning was reminiscent of smoked meats you sample at, for example, German restaurants. The bacon was thick-cut and peppered and added a distinctive bite to the sandwich. Apart from the cold atmosphere, the waitress was not there for a large part of the meal and we didn't get to order an appetizer because we couldn't find her to order it. The service could clearly have been better. Grading: 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent) Service (6) Waitstaff was relatively unattentive, but still remained friendly. Bartender was talkative and polite. Atmosphere (8) Decorations made eating experience unique, but the place was very cold. Drink (10) It's what WSB is famous for. Stout was excellent, especially compared to 'name brands' Food: (9) Meal was served warm, except for chips which were a bit cold. Burger was excellent and served with style. OVERALL: 8. WSB is worth a visit, but make sure you bring a coat and get your waitress' attention as quick as you can. Overall a good experience. Table of Contents Link to WSB's main page Link to WSB's menu. You can also pick up a paper copy in the form of a newsletter right at the restaurant! Link to a page on all the interesting contents of WSB, including all its decorations and brewing accessories. Link to a page with comments from the Water Street Brewery Staff on what makes WSB so unique. Confessions of a Pub: What You Will Observe Inside Water Street Brewery. A Brief History of Water Street Brewery Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:28:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20704&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20704&mname=Article Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} By Patrick Metz FPM food beat reporter Dec. 16, 2008 What Makes Milwaukee Famous The cannibal sandwich is an oddity to many places in the world, but not to Milwaukee. This sandwich, raw ground beef and onions on rye bread, has gone from an unknown high-class dish to a Wisconsin holiday tradition, but it’s not the only food that makes Wisconsin special. Milwaukee, and Wisconsin itself, is a placefamous for many things, from our expansive north woods and Wisconsin Dells to our history. Wisconsin has a lot to offer its visitors, but nothing more so than its food. Foods this state are famous for come primarily from our natural resources, including Lake Michigan and our vast dairy farms that produce cheese, milk, pork, and beef every day. We’ve also got a few strange things that are unique to us, such as cannibal sandwiches, smoked fish, and many different kinds of bratwurst. Fish fries and our many custards shops are not unique to just Wisconsin, but many of our restaurants have customized these foods in a way you can only find in this state, and many of our restaurants that serve these foods have become universally known, such as Leon’s Custard and Saz’s. Wisconsin’s Food History Milwaukee was settled in the early 1900s and with it came many German immigrants eager to start a new living in a new land. With them came their foods, which make up much of Milwaukee’s identity, such as bratwurst and beer, which come from our world-famous Usinger’s and Miller plants respectively. Soon afterward came Polish, Italian, and Serbian immigrants, adding to our stockpile of unique foods with what they made best. Much later on, as the years rolled by, came more immigrants, from Thailand, Mexico, and many other countries. What makes each ethnicity unique is the foods they brought here. German Foods -Sausages -Beers -Cabbage and sauerkraut Italian Foods -Pizza -Pasta dishes -Many unique cheeses, such as Gorgonzola Polish Foods -Dumplings -Pierogi “I've frequently heard visitors and newcomers remark, though, on the wealth of ethnic restaurants here, from the old guard that includes Polish, Serbian and Italian to the newer waves of immigrants that include Hmong, Mexican and Thai,” says Carol Deptolla, the food critic for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who recently stepped into the shoes of the legendary critic Dennis Getto, who recently passed away. Making Everyday Foods Uniquely ‘Wisconsin’ While their food is their own and not unique to Wisconsin, the melting pot these people brought together makes our state a special eating experience. In fact, many of these families that helped to found Milwaukee started restaurants such as Mader’s that have become Wisconsin signature. “I’ve never been to a really good Italian restaurant outside of Milwaukee,” says Carolyn Umfress, senior editor for The Leader newspaper on campus. “Especially in Kenosha, there are some amazing family owned restaurants there, Ruffalo’s for instanceDeptolla feels that a lot of the foods that truly identify Milwaukee may not be served only here, but became popular due to their lucky timing of arrival. “I think many of the foods that make up the Milwaukee identity owe a great deal to timing,” says Deptolla.. Fish fries, for example, says Deptolla. “For example, you can find fried fish all over this country,” says Deptolla. “And you can find fish fries there on Fridays in Lent. But in Milwaukee, the fish fry is a year-round ritual. Add to that potato pancakes (latkes), an unusual combo, and you have something that is a Milwaukee (and Wisconsin) institution.” Many of Milwaukee’s signature foods, such as the fish fry, have been done in other places, but Wisconsin, like other states, has added its own unique flair based on its heritage and what it produces, such as dairy products, to make that sort of dish unique to this state and city alone. “I think that's one of the most insanely Wisconsin food things ever. I think everywhere that there are Catholics you're going to have people that eat fish on Fridays, but people in Wisconsin do it up,” says Rob Hausknecht, a cook at the Lakefront Brewery. “We serve about 600-700 dinners on average. They have a polka band, people sit at big tables with other people they don't even know drinking lots and lots of beer. To me, it doesn't get much more Wisconsin than that.” Home Cooking Much of Wisconsin’s food relies heavily on what we do best- dairy products, farm-raised meat, and the many rural products we produce, such as cranberries, wild rice, sour cherries, and smoked fish that can be found at nearly any shop in the state, according to Deptolla. Another example is the ‘cannibal sandwich.’ “Cannibal sandwiches- raw ground beef on rye with thin slices of onion, or chopped onion mixed into the beef- certainly weren’t invented in Milwaukee,” says Deptolla. “Steak tartare has been around forever. However, they have certainly been embraced here, particularly for special occasions such as the holidays, especially New Year’s Eve, and parties.” The sandwich has been made famous largely by the many small locations that serve it as well as its reputation as an oddity that drives many people to try it, as well as our large supply of beef we have available. Certain cities in Wisconsin are known for their specific products as well, such as Racine’s kringles, and the many wineries that dot cities up north, like the Door Peninsula Winery in Door CountyBrats, Beer and Cheese- Wisconsin’s Main Ingredients Brats, beer and cheese are hallmarks of Wisconsinite culture and come from our rich heritage and the products we have on hand. Over the last few years, says Deptolla, Wisconsin is beginning to mirror is origins, with dozens of small local breweries, microbreweries and brands popping up all over. It seems like almost everyone has their own unique recipe for beer to share with the world. Bratwurst is special to us, largely due to Usinger’s sausage, formed in 1880 by Fred Usinger, a wurstmacher (sausage maker) from Frankfurt, Germany who came to Wisconsin for the same reason many others did: a chance at a better life. He and his new wife set to work making their sausages, which have now been around for almost 130 years. Today, the company is still run by a member of the Usinger family, Fritz Usinger. The company offers its products worldwide, making our Wisconsin sausages as synonymous with Milwaukee as Harley-Davidson Motorcycles. Cheese, too, has been here since the beginning, with literally hundreds of varieties coming from Wisconsin’s many cows. While California may now be the biggest producer of cheese, Wisconsin is always thought of first- we are the Dairyland State after all. Arena Cheese in Arena, and several other companies, are well-known for their giant cheese-wielding mice statues that stand in front of their stores where they produce Wisconsin-made cheese curds, shredded cheese, and rich bricks of cheddar, Colby jack, and Swiss decorating their windows and delicately aging, just waiting to be eaten. As unique as Wisconsin is, eating our sausage and cheese (and cannibal sandwiches) every day would quickly get boring, so our strongest food source is our diversity. “Things like fish fries and custard, I love them. But if that's all I had to eat I'd hate them pretty quick,” says Hausknecht. “I like Milwaukee because we have some of the best choices around. When I went to New Orleans, I had Cajun food. When I went to San Francisco I had very natural food. When I went to Jamaica I had jerk chicken and lots of seafood. When I'm in Milwaukee, I can have any of those. I think that's what makes Milwaukee unique.” For more information on eating in Milwaukee, visit www.wisdairy .com for information on our cheeses and dairy products and foodspot.com and explorewisconsin.com for more detailed information on where to eat your favorite foods in Wisconsin. You can read Carol Deptolla’s food reviews in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel or at jsonline.com. There’s a world of food out there in Wisconsin- what are you waiting for? Tue, 16 Dec 2008 23:18:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20234&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20234&mname=Article By Patrick Metz Frontpage Milwaukee food critic Nov. 18, 2008 The State of the Union: Student Migrate Towards Healthier Foods Your 11:50 morning class has just let out, and you’re feeling hungry as always. The Union is just a short walk away, and you’ve got a half hour- more than enough time to grab a bite to eat. The standards are all there; your choice of a bounty of pizzas, tacos, and subs - quick food that will get you fueled and on your way. The lines are long, so you scan for the quickest one and decide on your favorite meal. You look around at your fellow students and wonder what they’re eating and why. Even with the economy dipping low, most students at the Union say they eat there for one of two reasons. “It’s fast,” says Caitlyn Szypulski, who said that she only bothered eating at the Union when other options had run out and if she was in the area. “And it’s usually cheap.” Quick, easy, and cheap being the operative words. Students with food responded that the food on campus was quick and convenient, and made it a lot less challenging to get a quick fix between classes. Caitlyn, like many other students, is concerned about something besides money, and that’s the choice of healthy or at least non-fried options available for the common student. Szypulski’s friend Erin Dailey concurred, saying that “the only food on campus that’s at least decent for your body is too expensive.” Dailey and Szypulski said that they usually ended up getting the same thing about once a week, most likely tacos or subs, or simply picking up a coffee and donut in the morning. Both students commented that the only way to get a reasonably healthy sandwich or salad was likely to cost you around $8 for a meal at the Union Station or Kenwood Inn as opposed to the $5 to $6 they said they usually spent on a meal, more than they were willing to spend.According to the Union’s Restaurant Operations page, Pacific Wraps and City Subs are best-known for their vegetarian and vegan alternatives, but their style of food doesn’t work for all those students who prefer to eat vegetarian. In a world where organic, fresh, and healthy are key to many students, many of them also feel that there’s not enough of it available Avoiding the Union “I never eat at the UWM Union anymore,” says vegetarian and student Katie Milella. “I've tried it a couple of times and found the experience of making my way through the crowds obnoxious and actually finding a seat is next to impossible. Also, I don't eat meat and their vegetarian options are completely disgusting.” Dailey and Szypulski concurred, saying that even the items that passed as healthy, such as wraps, were usually full of mayonnaise or too greasy for their liking. While Milella was completely turned off to the idea of eating at the Union, Dailey and Szypulski said that they wanted to see more health-conscious items to purchase, like salads without layers of cheese and meat. Still, the easiness of a quick meal and difficulty in transporting a meal from home still keep business in the Union rolling, though in different directions. Restaurant manager Zak Romuald has noticed a subtle shift in power over the last year. “There’s about the same amount of people eating as previous years,” says Romuald. “It’s difficult to tell, because there are so many people. If you watch though, students are going for the healthier stuff, like subs and wraps.” Vegetarian alternatives? Many of the restaurants, however, do offer alternatives that serve as at least passable to vegetarians, if not palatable. City Subs offers the all-cheese Cedarburg sub and Greenfield hummus sub, both with standard sub toppings such as lettuce and tomato, while Pacific Wraps serves the tofu-stuffed San Francisco and marinated Mediterranean Veggie wraps. Even Burger King offers a veggie burger, though it’s far too tempting to get an order of hot fries with it to make it a perfect alternative. A simple look around at plates and trays near the Union confirm Romuald’s feelings, though it’s easy to find a box of Burger King fries sitting next to a garden salad with light dressing or a big slice of cheese bread perched next to a vegetarian wrap. Hopefully the Union restaurants will go in the direction of restaurants like McDonald’s and do their best to cater to a wider variety of students and maybe even draw in some newcomers, but up to that same student to resist that temptation and at least look at getting a diet soda instead of a regular. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:38:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19898&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19898&mname=Article