LIVE LIKE LOCALS
which could be cut in advance and assembled on site to save on waste and cost.
You can see six of them on West Burnham Street, and docents with the non-profit organisation, Wright in Milwaukee lead tours of one of the homes.
Travel tip: One of the privately owned Wright-designed homes on the street is beautifully restored and available for overnight stays via VRBO.com.
Guidebook Musts Is it meta that the buildings that house the Milwaukee Art Museum are works of art as well?
My favourite is the white pavilion designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, which looks like a modernist bird, a cathedral or maybe a yacht depending on the time of day you see it and whether its wings – which are actually 72 steel fins that act as a sun screen – are open or closed.
Save a couple of hours for exploring the museum’s wide-ranging collection, which includes dark portraits from Baroque Europe and brighter pop pieces such as one of Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup paintings, as well as extensive Georgia O’Keeffe collection (she was from Wisconsin), swanky furniture by Herman Miller, vintage cameras and continual natural art in the form of sparkling Lake Michigan views through the museum's floor-to-ceiling windows.
The double-decker Milwaukee Boat Line Sightseeing Cruise toots along the Milwaukee River out to Lake Michigan, alerting bridge operators to raise them up and let it pass.
During the 90-minute cruise, the guide regaled us with stories of Milwaukee’s industrial history while passing old brick tanneries, brick masonry factories, and cold storage warehouses; architectural history via the skyline and especially that winged Milwaukee Art Museum; and Great Lakes insights such as the fact that the five lakes hold about one-fifth of all the freshwater on Earth.
If you’re lucky, you’ll get to hear some traces of lovable Midwestern aw-shucks earnestness. Our guide was talking about a lighthouse there that’s now powered by solar: "Which, I think is pretty darn neat."
EAT Local Faves Tubular meats – including some vegan versions – are the draw at Vanguard.
Go global with the Guzman, which is seasoned Yucatan venison with pork fat, sour orange and achiote.
Or keep it local, like I did, with a jalapeño cheddar bratwurst topped “Milwaukee-style" slathered in cheese spread, shredded cheddar cheese and squeaky fried cheese curds. It’s nap-inducingly delicious.
This isn’t your average corner bratwurst joint; it’s also a bustling craft cocktail bar, and speciality sausages come with beer/cocktail pairing suggestions.
Frozen custard isn’t the exception in the dairy state. It’s the rule.
Ask someone to name the best and you may spark an all-out war (which this recommendation also could lead to), but I stand firm in my love of the butter pecan frozen custard at Leon’s Frozen Custard handed to you from a neon-covered joint that dates to 1942.
Guidebook Musts My three Chicago companions and I were blown away by Braise, which creates its seasonal menus based on what’s available from Wisconsin farms using all parts, from “root to leaf” and “nose to tail".
Offerings change regularly, but what’s consistent is global influence, depth of flavour and alluring textures, such as the chickpea pancake made with summer squash and topped with salty whipped feta or the rich, steamed pork buns with chive vinaigrette and crushed, spicy peanuts.
With a mix of shareable small and not-so-small plates, there’s an impressive variety for carnivores, vegetarians and pescetarians, as well as an eclectic craft cocktail menu.
Fun fact: Braise even created a service to act as a food hub so that other restaurants and customers can easily access produce, baked goods, meats and dairy items from the farms and artisans it works with.
Milwaukee is a town that loves brunch, and the European-style Cafe Benelux – named for Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg – draws crowds for its alfresco seating (rooftop and street-level patio) and eclectic offerings such as the pretzel Benedict (pretzel bread, ham, poached eggs and hollandaise), bananas Foster liege waffles and a savory waffle made with hash browns and topped with steak.
Breakfast is also served nightly.