Milwaukee

Hue Vietnamese

I'd never had spring rolls with grilled pork sausage, so I was a little skeptical; the ones at Hue in Bayview were delicious, so I shall never doubt the wonder of sausage in a spring roll again.

Spring rolls with pork sausage

Chicken pho

Pho sides

Elise was pleased with her chicken pho, but mine (veggie pho with veggie meat added) was somewhat disappointing. The veggie meat, flash-fried tofu, and noodles were abundant; the vegetables (bok choy, carrots, scallions, and a few slices of mushrooms scattered on top), however, were just shreds here and there. I wanted more broth and veg and fewer noodles and less protein. Described as mushroom and star anise, the broth was bland. I was hoping for that kick of chile you usually get. In fact, it was so bland that I just added a bunch of Sriracha and called it a day. Isn't that the solution for many things? ;)

Veggie pho

Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum & Renaissance Garden

Elise and Andy were married at Villa Terrace 13 years ago, and I hadn't ever been to the museum. During my visit, their rotating exhibit was Species & Specimens, of which you'll see representations below. For $12, you get a dual pass to the Charles Allis Art Museum (haven't been yet, but I have my pass ready) and the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum.

Art Deco mirror

Work by Namim Kim

Microscopy by Karen Gunderman

Above: John Ty Bender's Deer in the background and Namim Kim's Circles in the Material World in the foreground.

A work by Dana Childs

The next several pieces are by Charles Timm-Ballard.

The Run

Perched in the Mercury Courtyard

Beans & Barley

Elise and I stopped into Beans & Barley. They bill themselves as a market, cafe, and deli. We didn't eat there, but we have in the past. I picked up some of their marvelous bread and a few fun trinkets (e.g., a blue hedgehog nail brush and a toothbrush holder with badass and a vintage lady on it) that make me giggle. It's a fun place to find a little gift or get something special to eat.

The Oriental Theatre


Before seeing Grand Budapest Hotel, we popped into Hotel Foster (or HoFo, as the natives apparently call it) for a quick drink. After getting our beverages from the hipster bartender (who was sporting a wacky mustache and denim shirt embroidered with rainbows or unicorns or something equally goofy), we sat upstairs. Lovely atmosphere; they just need a less snooty bartender.

The theater itself was gorgeous. I highly recommend a trip just to see the architecture. So few of these gorgeous, Art Deco theaters are still in existence, much less operation. They are historical treasures we should cherish.

Allium

After the movie, we ventured down the street to Allium for a nightcap and some antipasti. We chose the cheese and charcuterie platter and the mushroom pate, both of which were nummy. The mushroom pate (made from a selection of mushrooms and chevre) came with carmelized onions, some tiny peppers, and crackers, and it seems to have vanished from their menu. I hope it makes a reappearance when you visit because it was delish. Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo because we tore into it without thinking. This despite the fact that I ate the lion's share of the bigass bag of popcorn at the theatre.

Haggerty Museum of Art

The Haggerty is UW-Milwaukee's museum, and this was my first sojourn to the little gem. I would highly recommend it. It's a relatively small museum, so you wouldn't get museum fatigue, and during my visit, they had some really special pieces (see below) on exhibit.

The following three pieces are from their permanent collection:

Rustico Pizzeria

The last morning I was there, we popped into Rustico for brunch.

Bloodies!