Food
The best place that I have found for an inexpensive meal is Conojito's. Its a little
Mexican bar on Milwaukee's south side. The location is a pain to find, but the rewards are
plentiful. It is very cheap (you can get a filling meal for under five dollars if you want)
and delicious. It is authentic Mexican food (served on paper plates for extra ambiance)
that will have you as a repeat customer in no time. For that late-night craving, both
Zayna's and Pizza Shuttle will deliver everything from pizza to chicken wings until around
2:30 a.m. The food is typical fried or pizzaria style, but it hits the spot in most cases.
Conejito's Place |
Zayna's Pizza |
Pizza Shuttle |
Entertainment - everything
A plethora of theaters Theatre
X,
Fireside,
Milwaukee Rep,
Milwaukee
Shakespeare,
Milwaukee Theatre,
etc.; sports
Milwaukee Brewers,
Bucks, and
Wave [MLS]
are the professional sports, Marquette and UW-Milwaukee are Division I sports;
and more bars and
clubs than you can shake a stick at. My recommendation for bars is a little
place called Wolski's. Once again, this gem of Milwaukee is hard to find.
Located on Pulaski in
Milwaukee's lower east side neighborhood (and a block from my house), Wolski's
has kept a neighborhood atmosphere. The dart boards are real cork and are
free to use (that is, if
you can get one). Unfortunately, there is no juke box, but on the weekdays,
the bartenders play selections from their own personal tastes, which range
from Wilco and G-Love, to the
Beatles and Stones. The one major perk of this particular bar are the freebies
for customers who "close" the bar. Bumper stickers are handed out with slogans
such as "I
Closed Wolski's," "I'd Rather Be Wolskiing," etc.
Wolski's Tavern
1836 North Pulaski Street
414-276-8130
One word -- festivals. Every weekend in the summer there is a different festival going on. A vast majority are of ethnic theme (Irish Fest, Italian Fest, Polish Fest, Arabian Nights, etc.). The major fest is Summerfest. An all day musical event, Summerfest is the largest musical festival in the world, with 13 stages offering music for 11 days. Most are "free" stages (only the cost of admission into the grounds, $12 at the door) where lesser known groups will entertain all day and in the evening some bigger acts will play. The main stage, Marcus Amphitheatre, costs extra, but is home to the headliner acts. People like Ben Harper, Brian Williams from the Beach Boys, and Paul Simon have all made appearences (Ben Harper plays almost every year). There are stages for all types of music. Summerfest can take over your life if you are not careful. It starts in late June and runs over the 4th of July. The fireworks are amazing.