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!
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.
Another airport. Another bloody. This time, we were hanging out at MKE’s Mitchell Airport when we stopped in to Nonna’s, a Bartolotta’s restaurant, for a bite.
Nonna’s had two bloodies on the menu, a Chilies and Peppers Bloody Mary and a Habanero Chipotle Bloody Mary, so naturally, we had them both. From a fixin’s standpoint, these were basic and looked the same; however, the flavors were each unique.
We enjoyed them both, but probably preferred the Chilies and Peppers version a little more due to the celery seed and horseradish flavorings. The Habanero Chipotle had that smoky flavor and was a little spicier.
Spice & Mix: Demetri’s: Chilies and Peppers or Habanero Chipotle
Fixin’s: Two Olives & a Pickle
Chaser: No chaser offered.
Price: $ Can’t recall, but they weren’t cheap! I would guess somewhere in the $15 range, which is pretty pricey considering the Ultimate Bloody we had just had with all the fixin’s in Minnesota.
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.
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
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.
From the genius of local Chef Michael Feker comes a new Mexican place on Milwaukee’s west side, in the building that once held Birdie’s Café.
Feker is perhaps best known in the area for his restaurant IL Mito, in Wauwatosa, serving Italian and Mediterranean cuisine in a casual fine dining setting.
His new venture is 2Mesa, which represents the Spanish words “tu mesa,” meaning “your table.” Chef Feker and his wife want to be your table away from home.
Tucked in the neighborhood, 2Mesa is just what this location needed. Breakfast is served daily from 7:30am to 2pm, with lunch service from 11am to close and dinner beginning at 5pm.
We had our first visit to 2Mesa on a Saturday morning, around 11am, so we had our choice between breakfast and brunch.
After much deliberation, we chose the Divorced Omelet-organic eggs complimented with herbs, cheese, ham, and spinach and topped with both green and red sauces. Served with Mexican potatoes and beans.
Of course, we also had to try their Bloody Mary.
The stats:
Spice: Just the right amount of spice.
Mix: Housemade with your choice of tequila or vodka
Chaser: Full-Size bottle of Miller Lite or Corona
Fixin’s: 2 Olives, Lemon, Lime and salted rim
Price: $8?
This Bloody Mary was the perfect consistency and tasted very light and refreshing. However, it is quite petite! It was almost like having a beer with a Bloody Mary chaser. Now there’s certainly nothing wrong with that… we’ll just have to order two next time!
And there will definitely be a next time because this place is something special. We love the cozy atmosphere and the food was delicious and priced just right.
Thank you for bringing a great place like this to the neighborhood, Chef Feker!
On a snowy Sunday in early February, we visited Birch + Butcher for brunch & bloodies (say that three times fast!).
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!
Over the holidays, we visited Fuel Cafe in Walker’s Point for appetizers and good company.
Although the original location is considered a Milwaukee institution, this visit was our first to either of the Fuel Cafes.
We decided to give their Bloody Mary a go:
Spice: Not too spicy, but tasty.
Mix: Housemade, with your choice of vodka or blanco tequila
Chaser: Your choice!
Fixin’s: Cheese curds and two olives (although the menu boasts bacon!)
Price: $8
This Bloody Mary was very tasty and we liked the fact that let you choose both your liquor and your chaser (they have a large variety of beers to choose from). The price was reasonable and our only “complaint” is that the menu lists bacon as a fixin’, but clearly our drink missed that memo.
All of the appetizers we enjoyed were delicious and the entrees looked delectable as well. We’ll be back, Fuel Cafe! Put on the bacon!
We told you we’re back! This week we also visited Who’s On Third in Milwaukee and sampled their Bloody Mary.
Spice & Mix: Although the mix was from a bottle (we aren’t sure which mix exactly), we were impressed by the bartender’s skills in crafting the drink to make it unque–and delicious. She added worcestershire, sriracha sauce and probably a few other things that we had to look up spellings for, as she doctored up the mix. We even watched her taste-test the drink (safely! No sips from the glass or straw, don’t worry) to make sure it was up to her standards.
Chaser: None offered.
Fixin’s: Bacon, Cheese and Beefstick
Price: $Unknown. We were here for a work event and were given a free drink ticket, so I’m not sure what they charge regularly.
This bloody mary was excellent and we would surely order another if we were to stop back in here again; however, this particular bartender seemed to take pride in her work and clearly had her own recipe, so I’m not sure the beverage would be replicated precisely if someone else were to craft it for us.
While it was delicious, we probably wouldn’t drive all the way down to Old World Third Street and fight the crowds and parking to get it, but kudos to the bartender at this establishment nonetheless! We are impressed. You go girl.
Recently, I had the chance to go to 9 Below, a min-golf tavern located 9-feet below ground on Milwaukee’s East Side.
Not only do you get to play mini-golf while enjoying drinks in a fun, bar-type setting, but you also get to design your own mini-golf course, using various obstacles and items to make each hole unique. You also get to name each hole and set a “par.”
While my colleagues and I enjoyed this fun, teambuilding exercise away from the office, I also enjoyed a Bloody Mary from the bar at 9 Below:
Spice & Mix: The mix was Major Peter’s and it was very tasty.
Chaser: None offered.
Fixin’s: My drink had four olives and a lemon and lime. I saw a couple other coworkers that scored a beef stick though!
Price: $Unknown. As this was a work event, we were given a free drink ticket, so I’m not sure what they charge regularly.
The verdict? While I would not come here especially for the Bloody Mary or to just drink at their bar (I don’t even know if you can), I would definitely recommend 9 Below as a fun place to host a very unique group outing. And while you’re there, if you order a bloody like I did, you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!
Out For Bloodies 