Tag Archives: Food / Drink

Date Ideas: Cheap & Fun Romantic Alternatives

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Well, it’s February…the month of love. Kiss goodbye those same old cliché dates! You know, those one size fits all dinner-and-a-movie dates, and opt for something a bit more unique. Here are great ideas for you and your significant other that will certainly break the mold, but not the bank.

For Action & Adventure:

Action City in Eau Claire
Take the scenic route on the largest indoor go-kart track in the Midwest ($5-6), have a friendly battle of laser tag on a mist and obstacle-filled course, ($5) or show off on the climbing wall ($4).

Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Parks in Wisconsin Dells
It’s an all-in-one indoor water park, amusement park, and arcade center! Play water basketball and relax in the floating river, or take on one of the nine elevated go-kart tracks. You can get an all day water & theme park pass for only $20/ticket (plus tax)!

Gamecraze in Warrens
A themed black light mini-golf course and a bevy of state-of-the-art arcade games make this entertainment center an excellent, thrifty choice. Main attractions are $5-6 and arcade games are $1.

For Fitness & Fun:

Harbor Centre in Sheboygan
Located by the South Pier Ice Cream Parlor, this beautiful ice skating rink offers skate rentals for $4 and a warming area. Snacks and other treats are also available. The rink is open day and night.

RecPlex in Pleasant Prairie
Show off your athleticism! The RecPlex is an indoor water park, state-of-the-art recreation / fitness facility AND has two NHL-size rinks. Day passes for the whole center are $10 for village residents, $14 for non-residents. Check out the open skate schedule here.

For Conversation & Creativity:

Fired Up Pottery in Cottage Grove
Paint your own pottery, sculpt clay or learn glass fusion jewelry-making. There are no studio fees to paint your own pottery and the clay and wheel pottery only has an $8/day fee.

Richeson School of Art & Gallery in Kimberly
Take a professional workshop or one-time class! Perfect for any skill level, you can learn anything from watercolor painting to portraiture for only $5 per person, no sign up necessary. If you’re interested in attending a workshop taught by a professional artist, you can find a schedule and prices here.

Hopefully you have a few date ideas to mix things up. Of course, if you’re more of the traditional romantic, there are plenty of quaint Bed & Breakfasts and cozy romantic restaurants to make your sweetheart swoon.

Valentine’s Day Date Ideas

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Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and if you’re still looking for romantic ideas, we’ve come up with some unique options to get your heart pumping.

Milwaukee Public Museum’s Planetarium and IMAX Theater – Milwaukee, WI
Spend an evening under the stars at the Daniel M Soref Planetarium, the largest in the state, located in the Milwaukee Public Museum. The most romantic program in the planetarium’s repertoire is definitely “Romancing the Stars,” playing before and on Valentine’s Day. Constellations that have romantic significance will be pointed out, and a rose and chocolates will also be handed out to each couple. “Romancing the Stars” has showtimes on Feb. 11, 12, and 14.

Harrison Hills Sleigh Rides – Merrill, WI
Just north of Wausau, you can find Harrison Hills Sleigh Rides. Ride through the northwoods on a scenic sleigh ride. You can take up to 14 people on the ride, but if it’s just you and a loved on on Valentine’s Day, you can save it for just the two of you. Make sure to reserve a spot early!

L’ecole de la Maison – Elkhart Lake, WI
Why do dinner and a movie on Valentine’s Day when you can make food together? Classes at L’ecole de la Maison in Elkhart cover everything from breakfast to dessert and are open to the public. Course lengths include 2-days, 4-5 hours, or 2-3 hours, depending on the month. If you’re looking for an activity the weekend before Valentine’s Day, you can sign up to learn how to make a European brunch or French desserts. Classes range from $125/person for workshops to $295 for two-day courses.

Valentine Candlelight Ski & Hike – Sheboygan
For the more active couples, the Valentine Candlelight Ski & Hike could be an ideal romantic activity. Grab your cross-country skis and glide (or hike) your way across a two-mile trail illuminated by over 200 tiki torches. Afterwards, snuggle up by the fireplace and grab some refreshments. The Candlelight Ski & Hike is on February 11 from 6-9pm.

What do you have planned for Valentine’s Day this year? Are you going on a date or spending time with friends? Share your ideas with us!

Ways to Warm Up in Wisconsin

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It’s hard not to hibernate in chilly weather, but Wisconsin has plenty of places where you can get out and stay warm. These Wisconsin hot spots will keep you toasty and entertained in the winter days to come.

New Glarus Hotel – New Glarus, WI

If there’s one thing Wisconsin does right, it’s cheese, and it doesn’t get much better than Swiss fondue. Go beyond dipping food into melted cheese and learn the history of fondue at the New Glarus Hotel. Groups of ten or more can see a live demonstration from these chefs who abide by Swiss traditions in the making of their fondues and learn all the tricks of the trade.

Pickerman’s – La Crosse, WI

Soup can be a hearty and healthy way to warm up, and Pickerman’s is the perfect place to get it. Locally owned since 2002, they have a variety of heart-healthy and low-calorie soups and sandwiches on the menu. Just pick from their “500 Club” and you’ll be getting a menu item under 500 calories. Looking for something a little more indulgent? Pickerman’s also has soups like Broccoli Cheddar and Potato Cream Cheese. Yum!

The County Clare – Milwaukee, WI

Whether it’s for dinner and drinks or an overnight stay, the County Clare in Milwaukee is a cozy spot for those months when you need to get out of the house. Huddle up by the fireplace with some Irish food and a Guinness, and enjoy your hibernation a little bit more. On top of an authentic Irish dinner menu, County Clare also serves brunch, has live music several nights a week and has Irish movie nights. Plenty of events to keep you busy and cozy.

Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier – Madison, WI

Sometimes it’s nice to stay in, and for those days, make sure to have some hot chocolate from Gail Ambrosius on hand. Pick up some handmade chocolates while you’re at it, made fresh in their Madison store. You can buy Gail Ambrosius products at several shops around the Madison area or online.

Where are your favorite places to stay warm in Wisconsin?

Tapas Restaurants in Wisconsin – Eat Small & Sample All

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If you’ve always wanted to go to a restaurant and try everything on the menu, you can’t get better than a tapas restaurant. These eateries focus on small portions and international food, meaning you can sample a number of dishes without breaking the bank. Here are a few spots to get you started.

La Merenda – Milwaukee

  • Price: $5-$10
  • Cuisine: International
  • Tips: Come in Mondays for half-price bottles of wine at lunch or dinner. Make sure to try tapas from a variety of countries, including England, Korea, Spain and Italy.

4 Sisters Wine Bar & Tapas – La Crosse

  • Price: $5-$10
  • Cuisine: Varied, with a focus on Spanish, French and Mediterranean
  • Tips: While lunch and dinner is served, you can also pick from the In-Between menu from 2-4:30pm. Try the Midwest Platter and tide yourself over for dinner with some dry Italian meats and cheeses.

The Icon – Madison

  • Price: $5-$15
  • Cuisine: Spanish
  • Tips: Start your meal by selecting a wine from 100 different varieties on the wine wall. End it with a cinnamon apple empanada or traditional Spanish flan.

Margaux Bistro & Wine Bar – Sheboygan

  • Price: $5-$10 for small plates, $15-$30 for entrees
  • Cuisine: International with French and Asian influences
  • Tips: If you’ve got a special occasion coming up, purchase a chef’s table for $200. Tables cater to a variety of party options. Or, visit at brunch with the kids. Margaux’s kid-friendly menu is only $6 at brunch.

Tapas are great because they can accommodate any social gathering. Combine a couple small plates to make a meal for one or two, or share a wide array of dishes with a group. Tapas restaurants might downsize on portions, but they upsize on taste.

Hollywood or Not, Wisconsin Will Always Be Home

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David Zucker is a film director, producer and screenwriter.

My Wisconsin travel memories go back many years.  One of the first is driving south on the old Highway 41 to the Illinois border to buy oleomargarine. In those days, the state outlawed the sale of colored margarine so that became one of our family’s regular Wisconsin trips.  Now that I think of it, that probably classifies as an Illinois trip, so forget that, I’ll go on to the next big family outing: the Wisconsin Dells.  This involved, as I remember, a big nighttime Indian powwow and cruising across the lake in a converted WWII amphibious landing craft.  It made for a thrilling experience, and of course, a lot safer without having to face German machine gun fire.

But the trip that I made the most times was the one from Milwaukee to Madison, where I attended the University of Wisconsin.  Even before that, while in high school, I used to travel there on weekends with my high school rock band, “The Chevelles,” (all the good cars were taken) to play at fraternity parties on Langdon Street.  Aside from all the beer we could drink, I remember the fun of bunking in the frat bedrooms or the old Cardinal Hotel, one of the great flophouses on the Square.  But my fondest memory is that morning-after stale beer aroma in the frat house basement bar.  Nothing like it.  Still can’t figure out why my parents ever let me go there.

In between gigs, we’d be content to stay in Milwaukee and tour the Schlitz Brewery, after which free beer was always served to the guests.  I remember going on that tour a lot, and eventually, it came to occupy more of our time than going to Madison.  Other great in-town excursions were to County Stadium for the Braves and later Packer games.  My brother and I used to bring sleeping bags downtown and enjoy a pleasant summer night sleeping on cots on the sidewalk outside the Journal building, waiting for Packer season tickets to go on sale in the morning.  This turned out to be a great preparation for the brief homeless period we went through before hitting it big in the movie business.

Even today, after many years away, I always look forward to returning to my home state for a welcome, fun and relaxing vacation, stale beer smell and all.

David Zucker is a film director, producer and screenwriter whose notable works include The Naked Gun trilogy, Airplane!, Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4. A Shorewood native, David is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Winter Break Activities for the Kids

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The kids are on winter break and suddenly you find yourself in need of some wholesome family fun. That’s where we swoop in and save the day!

Here are a few of our favorite kid-friendly attractions and activities guaranteed to make ‘em smile:
 

Museums
• Betty Brinn Children’s Museum – Milwaukee
• The Building for Kids – Appleton
• Madison Children’s Museum
• Children’s Museum of Eau Claire

Outdoor Fun
• Sledding and tubing at Cascade Mountain – Portage
• Ice skate at Traxler Park in Janesville
• Enjoy a bonfire, food, fireworks and music at the Boulder Junction Winter Celebration

Something Different
• Paint your own pottery at Art Trooper in Fox Point
• Catch a performance by the Central Wisconsin’s Children Theater based in Wausau
• Grab a hot dog aboard a 1965 caboose at the Rail Dog in Wisconsin Dells
• Take a tour of the Jelly Belly Distribution Center in Pleasant Prairie
• Spend the day at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center’s indoor waterpark
• Eat and play at the Stone Fire Pizza Company in New Berlin

Have some suggestions you’d like to share? Post them as a comment below!

“Only In Wisconsin” New Year’s Celebrations

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Wisconsin has always had its own way of celebrating, and New Year’s is no exception. If you still don’t have plans on how to ring in 2012, no fear….we’ve got a few suggestions that will make a memorable mark.

Dropping of the Carp – Prairie du Chien
Forget watching the ball drop, this Wisconsin tradition drops a 29-pound frozen carp from 100 feet in the air at the stroke of midnight! In the final hours of 2011, “Lucky #9” (as he is lovingly named) sits atop a throne for folks to kiss for good luck. The event also includes a bonfire, carp piñata, sledding, skiing and the crowning of the Carp King and Queen.

Polar Bear Plunge – Various Locations
Only in Wisconsin is running into frigid, icy water an acceptable way to welcome a new year. The premise is simple: You run in, and run out…and sometimes you do it for charity. Events are held in St. Germain, Phillips, Milwaukee, Sheboygan and more.

Cool Kite Festival – Milwaukee
Free to the public, this event starts at noon and, as you might have guessed, features kites, kites and more kites. Free hot chocolate, coffee, and snacks will be served while it lasts, compliments of Caribou Coffee. Other food is available for purchase (or bring your own). Also enjoy ice carvings, and horse drawn carriage rides.

Pro Vintage Snowmobile Olympus – Hurley
A fun event to watch, you’ll see vintage snowmobiles race on a special ice oval track! The event kicks off on New Years Eve with a parade, torchlight ceremony and fireworks. Races run Saturday (December 31st) and Sunday (January 1st).

New Year’s Eve Under Glass – The Mitchell Park Conservatory (The Domes), Milwaukee
The Domes themselves are truly a wonder; add in live music, magic, comedy shows, raffles, food, a light show, and you’ve got yourself a wonderful family event.

Go on, ring in the New Year Wisconsin style!

Wisconsin Craft Breweries: Winter Beer Recommendations

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One of our favorite things about winter is the delicious seasonal beer that comes with it. There are over 70 active breweries in Wisconsin, so needless to say…you have options. We’ve organized a few tasting notes on our favorite winter beers, just be sure to get them before they’re gone!

Brewery: Lakefront Brewery (Milwaukee)
Beer: Holiday Spice Lager
Style: Winter Warm
Availability: December
Tour: Yes

Brewed with cinnamon, orange zest, clove and generous amounts of honey, this beer is fruity and spicy, with a slight floral undertone from the lager yeast. The flavor is smooth, full and best drank one to a sitting.

Brewery: Capital Brewery (Middleton)
Beer: Winter Skal
Style: American Amber / Red LagerAvailability: December – January
Tour: Yes

This beer is mildly bittered with a smooth hop flavor complementing the malt. A pleasingly warming beer, it’s both easy and refreshing.

Brewery: Central Waters (Amherst)
Beer: Bourbon Barrel Stout
Style: Imperial Stout
Availability: December, until it runs out!
Tour: Yes

This beer is aged to perfection in oak bourbon barrels and contains hints of bourbon and vanilla, with roasted overtones. It’s truly a gem of the Central Waters Brewery!

Brewery: New Glarus Brewing Co. (New Glarus)
Beer: Black Top IPA
Style: Black IPA
Availability: December, until it runs out!
Tours: Yes

This jet-black beer is brimming with aromatic bitterness. It has undertones of molasses and chocolate malt with a soaring rush of clean citrus and pine hop notes. Did we mention this beer won a Gold medal at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival in Colorado?

Brewery: Steven’s Point Brewery (Stevens Point)
Beer: St. Benedict’s Winter Ale
Style: Winter Warmer
Availability: December – January
Tour: Yes

A hand-crafted ale using generous amounts of dark roasted malts and the finest noble hops for a robust warming flavor. An all-around drinkable beer!

Brewery: O’so Brewing Co. (Plover)
Beer: Lupulin Maximus
Style: Imperial IPA
Availability: TBD (We’ve been told they’re still perfecting the batch)
Tour: Yes, but tours are limited so be sure to check ahead!

Not your average, IPA. Massive hop additions put this taste bud burner in a league of it’s own.

Have a favorite Wisconsin brewery or seasonal beer? Share it with us below.

Cheers!

A Family Getaway in Milwaukee

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Brian Kelsey is the Peninsula Players Managing Director in his 5th season with the Players.

November not only signals the end of Door County’s busy tourism season, it also offers my family and me the first weekend getaway opportunity since May. We enjoy venturing off to a different Wisconsin destination each year for this getaway, and this year we chose to head to Milwaukee. With a room booked in the historical section of the Pfister Hotel, we began to plan our weekend itinerary.

When traveling to Milwaukee, I always check the theatre and music scene to find out what is going on during my time there. I’ve attended several shows at the Pabst Theater in the past and was thrilled to discover that They Might Be Giants were performing that weekend. Having two sons who are avid TMBG fans made it easy to decide on this as one of our activities. And who would want to pass up the opportunity to sit in this magnificent theater…my boys were in awe! The Pabst is definitely a “must see” on anyone’s visit to Milwaukee.

Walking around the city is another activity we enjoy doing as a family as it is such a different experience for our sons who are used to walking around the countryside in Door County. With such wonderful historic architecture, a stroll in Milwaukee will take you past many different building styles that truly represent the diverse group of individuals who founded this city. Next up on our walking tour was a visit to the Bronze Fonz statue! Even though our boys have never seen an episode of “Happy Days,” they certainly weren’t shy to have their photo taken with their thumbs fully extended. We laughed about this for a good 10 minutes following our visit! In addition to pop culture art (the Fonz!), our city walks always include a visit to the Milwaukee Art Museum to explore both the Calatrava Wing as well as the full exhibit space. We are so fortunate to have such a beautiful piece of architecture in this fine state!

All that walking can certainly make you hungry and my family loves the opportunity of having a wonderful meal together. Our standard breakfast stop is the Comet Cafe on the east side of Milwaukee. Trust me, you will have to wait for a table on the weekend, but the food is oh so worth the wait! The staff is very friendly and menu will satisfy all members of your group…even the vegans! Don’t miss it! During this past visit to Milwaukee, we also had the great pleasure of dining at Zarletti, which I cannot recommend highly enough for those Italian food lovers out there! Their seasonal butternut squash ravioli with brown sage butter was truly a show-stopper! I recommend making a reservation in advance for this eatery and plan on enjoying several courses with some amazing wine.

As a former Milwaukee resident, I had to take the family to my favorite beach in Shorewood. For those of you who have been there, you know I am speaking of Atwater Park. This is a wonderful park/beach any time of year.  I was thrilled to see that a beautiful eight-foot sculpture by internationally known artist Jaume Plensa had been added since I last visited. Seeing this artwork on a beautiful autumn day certainly capped off a tremendous visit to this welcoming city.

No matter the season, Milwaukee certainly has something to offer every member of your family. I know that we all look forward to our next visit to this great city!

Brian Kelsey is the Peninsula Players Managing Director in his 5th season with the Players. Follow Peninsula Players on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/PenPlayers. Also, join the Peninsula Players Group on Facebook.

Holiday Gift Ideas: Made In Wisconsin

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Finding the perfect holiday gift can be a tricky task. But fear not, we’ve rounded up Wisconsin-made gifts guaranteed to put you on anyone’s nice list.

For the Foodie

Maryland loves crab cakes; Kansas loves barbecue; and Wisconsin L-O-V-E-S cheese. It’s what we do. You can rest assured foodie friends will swoon over an overflowing box of glorious cheese. Cheese gift baskets from Fromagination range from $29.99 to $99.99 and can be shipped around the world! We’ve got our eye this toothsome (and aptly named) assortment, “The Cheese Stands Alone Wisconsin Farmstead Cheese Collection.”

For the Sports Fanatic

2011 has been a hot year for Wisconsin sports. The Green Bay Packers won The XLV Super Bowl and The Milwaukee Brewer’s clinched the NLC Championship. Score Packer’s gear and Brewers Gear for the Sports Fanatic in your life.

Photo courtesy Donald S. Abrams

For the Wine Aficionado

No need to flock to California or France to stock up on the year’s best vino. Believe it or not, Wisconsin is home over 35 vineyards! Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac is one of Wisconsin’s most-celebrated vineyards. Self-acclaimed sommeliers will be wowed with a Caseclub membership, which includes a case of wine and exclusive offers.

For the Sweet Tooth

Racine Kringles have been celebrated in National Geographic and devoured by President Barack Obama. “What’s a Kringle?” you ask… A Kringle is a thin and decadent Danish pastry with hundreds of years of history. They are filled with fruits or nuts, topped with buttercream and make a fabulous companion to a hot cup of coffee.

What type of Wisconsin-made gift are you hoping to find under your tree this year? Share with us in a comment below.