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!

In The Beginning

Hi! I’m Liz. Welcome to the documentation of my first year as a Milwaukeean!  It’s December 2013 and after much headache, heartache, but more importantly joy, I have arrived in Milwaukee.  My relationship with Milwaukee began in 2008.  I kissed my parents goodbye with tears in my eyes and left my home in North Carolina to join the Peace Corps.  (See "Second Star to the Right") Before departing for Africa, the Peace Corps gathered all of the future Mauritanian volunteers in Atlanta for last minute rabies and yellow fever shots and a briefing on what to expect.  It was here that I met a dashing young lad named Adam.  Adam-from-Milwaukee was handsome and funny and I fancied him.  The year that followed would consist of stories of back home to distract our minds from the endless days of sweltering heat.  Often, Adam would enchant me with stories of this magical land where rivers of beer flowed and cheese curds danced across dinner tables. 

Adam and Liz in Mauritania:

Upon our return to the states, I immediately flew to Milwaukee to confirm Adam’s stories were not exaggerated.  The drive from the airport to his parent’s house in Waukesha was truly a special moment.  Milwaukee immediately impressed me.  After passing St. Stanislaus and the clock tower, downtown came into view, with the brilliant blue sky as the back drop and Lake Michigan sparkling for miles to my right.  I knew this was a city I wanted to experience.  In the months that would follow, Adam and I would move to Wauwatosa.  I would be embraced with open arms by his amazing friends and family.  I would meet countless kind Milwaukeeans who were fiercely proud of their city. Just when I was starting to really enjoy my new home, I was offered a job I couldn’t refuse in Charleston, SC.  We made the move and tried really hard to love it.  Three months into the move, we realized this was not home; Milwaukee was.  After three years of living in Charleston and racking up Delta miles going back and forth to Milwaukee, we sold our house, found new jobs and bought our new home in Milwaukee. 

Winter 2009 in 'Tosa

Our African Dog, Razza, loving the snow!

New Heezy in Bay View: November 2013

Our Savannah pup Gabe enjoying the snow.  Razza doing yoga in the garage.

As thrilled as I am to live in a beautiful neighborhood where we can walk to our favorite bar, Lake Michigan, and to 10+ friends’ houses, I don’t want to get comfortable and never leave said awesome neighborhood.  I want to really experience Milwaukee and get to know this city that I fell in love with at first sight.  I want Milwaukee to become my city; my home.  I was told by many people “You need to do this!” “You need to do that!” so I sat down and started a list.  The list grew and grew with the more research I did about Milwaukee.  I called it my Lizt (get it?! LIZ-t!!)  I decided to document my Lizt for a few reasons. 

1) For myself.  I want to hold myself to this.  I don’t want to get lazy and put off what’s on the Lizt. I feel that by documenting when I check off items from the Lizt, it will force me to get out and experience the city. 

2)  For the haters.  Whenever I tell people I’m moving to Milwaukee, the most common reaction is “Ugh! I’m sorry!” or “Why would you ever move there?!”  These people, it turns out, have never been to Milwaukee and are therefore judging it on some preconceived notion that comes from where, I don’t know because before I met Adam, I knew nothing about Milwaukee except that it was in Wisconsin and it’s where PBR was established in 1844.  This way, I can show you people (you know who you are!) that Milwaukee is badass and you’re going to wish you lived here. (As for the reactions of those who have been to Milwaukee, it’s more of a “Oh wow!  Milwaukee is such a great town!”  Thanks, you guys.) 

3) For the locals.  I now have a lot of friends and family in Milwaukee and the surrounding area.  I’ve lived in places where I never did “touristy” things until I had visitors.  Maybe this will inspire some of my local friends to get out and learn more about their city.  And maybe they will go with me and we can learn together.  Because doing things with friends is more fun. 

I was fortunate with timing and am permanently in Milwaukee as of late December.  Therefore, I shall start the Lizt on January 1^st.  I’m hoping to complete most of it within a year.  I welcome all suggestions of ideas to add to my Lizt.  It’s always growing and includes festivals, restaurants, 5k’s, tours, parks, sights, and experiences.  I love this city and I love how proud the locals are of their home.  Any opportunity to experience in what someone finds pride in is definitely welcome.  I’m excited to share this experience with you and hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!