Archive for September, 2025

Brookfield, WI: Elbow Room

Posted: September 14, 2025 in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

I’d been meaning to check out Elbow Room in Brookfield for awhile after hearing good things about their Bloody Marys. With downtown Brookfield finally growing—shoutout to the new Vennture Brewing—I figured it was the perfect Saturday to make it happen.

We kicked things off at Vennture’s Pickle Palooza (fun, but I was disappointed there wasn’t a Bloody Mary element—missed opportunity, if you ask me). After a pickle marg, we walked down the street to Elbow Room.

No Bloody Mary was listed on the menu, but they happily made one when I asked—served with any tap chaser (a nice touch). Garnishes included a pickle, olive, cheese curd, and a tiny piece of beef stick. Not quite the over-the-top garnishes I’d seen in some online photos, but good enough. Flavor-wise, it was decent, though nothing particularly memorable. Price wasn’t listed, but I’d estimate around $9.

It was a nice spot for a casual patio drink, though the Bloody Mary itself didn’t quite live up to the hype I’d heard.

The Bloody Mary

  • Spices/Flavor: Decent, but nothing special
  • Fixin’s: Pickle, olive, cheese curd, tiny beef stick
  • Chaser: Any tap beer
  • Presentation: Simple, pared down
  • Price: Estimated $9

Elbow Room is worth a stop if you’re nearby, but don’t expect the kind of show-stopping Bloody Mary you might have seen in photos.

West Allis, WI: Wisconsin State Fair – Badger Mary Funnel Cake

Posted: September 9, 2025 in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

🎉 Post #500! 🎉 I can’t believe I’ve written 500 Bloody Mary reviews—but here we are. And what better way to celebrate than with something outrageous, ridiculous, and 100% Wisconsin State Fair?

Ah, the Wisconsin State Fair—a beloved annual tradition of outrageous eats, Sporkie Awards, and food on a stick. This year, Badger Bites at the Tap Yard brought us the Badger Mary Funnel Cake, a “wild Wisconsin twist” on the classic Bloody Mary.

Here’s the deal: deep-fried mozzarella whips in Bloody Mary-infused batter, loaded with bacon, pickles, Bloody Mary aioli, celery salt, and shredded cheese. Sounds intriguing, right? Well… maybe in theory.

For me personally, this one didn’t work. The savory funnel cake was off-putting, the aioli overpowered everything, and the Bloody Mary flavor was basically nonexistent. It was heavy, salty, and just didn’t hit the mark. At $14, it was a unique experience, but I wouldn’t get it again—and I don’t recommend it.

Sometimes, fair food is fun because it’s outrageous, not because it’s delicious. The Badger Mary Funnel Cake falls squarely in the “interesting, but skip it” category.

The Bloody Mary Twist

  • Spices/Flavor: Overpowered by aioli, no noticeable Bloody Mary (or tomato) flavor
  • Fixin’s: Deep-fried mozzarella, bacon, pickles, aioli, celery salt, shredded cheese
  • Chaser: None
  • Presentation: Funnel cake format—shareable
  • Price: $14

Consider this a cautionary tale of Bloody Mary creativity gone a little too far.

Roseville, MN (Minneapolis area): Pizza Luce

Posted: September 9, 2025 in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

Pizza Luce is famous for their pizza (their website boasts “Minnesota’s best pizza”), and rightfully so—it’s fantastic. But on weekends, this small Minnesota chain also lets you take your Bloody Mary game seriously with a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar.

I loaded mine up with cheese, meat, olives, and pepperoncinis. You can also add horseradish, celery, and all kinds of pickled veggies. Want a chaser? They’ve got you covered. At $14 for a fully loaded custom drink, it’s a steal, and it’s worth lingering to craft the perfect combination for your taste buds.

The Pizza Luce Bloody Mary experience is casual, fun, and perfect if you want to go all out—or just try something unique with friends. Pair it with a pizza (or two) and you’ve got a weekend brunch to remember.

The Bloody Mary

  • Spices/Flavor: Customizable, fun
  • Fixin’s: Whatever you want—cheese, meat, olives, pepperoncinis, pickled veggies, horseradish, celery
  • Chaser: Optional
  • Presentation: Your creation!
  • Price: $14

If you’re in the Minneapolis area and a Bloody Mary enthusiast, Pizza Luce is a must-visit for the weekend build-your-own bar.

Williams Bay, WI (Lake Geneva): Pier 290

Posted: September 9, 2025 in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

Sometimes you stumble across a Bloody Mary that surprises you—not because it’s the best you’ve ever had, but because it exists at all. That was the case at Pier 290 in Williams Bay, just off Lake Geneva. We visited via boat on a perfect summer Saturday morning and were amused to find that the Bloody Mary isn’t actually on their menu—but they made one for us anyway. (I mean, really, what type of establishment in Wisconsin doesn’t serve one?!?

The drink came with three cheese curds, a beef stick, an olive, and both a lemon and lime. Flavorful and fine, but nothing mind-blowing. No chaser was offered. Price? Probably around $15. The real charm was the pier and the lake views—sometimes that’s all you need.

The Bloody Mary

  • Spices/Flavor: Good, standard
  • Fixin’s: 3 cheese curds, beef stick, olive, lemon, lime
  • Chaser: None
  • Presentation: Casual, lakeside
  • Price: Around $15

If you’re boating around Lake Geneva, Pier 290 is worth a stop for a drink and a view—but don’t come expecting a show-stopping Bloody Mary.

Wauwatosa, WI: Crafty Cow

Posted: September 9, 2025 in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

If you’re on the hunt for bottomless brunch bliss in Wauwatosa, Crafty Cow is your new best friend. With unlimited mimosas, house Bloody Marys, coffee, and OJ, it’s a 90-minute feast of endless sipping—just bring your appetite and make an entrée purchase.

I ordered the bottomless Bloody Mary, and wow, this one is a keeper. (It should be noted that the restaurant has made great strides in its Bloody Mary game since we last reviewed them!) The garnishes are a little showstopper: a cheese curd, a pickled mushroom, two olives, a lemon lime, and a tiny modolito “sidecar” chaser in a cute little bottle. It’s the kind of drink that makes you want to linger, and paired with a brunch Sammy ($15.25) of eggs, bacon, breakfast sausage, American cheese, and cheesy potatoes, it was heaven on a plate. My dining companion’s Cali breakfast burrito—eggs, smoked cheddar, avocado, corn and poblano, cilantro crema, pickled red onion—was equally delicious, and we couldn’t resist some pancake-battered white cheddar curds with syrup for good measure.

The bottomless Bloody Mary experience at Crafty Cow is well-kept secret magic. If you’re a brunch lover in the Milwaukee area, this spot deserves a weekend stop—your taste buds will thank you.

The Bloody Mary

  • Spices/Flavor: Delicious, house classic
  • Fixin’s: Cheese curd, pickled mushroom, 2 olives, lemon-lime
  • Chaser: Tiny Modelito sidecar bottle
  • Presentation: Cute, thoughtful, brunch-ready
  • Price: $18–BOTTOMLESS!

If you’ve been sleeping on Crafty Cow, now’s the time to wake up and smell the bottomless Bloody Marys.