Posts Tagged ‘brunch’

Mesa, AZ: What’s Crackin Cafe

Posted: March 4, 2024 in Uncategorized
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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.

Milwaukee, WI: Brunch

Posted: September 19, 2018 in Uncategorized
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Recently we visited a restaurant aptly named Brunch in downtown Milwaukee for…well, brunch.

We enjoyed surveying the wide selection of fare including entrees called “The Dad Bod” and the “Elvis Sandwich” but ultimately settled on the Avocado Toast.

Photo Sep 17, 11 46 16 AM

And you can’t go to a place called Brunch without ordering a Bloody Mary.

Brunch apparently makes several infused vodkas and you can even order a Bloody Mary flight to sample each of them, but on this occasion we simply wanted to try their main drink.

 

Spice: Not really.

Mix: Unsure… it had a hint of spice, but the base was also a little sweet, almost like Sacramento

Fixin’s: Beefstick, Pickle, Olive, Cheese Curd

Chaser: Add on a Rhinelander Shorty for $1

Price: $8

Photo Sep 17, 11 38 52 AM

Overall, we enjoyed our food and drink at Brunch and the menu has such a wide variety of delicious breakfast options that we’ll have to come back again… however, the construction in the area makes it difficult to get to and the service at the time we went was a little slow. We will definitely give this place (and perhaps their Bloody Mary flight!) another shot, though–maybe at their Brookfield location.

Elm Grove, WI: Zister’s

Posted: September 1, 2018 in Uncategorized
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We recently visited a new restaurant in downtown Elm Grove, Wisconsin called Zister’s. Housed in the site of the former Penelope’s, Zister’s brings a more modern appeal to Watertown Plank Road.

With its blatant appeal to the millennial brunch culture, this place is sure to attract the young and trendy crowd in search of Avocado Toasts, Benedicts and Mimosas (after all, as their slogan says, “Champagne is the new coffee.”

And, you can’t have brunch with out a Bloody Mary. On our visit, we tried the Ultimate Bloody Mary.

Photo Aug 27, 3 49 16 PM

Spice: St. George Green Chile Vodka

Mix: Zing Zang

Fixin’s: Lemon, Lime, Olive, Pickle and Bacon

Chaser: Miller Lite Shorty

Price: $10

We enjoy Zing Zang, so we didn’t mind them using a bottle mix. I think the drink was very tasty, but a bit over priced and lacking in the fixings to be called “Ultimate.” In our opinion, if you’re going to call yourself a brunch place, you should have at least 3 different Bloody Mary options on the menu, including one that truly is “ultimate” and unique to your establishment. (How about one with champagne, Zisters?!?)

Regardless, we still give this place a glowing review and will be back multiple times because we heart the menu. There simply are no other options like this west of the city.

We had the Avocado Toast and it was presented beautifully and tasted amazing:

Photo Aug 27, 3 55 08 PM

Again, we love that Zisters has come to the neighborhood; they also created a really great patio that we can’t wait to test out. We will be back soon and hope you take our Bloody Mary recommendations to heart as you develop your clientele. We would love to be a special advisor in your quest!

 

Milwaukee, WI: Birch + Butcher

Posted: March 22, 2018 in Uncategorized
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On a snowy Sunday in early February, we visited Birch + Butcher for brunch & bloodies (say that three times fast!).IMG_5482

 

Spice: Not too spicy, but tasty.

Mix: Housemade, with your choice of vodka, gin, tequila, scotch or aquavit

Chaser: Yes

Fixin’s: Summer Sausage, Cheese and Small Pickle

Price: $8

This Bloody Mary was very tasty and we liked the fact that let you choose your liquor, came with a chaser and included a salted rim; however, as you can see from the photo, it was a little lighter in color and perhaps could’ve had a bit of a thicker taste, in our opinion.

The brunch fare here is very trendy and it truly is a mix of “both primitive + modern cooking styles” that are both “nostalgically comfortable + inspiring,” per their website.

As you know, we are always in the market to try new bloodies and quite often, that means a new place for brunch, so bring it on!

West Allis, WI: The Farmer’s Wife

Posted: November 20, 2017 in Uncategorized
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Located on a corner in a West Allis neighborhood, unsuspecting cars might drive past this gem everyday, thinking it is just another house; however, they are unwittingly missing out on a very special restaurant.

The Farmer’s Wife might just be West Allis’ best-kept secret.

From their site: “The Farmer’s Wife is based on some pretty basic ideas.  Do things like our grandparents did.  Work hard, Eat clean, Spend quality time with people we want to share it with.  That’s all!”

The restaurant sources ingredients from local farmers, meat handlers and RSA’s such as, Kettle Range Meats, Growing Power, LOTFOTL, and West Allis Farmer’s Market. They have also partnered with Anodyne Coffee.

We had been in here for lunch a few times, but today was the first time we checked out their brunch; upon arrival, we found out that here is a Bloody Mary Bar on Sundays from 10am to 2pm!

Photo Nov 19, 10 49 41 AMPhoto Nov 19, 10 52 33 AM

They begin by serving you a glass of vodka and a chaser. You use their homemade Bloody Mary mix and your favorite spices to mix your drink–then add your skewers full of toppings!

Spice: Not too spicy, but you can add more spices to appease your palate.

Mix: Homemade

Chaser: Choose from many offerings. Today we had Surly.

Fixin’s: See above for the plethora of options, including cheese curds!

Price: $6

The Bloody Mary was delicious and the price was just right. Our drinks paired perfectly with our most appropriate brunch orders as well: My two dining partners and I enjoyed the Brunch Burger, the Brunch Poutine and the Brunch Wrap and cups of coffee. We all left full and happy…. we will be back!

Wauwatosa, WI: Lucky Joe’s AE

Posted: January 12, 2016 in Uncategorized
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We recently paid a visit to Lucky Joe’s Alchemy and Eatery a relatively new “speakeasy” type establishment in the Wauwatosa Village.

When the restaurant first opened over the summer, it was intended to be the speakeasy sister of Lucky Joe’s Tiki Bar in downtown Milwaukee; however, soon after the Wauwatosa bar opened, the Tiki Bar closed.

We were big fans of the Tiki Bar and love to try new places, so we visited the Tosa location about 1-2 weeks after it opened, looking forward to the speakeasy vibe on a weekend evening.

Unfortunately, we had a disappointing experience and chalked it up to their newness, so we decided to give them another try, this time, for brunch.

Lucky Joe’s AE currently serves a “eat what you’re given” brunch, which consists of two ham sandwiches, cheesey mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs, plus your choice of a Bloody Mary or mimosa for $14.

Lucky Joe's Brunch

This seemed like a good idea, so we headed there on a brutally cold Sunday morning. Perhaps the weather kept the crowds away, but we ended up being the only people in the place the entire time we were there.

The brunch was very good and filling, but as-is, for us, it is not worth returning. If you only love exactly what they provide, this is the place for you… But we like options, and frankly, we were also disappointed with the bloody.

Lucky Joe's Bloody Mary

MIX: Jimmy Luv’s

CHASER: Miller Lite

FIXIN’S: Beefstick and pickle

PRICE: $14 (includes Brunch)

A place like this prides itself on its craft cocktails, so we were really hoping the Bloody Mary would be something special. Jimmy Luv’s and modest fixin’s left us wanting more. You get a ton of food (we had to take half ours home) for a great price, but I would have paid more for a great Bloody Mary. They should think about creating a house mix and infusing their own vodka, or at the very least adding so flair in the fixin’s.

We want so badly to like this place and to see businesses succeed in this community, but our first two trips have left something to be desired. We will give it one more shot on a weeknight happy hour-perhaps that’s when they’ll shine.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a brunch option, you certainly can’t go wrong with this one. Our waitress also hinted that they might be expanding their menu as well, which would be very welcome.

 

 

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.

Oconomowoc, WI: Burke’s Lakeside

Posted: March 22, 2015 in Uncategorized
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This morning, I had brunch with friends at Burke’s Lakeside in Oconomowoc.

For just $12.95, you can access a full buffet with all kinds of breakfast and lunch foods, including made-to-order omelets and pasta.

The food was good, but we really came to try the Wisconsin Supper Club Bloody Mary, aptly named because is served with fixin’s on a Lazy Susan:

Burke's Lakeside Supper Club Bloody Mary

To get the full effect, you really have to watch this video, which offers a 360 view:

Here’s a slide show:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Mix: They use Zing Zang.

Chaser: Lagunitas Ipa

Fixin’s:  See photos… bacon, hardboiled egg, pickle, pepper, celery, shrimp, cheese, pepperoni, pickled veggies, tomatoes, tater tots and shrimp

Price: $10

Burke’s is a pilgrimage every bloody mary fan needs to make at least once. The Wisconsin Supper Club Bloody Mary is only served on Sundays, so you’ll want to make the most of your trip and plan on staying for brunch. Cheers!

 

Milwaukee, WI: Wolf Peach

Posted: February 22, 2015 in Uncategorized
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This morning, I had brunch with two friends at Wolf Peach in Milwaukee. I had previously reviewed their Bloody Mary in the fall of 2013, but I felt this merited a new review since the drink seems to have changed.

Wolf Peach

Spice: I ordered it spicy and it arrived with just the right amount of spice.

Mix: Unsure

Chaser: Rhinelander shorty offered, but I declined (it was before 11am)

Fixin’s:  Olive, Peppers, Mushroom, Lemon, Lime, Cheese and Beef

Price: $9.50

I had enjoyed their Bloody Mary previously and this one, although they added fixin’s and the chaser option, was just not the same as I remember. It was still good, don’t get me wrong, but I think I liked that first Bloody better.

The food, however, was delicious! As you can see from the menu, their brunch selection is very rich. I ended up ordering the smashburger breakfast and couldn’t finish the enormous portion. I recommend checking out this spot for dinner or brunch–in addition to the delectable delights, the space is cool and the view of the city is amazing.

 

St. Petersburg, FL: Rumfish

Posted: November 12, 2014 in Uncategorized
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Last week, we were down in the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg area sampling Bloody Marys.

Our final Bloody Mary in Florida was my favorite, but I have to say it is because I had a little more say in the matter.

Before we go into details, here are the original stats on this drink at Rumfish:

Mix: Unsure… it was sweet and tasted “vegetable-y” to my companion. I think it was Campbell’s if I had to take a guess.

Chaser: No

Fixin’s: One lime and two olives, originally, but we took care of that.

Price: $?

We were here for a brunch buffet ($25/person), so I picked up some Bloody Mary essentials at the buffet and used them to spruce up the drink. Crab, shrimp, asparagus, cheese, meat…. ah, I almost felt like I was back home for a minute there.

I really wish restaurants outside of the Midwest would catch on to this trend. Especially in places like Florida, where they have a heavy population of defectors from the cold weather states!

Aside from having to doctor up my own drink, the brunch here was quite good and filling. We also enjoyed seeing the indoor aquarium, where people also have the chance to swim with the fishes!

Cheers!