On the corner of Locust and Humboldt, generations of Milwaukeeans have read the hand-painted sign: "Ma Baensch Ocean Caught Herring." The building that sports those words is as close to a Riverwest landmark as you can get and owes its existence to a woman-founded business dating back to 1914.
On this week's "Urban Spelunking" podcast, OnMilwaukee's Bobby Tanzilo and I discuss the iconic Milwaukee food item — pickled herring — and trace how it arrived in Milwaukee, as well as who opened the business (spoiler: It was "Ma" Baensch, herself).
We also discuss the sale of the building, next steps for the business and details from his recent tour of the site (another spoiler: the company, and the herring, are still going strong). Plus, we answer the most pressing question Bobby got from OnMilwaukee readers: Does the building still smell like fish?
