Between the Bars

Local Newswire: Food trucks banned and fish fries protested

To keep Between the Bars – and you – up-to-date, this weekly post provides a compilation of both the amusing and the significant (mostly the amusing) local stories from the last few days that I've found by keeping a sharp eye on the local newswire. Enjoy the wealth of information, dear readers. You deserve it.

• All good, completely harmless things must come to an end: the Journal Sentinel reports that food trucks will be banned from Cathedral Square this summer, and that they will take up permanent residence a few blocks west in Red Arrow Park.

Quick Review: Classy Girl Cupcakes

When I’m not blogging from the nearby coffee shop, I’m working at a local advertising agency. I'm not going to lie, there are some perks to working in this industry. One particular bonus is the goodies we often receive from potential reps or media vendors. I reckon about once a week we get some type of sugar-laden gift from a rep that's trying to convince our agency to do business with them.

Today’s sweet enticement came from Classy Girl Cupcakes, one of the many gourmet cupcake bakeries to recently open shop in the Milwaukee area. Our generous rep from About.com ordered a dozen and had them delivered this morning.

Beginning as a cupcake-centric catering business, the success of Classy Girl Cupcakes spurred the opening of their cupcakery just two years ago. Positioned amid the trendy bars and eateries downtown Milwaukee in Cathedral Square, the storefront is where cupcakes are baked from scratch in small batches each day, using high-quality ingredients such as real butter, unbleached flour, fresh fruit and natural vanilla.

Local Newswire: Milwaukee is full of freaks. Also, we have award-winning beer.

To keep Between the Bars – and you – up-to-date, this weekly post provides a compilation of both the amusing and the significant (mostly the amusing) local stories from the last few days that I've found by keeping a sharp eye on the local newswire. Enjoy the wealth of information, dear readers. You deserve it.

• According to The Huffington Post, the winners of the World Beer Cup were announced early Sunday morning at the conclusion the 2012 Craft Brewers Conference, which hosted the event. Several Wisconsin breweries received awards, including Milwaukee's very own Lakefront Brewery for their Baltic-Style Porter. Click here for the full list of honors.

Get Out: Farmers markets are in bloom

Note: Between the Bars continually updates the many posts available here, though it's possible some details may have changed. Consider calling first if you have specific questions about the business or activity mentioned in this post.

Farmers markets are beginning to sprout all over Wisconsin this month, blooming with a vast selection of luscious fruits and organic veggies, fragrant flowers and pungent herbs.

Open for the season and always close to home, the markets give local farmers the chance to display their goods, while giving residents the opportunity to socialize and browse the homegrown produce lining the aisles in an open-air and inviting setting.

What can the jackpot get you in Milwaukee?

Thousands are lining up today in Milwaukee, the state and across the country for their chance to win more than half a billion dollars now that the Mega Millions jackpot is at a world record of $640 million.

Lottery fever is sweeping the nation. Symptoms include a postponement of reality, extreme optimism and the appearance of dollar signs in the eyes of otherwise healthy people.

It’s true. Even over lunch today with some of my coworkers, the conversation turned to the prospect of winning the massive prize. We've all caught the bug - yep, even those of us who have never bought a lottery ticket before - because there's something incredibly irresistible about the fantasy of imagining what you would do if you won the lottery.

Get Out: Small Business Saturday is back!

You probably already know my stance on the retail gluttony that is Black Friday, if you've read my last two posts. But one tradition I definitely support - and participate in - is Small Business Saturday. In it's second season, Small Business Saturday is a day to focus on the vibrant, one-of-a-kind neighborhood businesses that keep our money close to home and our city unique.

Sure, some of the local Milwaukee businesses won't be able to match the blowout sales that big-box stores offer on Black Friday. But, while a chain's lower prices are appealing, if you track the impact your money has on the community you'll notice that there are more benefits to buying at a distinct neighborhood establishment.

Respect the bird (and Happy Thanksgiving!)

Lately, Thanksgiving has become the overlooked middle child of the holiday season. It seems like the best the once family-centric holiday can do is serve as the setup for a month-long frenzy of shopping. Especially this year, now that some Milwaukee-area stores won't even wait for the stroke of midnight, opening their doors at 9 p.m. (ahem, Toys"R"Us) on Thanksgiving Day to kick off their riot-inducing sales - as if the 30 days that follow won't be enough time for shoppers to cross every item off their lists.

I just find it somewhat ironic that folks are presumably forsaking family, leaving their dinner tables way too early to head to stores to blow money on a generic HD TV during what should be a day to, well, give thanks for the things they have at that very moment.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year because it's so simple. You don't have to stress about finding a costume or bring an armful of gifts. Simplistic celebrating is what's getting lost amid retail gluttony.

So, do what you gotta do, but don't forget what matters.

As my family and I settle in around a wonderful meal today, I realize how lucky I am to have a table full of food and a house filled with love. And that's something to be thankful for, not how quickly I finish my Christmas shopping.

Local Newswire: Film festival lineup announced & football officially returns

To keep Between the Bars – and you – up-to-date, this weekly post provides a compilation of both the amusing and the significant (mostly the amusing) local stories from the last few days that I've found by keeping a sharp eye on the local newswire. Enjoy the wealth of information, dear readers. You deserve it.

• Milwaukee Film Festival unveiled its 2011 lineup late last week, and the Journal Sentinel highlights several of the festival's 80 feature and 95 short films. Program guides and schedules were first available Saturday at Made in Milwaukee, and a schedule was posted at www.mkefilm.org earlier this week. Tickets went on sale Wednesday for festival members and Thursday for the public.

Get Out: Fresh from the farmers market

Saturday morning found me scouring the East Town Farmers Market for fresh tomatoes.

As soon as we hit the square, lush bouquets of hot pink zinnias, dark purple asters, and beautiful lavender chrysanthemums caught my eye. I picked up one of the colorful combinations for $4, then we surveyed the various tables laden with fragrant bunches of fresh herbs, red radishes, mixed greens, onions, snap peas, and squash.

Planning to make some homemade salsa later, I stocked up on large ripe tomatoes and onions, as well as hot Serrano peppers and a bundle of cilantro. I also snagged a bunch of organic greens and a quart of blueberries before we headed home.

There’s just something about shopping at the farmers market that feels so right. So much more authentic than wandering around the climate-controlled aisles of a supermarket.

Local Newswire: Brewers offensive drought, cream puff bill, & more!

To keep Between the Bars – and you – up-to-date, this weekly post provides a compilation of both the amusing and the significant (mostly the amusing) local stories from the last few days that I've found by keeping a sharp eye on the local newswire. Enjoy the wealth of information, dear readers. You deserve it.

• Fans wonder what the eff is going on with the Brewers after a three-city, 10-game offensive dearth that the Journal Sentinel dubbed the Great Offensive Drought of 2011, which continued in a 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium yesterday. Still, the Brewers expect a boost from Greinke's first home start.

 • What do robins, badgers, violets and cream puffs have in common? Well, nothing yet. But, a group of Mukwonago fourth graders are petitioning to have the mega-sweet cream puff named the official Wisconsin state dessert. These ambitious kids have since convinced state Sen. Mary Lazich to introduce a bill to the state Legislature. If you're a fan of the cream puff and would like to see it become the official sweet treat of the state, go to this Facebook page and "like" it.