A new listicle about Milwaukee food and drink is making the rounds in social media, this time from Thrillist. “Where the Locals Eat and Drink in Milwaukee” focuses less on eating, and more on drinking, though I suppose that is pretty representative of our city's inhabitants. It also goes beyond the usual spots that are almost always mentioned in these lists (Safehouse, anyone?) and spreads the love around more judiciously.
The restaurants category shows that MKE is sophisticated and trendy with Odd Duck and the brand new Morel, but that we also love our comfort food from places like Comet Cafe. And we all know that this is a fierce burger town, so Oscar's Pub and Grill gets featured for “badass burgers,” while also giving a brief nod to Sobelman's, AJ Bomber's and Solly's. (Disclaimer: I do freelance marketing work for Oscar's Pub and Grill.)
Bars and breweries are the real meat of the list, though, with everything from hipster hangout Burnhearts to classics Bryant's and Wolski's mentioned. Really, I can't fault a list of MKE bars that calls out both the historical Landmark 1850 Inn and tiki-inspired Foundation Bar in Riverwest. While there's so many more bars we'd all like to add to this list, at least it's diverse.
Thrillist apparently doesn't see a difference in breweries and distilleries, because Great Lakes Distillery is thrown in with Lakefront, Sprecher and the like. Further afield, Sweet Mullets Brewing in Oconomowoc is featured, with a helpful pronunciation guide: “Oh-Kahn-ah-moh-wok.” The only thing blatantly touristy is the appearance of MillerCoors, but they acknowledge that most locals avoid it. Overall, a respectable list.
