Fat Ladies in Viking Hats

Okay, so there were no fat ladies in Viking hats at Opera in the Park this year. (Here's an intriguing article about the myth that opera singers need to be large to perform.) It was a bit warm at first from lugging our provisions across the park, but once we settled in and the sun went down, it was better. Here's a snapshot of our evening:

Mr. Daley posing in the foreground

Jim's sandal dwarfed my foot

Mike displaying his signature cheerfulness

Feet were definitely a theme

The spread

Recent Greatest Hits from the Kitchen

Sesame-encrusted salmon

Chicken schwarma with stuffed mushrooms and grilled asparagus

Springing into Summer

It was still a bit chilly when we hit the Terrace for the first time this summer (thus, the sweater), but I was still ready and willing to bask in the outdoors.

One of the summer's first trips to the Terrace

Early in the spring, we stumbled on Gallery Night. We saw a glassblowing demonstration at Studio Paran, took in some cool art, grazed on appetizers, ran into John Nichols, and stopped into the Ohio Tavern for a drink. (I probably won't return. It was a bit sketchy for my taste.) 

The classy dispenser in the Ohio Tavern's potty

Glassblowing at Studio Paran

Glassblowing at Studio Paran

In May, we walked up to Monona Terrace and went to the Great Dane for brunch.

In Great Dane's beer garden

A few other shots from the spring:

A spontaneous Happy Hour at the Orpheum with colleagues

.

Mara and Owen visited from the Cities

Sweet Gracie underneath my drying 'brellie

When it was finally warm enough, we had a simple picnic by the lake with BLTs, wine, and salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette

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

Fab Abs Yoga (starts June 20)

I'll be teaching a yoga class centering on abs soon. A few people have signed up, but I I need 6 or 7 for the class to be held.

details:

• M: 6-7pm
• runs: 6/20-8/1 with no class on 7/4 (6 meetings)
• cost: $54.50
• where: Union South

class description:
Here is a powerful yoga set designed to deliver a taut belly and a strong core. Research has shown that excess abdominal fat leads to inflammation-related ailments like heart disease and diabetes. This dynamic class will burn fat with low-impact cardio, strengthen core muscles, and boost your metabolism.

to register:  
Mini Courses has all the registration info.

Umami

I just finished my leftover ramen from Umami Ramen and Dumpling Bar on Willy St., and my belly is hippity-hoppity happy. (The hippity-hoppity thing is a belated nod to the Easter bunny. :)) J. and I ate there last night.

We each ordered tonkatsu ramen (with a garlic bomb add-on to share between the two ramen entrees), and we split a small order of the vegetable dumplings. The tonkatsu ramen contained thick slices of delectable pork, ramen noodles, scallions, bamboo shoots, flavor-infused egg, nori, bean sprouts, and last but definitely not least, a sumptuous pork broth.

I say last but not least for a reason. When I ate the leftover ramen at work, a layer of fatty goodness from the pork broth had congealed on the top of the take-out container. I scraped what I could into my soup, but a few tempting, lardy bits remained. For a few moments, I contemplated weaseling my tongue into the cover's grooves to extract the bits, but I refrained. I'd like to claim that self-restraint was the driving force here, but it was more the thought of a colleague catching me red-tongued (like red-handed, get it?) in such a gluttonous pose. But just so you know, I seriously considered it.

The veggie dumplings were filled with smoked tofu, bok choy, and shiitake mushrooms. Next time, I'd skip them, though. They were less than stellar and occupied valuable gullet space where more delicious ramen could've lived. The shiitakes were the only discernible flavor; the bok choy and smoked tofu were so muted that they got lost in the mix. And even the shiitake flavor vanished when the dumplings were dipped in the too-spicy sauce.

They get a few points off for taking too long to correct the bungled bill. The waiter added other diners' items to our bill, and that's not such a big deal. I'm willing to forgive mistakes if they're handled properly, but the waiter first implied that our claim was questionable. Then, he and the manager took an additional 15 or 20 minutes to remedy the situation.

I'm going to assume the bill issue was a fluke. When I return, I'd like to try the pork buns, the tuna poke, and the apple walnut frisee salad (tart apple, dried cranberries, walnuts, goat cheddar in a light pomegranate mint dressing). And I might just get the tonkatsu ramen again.

Baby Got (Sprained) Back or Driving Miss Erica

Gracie and her gigantor paws during a nap

I spent most of the weekend sprawled on the couch because I sprained my lower back last week. After a mostly sleepless night on Thursday, C. and J. shuttled me to and from the urgent care clinic on Friday. (Thanks, guys!) Since then, I've been communing with my heating pad, taking meds., and doing some world-class snuggling with the catbots. Shifting does a number on the injured muscles, so I've also been abstaining from driving. (Anyone want to recreate Driving Miss Daisy?)

Cannellini with Garlic Sausages

This morning, I visited with J.'s family and welcomed the sun back with a brief walk along the lake. Then I read a bit of the Sunday paper and my book (Stacy Schiff's Cleopatra: A Life). After waking up from my muscle relaxant-induced nap, I made David Rocco's Cannellini with Garlic Sausages (Salsiccie e Fagioli). The recipe calls for rosemary, but I also added a bit of sage to add more depth. I also watched approximately five minutes of Sarah Palin's speech from Saturday, which was about as much as I could stomach. (What can I say? I have a low crap threshold.)

I think this evening holds a bath, some reading, and perhaps an episode of Upstairs Downstairs on PBS.

Elections

I'm looking forward to Monday and Tuesday of this week. Monday, April 4 is the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, so multiple protests and events are scheduled to honor Dr. King's legacy. These efforts are also meant to inspire people to vote on Tuesday, April 5. Meet y'all at the Capitol tomorrow and see you at the polls on Tuesday.