Who else is desperately awaiting warmer weather? With May just around the corner, we are dying for 60-degree weather here in Milwaukee. Hoping that sunshine comes soon! Aside from the weather, May is going to be an exciting month for us. We’ll be attending the Wauwatosa Vendor Fair put on by the Milwaukee Torrent on May 5th at Hart Park from 9 am – 3 pm, so be sure to stop by! We’re also taking Milwaukee Beer Gear overseas. We’re going on a much needed vacation to Portugal and Spain at the end of May and could not be more excited. If you have any tips on what to do, see, eat or drink while there, leave them in the comments below.

We also have a very exciting announcement coming soon so keep an eye on our Instagram account for the news.

Now, on to April. Our MKE Three – April addition covers a great new restaurant opening, a new craft beer bar we fell in love with, and the closing of a Milwaukee staple. Let’s get right into it!

On The Bayou 

On The Bayou is a New Orleans-style restaurant that recently opened in Milwaukee’s Brewer’s Hill neighborhood. We had the privilege of being invited to a private Chef’s Tasting event a few weeks ago and had the best time. Executive Chef Gregory Johnson was born and raised in Milwaukee then moved to New Orleans for many years before Hurricane Katrina brought him home again. While in Louisiana, Chef Johnson became a master at authentic New Orleans-style cooking and brought all of his own recipes and scratch-made dishes back to Milwaukee with him.

The 5-course tasting menu included a delicious stuffed jumbo shrimp & creole crab eggroll; French Quarter kale salad with kale, walnuts, dried cranberry, and strawberry vinaigrette; “ GumboMans” Famous Gumbo; a choice of either the NOLA Surf n Turf with Steak Oscar and grilled herb catfish with lemon wine sauce or vegetarian cajun meatballs and butternut squash noodles (we got one of each); and bananas foster or Canal Street ice cream sandwiches for dessert (again we got one of each). Not only was the food absolutely delicious and full of flavor, but it was filled to the brim with love. You could tell how passionate the chefs and owners are about their new restaurant which made the whole evening one to remember. On The Bayou also offers catering, has its very own banquet hall for private events, and offers a variety of events open to the public, such as Books and Brunch On The Bayou, Paint and Sip On The Bayou, and more. Stay up to date by checking out their event calendar.

We highly recommend checking out this new restaurant for great food, tasty drinks and a night of New Orleans-style fun.

Draft & Vessel

A new addition to Milwaukee’s Shorewood neighborhood is Draft & Vessel, a craft beer bar right on Oakland. Draft & Vessel offers 20 rotating draft lines for enjoyment in their industrial-slash-rustic tap room, or in growlers to go. We paid a visit to this new establishment on National Beer Day and were thoroughly impressed. The vibe is eclectic yet chill with a reclaimed wood bar, stools, and tables, all hand-made from the owner himself. Each booth or table area is unique and there are fun beer-centric wall pieces everywhere you look including a timeline of the history of beer and the entire brewing process. Draft & Vessel is also dog and kid-friendly with games and an outdoor area in the summer.

The staff is super knowledgeable on all the rotating drafts and they offer limited edition craft beers for purchase. A great place to grab a cold one, chat with the locals, and enjoy the beautiful Shorewood neighborhood, Draft & Vessel will definitely be one of our summer staples.

An Ode to The Bradley Center, by Zach

As this fine establishment will soon be shutting its doors to make way for the new arena coming soon, here’s an ode remember the good ole Bradley Center, or BC as my friends and I have affectionally called it over the years. The Bradley Center has hosted many teams over the years, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Admirals, Wave, Mustangs, Brew City Bruisers and Marquette Golden Eagles, along with countless events like the Harley-Davidson Flat Track, WWE, Trans Siberian Orchestra and, of course, countless concerts. Growing up, I had the privilege of participating in the Small Fry halftime entertainment where I got to play basketball on the court during halftime of a Bucks game. I also witnessed my brother win $10,000 during a halftime show by making a half-court shot, which was a sight to see. I got to see the basketball greats like Dwayne Wade and Travis Deiner at various Bucks games during high school. While I was in college at UWM, my older brother had 10-pack tickets for the Bucks games and we got to witness a lot of great (and terrible) performances, but always had a great time. I have some great memories at BC, but the building itself is not without faults. It was originally built to accommodate a hockey arena and the extremely steep upper level helped to test your mental fortitude and balancing skills, especially after a few adult beverages. The Bucks have made many investments over the years to update the facility but nothing could quite make up for the prison-like cement block architectural style of the building.

That being said, I’m very excited for the new arena coming this fall. It already looks beautiful and I’m excited to see the new opportunities it brings to Milwaukee. We’re especially excited for the new beer garden and outdoor area that’s already in the works. While I look forward to the new stadium, I will always look back with fond memories of the good times I had at the BC.

We hope you enjoyed our MKE Three – April edition. Cheers!