Memorial Day weekend in Milwaukee

With The Fonz along the River Walk

The great Art Deco doors of the Hotel Metro

On Memorial Day weekend, Bubbler Land hosted us. Leaving Madison at 1pm deposited us in the city at 2:30 or so, and after checking in at the Hyatt Regency and unpacking a bit, we ventured out to explore.

Interior of Loyalty Building

Loyalty Building exterior

Loyalty's staircase with a cute little grrrl posed next to it

The historical display in the entryway caught our eye, and from it, we learned that the Hyatt Regency was built on the site of an attempted assassination of Theodore Roosevelt in 1912. Roosevelt was in town campaigning for the Progressive, or Bull Moose, Party, and stopped at the Hotel Gilpatrick--demolished in 1941--to eat before his speaking engagement at the Milwaukee Auditorium (now Milwaukee Theatre). When he paused outside to wave to the crowds before getting into his car, John Shrank shot him in the chest at close range with a .38. Roosevelt got into his car, and Shrank was promptly arrested.

Cool bowling ball sculpture along the river

 Despite being wounded, Roosevelt insisted on fulfilling his speaking engagement that evening, speaking for 80 minutes before going to a hospital. He announced to the audience that he'd been shot, saying, "It takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose!" Clearly, Teddy's photo resides next to the definition of tough old bird in the dictionary. The speech manuscript and a metal glasses case absorbed most of the force of the bullet, but still. I still would not appreciate being shot at close range, and I wouldn't want to speak for 80 minutes without a bullet hole in my chest.

City Hall

Musssels at Milwaukee Public Market

That afternoon, we shared an appetizer at the St. Paul Fish Company at the Milwaukee Public Market. At $7.95, the steamed Prince Edward Island mussels in white wine and butter were a wonderful deal, especially since we got about 20 of them.

At Hinterland

Brisket burger with arugula salad at Hinterland

Salmon with Chinese black rice and bok choy at Hinterland

Since we had saved ourselves by only having an appetizer for lunch, we indulged in dinner at Hinterland. I had the pan-seared wild Alaskan sockeye salmon with wasabi pea emulsion, bok choy, Chinese black rice, and lump crab-radish salad. It was the first salmon of the season, and it was deliciously fresh and firm. J. had the wood-fired, 1/2-pound ground brisket burger with Carr Valley six-year cheddar, Nueske's bacon, whole grain mustard, and arugula salad. I had a bite, and it was truly decadent and rich.

After dinner, we took a cab to Angelo's Piano Lounge. Since it was still early, we walked down Brady St. for awhile and happened upon a great cigar shop. Even with our stroll, we were egregiously early. When we walked in at 9pm or so, the only people in the joint were there for a birthday party. The music started at 10pm. While his daughter played most of the evening, Angelo himself graced us with a few songs.

After breakfast at the Michigan St. Diner, we spent a chunk of Saturday at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Ceviche at Cubanita's

Cubanita's funky chandeliers and orange walls

Roasted pork

Tropical chicken

That night, we met a friend who lives in Milwaukee for dinner at Cubanita's, a Cuban restaurant right around the corner from the Pfister. To start, we tried their ceviche (shrimp and mussels with green and red peppers, onions, garlic, and lime juice), prettily served up in a martini glass. I sampled their mojito, which was grand. My main dish--tropical chicken--was the most disappointing, but I should've known better than to order chicken in a Cuban joint. Pork is the the obvious specialty, but I stupidly didn't want to order the same entree as one of the others in my party. I'd hoped to feel like I'd been transported to a tropical island by the flavors, but instead, I just got bland, tough chicken. J. was the smart one who chose the lechon asado (roasted pork with a side of mojo). E.W. had the black tiger camarones (shrimp) in garlic-white wine sauce and yellow rice. Those were just ok.

Mitchell Building

Breakfast burrito at The National

French toast sandwich with ham at The National

On Sunday, before leaving town, we had breakfast at The National in Walker's Point. I had the breakfast burrito, which contained egg, cheese, sauteed veggies (onions, peppers), and black bean puree in a tortilla, and on the side, slices of avocado and a spicy salsa. It was substantial and satisfying, and the coffee hit the spot. J. had the special: French toast sandwich with ham. I had a bite, but it was too sweet for me.

Blurry, blurry night

Driving home in the rain