There’s no bad time for a Bloody Mary, but typically, we don’t get to enjoy them on a random midweek morning unless we’re on vacation.
However, this week, we found ourselves in Mequon for a couple of appointments. Upon searching for a good breakfast spot in the area, we popped in to Cafe 1505 between meetings and, once we saw the Bloody Mary menu, we couldn’t resist.
The Signature Verde Bloody Mary in particular caught our eye. And, while it was very tasty and came with plenty of fixin’s, we were momentarily disappointed that it wasn’t green! We thought there had been a mix-up, but our waitress explained that the homemade tomatillo salsa verde was added to their signature mix.
That totally made sense and was a bonus because if you’re a loyal reader you know we love Sacramento as a base!
Breakfast was very good with lots of sweet, savory and healthy options. Next time we find ourselves on that side of town, we’ll be back to try another one!
We recently checked out the newly-rebranded “Bandero County Wood Grill” in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin for Sunday brunch.
Previously, this restaurant was called Brisco County and I’m not quite sure why they changed the name. It looks very much the same inside and the menu is also very similar if not the same as it used to be. There was a handwritten sign inside the restaurant that said “New Year, New Name,” so the change must’ve happened within the last four months, or perhaps right on January 1. We hadn’t been here since last August, so we really weren’t sure.
Anyway, we knew that Brisco County used to have a Bloody Mary Flight on their menu (as well as Mimosa Flight), so we inquired as to whether that was still offered at Bandero County.
Our waitress said indeed it was, even though we saw no mention of it anywhere on the menu, or the drink list. Later, I found it on the website, but without a price listed.
That should’ve been the first red flag, but I ordered the flight anyway.
When it came, there were four mini bloody marys with different fixins and salted rims; I estimated that they were about 4oz each. Presentation was very nice, I will give them that:
I expected the waitress to tell me what each one was, but she didn’t offer, so I asked. Turns out, she did not know. She went back to the bar, however, and came back with a list of descriptions (pictured here).
My dining companion chose to order a regular, 16oz house bloody mary (with vodka), which came with a free beer chaser and some basic fixings.
The Bloodies on the flight, as you can see, each had a different alcohol and a fixin’: Classic (vodka + two olives); Pickle (pickle whiskey + pickle); Gin (gin + lime and salt); and Spicy Maria (Tequila + lime + salt).
It seemed that aside from the different alcohols, fixin’s and salt, the overall bloody mary mix was the same in all four from my flight as well as the 16oz bloody… and we both agreed the flavor was very much lacking in all. If your basic mix isn’t good, then whatever you add really won’t help!
So, the bloodies overall were just okay which was disappointing… but then the bill came.
I was astonished to find the Bloody Mary Flight was $22.50! At that point, there was really nothing I could do–shame on me for not asking, but I figured at most it would be $15, or the price of two regular Bloody Marys. The fixin’s received were not even what was listed on the description sheet and there was no chaser provided with the flight option. I could’ve had three full-size bloodies-with chasers!-for what I paid for my mediocre flight. We definitely weren’t prepared for a $60 breakfast.
Spices/Flavor: Basic overall flavor was lacking from all varieties
Fixin’s: varied
Chaser: Free select beers with regular bloody mary; none offered with flight
Price: $7.50 for a 16 oz bloody and chaser… $22.50 for a flight.
If you’re checking this place out for brunch and want a bloody, I would definitely recommend skipping the flight and lesson learned: always ask if a price isn’t listed!
Each year, Wauwatosa holds a St. Patrick’s Day parade on the Saturday before March 17. It goes down Bluemound Road near the ballpark.
This year, we chose to watch the parade from J&B’s Blue Ribbon Bar, which used to be the old Long Wong’s.
The place was packed and everyone was festive. Green beer was on tap.
Although not quite Irish, we were in the mood for a Bloody Mary, though, so here’s what we were served.
Spices/Flavor: Unsure of what kind of mix they used, but it was very tasty!
Fixin’s: Lemon, Mini Beefstick and an Olive stuffed with a mini Gherkin
Chaser: Green Beer!
Price: Because we were with a large group and were at the bar for a couple of hours, we weren’t able to tell (and neglected to get an itemized bill). All I know is they can’t have been too pricey because overall our bill was very reasonable.
I must say the mini pickle inside the olive was a pleasant surprise–to think that was someone’s job to do that is kind of funny and appreciated. Also loved the green beer to help us celebrate. We’ll be back!
Our last Bloody Mary on our recent trip to Arizona came from What’s Crackin in Mesa where we had breakfast on our final day of vacation.
We enjoyed this cute little place; the atmosphere was fun, the people were nice and the food was delicious.
They also had this Bloody Mary on the menu… with, get this–early bird pricing.
Yes, friends, from 7-9am Monday through Friday, this gem has special pricing on select breakfast entrées AND $3 bloodies and mimosas. If that’s not a reason to wake up early, I don’t know what is!
Spices/Flavor: They offer a Bloody Mary, Maria or Caesar and you can add infused vodka for an upcharge
Fixin’s: Bacon, Olives and Homemade Pickles
Chaser: None Offered
Price: Regular price is about $8 per the menu online, so at $3, this is a steal.
This place was great and next time I’m in town, I will definitely be back. The rest of their menu looks amazing and they have afternoon Happy Hour specials as well.
We had grand plans for our trip to Arizona. We were going to go to the WM Phoenix Open and also, play golf ourselves, in addition to hiking and other fun warm and sunny weather activities.
Unfortunately, those plans were mostly foiled by the rain and cold the week we were there; however, we did squeeze in a “Nine and Dine” at Las Sendas Golf Club in Mesa, AZ.
We took advantage of the golf course’s Back Nine and Breakfast special; we teed off around 8:30am and then had a $25 credit at the Grille.
The course was simply gorgeous and in great shape even though the weather wasn’t cooperating. It was chilly and windy, but we got in all nine holes and were walking into the restaurant just as it started to rain.
Alongside our breakfast fare, we ordered a round of bloodies for the table.
The Bloody Mary at Las Sendas was very tasty. It came with two olives, a lemon and a lime (no chaser). I’m not quite sure how much this one cost either, due to the special package we had purchased, but I can tell you this hit the spot. If you’re ever in the Mesa area, check out Las Sendas and stop in at the Grille!
The crux of our trip to Arizona was to visit the WM Phoenix Open, also known as “The Greenest Show on Grass.”
We headed to TPC Scottsdale on Wednesday morning for the Annexus Pro-Am, with plans of seeing great golf, rubbing elbows with celebrities, basking in the sun and enjoying a bloody mary or three.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans. The day started out chilly and overcast in the morning and as the day progressed, quickly devolved into rain and, ultimately, hail.
[If you’re interested, you can read more about our overall experience here, thanks to our friends at Element IV Therapy.]
Anyway, this event is known for it’s fun, party-like atmosphere and this year, the golf tournament made the news as fans partied maybe a little TOO hard at the famous 16th hole and elsewhere.
I can assure you, Out for Bloodies was not part of that crowd. We couldn’t have been even if we had tried because we were so chilly we didn’t even want to hold a cold beverage lest our hands become even icier.
However, we had to at least have one Bloody Mary, which is seen here.
The flavor was good, but didn’t really stand out; it also came with just one olive-no other fixin’s. And I regret to inform you, I do not know the price as this round was purchased by a friend. I do know chasers weren’t included, though, because they also bought a round of beers.
Again, I wish the weather had been nicer and I could’ve enjoyed this bloody a bit more instead of sipping it through my chattering teeth. I tracked down a coffee truck right after this and that’s all I had the rest of the day as the skies opened up and play was suspended.
Hopefully we’ll have the chance to return another time and try again!
Back in February, we headed to Arizona for the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
During our week in the Grand Canyon State, we tried several new bloodies, including this one, from Red, White & Brew in Mesa, Arizona.
We were staying with friends and we stopped for lunch after they picked us up from the airport. Famished and tired after our long flight, we couldn’t wait to start our vacation with a cocktail.
Unfortunately, Red, White and Brew did not feature any sort of special bloody on its drink menu, but I ordered one anyway.
Thus, I was not surprised that the bloody I received was quite plain. It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t great. There was just nothing special about it. There were no fixin’s aside from lemon and lime and a chaser was not offered. Because the drink was not listed on the menu and I didn’t think to check the tab, I also don’t know how much they charge you for one of these. Hopefully it wasn’t a lot.
This is a cool place and the food was really good–I just wouldn’t recommend it as the best place to head if you’re craving a really special bloody mary.
Over the weekend, we took a little day trip to Sheboygan, Wisconsin where we brunched at BoMallies.
This cute little artsy place started as a popular food truck and catering business before opening its equally popular brick and mortar location. The restaurant is typically only open for dinner Wednesday-Saturday year round; with the addition of Sunday brunch in fall through spring.
The menu has a wide array of brunch offerings ranging from bacon cheeseburgers to breakfast steak tacos and from eggs your way to truffle Parmesan fries.
We started with an order of those fries and they were delicious. We followed it up with the breakfast steak tacos, which equally hit the spot.
And now the most important part… their Bloody Mary!
Spice & Mix: The house mix here was not spicy, but rather very savory; we got an Italian vibe from the flavor–perhaps basil or oregano? We enjoyed it!
Fixin’s: Bacon, Cheese, Olive, Lemon and Lime (the menu said Beef Stick, but we were told they were out)
Chaser: Add a pony of Miller High Life for $1
Price: $7
I really enjoyed the unique flavor of this Bloody and appreciated the addition of the fixin’s, even if they were out of their staples. For $7 ($8 if you add the chaser), I thought this was priced just right and was the perfect complement to any of the items on the brunch menu.
Four years ago, I reviewed the Bloody Mary at Don’s Diner in downtown Milwaukee.
Flash forward to 2023. The restaurant is now called “Don’s TV Repair” and it has reinvented itself as a speakeasy.
I came here for dinner and drinks around the holidays and it was a cool vibe. You walk in through a little 80s/90s-themed convenience store, give them the password and you’re taken through to the restaurant. The restaurant is also very retro with old posters and memorabilia, scattered about and old movies/video games on the TVs. The menu is very diner with all-day breakfast, burgers and classics, fun cocktails and amazing over-the-top milkshakes (made boozy if you want ’em!).
That was a great experience. Thus, when I had a friend visit from out of town and wanted to take her someplace cool, I immediately thought of Don’s. Because of her work schedule, we had to meet up during the day… but no worries, Don’s does brunch on the weekends!
The vibe was not as cool during the day. The speakeasy atmosphere was kind of lost; there were many more families and children and it was loud. Service was also less attentive. The menu was the same.
Since it was early, this time I tried their signature Fruity Pebbles Pancakes (with 7-Up Batter) and they were decent.
Given the great milkshakes and the “crock-pot old fashioned” I had enjoyed in December, I was super-excited to try the Back to Life Bloody.
To be honest, though, it was a little disappointing. It was served in a tall, narrow Frankenstein/tiki-looking vessel that was hard to drink out of. The fixin’s were minimal (especially when you see how over-the-top their milkshakes are!). I guess the best part of it is that you get a full can of Hamm’s beer as your chaser (if you like that sort of thing).
Spice & Mix: Menu says “Vodka, Garden Variety Bloody Mary Mix”… this was nothing special.
Fixin’s: A piece of string cheese and a beef stick, each cut in half. One small piece of celery smeared with what I think was pimiento cheese?
Chaser: Full can of Hamm’s
Price: $13
The verdict? The Bloody from the original Don’s Diner was 10x better (and $4 less expensive). They should revert back to that-that would be retro, wouldn’t it? The food is the same as their normal menu and it was good, but after the kids next to us broke a glass that shattered all over the floor, including under our table, and it was difficult to get waitstaff to come back and take our order or get a straw, I don’t think I would come back here for brunch. However, I will definitely give it another go for cocktails and/or dinner.
If it’s been awhile since you’ve been to downtown Milwaukee, I highly suggest you check out what has become of the old Grand Avenue Mall. It’s amazing to see the revitalization in the space and that’s all thanks to 3rd Street Market Hall, a mixed-use space containing restaurant stalls, bars, games and then housing/apartments around the area.
In the center of it all is the 3rd Street Market Bar, where we saddled up and ordered this amazing concoction:
The “Play All Day” Bloody Mary is delicious and a must-try when you’re visiting this space, which is a great place for a Sunday Fun Day. I highly recommend you check out 3rd Street Market Hall!
Spice & Mix: Unknown, but the use Smirnoff Vodka, Worcestershire, Lemon, Lime and Bacon Salt per the menu.
Out For Bloodies 