Punch Bowl Social - MKE

We are very fortunate to live in an area that provides a vast variety of entertainment options. In Waukesha alone the variety is amazing. But by traveling just 30 minutes, the variety expands ten-fold.

I was provided an opportunity to check out Punch Bowl Social in the new Bucks Entertainment Block before it opens on Saturday. They allowed area influencers in during their soft opening week and gave us the royal treatment. I brought my friend Tory along to check it out with me--it's always more fun when you go with someone you know. Special thanks for the use of some of her pictures as well!

Punch Bowl Social (PBS) is located directly east of the Fiserv Forum. The roads have been reworked in that area so that there is an open air space and 4th Street no longer cuts through. Many other entertainment businesses are projected to open in this area in the coming year. But the two-story PBS makes quite a statement in that area already.

Upon arrival, I was in awe of all the glass windows that make up the front facade of PBS that look directly at the Forum and what will be the entertainment area. This will work well for those outside to see the fun in and vice versa. And many outdoor events are planned for the block during the warm weather to really make this a hub.

We were escorted to the upstairs area where our party was happening and walked past a large bar, plenty of seating areas, and many entertainment options. At the top of the stairs, your eyes take in the large bar and more seating, but also all the entertaining things that make up PBS. We self-guided ourselves around the space and took it in at our own pace.

After perusing the table display of the drinks and eats they were featuring that night, we grabbed a a beverage and continued on our way. I thought the display table was an excellent idea and the influencers "ate it up" too.

Being pregnant, I truly appreciate that they had a variety of unique n/a options in addition to their hand-crafted cocktails. We started with a strawberry rhubarb fizz for me and rum punch for Tory. They also had servers coming around with samples of their signature cocktails, allowing guests to try all the options without ordering full drinks.

Upstairs offers a variety of seating areas to accommodate groups of any size. There are three bowling areas featuring six lanes upstairs and four more downstairs that are first come first serve or by reservations really adds to the fun of a good time out.

Upstairsa also offer karaoke rooms, pool, jumbo jenga, ping pong, foosball tables (including one of the longest I have ever seen), a second bar and an arcade with some video and pinball games, and a lot more. Many of these are pay as your play or pay by the hour.

After our tour, we loaded up plates of food to try a little of everything and took in the sights and sounds of others enjoying themselves. The menu ranges from grain bowls and hummus to sliders, burgers, and tacos. They even offer a kids menu too, so this isn't just a destination for adults (though that is their primary target)

Everything that I selected to eat, I was extremely impressed with. The pickled carrots and cucumbers were an awesome palate cleanser after my sweet drink. The chicken and waffles were awesome--I think they use thighs which offer a richer, juicier meat and the breading was top notch. Homemade potato chips and a rice crispy treat fished off my plate and I was happily full.

All of the servers and other employees that were available that evening were super friendly and knowledgeable. One server that kept checking in on us was also pregnant, so she guided me to a second n/a cocktail--lime cilantro fizz. The smell of the drink alone had me already pairing it up with a street taco in the future. It was very tart, but still good. I would have never thought of cilantro in a beverage, but now I may consider it. She also told me that when we come back once they are fully open, the variety of homemade juices is amazing and I must try them all.

I don't think I have ever been to a bar or entertainment place in the Milwaukee area that offers so much variety under one roof. Their grand opening is Saturday night and tickets are still available. If you are looking for something to do with some hands-on fun, this place is an excellent option. I will definitely be back.

Milwaukee Cocktail Week

I'm not really sure how much of this event I'm going to be able to participate in while I'm busy getting myself ready for VEGAS next weekend....but.....Milwaukee's Cocktail Week kicks off on Monday.

I received some great details about the kickoff event at Horny Goat Hideaway and here they are:

Just a few more days to get your tickets for the MKECW Kickoff!

Just $30 gets you unlimited sampling of cocktails and delicious fare from area restaurants!

Sunday, September 22, 2013 from 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM

This all-inclusive, ticketed event at Horny Goat Hideaway, 2011 S. 1st St., will feature tail-gate themed bites from seven area restaurants perfectly paired with sample-sized cocktails from some of Milwaukee's best and brightest bartenders.
Restaurants include Bavette La Boucherie, Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub, Love Handle, Maxie's, Sanford, Smoke Shack, Wolf Peach.

Bites will include creations like

• garlic sausage stuffed porchetta,
• seitan sloppy joe sliders,
• duck sausage with black current mustardo,
• smoked pork and cheese hot links with peach barbeque sauce,
• kettle cooked lentil sloppy joes with smoked onion jam,
• mini Oktoberfest beer brats,
• smoked garlic polish sausage, and jalapeno cheddar brats.

Participating cocktail luminaries will include Wolfgang Luethy of Bacchus, Joey Haughtaling of Blackbird, Daniel Beres of Blue Jacket, John Dye from Bryant's Cocktail Lounge, Jeff Kinder of Distil, Dan Dufek of Hi-Hat, and Nick Behrends of Horny Goat.

Meet and greet local restaurateurs, chefs and bartenders, mingle with other cocktail enthusiasts and indulge in all the great Milwaukee food and drink as you play classic tailgate games and watch the football game on Horny Goat’s giant TV!
Tickets are $30 each, or attendees can opt for the Touchdown Pass for $180, which includes seven admission tickets for the price of six! Tickets are available online at: mkecw.eventbrite.com

Hope you can make it out to this event or any of the others throughout the week and who knows, maybe you will see me out there. :)

 

Premium Cocktails Without All the Work

As a woman in my early 30s, I enjoy my fair share of cocktails but sometimes I hate pulling out all the ingredients (or even having to go buy all of them) to make a margarita or cosmopolitan -- and sometimes the pre-made ones by Mike's or Smirnoff are just too sweet and don't taste right. 

Well, I think I might have found the solution. Kiss Mix Premium Liquor Cocktails sent me some of their product and asked for my honest opinion on them. I was pretty stoked when I saw the awesome insulated cooler filled with goodies show up at my door.  How cute are these cans with the lip prints on them?!

  

I just so happen to be going to a Milwaukee Brewers game with a few ladies and in Wisconsin, we tailgate before we go into the games. This was the perfect time and place to try out the cocktails. I added a blue ice pack to the cooler before leaving the house and the drinks were perfectly chilled for tailgating. 

 

Tory and Kelly were just as excited as me to try the cocktails and so we each chose one to start with. I love Cosmopolitans (and the color pink) so I started with that one. It was a pomegranite and cranberry, so it wasn't as tart as other cosmos that I have had. You can definitely taste the alcohol in them but it doesn't over power the flavor. I really liked this one - shaken over ice and it would be excellent out of the can too.

 

Tory chose the screwdriver and said that it had a really good 'real orange juice' taste to it and not a fake carbonated taste. I took a sip and agreed that it tasted really good. We also didn't notice any aluminum taste to the drinks which is good and sometimes a thing that people dislike about canned beverages.

Kelly chose the Lemon Drop and although she has never had a lemon drop shot before (the girl needs to get out - jkjk Kelly), she liked the flavor. She thought it tasted like a nice hard lemonade and on a warmer summer night, really hits the spot.

We then popped open the Margarita and Gin & Tonic to try. The Margarita was pretty good with a nice, refreshing lime taste. I'm not a Gin & Tonic fan and neither was Tory or Kelly so we weren't really sure about the taste. If they had a Vodka & Tonic version, I would be all over that. I definitely tasted tonic but I don't really know gin to know how accurate the taste was. I see on the website you can submit flavor suggestions!

We then went into the game and enjoyed a Brewers win - that didn't happen very often this season, but I still enjoy watching my guys take the field and rack up some hits. And....there is always next year!

I recommend trying these Kiss Mix Premium Liquor Cocktails the next time you are looking to have a premium drink without all the effort. They do really resemble the taste of the real thing. The alcohol content is 8% per each 8oz can and they are made with natural flavors.

And, because they are in cans, you can take these to places that fancy glasses can't go - such as beaches, pools, boats, etc. 

I was shopping at Woodman's this past weekend and saw that they carry the Kiss Mix Cocktails and the packages also had rebates on them - so take advantage and go out and get one. I also see from the Kiss Mix website, they are found at a few stores in the area.


Kiss Mix Premium Liquor Cocktails provided me a goody bag of their beverages. Although I was provided the product, the review is my own honest opinion of the product.

Pin-It Tuesday: Cinco de Mayo

I'm recapping my Cinco de Mayo cookout that I had this past weekend with a few friends. Finally I had great weather for a party at my house. In October for my birthday, it was 35 degrees and we couldn't sit close enough to the firepit. And for 4th of July, it was 105 and we were all melting.

Sunday was a beautiful, light-breezy 70 degree Wisconsin Spring day. My friend Tiffany brought over her bean bag games and we were ready to have some fun.

I, of course, followed a Mexican theme with the food and marinated chicken for Tequila lime kabobs. I apologize for the lack of photos of the food, but I was rushing around and didn't want to contaminate my phone. But here is the recipe.

I bought 5 lbs of frozen chicken breasts and chopped them into 1 - 2 inch cubes (for skewers). I then started guestimating my ingredients to marinade it. I never follow quantities for a marinade and just do what I think is right.

Tequila
Lime juice
Purple Onion pieces
Sprite
Cumin
Adobo Spice (from Penzey's)
Onion powder
Rice Wine Vinegar

After it marinated for close to 12 hours, I skewered up the chicken putting 4-5 pieces per kabob stick (skewers soaked in water for hours to prevent burning). Then I heated up some of the extra marinade to then brush over the kabobs on the grill.

I had about 20 kabobs to navigate on the grill and unfortunately a few were a little dry, but with only 2 kabobs left, there weren't many complaints.

We also made veggie kabobs that I sprinkled with a little Mural of Flavor (from Penzey's). Those were a huge hit.

But what was even a bigger hit was the cucumber salsa that I found on Facebook first and then Pinterest, which led me to this blog and the recipe. I made about 1.5 times the recipe and here are my alterations. I used dried parsley as I forgot to buy fresh, Greek yogurt in place of sour cream and diced chilis instead of a jalepeno. It was fun to make and it was gone fast at the party.

And then the fun part - cervezaritas (beer margaritas). I have had this recipe pinned on Pinterest for a long time and decided to have a little fun with it and make some different flavored cervezaritas.  Unfortunately the original website is now spam that my pin goes too, but the recipe is written right on the picture :)

I made Pear and Mango cervezaritas. The water and 7Up are replaced with a 12 oz can of Pear Nectar or Mango Nectar. I found these at the local Mexican grocery store in Waukesha called Panos. They had a lot of flavors but I just tried those two. I will definitely be making these more often. They are very refreshing and will be great for summer and so easy to make. I didn't even use the limeade for the second batch. 

Other treats at the party included, taco dip, cheesy black bean dip, spicy Mexican rice, guacamole and tortilla chips, Ruffle chips and french onion dip, fresh fruit, cheese and sausage, oreo gooey balls and brownies with ice cream!

Of course, because it is Wisconsin, we all overdosed on the sun and got a little burnt. But then we had a fire to help keep us warm into the night. I hear we are in for a wicked summer of mosquitoes and such so we have to enjoy it while we can! 

Wauk Wednesday: J. Lotti's

I know it wasn't that long ago that I wrote about the fish fry at J. Lotti's in Waukesha, but I did a much better job of documenting the meal and got a fresh perspective on it with my mom trying it for the first time.

I am so glad to see that J. Lotti's is surviving in a location that had numerous failed attempts at restaurants in it prior. I think John & Tiffaney saw what was lacking in downtown and gladly filled the void. Hopefully this can be done with the Clarke Hotel space. Someone want to front me money and a solid idea so I can run it? JK JK

J. Lotti's has a menu full of delicious appetizers and burgers, but I feel its largest draw is the All-You-Can-Eat Chicken and Fish Fry each Friday. Here are four great reasons to try it!

1. It's only $14 for all you can eat
2. Miller Lite taps are $2 &other drink specials are available each week.
3. You get so many choices
4. The servers are really  nice.

Now I shall elaborate on these points more and explain it like I did to my mom. The fish fry is ridiculous. The hush puppies, french fries, coleslaw and rye bread come out family-style if more than one person is having the dinner. But then the entrees are plated to your liking.

I chose to go with just baked fish to start with the draw butter and lemon. The fish Poor Man's Lobster was amazing! I'm always worried when my fish isn't fried that it will taste too fishy (you get what I mean - licking the side of a boat taste). But this was the exact opposite of fishy fish; it was flaky and light and the drawn butter coated it just enough to still taste the flavor of the fish. All of that baked fish in the pictures was just my first helping - no need for seconds from this girl.

My mom ordered a combo of fried and baked and she couldn't believe how much they gave her to start. She too thought the Poor Man's Lobster was perfectly done. She thought the beer batter on the fish was really light too and not overly greasy.

My dad ordered all fried fish and cleared his plate first. We all were stuffed but realized we had never had the chicken so it was time to try it. I asked for just dark meat and my mom just wanted a breast. Dad too went with dark meat and we were brought a basket with two legs and two wings and my mom's breast was plated.

Unfortunately I failed at taking a picture of the chicken. It was super hot (temp wise) which is awesome as I know it came right out of the fryer. I believe it's a buttermilk batter that was crazy crunchy. I love crunchy breading on fried chicken - the thicker and crunchier, the happier I am. I ended up being totally gluttonous and having both legs while my dad had the wings. My mom finished her breast and then we sat in food commas.

I typically get myself a $2 Miller Lite as it pairs nicely with the fish fry for the prices. But I decided to go with the other drink special of the night a flavored Long Island Iced Teas for $5. When our server told me all 12 billion flavors, I had to have melon and am glad I did. It was refreshing with a little kick after from all the liquor that goes in a Long Island. I paced myself with it as I knew I had to drive home. My mom ordered an orange one and she liked it as well. They are dangerously good :) Check out the Facebook page for other deals throughout the week.

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Service at J.Lotti's has really improved since they first opened. I think they have a stronger management presence that really works with the staff to make sure they are always putting customers first. Our server was super attentive and helpful with any questions we had. She had her timing perfect with stopping by to ask if we needed anything else. 

 

I highly, highly recommend J. Lotti's for the fish fry or a burger. A few of their other specialties are chicken & waffles on the regular menu. I think they have some competition with Magellan's now doing chicken & waffles late in the evening, but it's definitely a growing trend across the nation. Someone needs to make it like Dudefoods.com. The Buffalo Hog Wild Wings are my favorite item on the menu for a smaller meal. The meat falls off the bone and it's got a unique quality for a wing in Waukesha, which there is a lot of competition.

 
So if you are looking for a good burger, some appetizers, an awesome cocktail or draught beer, J. Lotti's has you covered. And obviously Friday's is THE night to go as well. Be ready to wait on a Friday if you don't go early as there is always a wait! More cocktail time then right?

Wauk Wednesday: Fox Run Lanes

When I was employed at Fox Run Sentry Liquor (RIP), a group of my co-workers and I started relaxing after work at Fox Run Lanes, a bowling alley and bar just down the parking lot from the store. It's located just West of St. Paul Ave on Sunset, next to the now vacant Fox Run strip mall. Sentry Foods is still open and doing decent business, but all the other shops have left the north strip.

We would play darts, pool and occasionally bowl. We even did a competition once of playing all three in one night, and our former co-worker Wendy won each event. We we still enjoyed playing games but haven't done another contest (hmm maybe it's time??)

Since the store closed in 2010, we still go to the bar, but not nearly as frequently as it isn't as convenient for us to get to. However, we attempt to meet up maybe every other month to get some food and catch up.

Thursday is the wing special night. I believe they are $.30 each and you can order in increments of five. I typically order 5-10 wings in teriyaki sauce and an appetizer of cheese curds or sour cream and chive fries to fill me up. I tried the jerk sauce which had a good kick with pineapple in it to dull the spice. It's a very refreshing sauce and I think it's a new favorite. The teriyaki seems to be a bit too salty lately.

Cheese curds with ranch & marinara

Teriyaki wings from Fox Run Lanes

crispy sour cream & chive fries with ranch

Tiffany and Heather can handle the super hot wings and usually get those. Although lately, the sauce hasn't been consistently hot, so Tiffany tried the Sweet Chili on the side and it was almost like a sweet and sour with red pepper flakes. Heather did let me know the sauce was really good and hot the last time we were there and she was happy!

Hot Wings at Fox Run Lanes

Plain wings with sweet chili sauce

Brandon usually goes for a burger, and let me tell you, the burgers are gigantic and delicious. It could possibly be my favorite burger in Waukesha if there would be a battle today. The meat patty is nicely seasoned and remains thick and juicy after grilling. There are plenty of topping choice and it comes with chips, but you can upgrade to fries if you would like.

Jumbo burger and fries

The pizzas are pretty good as well and would rank pretty high in a battle (IMHO). They are large and full of toppings to feed a big group. We ordered these at the bar on the night the liquor store closed it's doors, thanks to the owner coming over to the bar with us for a celebration meal and cheers!

For a decent sized bar in Waukesha, they have a lot of beer choices, mostly on tap. They serve beer by the mug, mini pitcher or pitcher. I usually go for a mini pitcher, which would be about 30 oz. and that will suffice me during my night out (occasionally I get two, hee hee!). It is a great value and you get a frosty mug with it to keep all that beer nice and cold.

upper right of photo shows the microbrewery taps

Mini pitcher of Spotted Cow and a frosty pint (they ran out of mugs this night)

In addition to the bowling alley (which is always busy with leagues), pool tables & dart boards, there is a lot of open space in the bar to host a large group party, band or show a game on the projector and pull down screen. A digital jukebox fills the room with bar-goers choices. There are also some meeting rooms that local small groups use regularly and recently, the bar added a bowling proshop that sell gear  and does repairs. The also host volleyball leagues in the summer on the outdoor courts.

This is still a favorite place of mine and the bartenders are so nice to us. We have gotten to know them throughout the years which makes it nice to walk into the bar and see a familiar smiling face.

The bar is a bit outdated with dark paneling walls and old ceiling tiles. But I would never call the place dirty. They just redid the bar lip not too long ago with a nice wood trim (instead of torn padded vinyl). Along one wall, three large LCD TVs were mounted to show sports game and some others were updated to flat panels throughout the bar.

Large newer TVs mounted in the bar

So I would say, the bar is being fixed up as needed, but it has a steady crowd Thursday - Saturday, so the current look and feel isn't turning anyone away that knows of this hidden gem in Waukesha.

The bar doesn't have a website and the Facebook page isn't kept up-to-date, but feel free to call the bar to find out about more of the specials and consider stopping up for wings, a game of pool or some bowling. I'll definitely post more about this place when I have the pizza again, and hopefully get a rundown of the specials to post. But for now consider stopping in and trying the food!

Pin-It Tuesday: Christmas Party Recap

I owe a lot of my new favorite treats to Pinterest. Sure I used to search the internet for recipes before the existence of this website, but now with social media, making recipes that my friends are also posting and from fellow blogging-friends means more to me (and makes me feel that they will be fail-proof).

Two weekends ago, my friends all got together at Tory's new apartment for our 2nd Annual Christmas Party. Everyone makes a dish or two to share and we play rounds and rounds and rounds of games while munching, drinking, hysterically laughing and sharing plenty of holiday cheer. We even do a white elephant exchange and some gifts from year one made a return to be re-gifted for years to come.

Last year I made everyone cork xmas trees as a take-home gift and my close ladies cork boards with wine corks. This year, I continued the tradition and made cork Rudolph's for everyone.  (not white elephant if you were confused!)

Ok - onto the munchies.

Not the complete table but the camera was misplaced shortly after here.

chocolate chip boots and santas and fudgy brownies

Oreo cake

Goat Cheese Tartlets

Bruschetta on costini

onion dip & Tuscan dip with crackers

S'mores on a stick

Bagel Dip - Must get the recipe soon!

The table also included apple cider sangria, pickle rolls, taco dip, pizza rolls, beer, apple pizza, wine and I'm sure something else I'm forgetting.

And here is what the table included that I brought.

Creamy Bruschetta Bites

About two days before the party, I got my daily email from Hungry Girl (LOVE HER) that included some slimmed-down versions of favorite holiday treats and this bruschetta really hit a chord with me. I changed it just a bit to include ingredients I had around the house. Original recipe found here.

My version:
2 small loaves french bread (bought from Dollar Tree)
2 wedges of Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese (I used Aldi's version)
1 medium tomato (de-seeded)
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 Tbsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. minced garlic (I used the squeeze container kind)

Bake the loaves as directed (8 min. at 375 or until browned). I then sliced the bread into 1 inch slices and laid them on a cookie sheet and toasted them for 5 min. per side (just enough to crust up a bit so the bruschetta didn't make it mushy!)

In a bowl, stir the cheese wedges until smooth. Add tomato, onions, basil and garlic into the cheese. Let sit for a 1/2 hour. Evenly distribute the topping amongst the slices of bead and place on a platter to serve.

Hungry-Girls' Creamy Bruschetta Bites

These were pretty good - the toasting of the bread helped them not get soggy, and the bread was just the right amount of crusty!

Veggie Crescent Wreath

I found that the recipe really over estimated the amount of veggies and dip needed, so my improvisation includes adding a veggie platter in the middle of the wreath to use up the veggies bought and extra dip.

2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls (8 oz each - I used reduced fat)
8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 tsp. dill weed
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup chopped broccoli flourets
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
celery leaves

Remove crescent dough from tubes but do not unroll. Cut each tube into 8 slices and arrange in an 11 inch circle on an ungreased cookie sheet. (I left mine barely touching, knowing they would expand.) Bake at 375 for 15-20 mins. or until golden brown. Cool for 5 mins. and transfer to the serving platter.

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, dill weed and garlic powder until smooth. Spread over the top of the crescent wreath. Top with the broccoli, celery and red pepper. Arrange the celery leaves to look like a bow.

Fill the center of the wreath with broccoli flourets, celery slices, carrots (had around the house) and red pepper. Serve the extra dip in a dish on the side in a small container for guests to scoop out of.

These were amazing - the crescent rolls and dill dip was soooo yummy. 

Adult Caramel Apple Cider

I made this exactly as the recipe stated, just made a lot of mugs at one time :)  The cinnamon never really dissolved and I'm wondering if cinnamon sticks would work better? Regardless of the cinnamon, this was delicious and completely gone by the end of the night!

Southwest Egg Rolls

 
I followed this recipe to a T. My only changes are that I added half of a red pepper chopped up into the mix. And for the size of the egg rolls that I made, I got almost 30 out of the recipe and not just 20.

These were so good that my mom and I made them as an appetizer for her family party last weekend. We didn't have as many egg roll wrappers, so we bought wonton wrappers and used the extra filling for Christmas Eve as mini egg rolls! Serve with salsa and sour cream!