Each week on This Bites, sponsored by Whiskey Brown, dining critic Ann Christenson from Milwaukee Magazine and Radio Milwaukee’s resident foodie Tarik Moody dig into the city’s culinary and restaurant culture to help you find new spots, old favorites and the best ingestibles around Milwaukee.
We pride ourselves on our ability to cover a lot of ground within the confines of this podcast, and this episode might have pushed those skills to new heights as we went from Thanksgiving to food assistance to more secrets from Milwaukee’s dining scene and beyond.
Let’s go a little out of order from what you’ll hear on the podcast and start with the most urgent need in so many of our communities right now. It seems like the short-term fate of SNAP benefits changes on a daily basis, which shows the uncertainty being faced by people who really need that food assistance. All over the Milwaukee area, individuals and organizations have stepped up to help, and the dining community is no exception.
The Journal Sentinel’s excellent dining critic Rachel Bernhard thoughtfully gathered information about restaurants offering free assistance to SNAP recipients (the program is called FoodShare in Wisconsin) and then added a few more programs/events in her weekly newsletter. I’ll highlight two things happening this weekend, but please use those links to see all the ways you can give help or get help:
- Purslane — Through this Saturday, you can bring nonperishable food items or a donation receipt from NourishMKE to get 50% off select bottles of wine or N/A beverages.
- Falcon Bowl — This Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. is Milwaukee Record’s “Casserole Call,” which will crown the area’s best casserole. Tickets are $12.25 in advance and $15 at the door ($16.65 if you use a credit card), and all proceeds go to Kinship Community Food Center.
A final tip on helping people facing hunger, not just now but all year-round, is to make a monetary donation instead of (or, even better, in addition to) donating a food item. These organizations are very good at making your dollars go a very long way, and almost all of them have “Donate” buttons right at the top of their website. Use those buttons.
In a much less critical part of this episode, Ann and I shift into Thanksgiving mode as we talk about her roundup of five places where you can get a humanely raised turkey for your holiday meal. She gives top billing to Riemer Family Farm down in Brodhead, which is already sold out of their small whole turkeys but still has medium and large options available. She also gives a nod to local spots like Bavette La Boucherie and Becher Meats in West Allis, but feel free to take a look at her full list over at Milwaukee Magazine.
Over in mag land, Ann kept her “hush-hush” content coming after her piece on Milwaukee’s secret menu items with another collection — this one about four hidden restaurants around the area. The coolest one for my money is Azteca Bakery, which peddles items like Mexican pan dulce and richly delicious chocoflan from inside … the Piggly Wiggly on Oklahoma Avenue. She’s got three other options along those lines, all of which you can learn more about in her Milwaukee Magazine article.
If two lists aren’t enough, you’re in luck. Going back to the upcoming holiday, Ann jumped to the end of the meal (or the beginning if you’re a nonconformist) to give you 10 places that’ll hook you up with the perfect pie for your Thanksgiving feast. Honeypie is of course included, and you’ll also find popular spots like Mr. Dye’s and C. Adams Bakery, in addition to some other beloved local places.
Finally, with the weather turning, that means it’s time for Barnacle Bud’s to turn into Gene’s Supper Club. The flip happened earlier this week, but it looks like the temperature will dip in a big way starting this weekend, giving you all the more reason to visit the extended pop-up between now and Feb. 14.
Stay warm, inside and out, as we move into the chilly season, and please find a way to help your community during this tough time. Even if our politicians get their act together, fighting hunger requires more than what our government gives. So give what you can. Thanks.
