EVAN MUSIL, ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR
Imagine that – a market, but at night. That’s exactly what the Milwaukee Night Market promises and delivers, and this Wednesday it’s hosting its third market of the year. Up and down Wisconsin Avenue, just west of the river, dozens of vendors and food trucks offer their offerings under shimmering strings of lights. I’ve heard this market is a blast, and I’m always ready to stroll down a street closed to cars. And look, I hate to say it, but summer twilight is approaching – so I go outside when I can. If you miss this market, though, you’ll have another chance on September 11.
ARCHER PARQUETTE, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Last weekend, I finally visited a place that had been on my list for a while—the Falcon Bowl in Riverwest. In 2022, it looked like the local institution, open since 1915, was closing, and Tea Krulos wrote this powerful story for us about the last night of league bowling. He described an atmosphere so infectious that I had to check it out for myself. Thankfully, the Falcon Bowl survived and reopened under new management, and I finally made my way to the bar/bowling alley/experience. It was exactly what Tea had portrayed—six vintage lanes under the bar, no frills, full of character, maintained by its hipsters. It was a damn good way to spend an evening, even if I’m so bad at bowling that I almost hurled my ball into a neighboring lane. I can see why the Falcon Bowl has generated so much love for so many years, and I hope it continues to do so for years to come.
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SOPHIE YUFA, EDITORIAL DESIGNER
I’m currently stuck in a never-ending cycle of watching Sex and the City. (I can’t say enough about this cinematic masterpiece.) But since the season change isn’t that far away, I recommend taking advantage of as many patios as possible. I particularly like those at La Merenda, Lakefront Brewery, Blue Bat Kitchen & Tequilaria, and BelAir Cantina in Tosa.
ANN CHRISTENSON, RESTAURANT FOR GASTRONOMY
I love these weeks of food preservation—going to the farmers market, coming home with a jungle of ingredients, and finding an immediate—or future—use for them. My freezer is currently full of peaches from this season’s incredible peach crop in Georgia. And basil—I seem to get it from everyone I know. What else can I do besides make caprese salads and pesto? This pesto recipe from Sally’s Baking Recipes makes about 3/4 cup, and it’s perishable, so I’ve now hoarded a bunch of little packets of the frozen sauce in the freezer. I’ll be making more this week. If you like pesto and have never made it, it’s one of the easiest and most satisfying things you can do. And if you make more of it—thus securing its place in future meals via the freezer—you’ll have a wonderful memory of summer, when nothing grows but climatic discontent.
CHELSEA MAMEROW, ART DIRECTOR
As a father of three and a Wisconsin resident, I consider myself pretty well-versed on the beer garden/playground mix. While there are many ways to evaluate them, I look for the following: proximity of the beer tap to the playground, quality of the beer offerings, and entertainment options for kids. Elm Grove Village Park scores well in all three of my top categories, with a Third Space beer tent right next to a playground with swings, climbing opportunities for toddlers and older kids, and (the real star) two sand volleyball courts that always have plastic shovels and buckets lying around to keep your kids occupied for hours. There are also basketball and tennis courts nearby for older kids, and if you’re there on a Friday or Saturday night, you can even hear live music.
