There is so much to do this coming Labor Day weekend!  The problem is that I want to check out everything that is going on...besides a couple of of personal commitments, here's some of the other things I want to see:

Oak Creek Lions Fest  https://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=1pvNBwbCDXhZD0D9Y0mvmxYzjzzJrWLFusznQcXt1c2I&hl=en&pli=1# will have some great music, but I wanted to especially see the Nashville Rejects on Monday night as they are celebrating their 50th year as a band together!

Sheboygan County Fair http://www.shebcofair.com/  has Phil Vassar playing on September 4th and Styx on September 5th.  I saw Styx when they were at the Sheboygan Co Fair several years ago and it was the best concert I had ever been to.

Wisconsin Highland Games http://www.wisconsinscottish.org/  at the Waukesha County Fairgrounds - September 3-5th.  I loved seeing them toss that huge log - called Turning the Caber.

Also, if you're a Harley enthusiast, the 8th Annual Milwaukee Rally is happening at the Wisconsin State Fair Grounds and at all four of the local dealerships.  http://www.milwaukeerally.com/

And a new festival this year, Made in Milwaukee, features Milwaukee music, artists and vendors in Catheral Square Park on September 4th. http://www.madeinmilwaukee.com/

Have you heard?  The Wisconsin State Fair will have more than 60 "Food-on-a-Stick" items, and several of the items are new this year.  This year I'm going to try some new ones for sure.  This coming Tuesday, August 10, is Crazy Grazin’ Day, where various food vendors offer smaller portions at a reduced price, allowing you to taste a variety of foods.

Just in case you are wondering, here are some of the calorie counts. Don't let it discourage you though!

Grand Champion burger = 1000 calories
Gyro = 580 calories
Cuban = 570 calories
Grilled Cheese = 440 calories
Chicken Souvlaki = 400 calories
Pot Roast Sandwich = 330 calories
Bison Burrito = 300 calories
Pork Loin Sandwich = 290 calories

Blooming Onion = 1320 calories
Potato with butter & sour cream = 380 calories (includes vitamins A, D, C, & potassium)

Funnel Cake = 800 calories
Blue Ribbon Brownie = 615 calories
Apple Pie = 411 calories
Cream Puff = 350 calories

Lemonade = 150 calories (sugar laden)
Soda = 100 calories (sugar laden)
Milk = 150 calories (includes calcium & vitamin D)
Water = 0 calories

Don't miss out on all things "Cudahy" this weekend at the city's Sweet Applewood Days at Cudahy Park.  Lots of fun things to do that include a fish fry, the Cudahy All School Reunion on Friday, along with the band Six Pack playing from 7:30pm to 11:30pm. 

Saturday a craft/rummage show in the morning with a classic car show at 1pm, ribs from Southwoods, and more great music all day.

On Sunday is a polka mass and music by my friend Jeff Winard starting at 11am. More fun music until 8pm.

check out all the fun at:  http://www.wilions.org/cudahy/festival.htm

Don't miss out on all the fun this week in South Milwaukee. We've already had a great couple of days so far - Grant Park's 100 year celebration, the bicycle races Tuesday, the spaghetti dinner Wednesday...  and there is a lot more to come: 

Evening on the Avenue, Downtown South Milwaukee, 10^th & Milwaukee – Main Event 4-9pm 
Children’s activities, entertainment, music, activities, food, beverage, merchant displays, sales, giveaways, raffle to benefit Human Concerns, and much more! 

South Milwaukee Downtown Market  3:30 - 7:30 PM
11th and Madison Ave.

Plus the car cruise on Friday, the parade and duck race on Saturday and Lionsfest at 16th and Rawson all weekend. Find all the information here:

www.southmilwaukee.org/heritage.htm

The South Milwaukee Downtown Market is back even bigger and better in 2010, starting on Thursday, June 3rd thru October 14th. Join them as they celebrate downtown South Milwaukee with an event that promises food, fun and a festive atmosphere for everyone. Rain or shine Thursdays 3 to 7:30 p.m. in June, July and August. Thursdays 3 to 7 p.m. in September and October 11th and Milwaukee Avenues in downtown South Milwaukee.

The outdoor street market begins June 3 and will be held every Thursday afternoon and evening through October 14 on 11th Avenue south of Milwaukee Avenue near the heart of South Milwaukee’s city center. This year there will be more seating for patrons and more stalls for vendors.  Bucyrus International is also offering a part of their parking lot for the market and this year there will be music too!  http://4thdistrict.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/2010-return-press-release-2.pdf 

You can keep up with what's going on at the market by joining them on Facebook or checking out their website at:  http://www.smdowntownmarket.org .

This is a very cool interactive map that shows where all the farmer's markets are at in Southeastern Wisconsin.  You can also print out a list of them.

http://www.jsonline.com/features/food/92425519.html

I'm including below an email I received from Pat Jursik who represents the 8th District (St. Francis, South Milwaukee, Cudahy, and 2 wards in Oak Creek).  Sounds like a fun time!

Dear Sheridan Friends and Community Leaders:

We invite you to join Sheridan Park Friends at their annual meeting.  We will meet this Saturday, May 1, at 10 a.m. at Sheridan Pavilion Area #1 (near the pond) for free refreshments and pot luck breakfast.  At the meeting, you will hear planned activities for the summer and into fall, view the parks slide show presented at their award winning ceremony and meet other park enthusiasts;  All are welcome and please plan to invite other interested friends!

We hope to see you there!

Thanks,
Pat Jursik
 

We stopped here the other day for a quick bite, mostly because we were in the mood for a good burger and we didn't have a lot of time.  I hadn't been here since it's been Chicago Avenue Gyros, but I had heard good things about it.  I used to live really close to this place when I was still in high school.  Back then it was still a drive-in and one of my friends worked there - so I spent a lot of time there. 

The place hadn't changed a bit, except a new coat of paint, a bigger menu, and no more drive-in.  There are a few tables and booths inside with picnic tables outside.  You order at the window inside.  My boyfriend ordered a huge gyro and I got a bacon burger and fries.  The food came out quickly, and is very reasonably priced.  My burger was very good and HUGE!  The fries were good too.  Mike said his gyro was as good as any he'd get in Chicago.  That's saying a lot since he's a big fan of the various ethnic foods in Chicago.

They serve Greek, Mexican, and American food.  I also noticed that they serve ice cream, malts and shakes, and sundaes.  I'll be stopping again this summer to try one of their sundaes.  Yum.

513 N Chicago Ave, South Milwaukee, WI   414-571-9970

It's that time again! Ever since I got involved writing about this event, I look forward to it every year! It's so fun!

The Wisconsin Chapter is hosting The Aicardi Party, a Wine and Beer Tasting Event, on April 17, 2010. All proceeds will benefit the Aicardi Syndrome Foundation. Join us to support a great organization and to have fun!

Serving a wide selection of: locally brewed beers, import beers, microbrews, fine wines, Hors d’oeuvres, Cash bar also available!

Advanced Reservation: $25    Pay at the Door: $30

Contact the Aicardi Party Information Line for questions or donations (414) 232-5374

Event Highlights: Door Prizes and Raffle Prizes, DJ until 11 pm, Live Auction, Silent Auction

Saturday April 17, 2010  7 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Oak Creek Community Center, 8580 S. Howell Avenue ,Oak Creek, WI 53154

Aicardi Syndrome Foundation – WI Chapter, 1000 E. Park Boulevard, Oak Creek, WI 53154, Fax: (414) 571-5415

Taken from the southmilwaukee.org/eVents newsletter:

South Milwaukee’s "Fresh Water Days" Planned for Thursday and Friday

Interest Grows To Help Businesses Affected by Water Emergency

Ever since CJ's Station House Bar and Restaurant opened in Cudahy, I've been getting requests from friends and readers to check it out and give it a write up.  So finally we stopped in for lunch on Saturday.  The place is nicely renovated and decorated with firefighter paraphenalia... firemen coats and hats, antique fire extinguishers, police patches from various places. 

Being late for lunchtime on a Saturday before a football game was to start made the bar pretty empty, but that was just fine with me. The smoking area is way in the back far from the tables where they serve food and the main bar area. The menu is relatively simple with daily specials added, and they also do a Friday fish fry. The prices are reasonable and our burgers were very good with many choices of toppings and presented on toasted kaiser rolls. The bar manager was also handling cooking that day and did a great job.  They list a couple of steaks on the menu with really good prices, I'll be going back for dinner sometime soon. Has anyone else been there lately? What did you think?

Cj's Station House

Looking for a quick, but healthy meal this week? Dine at the Cousins in South Milwaukee on Thursday, December 10, and not only feed your hunger, but support the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center. 10% of ALL sales will be donated to the SMPAC to assist with educational programming for the 2010-2011 Season.

Chck out the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center's website:   http://www.southmilwaukeepac.org/

FIVE GUYS BURGER AND FRIES, BAY SHORE TOWN CENTER, 5800 NORTH BAY SHORE DR, 414-962-9560

I know this restaurant isn’t on the south side of town, but I was shopping at Bay Shore the other day and ran across it. We were hungry so we thought we’d try it. What brought us in were the large red and white signs outside that said Five Guys, Burgers $5. Well, I wanted to know what that was about!
 

The restaurant is very bright, all white and red tile, like a 50’s diner. The traffic pattern is organized well, with a clear path to lead you up to the ordering window. The path is actually a stack of bulk peanut bags laid out so that you must follow them in order to get to the window. Of course, you can indulge in all the peanuts you want while you wait to order. Keeps your hands busy too. Don’t eat too many though because they do not skimp on the portion sizes at this place.

They were true to their word, you can order burgers for $5 (the little burger they call it but it is not “little”), and there is a bigger burger too. And watch out, the small fry portion is a whole large Styrofoam cupful of fat skin-on seasoned fries, and the large fry is even bigger – plus they heap an extra portion of them into the bag they serve your food in. We thought we’d get a fry for each of us and the order taker said one large fry is enough for more than 2 people. He was right!
 

The store is full of advertisements for their other locations and all the accolades they have gotten since starting this business in 1986. They started to franchise in 2002 out east and grew so fast that they currently have over 450 locations in 30 states (per their website).
 

The place was busy and it looked like there were many happy customers. Their signs boast that they never freeze anything, everything is fresh and of the highest quality, they only use peanut oil, and all their products are trans-fat free. My burger was wonderful and the fries are scrumptious. My boyfriend kept eating the peanuts and we couldn’t even attempt to finish the fries they gave us.

Check out their website and see for yourself.  http://www.fiveguys.com/home.aspx

We went out with a friend for dinner recently and ended up at Ricardo's (due to a small fire at the restaurant we were going to try).  She had been there several times before and I had never heard of it.  I had no idea this restaurant was there because I had never hung out in the Greendale village before.   My friend said we may have to wait because it was a Saturday night, but it was worth the wait.

As we drove to the restaurant I noticed the village and that it was a strip mall, but very craftily arranged to look like a cute little English village.  The area has a quaint inviting look, created as a destination type of place to spend a few hours and browse around.  Near the holidays they have people strolling around in period costumes caroling and Santa waits for excited children.  She brings her kids down each year. There are restaurants, boutiques, craft stores, and is anchored by the Reiman Visitor Center.

But that night it was all about the pizza.  The restaurant was full, but not over crowded.  It has a nice bar area with many TVs broadcasting sports and it smelled wonderful.  In the back you can pick up food for takeout.  It's not very big but it is cute and cozy in the seating area.  The pizza was great, with a hand tossed thin crust that can't be found anywhere else in the area.  The sauce they use is excellent.  The menu had all kinds of unique pizzas along with other dishes. My boyfriend got a burger that he said was excellent.

The restaurant has been around over 10 years - I still don't know how I haven't heard about it before, but I'm sure going to go back to try one of their other pizza combinations and check out the rest of the stores.

Address: 5627 Broad St, Greendale, WI 53129-1812  Phone:  (414) 421-1980

I've stopped at Wendt's a few times over the past 2 years because it's half way between my house and one of my friend's houses.  The reason we first stopped there is because my friend wasn't looking very closely at the sign and she thought at first that it said Wende's, so she had to tell me there was a bar/restaurant with my name on it!  I set her straight, and we met there anyway just to try it out.  I'm so glad we did.  Their food is really good (especially for pub food).  They have wraps and burgers, and are well known for their Friday fish fries. Their criss cross cut fries are awesome!

Wendt's is very close to House of Harley-Davidson on Layton Avenue.  It's a nice south side pub with an open layout, plenty of seating area, and very friendly staff.

IRISH FEST STARTS THURSDAY!

I never miss Irish Fest.  I feel a pull to the music, the costumes, the culture, and of course, the brogue!  Being Irish is very important to me, and I think that is true of most people that are of Irish descent.  Ever since I made a trip to Ireland a few years ago, I feel such a connection.

And you can certainly make connections at Irish Fest.  Starting on Thursday night Where's Your Paddy kicks off Milwaukee's largest happy hour for young professionals.  Get your free tickets to the happy hour by joining Facebook and then going to this link:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=112619445777 .  Admission to the fest is not free, but you can get in Thursday night for $5 with a school supply donation.

Admission is free Friday from 4-5:30 pm.  And there are many other ways to get in with discounts.  http://www.irishfest.com/festival/.  The fest closes on Sunday at 10pm.

Last year I took a Bodhran lesson (traditional Irish drums).  It was very cool!  We sampled some mead, and Shepherd's Pie, yum!  I'm looking forward to doing all this and more this year.  

If you are a Facebook member or want to get email updates, it is easy to join up so that you'll get all the latest updates.  And they will let you know what's going on all year.  The Irish Fest Milwaukee organization is active all year round.  Check 'em out!

With a name like Fun Fest, it's gotta be fun, right?  In fact this festival has been going on for 30 years.  Even though I'm writing this late, there is still today to experience a little fun.  Today's schedule has a wide variety of music, starting with a polka mass, then bagpiper music, swing, and rock (IMt. Olive 5 to 9pm).  

Roasted chicken dinners start at noon - stop early because they sell out every year.  While you eat your chicken, there is a beer special  today only from noon to 2pm, tap beer is $1!

A new addition, a pong tournament (with water, not beer) will be played with 32 teams on 8 tables.  Maybe the parents can beat the college kids!  :)  Starts at 1pm.

If you bought raffle tickets, the winners will be drawn at 8pm tonight.  You need not be present to win.  My mom buys tickets for all of us each year, so I think this year, it's my turn to win.  I just feel it.

http://www.dmfunfest.com/30th.php

Every year my friend and I meet on opening day of the State Fair in front of the Giant Slide - without fail.  We've been doing this for probably ten years now.  We don't have to call each other to schedule, it's a standing engagement.  Once we meet up we go to the cheapest beer vendor there, get our beer, then go look for dinner and some good music to listen to.

Over the years we've watched the number of items of food you can get on a stick grow from a few to over a reported 40 items this year!  I decided I'd try to find as many of these food items as I could but I vowed to not eat any of them.  If I did that I would have been sick by the time I went to bed.  The first thing I saw was the new bacon on a stick.  It doesn't look too appetizing to me, but people were gobbling it up.  I also saw cherry pie on a stick, corn dogs, cheese on a stick, and my friend saw the little sausages on a stick.  Of course we also saw various ice creams on a stick.  We ran out of time so I will be going back to finish my quest.

Today while writing my blog I decided to look for a list - I'm sure there is one.  I found it!  Of course, it's on Wisconsin State Fair's website.

I noticed that there is a lot less advertising this year, or else I just wasn't paying attention.  I had no idea that Foreigner was playing last night, so it was nice to be able to see and hear them as I was walking back to my car.  I am disapointed that the Stone's Throw Winery is not there this year.  They had brought in some great musical entertainment for a few years in a row.  I really miss them.  There are new vendors this year too, and we had a great time with the robot guy that dances as he strolls through the park.  He is really funny!

Take a look at their website, they did beef up ways for you to get information, from facebook to twitter and text messages.  See you at the Fair!

My favorite festival, Sweet Applewood Days is this weekend. One of the reasons I like this festival is the variety of local bands that play all weekend.  This year the line up of music looks really good.  You may have heard the radio annoucements the last few days about it. 

Check out details at www.wilions.org/cudahy/festival.htm. 

Festival runs July 31 - August 2, Friday - Sunday at Cudahy Park, 3000 Ramsey Avenue in Cudahy.

The new Grant Park Concessions stand at the beach in South Milwaukee is celebrating by featuring live music on Saturday August 1st!  Stop by to enjoy the music.  They are currently open Monday - Friday from 3:30 to 8 pm and Saturday - Sunday from noon to 8 pm.  You don't have to wait until August 1st to enjoy the beautiful lakefront beach and the concessions.

Evening on the Avenue: Check out music, entertainment, children’s activities, food, community vendors and resources. A raffle will benefit South Milwaukee Human Concerns. Enjoy Celtic music by the Garlic Mustard Pickers. Visit the Friends of Mill Pond to purchase Duck Race tickets and other items. Come to Milwaukee Avenue at 10th Avenue in South Milwaukee from 4 to 9 p.m. for an evening of fun on July 23!
 

South Milwaukee Downtown Market Launches July 23: The new South Milwaukee Downtown Market will open on the same night as South Milwaukee’s Evening on the Avenue on July 23. Stop by 11th and Milwaukee Avenues each Thursday, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m., for fresh produce, bakery, flowers, and other offerings from area vendors and entertainers. Visit http://www.SMDowntownMarket.org .

Heritage Days Parade: 11am In South Milwaukee Saturday, July 25

Great Duck Race: Saturday, July 25 –, 2pm Below the Mill Pond dam, South Milwaukee

South Milwaukee Lions Fest: July 24-26 – Friday, 4:30-11:30pm fish; Saturday, 11am-11:30pm ribs; Sunday, Noon-8pm chicken, 16th St. & Rawson Av., South Milwaukee https://www.wilions.org/southmilwaukee/lionsfes.htm

I've been meaning to stop into the area's newest micro-brew pub since it opened in April.  After I learned that my niece was waitressing there, I made it my very next restaurant outing.  My son and I went last Friday to check it out.  We got there about 7pm and it was pretty crowded.  The hostess told us it would be a 45 minute wait, and as we had nothing else to do, we figured we'd wait it out and sample a beer (or two) while we wasted some time. Being a Friday night, I assumed the crowd was a fish fry crowd and there were families with babies there.

The building is a modern looking brand new structure, sitting on the corner of Howard Avenue and KK.  You can see the big vats through the windows, and there are outside chairs and tables also.  Inside there is a roomy restaurant area, with exposed wood beams and a rustic look.  The bar is plenty long with several pub tables and chairs and room for standing.  I was glad to note that this is a non-smoking establishment!  We each selected a type of beer and sat at a pub table to wait to be called.  I had the Archbishop Amber and my son had the Kitzinger Kolsch ($5 a pint).  I thought mine was pretty good.  We noted that you could get a sampler for $8 and it included their root beer as one of the samples.  A couple that had been waiting also asked us if we had been there before.  They had heard about this place and they came down from Menomonee Falls and Hartford.  That's quite a haul on a Friday night, there must be quite a bit of buzz about this place. Our table was ready, since it was just the two of us, we ended up near the bar, but the fish fry rush was calming down and it was getting quieter.  My son tried the sampler this time.  The 49 Maples Root Beer was very good!  We each got a different type of burger.  I was surprised, it was very good.  The cheddar cheese on my burger was abundant! 

There were plenty of waiters and bartenders available to handle the number of customers there. On our way out we ran into my niece.  She told me that the place is always this busy - especially on the weekends.  This side of Milwaukee has needed a good brew pub for awhile.  I enjoyed my visit and will go back.  The place has features that only a few south side bars have - no smoking, large gathering area, large restaurant, and plenty of waitstaff.  I wish them well and longevity.

St. Francis Brewery & Restaurant, 3825 S. Kinnickinnic Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53235 414-744-4448 http://stfrancisbrewery.com/main_page.html

There are plenty of Italian restaurants around here, and Barbiere's opened up a new location in downtown South Milwaukee just recently.  Out of curiosity, I took my mom there Saturday for dinner.  I've eaten at their other location before, and their food has always been very good. 

Their storefront used to be a small lunchtime deli type place that was only open during the noon hour  to serve the Bucyrus Erie lunch crowd.  I had asked the store owner once why they didn't stay open for dinner and he said that they only wanted to concentrate on the lunch crowd.  South Milwaukee is a tough place to have a restaurant it seems, as many don't stay very long.  My thought is, if you want customers, you need to be open at the times that people want to eat - which means dinner time and beyond.

I was really surprised that Barbiere's took over the other side of the building too, and opened up seating in the back of the building also. The wood floors and old brick wall are nice touches.  The other side has a full bar with tallbacked wooden chairs and a classy look.  It looks inviting and I have a feeling that the bar will draw some regular customers.  The clean open look combined with the wood and brick is a warm and comfy combination.

I had their lasagna and mom had spaghetti.  Both were very good.  The waitress was attentive and pleasant. There were several other tables filled, and as we were leaving it was getting busier. The whole experience was very good, and I think I'll go back soon to check out the bar area while I wait for a pizza for take-out.

They have great hours, basically 11am to 11pm and the bar is open till regular bar close time.

 Barbiere's Italian Inn, 1021 Milwaukee Avenue, So. Milwaukee, 414-764-1234

www.foodspot.com/barbieressouth/

This new restaurant on Milwaukee's east side was voted Milwaukee's best new restaurant in 2008.  I've been to this restaurant two times so far and both times the experience was phenomonal. 

All that remains of the old 5 and 10 Tap are the Cream City brick walls. The newly remodeled building looks just like a pub in Ireland with lots of dark wood, glass and mirrors, and that quaint feeling of belonging as soon as you walk through the door. There are two floors, downstairs is for smokers, and upstairs in non-smoking.  Both floors have traditional irish bars with tables and booths that have a sense of privacy about them.  Upstairs there is the added feature of a fireplace.  I'm going back the first really nice day in the spring so that I can experience the outdoor patio, which is basically built into the hill on top of the building and overlooks the Milwaukee River.

Open seven days a week, they feature dinner and late night menus including Irish specialties well as fine contemporary cuisine and daily dinner specials - plus brunch on the weekends. The shepard's pie is the best I've ever had, and their Irish Whiskey steak is scrumptious.  In addition to outstanding food, expect to find great imported beer, unusual Irish and Scotch whiskeys and regular Irish music sessions. It was the first time I've experienced a pumpkin old fashioned cocktail.  Excellent!

In case you're wondering, Brocach is Gaelic for "badger den". Find them at 1850 N. Water St., Milwaukee WI 53202   414-431-9009  I'd recommend getting a reservation if there are more than two people in your party as the pub is not large.  They would rather keep it feeling like a true Irish pub than make it commercial.  The waitstaff takes their time with you and makes you feel like you could stay all night.  http://www.brocach.com/Milwaukee/index.html

I had heard about this little coffee shop from a friend so I made sure I stopped in recently.  I was told that it was a little place, tucked into the intersection of KK, Logan, and Russell in Bay View.  As I first drove by it, I did miss it altogether, turned around and parked on the side street.  Something about it was really appealing, it was unassuming, a tiny building.  Then it occurred to me - this used to be a gas station!  But it doesn't look like a gas station anymore.  As you go inside, it's a cute place with a European flair, with a couple of computers on a counter with internet access, some tables and chairs, and a side room that has been decorated with a gas fireplace, deep leather couch, and a table and chairs.  This little side room looks like a den or library in someone's house, and makes you feel instantly comfortable.  The coffee was very good, the whole experience was enjoyable.

The owners started out by roasting their own coffee and retailing it through supermarkets. As they expanded, they decided to open a coffee shop that sells their own brewed coffee and tea, breakfast food, soups, salads, and sandwiches.  I'm told this place is very busy in the morning. Any coffee shop that provides a great atmosphere to relax in is OK in my book, check it out at:   http://www.svenscoffee.com/information

Sven's Cafe 2699 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. (KK Ave.),Bay View, WI 53207, 414-483-CAFÉ(2233)

Bay View and Saint Francis has been changing the past few years and as you drive through these cities on the way to Milwaukee, you get a decidedly east side feel to the area.  It's like the east side of Milwaukee has drifted a little south into our south side neighborhoods with the new condos along the lake there and the restaurants that have popped up around them.  One that is really cute is The Fixx - a coffee shop that feels like one of the trendier east side coffee shops but with a lot more space.  With several large comfy leather couches and magazines galore to read, many tall tables and chairs to sit at, great pastry, sandwiches and coffees, you could spend all afternoon there.  It's full of flyers that tell you all about happenings in the area, along with all the great events the store itself plans.  In fact, they have live music and open mic on Fridays and Saturday nights. 

One really unique thing about this coffee house is that the owner realized that since most first dates are in coffee shops, why not bring that to the forefront and make this place all about meeting people?  They have a wall of personal ads and a system that allows singles to put up a profile and get messages from interested people - hence the play on the name "The Fixx".

I stopped for a cup of coffee and a panini sandwich on the way home from work to check it out and it is really cute.  I can imagine in the mornings what it would be like with the sun coming up over the lake and lighting up the place.  It's located at the north end of Packard Avenue just before the street ends at Lake Drive, next door to the Carleton Grange Pub.  You'll have to check it out, you never know who you'll meet! 

Fixx Coffee House
3558 E. Sivyer Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53235
(414) 482-0919
Non-smoking

My mom and her senior friends lunched recently at a Serbian Restaurant in Cudahy called Ilija's.  I asked her to write a review for me since I've not been there before:

"Decor is unique, hand woven decorative samplers on the walls, ornate mirror, pictures of Serbian countryside.  The background music was very enjoyable.  Nice to be seated at tables with linen and fancier settings.  Attentitive waiter explained various ethnic dishes for us. Bowls of chicken noodle soup were very good. Those who ordered breaded pork chop were delighted to see the large, thick chop, accompanied by potatoes and vegetables.  My Hungarian goulash was very good, the Sarna (stuffed peppers) was also rated as very good. Homade bread a winner too.

This small restaurant in Cudahy is at 3701 E. Squire Avenue and has been in business for many years.  Luncheon prices vary from $9 and dinner about $14 and up.  They have an extensive menu worth checking out.  It was a nice experience."

http://www.ilijasplace.com/

Phone (414) 727-5885

Ever since Dunkin' Donuts pulled out of Cudahy many years ago, we've been without a south side franchised donut shop.  I was pretty excited to learn that South Milwaukee will have one by the new Aldi's on the south side of town, and I was really surprised to read last week that another one was pre-approved to build in Oak Creek.  That piece of news made me wonder, are we really getting two Dunkin' Donuts that close together?  I understand that the demographics of each area and traffic patterns are completely different, so the company must have thought they can make a go of both stores?

This what I'd like to know, are they are still going to build in South Milwaukee?  Now that I was expecting to see it built there, I'd be disappointed  to find out that they decided to move the location to Oak Creek.  Don't get me wrong, I love Oak Creek and it's growing so fast that it could use one there, I just don't want to loose getting the location at South Milwaukee.

 http://www.oakcreeknow.com/watch/?watch=27&date=9/10/2008&id=45950

I'm taking my mom out for brunch for her birthday this coming weekend, but instead of going to all the regular places around here, I wanted to find a good brunch place.

I've heard about a brunch at the Boerner Botanical Gardens, and I'm sure there's some good ones in downtown Milwaukee, but I am unfamiliar with any notable ones in this south side area. 

Any recommendations? 

My boyfriend and I usually go to Applebee's for a pre-movie snack when we go see a movie.  I remember the first time going there that there was no sign out front, and although I knew where it was, I almost passed up the driveway.  That's because it's not marked and there are trees right at that corner, so if you aren't paying attention coming from our side of town and turning south on 13th street from Rawson, you really can't see the restaurant before it's time to turn into the parking lot.  We had a little laugh at that the first time we almost missed it.

Here's a funny story...The Senior Sleuths couldn't find it either!  My mom's group of friends, which I've written about before and dubbed the Senior Sleuths, had a collective senior moment when they wanted to go there for lunch last week after seeing a movie and they drove right by it!  Part of the problem was that they really didn't know if it was at Rawson Avenue or College Avenue, and part of the problem is that there is no sign out front!  As my mom was telling the story, I couldn't stop laughing!  Imagine the confusion inside the car with several ladies all pointing in different directions and trying to tell the poor confused driver where to go!  Of course, this could have gotten dangerous because then they were doing u-turns and starting and stopping.  In the end, they went to a different restaurant and I'm sure they ended up a little upset at themselves.  Mom, forgive me, I just had to write about it!

Conclusion:  For safety reasons, Applebee's needs a sign out by the road! 

Divine Mercy Parish Festival
695 College Ave., South Milwaukee

August 8-10

Check out all the entertainment at:

http://www.funfest08.com/ffentertainment.htm

This festival has some large cash and raffle prizes, so make sure you pick up some raffle tickets!

We have 4 local city festivals coming up quickly!  There's a couple of local bands that are playing at them that I like to listen to, so I would have been disappointed if I had missed any of them.  I kept seeing information, but until I actually wrote them on the calendar, I was in danger of missing out, so I listed them here in order:

South Milwaukee Heritage Days - July 24th Evening on the Avenue, July 25th Spectacle of Music, July 25 - 27 Lionsfest. http://www.wilions.org/southmilwaukee/lionsfes.htm

Cudahy Sweet Applewood Days - August 1-3. http://www.wilions.org/cudahy/festival.htm

St Francis Days - Labor Day Weekend August 28 - 31st, Sunday - Jeff Winard noon-4 pm

Oak Creek Lions Festival - Labor Day Weekend August 29 - Sept 1. http://www.wilions.org/oakcreek/LionsFest%20Info.pdf

Local bands I recommend:

Six Pack - July 27th Lionsfest 1-4pm, August 2nd Sweet Applewood 7:30-11:30pm, Sept 1st Oak Creek Lions Fest 12-4pm

Nashville Rejects - August 1st Sweet Applewood 3:30-7:30pm, Sept 1st Oak Creek Lions Fest 7-10pm

For more information on all the festivals in Southeastern Wisconsin, check out:  http://www.wisconsinfestivals.org

The Papa Luigi's/Salvatore's Pizza place in South Milwaukee is more than just a place to go get a fish fry or pizza.  It's a full service party place!  If you've been around the area for awhile, you'll remember that it was the old Bucyrus Erie Club - the cafeteria/bar/recreational place for the employees of BE.  In fact, the BE Club was my first employer back in high school! 

The general layout of the place is the same, with the endearing old bowling lanes, banquet hall, upstairs gym, and bar/dining area.  It's a perfect place for a kids birthday party - there's bowling and video games with a large area set with long tables for the kiddies to sit at. The pizza is good (had it several times) and the bar area has a nice big screen TV for watching the ball games. Their banquet hall can accomodate 200.  I'm not sure if you have to reserve time to use the gym upstairs.

This is their 2nd location - the first being in Cudahy, but the South Milwaukee location has the "family fun center". 

1919 12th Avenue, South Milwaukee  764-6111

3475 E Layton Avenue, Cudahy 483-6111

If you are wondering what festivals are going on, here's an important Internet link for you www.wisconsinfestivals.org.  It's my official website of the summer! 

Are you getting excited?  Summerfest is almost here!  And hopefully summer will arrive shortly before it   :)  www.summerfest.com

There are also free concerts all over town.  The Wisconsin State Fair Free Wednesday concerts are:  www.wistatefair.com. and best of all State Fair seems to be starting earlier this year July 31 - August 10th.

Enjoy the sun every chance you get and Happy Summer.

Thanks everyone for your comments on my previous coffee shop blog!  I agree that So. Milwaukee needs to rev up their main street and get some businesses in there that people really want and NEED to go to - in order to drive foot traffic there.  A drive through coffee shop won't happen there because buildings would have to be torn down, and a regular coffee shop would have a problem with parking because there are no lots.  The best solution is to revamp the area and remodel the buildings.  Cudahy's Packard Plaza area and going north a bit from there needs help too. 

I was talking about this with my sister and we could list a number of businesses that we'd love to have close to us because we'd go browse....  a kids and maternity reconsignment shop, a book store, thrift shop, organic foods/health foods/vitamins, a farmer's market, cell phone shop, garden shop...  we could go on and on. 

Another problem I have with the area is that by the time I'm driving through there after work, most everything is closed!  If the stores close up shop by 5-6 pm, it doesn't do the residents any good.  If we truly are a bedroom community, then closing before we get home doesn't help generate sales!

The one bright spot about the area are the restaurants.  For the new ones I want you to know that we're cheering for you and hope you are a success!  There are 2 mexican restaurants that I will talk about in my next blog, So. Milwaukee's Azteca and Cudahy's La Serenata.  Mexican food is my favorite - and if I don't have to go far to get it, all the better!

Every workday I drive by the empty storefronts along Milwaukee Avenue (in So. Milwaukee) and wonder why one of them isn't a drive through coffee place like Dunn Brothers, or dare I say ...Starbucks?  South Milwaukee may not seem savvy enough for a Starbucks, but I know if there was a specialty coffee shop that serves coffee fast as I am on my way to work, I would certainly frequent the place. 

I noticed a new cafe that is about to open on 10th Avenue (the old Grebe's - Yea!!!) and I hope that they can fill part of this need.  McDonald's certainly provides morning coffee quickly, and many gas stations too.  But it really would be nice to have a drive through alternative to McDonalds.

I hear that Dunkin' Donuts wants to open by the new Aldi's on the south side of South Mlwaukee and I'm really happy about it.  I just wish they had picked the downtown area to locate it - and include a drive through.  I don't drive south out of town when I go to work and I suspect not too many people do. Most of us are headed to Milwaukee to work.

Until then I'll continue to brew my own at home - and hope!  

I get my information from a variety of places, from friends, from the internet, from readers of my blog.  But one of my BEST sources of information are my mom and her friends.  I like to think of them as the Senior Ladies.  They always know what's going on around here, so when they said that Aldi's was going in at the intersection of Drexel and Chicago Road, I believed the rumor.  Now I'm starting to wonder.  Dollar Tree is now taking up half the space.  What remains doesn't seem big enough for an Aldi's.  Does that mean that the one in Cudahy is going to remain? I see that the city planning committee has agenda items about Aldi's, so maybe they're right - I'll just have to wait and see. (OOPS - here's an update as of 11/13 - I see that there is an Aldi's sign installed now!)

Back to my sources.  It's simple really, I spend a lot of time observing, listening, and reading.  I welcome e-mails from people who read my blog.  If you'd like me to check out a place and write about it, let me know.  If it's a restaurant, I'll probably take my mom there and use the opportunity to get some more info about what really goes on around here.  I'll keep you posted :)