West Allis, WI: Dicken’s Grille

Posted: September 15, 2015 in Uncategorized
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We recently visited Dicken’s Grille in West Allis, Wisconsin.

We had been hearing a lot about Dicken’s lately from people in different circles, so we knew there had to be something there.

We learned that they offer specialty bloodies on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-3pm (we learned this the hard way, stopping in at off-time last winter), so we stopped in one Sunday during a Packers game.

The Bloody Marys at Dicken’s are essentially build-your-own… they start at $6 for a pint and the price can fluctuate based on the options you choose.

You get a say in your Vodka/Liquor, Bloody Mix, Spice, Garnishes, and Chaser, all by filling out a little slip of paper and handing it to the bartender. Here’s an example:

Dicken's Grille Bloody Mary

MIX: You choose! We definitely wanted to try their house mix, without any extra spices. It wasn’t bad at all, just nothing special. We also wanted to try Ben’s Bloody Kentucky since that was new to us  as well. We liked that a bit more and will probably stick with that or Zing Zang in the future.

CHASER:You choose! You can even upgrade to a full mug for just $.75! So say you’re having bloodies with someone who just wants to have a beer… you could be kind and just give them your chaser… or keep it for yourself.

FIXIN’S: Four tremendous options to pick from! We can vouch for the Lambeau (perfect for a Packers game!), Meat & Cheese and Surf & Turf, as our party was able to try these three. Apparently, they have limited offerings of the Racing Sausage bloody mary each weekend, so it is recommended that you get there early if you want to try that one (and we do, so we’ll be back!).

PRICE: Starting at just $6

We were very happy with our visit to this hidden gem (or maybe not-so-hidden anymore!) in West Allis. The people were friendly, the prices were fair and the drinks were flowing.

We loved our Lambeau Bloody Mary and will definitely be back for this again (cheesehead wedge cut off in photo!):

Lambeau Bloody Mary

We also enjoyed the Meat and Cheese option:

Dicken's Meat and Cheese bloody mary

as well as the Surf & Turf Bloody Mary:

Dicken's Surf and Turf Bloody Mary

We’ll be back again, banging on the door when they open to try that Racing Sausage option another time.

Besides the excellent Bloody Marys, Dicken’s also offered free chips, cheese and salsa during the game, shots for Packers scores, beaded necklaces for fans, a lengthy beer list and special sandwiches available for purchase.

If you’re a true Bloody Mary enthusiast like I am, you’ll want to be sure to add this one to your list!

 

Milwaukee, WI: Comet Cafe

Posted: September 15, 2015 in Uncategorized
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We recently visited Comet Cafe on Milwaukee’s East Side.

Comet has been around for over 20 years, specializing in comfort foods like home-style meatloaf, cheesy-gooey sandwiches (like the Classic Cheesy Tomato, which I tried) as well as breakfast everyday until 3pm. They are also well-known for their free baskets of bacon during happy hour, Bacon Night on Sundays and their bloody marys.

Comet has appeared on many Milwaukee round-up lists of the best Bloody Marys, but I had somehow never made it there…until now.

I headed down to Comet around 11am on Labor Day with a friend planning on grabbing a quick drink, not really thinking it would be difficult to get in…. We were surprised to find ourselves saddled with a 40-minute wait just to get in the door. Even bar seating was not first-come, first-serve. Since we had already driven down to the East Side, we were committed to making this happen. We decided that if we were going to go through the trouble of a wait and getting seated properly, we might as well eat there, too.

We were finally seated (inside, at the bar) and it took another 10 minutes or so for our server/bartender to address us after a busperson brought us water. We decided we had one shot to order drinks and food, or we’d be waiting even longer. We also contemplated asking for the check up front, too, but decided against it.

Anyway, at long last, our Bloody Marys and food arrived:

Comet Cafe Bloody Mary

MIX: Housemade

CHASER: a Miller High Life pony

FIXIN’S: Lime, olive, mushroom and bacon

PRICE: $9

From the description: “Our house-made bloody mix with Rehorst Vodka. Comes with BACON (of course!) and the cutest little chaser ever: a 7 oz Miller High Life Pony!”

This bloody mary had a nice overall “fresh” flavor, but was not very spicy. It tasted more like pizza or marinara sauce. We had also read reports that this bloody mary was made with Guinness, but we detected none of that and wonder if the recipe has changed over the years.

Aside from the bacon, the garnish was pretty standard. We enjoyed the bacon but found it to be a little limp for our drink on this particular day.

We enjoyed our (huge servings of) food and left full, almost two hours later.

The verdict?

If you’re in Milwaukee, Comet is an institution and you should definitely check it out–just be prepared to wait. The Bloody Mary is pretty good, but if you’re just looking for a beverage, there are plenty of other quicker and just-as-good (if not better) options close by.

 

Franklin, WI: Milwaukee Burger Co.

Posted: August 28, 2015 in Uncategorized
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We reviewed the Milwaukee Burger Company earlier this year when we stopped at their Appleton location.

There are 3 locations for this local chain, yet none of them are actually in Milwaukee. You have to go to Appleton, Eau Claire, or now Franklin, which is the closest option to Milwaukee.

However, it is worth the drive for they have six different Bloody Marys on the menu.

Milwaukee Burger Company Bloody Mary

Last time, we tried the 34-oz. Big Mil Bloody, which was good. But this time, we tried the Bacon Bloody.

Milwaukee Burger Company

MIX:  Looked like they used their own mix at this location

CHASER: The Milwaukee Burger Company locations have 30+ taps each. Choose from any!

FIXIN’S: Homemade brown sugar jalapeno and applewood bacons, celery, olive, cheeses, beefstick, pickle

PRICE:  $6.99

Like the Big Mil, this Bloody Mary was well worth the price. Couple this with happy hour prices on drinks and wings, tons of TVs and fun bartenders, we’ll definitely be back to sample the other options over time, guaranteed.

 

 

Brookfield, WI: Champp’s Americana

Posted: August 28, 2015 in Uncategorized
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We recently visited Champp’s Americana in Brookfield, Wis. on a recommendation from a trusted friend. We were told their bloodies were huge with lots o’ fixin’s, just the way we prefer.

However, we stopped in on a Wednesday for dinner and found out the bloodies we were picturing are only available on weekends. (Indeed. Their website boasts “Ginormous Bloody Mary’s” from 11am-4pm.)We won’t knock ’em for that, seems to be a common practice.

Anyway, we’ll review what we got.

Champps Americana Bloody mary

 

MIX: Housemade

CHASER: Grapefruit Shandy (pick your own)

FIXIN’S: Lime, lime, pickle, olive

PRICE: $Unsure

This bloody mary had a nice overall flavor, but was pretty average by our standards. Looks like you get a much bigger glass, a beefstick and maybe some cheese on the weekends, but nothing over-the-top then either. That said, though, Champp’s is a great place to watch a game, so if you find yourself at Champp’s on the weekend, you should definitely give the Ginormous Bloody Mary a shot. We know we will.

Washington, D.C.: Oyamel

Posted: August 28, 2015 in Uncategorized
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Oyamel showed up on two sources that I generally trust when it comes to food and beverage: Anthony Bourdain’s D.C. list and Thrillist’s List of Best Bloody Marys in D.C.

When I happened to walk right by this restaurant, I thought it was a sign.

I sat at the bar and asked the bartender if they had their famous bloody marys. “Yeah, we make a good one,” she replied.

So shame on me for assuming the one she would make would be the same one that was written up…

According to Thrillist, “The Bloody at Oyamel proves something can be gross AND good. That’s because it’s rimmed with “sal de gusano”. For gringos, that means worm salt. The worms that inhabit the agave plant are dried and then ground down with chilies and sea salt. The wormy rim is your gateway to sips of a Bloody made with your pick of mezcal, tequila, or vodka, plus house-made tomato juice, lime juice, and guajillo chili. It’s garnished with cilantro and marigold.”

This place made Bourdain’s list simply on mezcal selection…

Anyway, here’s what I got:

Oyamel

 

Mix: Housemade, somewhat spicy

Chaser: None offered

Fixin’s: Cucumber

Price: $10

 

I have no idea if this bloody was rimmed with the “sal de gusano,” or not and the bartender just used vodka without asking if I had a preference, so I didn’t get to try that famous mezcal. It also was not garnished with cilantro and marigold.

Overall, this bloody mary was decent and I guess it was my fault for not inquiring further or specifying, but had I known, I would have probably tried the sangria or margarita to go with my food, which for the record, was fantastic.

The made-to-order guacamole was heavenly and melted right into the still-warm fresh-baked tortilla chips. I must admit I devoured way too much and could barely eat my meal, which was also top-notch.

Definitely a cool place to check out, but maybe skip the bloody to make more room for guac.

 

Washington, D.C.: Logan Tavern

Posted: August 27, 2015 in Uncategorized
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When researching Bloody Marys in Washington, D.C., we came across several sites that recommended Logan Tavern.

The reason Logan Tavern’s Bloody Mary was voted “Best Bloody Mary in DC” by Washingtonian Magazine readers is because of their Ultimate Bloody Mary Menu, which is served on Saturdays, Sundays and Holiday Brunch.

We had a fun time plotting out our beverage using their menu:

Logan Tavern (1)

Here’s what we settled on for our creation…

Mix: Housemade. We chose infused cucumber vodka with horseradish, on the spicy side.

Chaser: None offered

Fixin’s: Olive, Cucumber, Green Beans

Price: $13 (which includes additional charges for bacon & shrimp)

Logan Tavern (2)

With a menu like this, if you don’t like your drink, quite frankly, the only person you have to blame is yourself. However, we were quite pleased with the Bloody we had made, considering ourselves somewhat experts in the field.

The difference between Logan Tavern and a Build-Your-Own-Bar, is that you choose options from the various categories and then they construct it for you. It’s the lazy-man’s build your own bloody and it’s better because there is a little bit of restraint built in (no I don’t really need 5 pieces of bacon in my glass…).

Definitely the best Bloody Mary we had in DC and we highly recommend you check it out! Tell us about your own creations in the comments below.

Washington, D.C.: Old Ebbitt Grill

Posted: August 27, 2015 in Uncategorized
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On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., we stopped at the historic Old Ebbitt Grill. 

Founded in 1856, this is known as Washington’s oldest saloon, frequented by many a president, such as McKinley, Grant, Johnson, Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt and Harding.

The restaurant is also famous for its raw bar, so you have to order the Bloody Maryland.

Old Ebbitt Grill (2)

Mix: Housemade with Absolut Peppar

Chaser: None offered

Fixin’s: Celery, Olives, Lemon, a Jumbo Shrimp and rimmed with Old Bay Seasoning

Price: $13

Old Ebbitt Grill (1)

We started talking to our bartender at Old Ebbitt Grill and, once he realized we were from the Midwest, he told us that the Bloody Marys there were good; however, we might be disappointed if we were expecting your typical Midwest feast in a glass. We told him we were experienced travelers and knew that all Bloodies were not created equal. Still, “You’re not getting one of those beer backs here,” he reiterated.

And that was just fine with us because our Bloody Maryland stood on its own. It was very flavorful, with hints of horseradish, lemon and Old Bay… and it made the perfect beverage with which to wash down the oysters we ordered at happy hour.

This is definitely a DC tradition, so you’ll want to add this to your list when visiting the nation’s capital.

Kohler, Wisconsin: PGA Championship Bloody Mary

Posted: August 13, 2015 in Uncategorized
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The world’s most elite golfers have made their way to Kohler, Wisconsin for the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.

We were fortunate enough to attend a practice round this week where we watched this talented field while basking in the sun…with a bloody mary in hand.
PGA Championship Bloody Mary

When you attend events like these, you can expect to shell out some cash for food and beverages while captive on the course. Thus, $11 for a standard bloody mary was no shock to me.

MIX: Unsure, but the bartender in the Wanamaker Club made it spicy to my specification

CHASER: None offered

FIXIN’S: Lime and two olives

PRICE: $11

We enjoyed being able to sip on a bloody mary while out on the links. The last bloody mary we had at a golf tournament was at the Ryder Cup in 2012. This one was certainly “on par” with the “Best Bloody Mary at Medinah.”

Leroy’s Meats of Horicon: Bloody Mary Beef Jerky!

Posted: August 10, 2015 in Uncategorized
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There is an amazing hidden gem of a meat market that’s just about 45 minutes northwest of Milwaukee: Leroy’s Meats of Horicon.

We stumbled upon it by accident, from playing golf at a nearby course, and we make at least one pilgrimage there per year.

One thing we love? Their Bloody Mary flavored offerings!

In the past we’ve had their Bloody Mary Brats (spicy!) and on our most recent visit, we found this:

Bloody Mary Beef Jerky

Yes, Bloody Mary Beef Jerky! Leroy’s has done a fabulous job of capturing the essence of a good bloody mary in dehydrated meat form. Warning: It’s spicy!

The only thing we haven’t done yet is tried it in a bloody mary, but it’s so good we might not get that far before we run out!

Milwaukee, WI: Rock Bottom Brewery

Posted: August 10, 2015 in Uncategorized
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We recently visited Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown Milwaukee.

Although obviously known for their beer, we had to try their Bloody Mary.

Rock Bottom Brewery Bloody Mary

MIX: Housemande

CHASER: Their pale ale

FIXIN’S: Lime, olive and celery

PRICE: $9

This bloody mary had a nice overall flavor, but was pretty average by our standards. Not something we’d seek out for a brunch, but something we’d enjoy again while dining here.

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