Groppi's and Highbury

What: Groppi’s

Where: 1441 E. Russell Ave, Bay View

When: Saturday, January 11, 2013

It was inevitable that I would make my way to Groppi’s before too long.  I’ve visited all of the surrounding establishments: Palomino, Cactus Club, Garibaldi’s.  It was a lazy Saturday afternoon.  Adam and I had just left the Highbury.  The Highbury is another fine pub with a special place in our hearts.  The Highbury is a soccer bar.  If you have never been to a soccer bar, you are missing out one of life’s sweetest feelings.  My most memorable Highbury experience was when we lived in Tosa in 2009.  Adam’s team, Manchester United, was playing on a Saturday morning.  Mind you, the games are shown live, from England.  With the time zone difference, the game started around 6:00am.  Adam and I didn’t have a car at the time, so we crawled out of bed earlier than one should on a weekend morning.  We got dressed in our Man U gear and headed to the bus stop.  We took the 10 Bus to downtown, walked to where we would pick up the 15 and waited.  It’s approximately 5:30 in the morning.  We’re standing on a corner in downtown Milwaukee, and it starts snowing.  There is nobody out on the streets.  No traffic.  It was one of those magical life moments that warms your soul when recalled.  The bus arrives and we snuggle together while travelling down KK.  We get off the bus across the street from the Highbury.  The snow is falling and it’s eerily silent.  As we open the doors to the Highbury, we’re met with a deafening roar.  

A typical soccer game at the Highbury

The bar is packed with fans in soccer jerseys, drunk with excitement.  The warmth of the room warms our cheeks, as we belly up to the bar for a Bloody Mary.  The next 90 minutes are filled with an electricity only soccer fans can produce.  The game ends, we leave the bar and it’s an interesting feeling being a little tipsy at 8am.  

Friends gather at the Highbury

Highbury Buds

The sense of community to be felt by a bar full of soccer fans at 6am is so special.  This Saturday was not quite as exciting as that first trip to the Highbury, but now there is a familiarity when we go.  We watched Barcelona play an exciting game, then headed out to pick up some food for dinner.   We headed to Groppi’s to see what options we could find there.

The G. Groppi Food Market was opened in 1913 by an Italian family who lived in Bay View.  Local historian, John Manke, has a very insightful description of the Groppi family history.  You can find more information here.

The small market is quite packed with an assortment of delicious local and fresh food.  There are fresh meats, fresh baked goods, a deli, beautiful produce, and a great cheese selection.  I also have to mention that their beer selection was exquisite and had a fantastic selection of Wisconsin beers, including some of my favorites from O’so, Hinterland and Central Waters Breweries.  After browsing the food selections, we picked out some local honey and a Milwaukee Pizza Company frozen pizza.  

Delicious Pizza. Nom. Nom.

As I mentioned, there is an array of local products.  The only complaint I have heard about Groppi’s is that the prices can be a little steep.  There’s no denying that prices are higher than the chain grocery stores, but an occasional trip for high quality local products to support a community establishment is definitely a must.  I look forward to discovering what treasures I can find at Groppi’s over time!

County Clare Fish Fry

What: County Clare Fish Fry

When: Friday, January 10, 2013

Cost: $13

The County Clare has been at the top of my Fish Fry list since I visited Adam in September and we went for dinner on a Friday night.  We didn't order the fish fry, but saw the scrumptious plates of fellow patrons that night.  The County Clare is an Irish Pub, Restaurant and Inn located in downtown Milwaukee.  This is one of our favorite restaurants in Milwaukee.  Adam used to live across the street, in an apartment at the Astor Hotel.  When he was in grad school, he would go to the County Clare and sit in the Saint’s Snug, next to the fire, and sip on a Guinness as he studied his books.  After I moved to Wisconsin in 2009, one of our first outings was to the County Clare.  We ordered the curry fries and a shepherd’s pie.  In the numerous times since then that I have been to the County Clare, I refuse to order anything else.  The shepherd’s pie is not made with the typical ground beef.  Instead, they use the juiciest, tastiest shredded beef.  The mashed potatoes on top bring tears to my eyes they’re so delicious!  That, paired with the curry fries and a perfectly poured Guinness, is such a satisfying meal.  It was difficult for me to go to the Clare and not order this, but I did in the name of my research of fish fries.  

I was not disappointed.  The plate included 10 ounces of Smithwick’s hand battered fried cod, rye bread, coleslaw, tartar sauce and mashed potatoes. (One could choose fries over mashed potatoes, but I don’t know that you would after having their mashed potatoes).  The meal did not disappoint.  The fish was perfectly battered and had a fantastic flavor.  It wasn't too dry.  It was not too crispy, nor too soft.  The County Clare has catapulted itself to the top of my list of my favorite fish fry.  The experience was topped off by enjoying this amazing meal in a cozy Irish pub, surrounded by great friends!  This shall be difficult to beat!

Lake Michigan and Hue

When I originally created my Lizt, I did so with the intention to experience all the wonderful things Milwaukee has to offer.  I’ve already learned that there is so much more to discover in this city than the measly list I came up with.  I moved to Milwaukee excited to be among friends in a fun city.  The one point I was a little let down about was that there are no mountains.  I am a mountain girl.  

Me and My Mountains 

(Asheville, 2007.  Photo cred to baby brother, Jason)

My family originated from the Basque Pyrenees, I went to school in the Appalachians, I married my husband in the Rockies, and skiing down any mountain is the only physical activity I seem to be coordinated enough to accomplish.  To permanently settle in a city with no mountains was a minor disappointment.  When looking for a house in Milwaukee, we were encouraged by friends to look at houses closer to the lake (incidentally, closer to them!)  We listened and the first few days in our house, we took the dogs on a walk to Lake Michigan.  What a beautiful site to look out across a serene lake, with downtown Milwaukee shinning behind it!  I continued to return every day of that first week in the fall, walking through Bay View Park or South Shore Park.  Once I permanently moved here in late December, walks were fewer and father between with icy sidewalks and the fantastic Warnimont Dog Park to exhaust Razza and Gabe’s energies.  Then last week happened.  Last week, we had wind-chills hitting near -50 for about 48 hours.  I like cold weather.  I do not like whatever that was.  Schools were closed, public offices were closed. The only reason for us to go outside was to run to our cars.  Cars that needed to be started and run every few hours so that it would start when you needed them to.  There were countless coworkers and friends who had cars that wouldn’t start.  We got a warning light on our car for low tire pressure (air shrinks in the cold).  After the “polar vortex” passed, it warmed up to the 20’s and I had never been so happy to see double digits in the forecast!  Two days after the brutal freeze had ended, it was warm enough for me to take a mid-morning walk with the dogs.  Bundled up, we headed down to the Lake for our normal walk.  As we approached Bay View Park, a kind gentleman stopped to pet the dogs.  He remarked that he had heard the lake was frozen to the breakers.  He said he didn’t remember the last time that had happened, but with the number of sub-zero days, it was inevitable.

Frozen Lake Michigan

We decided to take a closer look, so went down to the beach below the park.  The lake was absolutely stunning.  I never knew ice could be so beautiful! I never knew the LAKE could be so beautiful!  

Razza Loves Snow

Happy Gabe at Lake Michigan

We walked north along the beach and admired the wonders of nature.  At one point, I stopped to take a picture and take in the serene setting.  We were below the sounds of the street, all alone on the path.  As I was taking it all in, I heard a noise.  I had never heard it before, but immediately knew what it was.  Lake Michigan was melting.  The ice was cracking, shifting.  And just like that, I didn’t regret the lack of mountains.  I have a lake, a beautiful, majestic lake, whose ever changing face I can witness every day. 

Two days later, Adam and I took a walk to the lake with the dogs to heal from the Panther’s loss and watched miniature ice bergs crash into the banks of the beach.  The thaw had turned the solid frozen hunk of lake into hundreds of massive chunks of ice, dancing in the waves of the lake. 

Melted Lake

Since I have lived here, I have seen the lake numerous times, driving up and down Shore Drive or Superior.  Not once has it failed to take my breath away.  I never thought I could be so smitten with a lake.  I think “Lake Michigan Blue” is my new favorite color.

After my walk to the lake with the dogs, I rushed to meet a friend at a fantastic restaurant, Hue.  I’ve been here before, but I have to mention this place.  It’s a Vietnamese restaurant on Kinnickinnic.  The first time I went, the waitress recommended the Vegetarian Pho with the flash fried tofu.  I’ve never been a fan of tofu, but I am when it’s made this way!  The Pho has incredibly fresh veggies and herbs and the broth is outstanding.  I have never ordered any other dish at Hue because I can’t peel myself away from this one.  After a long walk on a cold winter’s day by the lake, the warmth rejuvenates your senses and makes your soul relax into a comfortable calm.  It makes me appreciate the winter and the cold, so I can experience the power of soup!

Serb Hall Fish Fry

What: Serb Hall Fish Fry

When:  Friday, January 3, 2014

Cost: $12

Upon my research of Milwaukee, I would frequently see recommendations of certain Fish Fries to attend.  One was Lakefront, where I went with Adam in November.  I love every aspect of Lakefront.  First their beer, then their beautiful cream city brick building.  I first did the tour on my first trip to Milwaukee in 2009.  It happened to be on my birthday and one of the owners (one of the brothers) gave the tour and, because it was my birthday, I got the bung hole.  I still have it.  A couple of years later, here on a Christmas visit, John G., Jess, Adam and I bought the very first bottle of their IBA.  We had gone on the tour of the brewery and were told of this magical India BLACK Ale.  The tour guide said they had just finished bottling the first batch, but wasn’t sure when it would be available for sale.  As we sat in the tasting room afterwards, enjoying their other pleasant beers, the first batch available for sale went into the coolers.  John G. moved fast like a gazelle to the counter and bought the first bottle.  Two years later, I would cry with happiness when Adam found a bottle of Lakefront IBA at a beer retailer in North Charleston.   Of course I had to experience their fish fry, so the first Friday night in our new home, Adam and I went to Lakefront and had some fish and beer.  As if that wasn’t amazing enough, there was a Polka band.  Enough said. 

The other Milwaukee establishment known for their fish fry is Serb Hall (Sir Paul?).  The American Serb Memorial Hall was opened in 1950 and nearly every US President elected since then has visited this hall.  The facilities include a bowling alley and they were hosting a Big Gun Show the weekend we visited.  What the hall is perhaps best known for is their fish fry on Friday nights.  Our friends John W, John G, and Jess joined us for family style plates of fried fish, cole slaw, and French fries.  It was decent, but the experience was truly complete by being surrounded by swell Wisconsinites with swell Wisconsin accents.  The hall slightly reminded me of the Saturday night fish fry we would go to growing up at the Masonic Temple on Steele Creek road:  The large banquet room with fold out, long tables, and the smell of fried fish.  As a kid, I always looked forward to those occasional Saturday nights.  I really want to experience as many fish fries as I can, to come to my own conclusion and have my own opinion on the “best” fish fry in Milwaukee.  I’ve asked a handful of people what their favorite fish fry is, and every single person is different.  Ask me in a year, and I’ll tell you my favorite fish fry :)

St. Sava Serbian Orthodox church, shining brightly and beautifully in the parking lot of Serb Hall!

Milwaukee Public Library

What: Milwaukee Public Library Card

When:  Friday, January 3, 2013

Cost: Free

This Lizt has officially begun!  When I initially came up with the idea of doing this Lizt and timing fell into place with the job transfer, I made the decision to kick off the Lizt with the Polar Bear Plunge.  What better explosion to start the year of 2014, the year of my Milwaukee Lizt, than to plunge into an icy Lake Michigan with my fellow daring Milwaukee brethren??  As the date inched closer, the news was not good.  The temperatures kept dropping to unseasonably low degrees.  I ran across an article two days before the plunge recommending anyone who wasn’t a seasoned plunger to not take the risk.  With wind chills in the negative 20s predicted, I thought long and hard, and came to the decision that this would be dangerous and stupid.  As someone who has 1) never attempted the plunge and 2) only been in winter temps for approximately 10 days, this was not the right time to try this.  Instead, I’ve decided to let the Polar Bear Plunge be my finishing touch on my first year in Milwaukee!  After hearing horror stories from the plunge, of people being ‘rescued’ from the lake, as well as people emerging with blue feet and scrapes up and down their legs from the ice chunks floating in the lake, I think I made a smart choice.  I decided to stick with this theme of smart choices, so I would make the smartest choice of all to be the first event on my Lizt.  I am now the proud owner of a Milwaukee Public Library Card! 

Icy Lake Michigan! Ice! Floating! Beautiful!

This adventure began on a chilly Friday morn.  Though I live south of downtown, I ventured out of my neighborhood to explore the Villard St neighborhood.  It just so happens that my most favorite Librarian of all time, Jess, works at the MPL on Villard!  Upon entering the building and hunting her down, I surprised her by screaming “Excuse me, Ma’am! I would like to sign up for a library card!”  My excitement may have made me momentarily forget that I was, in fact, IN. A. LIBRARY.  Luckily, I wasn’t immediately ejected and instead was given some very helpful information from the library’s staff.  For example, now that I have a card, I can check out 100 items at once.  (After my probationary period, when I can only check out 5 items at a time!)  How exciting!  Do you know the last time I had a library card?  I think it was when I lived in Charlotte.  That was 12 ½ years ago.  I’d like to thank the staff at the Milwaukee Public Library for your help in expanding my options of books to explore!

No. 1 Librarian, Jess, presenting me with my Library Card!

To briefly discuss the weather situation, I would like to say that I am quite pleased with the amount of snow we’ve had.  In Milwaukee, 23 of the last 28 days have had at least a dusting of snow.  There has been some shoveling of the driveway, but it hasn’t been as awful as some people described it.  The cold hasn’t been terribly unbearable.  But…that’s all about to change.  Monday, the high is -11.  Yes, that’s a negative sign in front of the 11.  And yes, I did say the high.  The wind-chill could get down to the -50’s.  I don’t even know what that means!  Fortunately, this is just a 24 hour problem and then it should head back up to the seasonable temps on Tuesday.  I’ve enjoyed bundling up and walking to our favorite local pub, Blackbird, as well as to visit our friends.  The usual cold (10’s – 30’s) can be chilly, but I’ll take it any day over hot and humid! 

Now that the Lizt has started, and I have posted the link on the side bar, please help me check these items off AND add to the Lizt!!  I’m so excited to be here and am looking forward to truly living and enjoying every moment of the next year!  Happy New Year!