Trip Report: Milwaukee & Chicago, September-October 2015
Nov 5th, 2015 | 03:02 PM
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Trip Report: Milwaukee & Chicago, September-October 2015
We spent about 10 days in Milwaukee and Chicago at the end of September and the beginning of October. The trip was a visit to friends who had retired to Milwaukee and then a stay in Chicago to visit other friends and see the city.
Most of our visit in Milwaukee, aside from personal time, was touring the city for its architectural sites and spending one day to visit Taliesin. On our way to Chicago we stopped by Racine to visit the museum and see the Johnson Wax Building from a distance—an event in the building prevented any possible touring on our part.
We flew Delta from SFO ot Milwaukee via Minneapolis: $297
We flew Spirit Air from Chicago to Oakland: $196 + $55 (!!!) for one carry-on suitcase. Water and other consumables can be had for a price. The seats do not recline.
I am having problems describing Milwaukee from a tourist point of view. What we saw of it and its immediate suburbs was attractive, with the lakeshore parks well maintained. The architecture is interesting, from the late 19th cent. city hall to the Calatrava addition to the museum of art (the museum itself was closed for renovation), and including some Frank Lloyd Wright housing and others of similar style. But we saw all these things with our friends guiding us, and I suspect that our view of Milwaukee would have been much different had we been there without knowing anyone.
One day was also spent going to Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright’s residence and architecture school still in operation. Reservations are necessary, and it was a day’s trip well spent. The grounds can only be seen with a tour and reservations are essential.
We ate well, although mostly at home or picnicking—the weather was still very mild.
The first notable restaurant we went to was Sanford Restaurant (http://sanfordrestaurant.com/ ) It’s upscaled ($175 for two) Mediterranean cooking. Entrées are in the $30’s. It was very good, but we preferred our other Milwaukee dining experience.
The second and more interesting restaurant was Story Hill BKC (http://storyhillbkc.com/ ), with a definitely more inventive kitchen (sweetbreads, elote) and interesting wines and beers. $187 for four, with the main dishes running around $23.
Here are my pictures of our Wisconsin trip: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca...5080/show?rb=1
Our friends drove us to Chicago by way of Racine. We could not make reservations for the Johnson Wax Building by Frank Lloyd Wright, although we drove by it. We did visit the Racine Art Museum which had a couple of interesting exhibits: one was of contemporary glass and the other was by Kelly & Kyle Phelps who do working class scenes in mix-media.
In Chicago we stayed at an AirBnB at the northern edge of Lincoln Park. It was well located with a bus that took us directly downtown, continuing on to Union Station; and with another bus that took us to Logan Square where we caught the “L” to O’Hare airport. The AirBnB was a mid-century townhouse that had not been changed except for the an upgrade of the kitchen appliances. We loved its compact and efficient design with its public space on the ground floor and the rooms on the second floor. We had a room with our own bathroom in the hallway; the room was “European” sized with little space around the bed. It was just for sleeping. I would not recommend it for those who are fussy about their surroundings. The hosts were very nice and accommodating, giving me access to their computer, mailing us a picture tube we forgot and not charging us for that and an unanticipated long distance telephone call—we travel without cell phones or other electronic devices. For 5 nights we paid $436 including the AirBnB fee.
Our Chicago visit was a mix of seeing friends and doing tourist things on our own. We spent two days with a friend going to various areas such as Chinatown where we had lunch at a food mall in the basement of a commercial building that offered a wide variety of freshly prepared foods from different purveyors; all reasonably priced (generally less than $10 for a large serving) including soup in dumplings, and a large serving of crawfish for $7.50. We also went to a Mexican bakery which also offered snack food such as fried pork bellies (delicious but too rich for just one person). One evening we ate at their place where they offered homemade Ethiopian food, and another at a Cuban restaurant near the Rogers Park area which was also very reasonably priced. She took us to Fresh Farms International in Skokie to see what is available in terms of ethnic foods—even larger than 99 Ranch on the West Coast and English was more common than Chinese.
We also visited some friends who just moved to a retirement home in Wheaton, and discovered that taxi service does not exist in Wheaton. Fortunately their daughter lives nearby and was able to pick us up and take us back to the train station after our visit. It was a nice but somewhat sad visit because while our friends seemed absolutely normal and could hold a conversation, there were little indications that both were starting to suffer from dementia.
Our touristy part of the visit included a return visit to the Art Institute, a river tour of the city, walking around Millenium Park and a visit to the Driehaus Museum. This museum is a late 19th cent. mansion returned to its pre-W.W.I glory. A must for those who are interested in Gilded Age living, although the bedrooms are no longer furnished as bedroom and the service areas have been converted to staffing functions—there are no kitchens to be seen. We took a guided tour, although it can be seen on one’s own time, which helped in giving the history and building of the mansion.
There are several river cruises available, but we chose the Chicago Architectural Foundation River Cruise under the assumption that a docent from that organization would offer a better commentary on the architectural developments that we would be seeing. The cruise last 1.5 hours, and is absolutely worthwhile.
The Art Institute is the Art Institute.
Our two memorable (as I remember) meals in Chicago were mfk restaurant (http://mfkrestaurant.com/menu/ ) which is Spanish in inspiration; very good, a meal for two cost us $140. The other one was in the food court called the Chicago French Market located behind the Ogilvie Train Center. It has many options but the one we chose called itself a Montreal Deli and has a great pastrami sandwich (West Coast pastrami is not greasy enough to be great).
Here are my Chicago pictures, including some from previous visits: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca...2490/show?rb=1
Most of our visit in Milwaukee, aside from personal time, was touring the city for its architectural sites and spending one day to visit Taliesin. On our way to Chicago we stopped by Racine to visit the museum and see the Johnson Wax Building from a distance—an event in the building prevented any possible touring on our part.
We flew Delta from SFO ot Milwaukee via Minneapolis: $297
We flew Spirit Air from Chicago to Oakland: $196 + $55 (!!!) for one carry-on suitcase. Water and other consumables can be had for a price. The seats do not recline.
I am having problems describing Milwaukee from a tourist point of view. What we saw of it and its immediate suburbs was attractive, with the lakeshore parks well maintained. The architecture is interesting, from the late 19th cent. city hall to the Calatrava addition to the museum of art (the museum itself was closed for renovation), and including some Frank Lloyd Wright housing and others of similar style. But we saw all these things with our friends guiding us, and I suspect that our view of Milwaukee would have been much different had we been there without knowing anyone.
One day was also spent going to Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright’s residence and architecture school still in operation. Reservations are necessary, and it was a day’s trip well spent. The grounds can only be seen with a tour and reservations are essential.
We ate well, although mostly at home or picnicking—the weather was still very mild.
The first notable restaurant we went to was Sanford Restaurant (http://sanfordrestaurant.com/ ) It’s upscaled ($175 for two) Mediterranean cooking. Entrées are in the $30’s. It was very good, but we preferred our other Milwaukee dining experience.
The second and more interesting restaurant was Story Hill BKC (http://storyhillbkc.com/ ), with a definitely more inventive kitchen (sweetbreads, elote) and interesting wines and beers. $187 for four, with the main dishes running around $23.
Here are my pictures of our Wisconsin trip: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca...5080/show?rb=1
Our friends drove us to Chicago by way of Racine. We could not make reservations for the Johnson Wax Building by Frank Lloyd Wright, although we drove by it. We did visit the Racine Art Museum which had a couple of interesting exhibits: one was of contemporary glass and the other was by Kelly & Kyle Phelps who do working class scenes in mix-media.
In Chicago we stayed at an AirBnB at the northern edge of Lincoln Park. It was well located with a bus that took us directly downtown, continuing on to Union Station; and with another bus that took us to Logan Square where we caught the “L” to O’Hare airport. The AirBnB was a mid-century townhouse that had not been changed except for the an upgrade of the kitchen appliances. We loved its compact and efficient design with its public space on the ground floor and the rooms on the second floor. We had a room with our own bathroom in the hallway; the room was “European” sized with little space around the bed. It was just for sleeping. I would not recommend it for those who are fussy about their surroundings. The hosts were very nice and accommodating, giving me access to their computer, mailing us a picture tube we forgot and not charging us for that and an unanticipated long distance telephone call—we travel without cell phones or other electronic devices. For 5 nights we paid $436 including the AirBnB fee.
Our Chicago visit was a mix of seeing friends and doing tourist things on our own. We spent two days with a friend going to various areas such as Chinatown where we had lunch at a food mall in the basement of a commercial building that offered a wide variety of freshly prepared foods from different purveyors; all reasonably priced (generally less than $10 for a large serving) including soup in dumplings, and a large serving of crawfish for $7.50. We also went to a Mexican bakery which also offered snack food such as fried pork bellies (delicious but too rich for just one person). One evening we ate at their place where they offered homemade Ethiopian food, and another at a Cuban restaurant near the Rogers Park area which was also very reasonably priced. She took us to Fresh Farms International in Skokie to see what is available in terms of ethnic foods—even larger than 99 Ranch on the West Coast and English was more common than Chinese.
We also visited some friends who just moved to a retirement home in Wheaton, and discovered that taxi service does not exist in Wheaton. Fortunately their daughter lives nearby and was able to pick us up and take us back to the train station after our visit. It was a nice but somewhat sad visit because while our friends seemed absolutely normal and could hold a conversation, there were little indications that both were starting to suffer from dementia.
Our touristy part of the visit included a return visit to the Art Institute, a river tour of the city, walking around Millenium Park and a visit to the Driehaus Museum. This museum is a late 19th cent. mansion returned to its pre-W.W.I glory. A must for those who are interested in Gilded Age living, although the bedrooms are no longer furnished as bedroom and the service areas have been converted to staffing functions—there are no kitchens to be seen. We took a guided tour, although it can be seen on one’s own time, which helped in giving the history and building of the mansion.
There are several river cruises available, but we chose the Chicago Architectural Foundation River Cruise under the assumption that a docent from that organization would offer a better commentary on the architectural developments that we would be seeing. The cruise last 1.5 hours, and is absolutely worthwhile.
The Art Institute is the Art Institute.
Our two memorable (as I remember) meals in Chicago were mfk restaurant (http://mfkrestaurant.com/menu/ ) which is Spanish in inspiration; very good, a meal for two cost us $140. The other one was in the food court called the Chicago French Market located behind the Ogilvie Train Center. It has many options but the one we chose called itself a Montreal Deli and has a great pastrami sandwich (West Coast pastrami is not greasy enough to be great).
Here are my Chicago pictures, including some from previous visits: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca...2490/show?rb=1
Nov 5th, 2015 | 03:53 PM
#2
Joined: May 2014
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I enjoyed your TR very much, Michael - thanks for posting! I was born and raised in Milwaukee (though no longer a resident) and it's interesting to see the city from your eyes.
"I am having problems describing Milwaukee from a tourist point of view." - I laughed when I read this because I agree with you - Milwaukee and many parts of Wisconsin have some really incredible things to offer in terms of geological/outdoor activities (ex the Dells), architecture (FLW as you know), history, food, and drink but it's not as flashy or as well-known/well-advertised as other parts of the US.
I think you got to see a good side of Milwaukee and all the better to see your friends.
Did you have any frozen custard while there? Leon's, Kopp's, Gilles and others...they're everywhere in Milwaukee and I prefer it over ice cream (though it's probably because it was a fixture of my childhood!)
The Basilica of St. Josaphat is another of the beautiful examples of architecture in Milwaukee - it has an interesting story behind it about the Polish immigrants (most of whom were very poor) made that building happen and bought materials from the old Chicago Post Office to re-purpose (much like buildings in Rome!). The history of immigrants in Milwaukee is fascinating - John Gurda wrote a book about it if you have any interest in history at such a micro scale.
If you ever go back to visit your friends in summer and love music, Summerfest is an 11-day music festival in late June/early July that draws big and small acts alike and is right on the lakefront. Most stages are included in the entrance fee and then the Marcus Amphitheater draws the big tours which cost extra.
Story Hill BKC is great! Sanford has been around for ages and is always one of the 'big' restaurants named on 'best of' lists, but I'd go elsewhere for a meal of that price point. I don't think it's bad, I just don't enjoy it as much as others. There's a sizable and growing slow-food/culinary scene and different magazines (liked Edible Milwaukee) feature many new and interesting restaurants.
Great Lakes Distillery is a nice little tour with some good liquors and the Lakefront Brewery tour is known as one of the more fun ones (Milwaukee mascot Bernie Brewer's old dugout is in their brewery, for the baseball fans out there). Both are inexpensive. Good beer abounds in Wisconsin!
The Third Ward has been revitalized quite a bit in the last 15-20 years and has many restaurants and shops (very close to the Summerfest grounds). Quaint and trendy with some riverfront dining.
I'm also making note of your comments about Driehaus Museum in Chicago - I've never heard of it but it's right up my alley. My next trip to Chicago will have to include it so thank you!
"I am having problems describing Milwaukee from a tourist point of view." - I laughed when I read this because I agree with you - Milwaukee and many parts of Wisconsin have some really incredible things to offer in terms of geological/outdoor activities (ex the Dells), architecture (FLW as you know), history, food, and drink but it's not as flashy or as well-known/well-advertised as other parts of the US.
I think you got to see a good side of Milwaukee and all the better to see your friends.
Did you have any frozen custard while there? Leon's, Kopp's, Gilles and others...they're everywhere in Milwaukee and I prefer it over ice cream (though it's probably because it was a fixture of my childhood!)
The Basilica of St. Josaphat is another of the beautiful examples of architecture in Milwaukee - it has an interesting story behind it about the Polish immigrants (most of whom were very poor) made that building happen and bought materials from the old Chicago Post Office to re-purpose (much like buildings in Rome!). The history of immigrants in Milwaukee is fascinating - John Gurda wrote a book about it if you have any interest in history at such a micro scale.
If you ever go back to visit your friends in summer and love music, Summerfest is an 11-day music festival in late June/early July that draws big and small acts alike and is right on the lakefront. Most stages are included in the entrance fee and then the Marcus Amphitheater draws the big tours which cost extra.
Story Hill BKC is great! Sanford has been around for ages and is always one of the 'big' restaurants named on 'best of' lists, but I'd go elsewhere for a meal of that price point. I don't think it's bad, I just don't enjoy it as much as others. There's a sizable and growing slow-food/culinary scene and different magazines (liked Edible Milwaukee) feature many new and interesting restaurants.
Great Lakes Distillery is a nice little tour with some good liquors and the Lakefront Brewery tour is known as one of the more fun ones (Milwaukee mascot Bernie Brewer's old dugout is in their brewery, for the baseball fans out there). Both are inexpensive. Good beer abounds in Wisconsin!
The Third Ward has been revitalized quite a bit in the last 15-20 years and has many restaurants and shops (very close to the Summerfest grounds). Quaint and trendy with some riverfront dining.
I'm also making note of your comments about Driehaus Museum in Chicago - I've never heard of it but it's right up my alley. My next trip to Chicago will have to include it so thank you!
Nov 6th, 2015 | 03:48 PM
#4
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 9,395
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Thank you for this report. It was excellent. Your pictures were wonderful.
I am from this area. (Illinois/Wisconsin stateline). I learned a lot reading about your trip. I too intend to go to the Driehaus Museum. And I have heard about that pastrami sandwich in the French Market but that is a place I've never been either.
I lived in Milwaukee when I started my career so I consider it my coming of age city. I have such a fond spot in my heart for that city. it is one of the great U.S. cities that does not get proper credit. I love the Art Museum and the lakefront. And Summerfest has been going strong for decades which is pretty amazing.
Thank you for the restaurant websites too.
I am from this area. (Illinois/Wisconsin stateline). I learned a lot reading about your trip. I too intend to go to the Driehaus Museum. And I have heard about that pastrami sandwich in the French Market but that is a place I've never been either.
I lived in Milwaukee when I started my career so I consider it my coming of age city. I have such a fond spot in my heart for that city. it is one of the great U.S. cities that does not get proper credit. I love the Art Museum and the lakefront. And Summerfest has been going strong for decades which is pretty amazing.
Thank you for the restaurant websites too.
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