Contingent Bucket List

We'll soon be loadin' up the truck and movin' to The Valley. 
 
Of the Sun, that is. 
 
Swimming pools, Sheriff Joe.
 
Since we will not complete the move for several months, Bobbi & I would like to hit many of our Wisconsin (& Illinois) favorites before we go.  We're starting our bucket list.  These are the first name places so far - Fred's, Burt's, Ilija's, AJ's, Dotty's, Ian's, Solly's, Stolley's, McBob's, Frank's. 
 
Help us out, we are looking for suggestions of places we might forget.
 
Y'all come back now, y'hear?

Jim, you and Bobbi will be greatly missed by your friends in The Contingent.  Whatever you pick for your list, if we're available, we'll be there with you.  If I can help facilitate a visit to Burt's, just let me know.  Once you've got your list together, the next step is a schedule.  You've got to do what you've got to do, but I know Sundays work best for us.  Probably a similar story for the rest of the group.
 
BTW, how often can we count on Bobbi to send back pies from Arizona?  Just send them to my address and I'll make sure they get distributed to the rest of the gang.
 
Buddy

Might add Freddy's in Cicero to the list...

Freddie's Pizza (they have pizza?) in Cicero (C) would top my list. Maria's Pizza, Fillipo's, La Reve, Fortune, Mazo's, Speed Queen, Ed's Potsticker House (C), Karl Ratzsch's, Mr. Wok, Packing House, weekends at Lucky's Mini Market, Shawrazad, Coquette Cafe, Jalapeno Loco, Hideaway, Jake's, River Lane Inn, Venus (C), Kopps, Chez Jacque, Hot Doug's (C), Glorioso's, Hi Hat Lounge, Night Cap Inn, Beer Bellies, Pastiche, At Random, Mr. Perkins, Calumet Fisheries (C), Sebastians, Thai BBQ, Kewpee Lunch, Fritz's, Cafe Lulu, Barnacle Bud's, Roman's, BaLe (C), Bangkok House, St. Paul Fish Market, Night Owl, La Canoa, Woo Chon Korean BBQ (C), Pho Viet, Ewig Brothers, Conejito's,  Bunkers. I may come back and add to this; this was fun.

BuddyRoadhouse


BTW, how often can we count on Bobbi to send back pies from Arizona?  Just send them to my address and I'll make sure they get distributed to the rest of the gang.

Buddy

Wouldn't ChiTownDiner be a safer to send the pies?
 
Mike - That is quite a list. Did you miss any from your Journal-Sentinel "Where to take out-of-towners?" response?
 
Bobbi & I were thinking of hitting most on our list one at a time, but several Eat & Greets would also be great.  Let's do one before the end of the year.  Is Milwaukee or Chicago next?

No Journal lists for me. Nope, if I was moving, these are the places I'd miss most.
I'm sure Arizona has some Sanford-like restaurants so I left those off places off. I like your list and so didn't bother to include those either.

Mike - We have a longer list, that was a fraction.
 
This isn't you?

JRPfeff


Mike - We have a longer list, that was a fraction.

This isn't you?

Holy cow Batman!
I forgot all about that. Yep, add Jackson Grill to my list. The Holler House too.

JRPfeff

BuddyRoadhouse


BTW, how often can we count on Bobbi to send back pies from Arizona?  Just send them to my address and I'll make sure they get distributed to the rest of the gang.

Buddy

Wouldn't ChiTownDiner be a safer to send the pies?

Of course he would...that should be the plan!  I'm glad I can help in any way!
 
And, BTW, I'm hoping to make as many of the departure get togethers as possible!
 
We'll definately miss you guys!

Milwaukee won't be the same without you, Jim and Bobbi. And after you two make your way through that bucket list, you'll have many more memories to take with you. I'm certainly very much in favor of a meet-up in Milwaukee or Chicago to help chip away at that list.
 
If I were to leave Milwaukee for good, my bucket list would look a lot like Mike's. I'd add to it a few more old-time custard places (Leon's, Gilles, Kitt's); an Ethiopian place (Alem or Ethiopian Cottage); Comet Cafe; Honeypie; Palomino; Alterra; EE Sane; Vientane (or another Laotian place); Lakefront Brewery (for fish fry); Benji's (for matzoh ball soup; corned beef hash with eggs); Sabor (a taste of Brazil); Lake Park Bistro; a Jamaican place (Irie Palace or Jamaica Fe Real); a Puerto Rican place (probably El Farol or Quimera); a stop at Reynolds Pasties; a Polish place (Polonez or Crocus).
 
I don't know how the Mexican food scene is in Central AZ--if it's more diverse and culinarily deeper than what you find in Mke. (I've heard the Mex in AZ is more heavily Sonoran, though.)  If Mex cuisine is an issue, I'd say my goodbyes to Riviera Maya (great moles), El Cabrito (goat stew), El Rey, and maybe a couple of other places. Even if I were moving to Mexico I'd say goodbye to those places, just because I love them.
 
A final note: If Bobbi plans to send pies from Arizona, I highly recommend sending them first to Milwaukee, as the temps are a bit cooler than in Chicago, and spoilage is less likely.
 
John

Jim and Bobbie,
Your passion for red meat and pie would be greatly satisfied at two of my favorite haunts: Edzo's Burger Shop in Evanston and Hoosier Mama Pie Company in Chicago. Neither have ever been a destination for a Contingent Eat and Greet, however, I guarantee wagging tails after dining at each.
http://edzos.com/
http://hoosiermamapie.com
 
Mark

quijote


Milwaukee won't be the same without you, Jim and Bobbi. And after you two make your way through that bucket list, you'll have many more memories to take with you. I'm certainly very much in favor of a meet-up in Milwaukee or Chicago to help chip away at that list.

If I were to leave Milwaukee for good, my bucket list would look a lot like Mike's. I'd add to it a few more old-time custard places (Leon's, Gilles, Kitt's); an Ethiopian place (Alem or Ethiopian Cottage); Comet Cafe; Honeypie; Palomino; Alterra; EE Sane; Vientane (or another Laotian place); Lakefront Brewery (for fish fry); Benji's (for matzoh ball soup; corned beef hash with eggs); Sabor (a taste of Brazil); Lake Park Bistro; a Jamaican place (Irie Palace or Jamaica Fe Real); a Puerto Rican place (probably El Farol or Quimera); a stop at Reynolds Pasties; a Polish place (Polonez or Crocus).

I don't know how the Mexican food scene is in Central AZ--if it's more diverse and culinarily deeper than what you find in Mke. (I've heard the Mex in AZ is more heavily Sonoran, though.)  If Mex cuisine is an issue, I'd say my goodbyes to Riviera Maya (great moles), El Cabrito (goat stew), El Rey, and maybe a couple of other places. Even if I were moving to Mexico I'd say goodbye to those places, just because I love them.

A final note: If Bobbi plans to send pies from Arizona, I highly recommend sending them first to Milwaukee, as the temps are a bit cooler than in Chicago, and spoilage is less likely.

John

 
I don't mind the drive...I deliver!

chicagostyledog


Jim and Bobbie,
Your passion for red meat and pie would be greatly satisfied at two of my favorite haunts: Edzo's Burger Shop in Evanston and Hoosier Mama Pie Company in Chicago. Neither have ever been a destination for a Contingent Eat and Greet, however, I guarantee wagging tails after dining at each.
http://edzos.com/
http://hoosiermamapie.com

Mark

 
Ah...Hoosier Mama...was there Friday and had four flavors and took three to go!  Friday night is Sampler Night!

Mr. Maki just went to Edzo's and loved it!

Jim and Bobbi, we're all sorry to see you go and the Contingent sure won't be the same without you. I'm moving out of state myself next year, and I hope to get back to Chicagoland for at least one or two Contingent events every year. Hopefully you two will be able to get back this way occasionally to join us for some good food and conversation, and if you do, pleeeze bring pie!
 

Jim and Bobbi - 
You will be greatly missed. Not just because of your fabulous parties and even more fabulous baked goods, but because, primarily, you're good people.
 
I like the lists so far. I would add some good German, Serbian and Polish restaurants...something you won't be able to easily find in AZ.
Polonez, Ratszch's, etc.
 
Also, if it hasn't happened already, it will soon...get to Nite Owl before they close for the season! I saw they were open this weekend, but I don't think that'll be the case much longer.
 
 

Perhaps before we get 300 stops on the tour, we should more clearly have an idea of scheduling or time frames with which to work.
 
This could get out of hand quickly...is it say, eat here by January 1st?  Letyer or earlier?  Weekends only...how many outings?  Etc.

CTD - I expect to be back every other weekend though March of next year.  If the house doesn't sell, it will be longer.  I'm thinking a Sunday outing every other month until then. 
 
I want to avoid the weekends around Thanksgiving.  Can we do something on October 7?  How does December 12 in Milwaukee work for everyone?  I'd like to cap the day at Ilija's or perhaps have a Contingent Christmas party there.
 
Jim

JRPfeff


Can we do something on October 7?

I'm not sure.  The Wayback Machine has been acting up a bit lately and I might have to take it into the shop.
 
November 7, however, might be possible.
 
Brad

Should we move the trip planning discussion to the Getogether thread?
 
 

abe,
 
I'll do that.
 
jrp

November 7th looks like it will be the date for our family's fall birthday/anniversary celebration (take note abe).  We do one in the spring and one in the fall 'cause we just have too darn many family members these days to take everyone out for individual celebrations.
 
However, December 12th looks like a winner!  If we're capping the day off at Ilija's, it sounds like the Milwaukee crew will be planning this trip.  This Flatlander will go wherever you want to take me.  Let's not have too many stops though folks.  Maybe three or four "light" choices with easy to share cuisine (maybe even some non-food activities)  followed by a blowout at Ilija's.
 
I'll start throwing out possibilities for a Chicago tour in March as we get closer to Jim and Bobbi's departure date.  I actually meant to put together an early fall tour that was based exclusively on street food and "ala trunk" dining.  Life threw me a couple of curveballs though and ate up my time, preempting us eating up that street food.  I could reschedule the plan (which included Puerto Rican street food, Sonoran hot dogs, banh mi, and smoked fish, capped off with outdoor Mexican seafood at La Palapa) for the spring, or Jim and Bobbi could forward a list of their Chicago preferences and we can build a tour around that.
 
Your wish is my command!
 
Buddy

So suddenly we aren't family.  That guest room may be booked when the Roadhouse's hit the desert. 
 
If we're doing Chicago in March, I think I may make the Nov. 7 tour run through southern WI - Racine, Kenosha, Burlington, ... 
 
I agree with the Ilija's day being light eats until then.  We will call about a reservation and will probably do a family style meal. 
 
Caio.

Jim and Bobbi, even though we have only met a couple times it certainly has been a pleasure. I really appreciate just nice honest people in the world. Not enough of 'em.
 
You may not even remember me, I'm the one with the hose in her nose you had to drive back to her car during the Madison Contingent meet last spring
 
Count me in on Nov 7. I can't speak to Dec 12 yet, but I sure hope to join you, same with March.

JRPfeff


So suddenly we aren't family.  That guest room may be booked when the Roadhouse's hit the desert. 

Listen dude, if you want to come to one of our family gatherings, you're more than welcome.
It's your funeral, pal.
 
Buddy

I only get to Milwaukee once or twice a year. You all have suggested some great places to me over the years. This is a much over due thank you for sending me to Ilija's place this summer and Beer Belly's for a fish fry last year. Here are some of my Milwaukee favorites that may have not been mentioned.
Balistreri's Italian-American Ristorante I prefer the one on North 68^th
Coerper's 5 O'Clock Club
Eddie Martini’s
Mader's German Restaurant
Marty's Pizza
Real Chili
Three Brother’s
 
 

Solid additions HDtravlr1.
Balistreri's on 68th is probably my favorite pizza in the area. And Marty's doesn't get enough love IMO. I'm a big fan of their pizza also. 

Is the Balistreri family that owns the restaurant related to the Balistreri family that owns Sendik's grocery stores?
 
Buddy

They're all Family.
 

Not to be confused with the Balistrieris:
 
http://www.jsonline.com/n...tuaries/105833833.html
http://www.americanmafia.com/Cities/Milwaukee.html