Fred's in Burlington, WI

It's more fun to come up with names than to actually pick one....

I'm not sure "Milcago" would work, as it sounds too much like "I poop a thousand times" in Spanish....

We could be the Prairie and Dairy Staters (PADS)..... The Land of Lincoln and Drinkin'.... Heck, I dunno.

Hm... Why do I get the feeling that we'll simply remain "The Chicago-Milwaukee Contingent"?

quijote


I'm not sure "Milcago" would work, as it sounds too much like "I poop a thousand times" in Spanish....

Well, between the burgers and all the fried munchies at Fred's this past Saturday...
 
Brad

q,

I agree that coining names is better than having to pick one.  My lousy contributions.

• Buddy's Roadhouse Rowdies
• The Milorganiters
• Dîneurs sans réservations
• The BBWB's*

Jim

 * Buffetbuster Wannabees

quijote


I too enjoyed my burger immensely, but next time I'll go with a 1/2 pounder instead of a 1/4 pounder: medium-rare tends to fare better in the larger burgers, I think. (There's more of it, thus more medium-rare flavor!)  The apps were delicious, too, especially the deep-fried mushrooms (though I admit to being a devotee of the deep-fried mushroom in general).

Right you are quijote!  The 1/2 pounders definitely provide a better opportunity for getting your burger cooked to your preferred done-ness.  As for the apps, you guys missed a great bet by not ordering the fried mac & cheese.  Gee whllikers, I guess we'll need to schedule another play date at Fred's to make up for the oversight.

quijote


It looks like Burlington has a few other places worth exploring--I didn't get to Adrian's Custard, but have it on good authority that it's worth trying. Next time!

One place to avoid, IMHO, is Chris' Bar just up Route 36 from Fred's.  This place was touted by one of the locals as having better burgers than Fred's.  As I was doing demos at Gooseberries Market that weekend, two days straight, I went there one night after my maiden voyage to Fred's.  Chris' burgers do not even belong in the same league as Fred's.  They were dried out and ordinary with none of the signature seasoning or distinct beefy flavor that Fred's has.

On the other hand, since it was Friday, Chris' was having their weekly fish-fry which looked outstanding.  An old grandmotherly type was standing in the kitchen ( I had a clear view from my position at the bar) hand dipping piece after piece of beautiful fish and lovingly dropping it into the deep fryer, just barely keeping up with the pace of orders coming in.  Maybe Chris' is worth a visit for the fish, but Fred's owns this town when it comes to burgers.

Also, the Sci-Fi Cafe, despite the gimmicky theme, looks like it has a very interesting menu, featuring some native American dishes and numerous choices made with locally grown ingredients.

quijote


I wish I could make the South Chicago tour and the Bratfest, but I'm hoping to join up with y'all again in fall. Maybe a Madison or Milwaukee event? Or even a tour of a Chicago neighborhood? Lots of good possibilities to consider.

Truly sorry you will miss the South Side Tour and Bratfest.  We would definitely go in for a Madison/southwest Wisconsin event.  In fact, I got me a hankerin' for a Limburger and onion sandwich from Baumgartner's in Monroe.  We've made that trip as a group before; maybe another run in the fall.  Milwaukee events are always welcome too.  Grab the bull by the horns, pick some good spots, and make an announcement.  If you post it, they will come.

As for Chicago events, I'm always happy to oblige.  But we've done so many recently, I kinda feel bad making my Milwaukee brethren drive all that way, paying the tolls to boot.  I'd feel better if someone put together something up there and we could even out the score.  Of course, if you insist on doing another Chicago run, I suppose either I or ChiTownDiner could come up something to give you all a reason to make the trip down here.

I reckon I'll chirp in here regarding the names for our group.  "Third Coast Mafia" does roll off the tongue nicely.  "ChiWaukee" coupled with some other descriptive has possibilities too.  I'd prefer any group name to leave my name out of it, not because I wouldn't be proud to have my name associated with this group or its activities, but because we really are about the group and I don't think any one poster's name should define us.

In the end, I agree with some of the others regarding the idea of actually picking a name as opposed to just coming up with new possibilities.  Maybe we just mull this over for a bit, talk it over at one of our upcoming events and see what comes naturally without forcing the issue.  Still, I love some of the names we've come up with, so keep spitting them out.

Buddy

Buddy, I did bring up the topic of a Milwaukee tour with of few ppl.
We're figuring out places and dates. Maybe end of Sept or in Oct.
Places tossed around:
Lakefront Brewery (tour)
Penzey's Spices (tour)
Usinger's (tour and shopping)
Mekato's Columbian Bakery
Fritz's (for Burek)
Ilija's Place (Serbian)
Kopp's (of course!)
Fortune
Balkan House
some ethnic groceries (Lucky's, el Rey, etc)
Jalapeno Loco
Sahara (Middle Eastern)

Of course, we wouldn't go to all these places, and there are still some that we haven't brought up or thought of yet.

I like your idea of mixing it up with other activities besides eating.  I like the eating part, believe me, but if we cram too many places too close together, I'm so bloated by the time we get to the fourth stop, I can't really enjoy or appreciate the offerings.  I think this is a sentiment that has been expressed by others in the group.

Also, while I love the places you've listed (those I've visited, anyway), I sure would like to see some new names added to the list.  I know Milwaukee is a smaller town than Chicago, but you still have a great selection and diversity of outstanding restaurants.  There must be some that we haven't visited as a group, or even those you've personally never tried.  I'm willing to take a chance if you are!  Also, we might want to get MilwFoodlovers involved in this conversation, and probably should start a separate thread for serious discussion of this topic.

Buddy

Well, I did discuss it with MFL and ChuckL last night.
MFL is the one that suggested the grocery stores.

I know you've been to most of these, but I think others haven't.  And, as I said, there are places we haven't thought of. I think this is a list of Usual Suspects (I'm riffin' on the Third Coast Mafia theme) places, and if we sit around and think about it some more, we'd come up with more.

I'd love Nite Owl, but he'll be closed by then.
Mazo's?
I'd love to introduce y'all to Cempazuchi (recently featured on DDD), but we'd probably never get in, unless I made reservations way in advance (which I have no problem doing). It's not exactly a "Roadfood" place (we Milwaukeeans don't think it's a Diner, Drive or Drive In, either, but whatever...), but the food truly is excellent.

Perhaps Pizza Man or Ma Fischer's - although Ma's can't really accommodate large groups.

It'll be cold by then, otherwise I'd suggest sitting on the river at Barnacle Bud's.

The American Indian place never did open, so that's out.

I'll keep thinking. I'll eventually post a thread - maybe next week, after I discuss it some more - just to weed out places and list a few dates.

Brad_Olson

quijote


I'm not sure "Milcago" would work, as it sounds too much like "I poop a thousand times" in Spanish....

Well, between the burgers and all the fried munchies at Fred's this past Saturday...
 
Brad

 
Very true, and the name would connect nicely with the "wind" theme mentioned earlier....

JRPfeff


q,

I agree that coining names is better than having to pick one.  My lousy contributions.

• Buddy's Roadhouse Rowdies
• The Milorganiters
• Dîneurs sans réservations
• The BBWB's*

Jim

* Buffetbuster Wannabees

 
I like these, particularly "Buddy's Roadhouse Rowdies."  

Except Buddy already nixed the name.

 
Buddy, which of those places have you been to already? The list includes a lot of the classic ethnic places in Milwaukee, but as you say, there's more out there, too.  Among the places on the list, I haven't been to Fritz's or Barnacle Buds, so I hope to try them one way or another.
 
There's lots of potential for a variety of excursions. I'm still sort of a newcomer to the Mke area, but some ideas come to mind. If there's any particular groundswell of interest in any of these, perhaps we should look toward 2010:
 
There are dozens of Mexican restaurants, and we could easily just do a tour of Cesar Chavez Dr. (including taco trucks).  There's a good Puerto Rican market in Riverwest, and a couple of good PR restaurants on the southside. Other hispanic eateries include Peruvian and Costa Rican food, among others.
 
There are lots of pizza places and Italian restaurants that I've never been to, so it would be fun to explore that dimension. I still haven't been to many of the classic sausage and butcher shops such as Ray's, so that could be considered.
 
Some Indian, Pakistani, and Middle Eastern markets and restaurants have sprouted up along Mitchell St. I've been to a few, but haven't been to others yet.  I may try to go to Anmol next week, though.
 
The west side has some interesting places, some of which I know, and some of which I don't. I don't know if they're still open, but there's a good Jamaican place on Appleton Ave. and a good Indochinese place on North Ave. The best Asian market in Milwaukee, Viet Hoa, is on North Ave., and it's across the street from McBob's, which has really good corned beef sandwiches. There are other places on that side of town to explore, including a couple of diners in and near Wauwatosa.
 
Milwaukee has lots of diners and breakfast/lunch eateries scattered all over the city, but many have been closing at an alarming rate. I haven't been to Jo's Cafe on Silver Spring in a while, but that's the sort of place I'm thinking of--hash browns, eggs, lots of good stuff.
 
Well, now I'm hungry!  And what I'm having for dinner isn't nearly as good as any of the food mentioned in this thread!
 

X1


Except Buddy already nixed the name.

 
Yeah, but we can make it an unofficial moniker. I already feel like a Roadhouse Warrior or Roadhouse Rowdy or....!

X1
I know you've been to most of these, but I think others haven't.  And, as I said, there are places we haven't thought of. I think this is a list of Usual Suspects (I'm riffin' on the Third Coast Mafia theme) places, and if we sit around and think about it some more, we'd come up with more.

I'd love Nite Owl, but he'll be closed by then.

 
I love Nite Owl, too, but you are right. I don't want to see the unhappy faces if we get there & they are closed.
 
I love Palomino down by you, not sure they are Roadfoody enough.
 
I would like to suggest an Italian place. We love Filippo's on 91st & Lincoln. Or I know the JRPfeff's love Pizza Piccolina? (is that the name? in Tosa?) for pizza. Or what about Balistreri's or Barbieri's, also in Tosa? I would like to see a pizza place & Pizza Man is good, but I will want the Caprese Sandwich @ Beans & Barley if I am down there.
 
We have time to hammer it out.
 
If we choose Third Coast Mafia, I would like a pic of me, you & one of the other ladies (or Bob) posing like Charlie's Angels.

quijote, of the places listed, I've been to Mekato's Columbian Bakery, Ilija's Place, Kopp's, Fortune, and Jalapeno Loco.  I have enjoyed all of them and would happily go back to any of them.  I'm just suggesting that there may be some places that are not part of the "usual suspects" list that might also be worth trying.

Fritz's, Balkan House, and Sahara all have promise and I would be interested in trying them.  The places you've mentioned all sound interesting as well and should be taken into consideration.  Also, as I said, I 'm in favor of mixing things up with the non-eating activities.  The Lakefront Brewery tour, Penzey's Spices tour, Usinger's tour and shopping, and the ethnic groceries all have appeal.

As always, I'm ready to defer to the group, especially the Milwaukeeans who have a greater knowledge of their own market than I do.  Doesn't mean I won't throw in my two cents along the way, though.

Buddy

BuddyRoadhouse


quijote, of the places listed, I've been to Mekato's Columbian Bakery, Ilija's Place, Kopp's, Fortune, and Jalapeno Loco.  I have enjoyed all of them and would happily go back to any of them.  I'm just suggesting that there may be some places that are not part of the "usual suspects" list that might also be worth trying.

Fritz's, Balkan House, and Sahara all have promise and I would be interested in trying them.  The places you've mentioned all sound interesting as well and should be taken into consideration.  Also, as I said, I 'm in favor of mixing things up with the non-eating activities.  The Lakefront Brewery tour, Penzey's Spices tour, Usinger's tour and shopping, and the ethnic groceries all have appeal.

As always, I'm ready to defer to the group, especially the Milwaukeeans who have a greater knowledge of their own market than I do.  Doesn't mean I won't throw in my two cents along the way, though.

Buddy

 
Hi Buddy-- Sounds like you're ready for adventure! I also like mixing the restaurants up with other activities, and the ones listed are a good line-up.  Though I love Fortune, Ilija's, and other places dearly, I'd be happy to consider other places, too. However, I suppose a lot will depend on timing, transportation, and other logistics issues in connection with the other places visited. I agree with Stricken that an Italian or Pizza place would be a good addition, and instead of Kopp's, perhaps we can dig up a lesser known custard stand (unless there's an irresistible Flavor of the Day, that is). But I'm sure whatever emerges will be great, whether it's a tour of "old chestnuts," an adventure into the completely unknown, or a mixture of both.
 
Q

I was discussing names w/a friend, and brought up how a few of us liked "Third Coast Mafia", but there were problems with "Third Coast" and such, and he suggested (and I LOVE):

Mid-Coast Mafia.

Has quite the ring to it, eh?

We discussed this during the Chicago South Suburbs Tour.  ChiTownDiner made the comment that he thought it should be something less geographically oriented and maybe a bit more of a non-sequiter.  He wants the name to have a touch of mystery, so that anyone outside the group will wonder, "What on Earth does that mean?"  He made reference to The Glee Club, and how it has nothing to do with who they are, where they're from or what their mission is as a group.

I originally called us The Milwaukee/Chicago Contingent simply as a utilitarian way to identify us and to alert all interested parties that whatever new thread I started would be of interest to them.  In the last few days, in a couple of different threads, with no specific intent in mind, I shortened that name to simply The Contingent.

So whaddaya think?  It has an air of mystery to it, kinda like CIA agents who refer to their organization as "The Company".  It references our original name without telling anyone outside the group what we're all about.  It will pique the curiosity of anyone who sees the name making them wonder, "Who are these guys and how can I be a member of The Contingent?"

Thumbs up/thumbs down?  Additional thoughts?

Buddy

I like that, too.

Still sorta Mafia-ish sounding too. LOL

Thumbs up on The Contingent. 

I like The Contingent also.

X1


I like that, too.

Still sorta Mafia-ish sounding too. LOL

Hey, we're midwesterners, rustbelters, citizens of the City of Broad
Shoulders and Beer Town.  We're tough guys.  It should sound sorta "Mafia-ish", although not quite that tough.

Buddy

The Contingent works for me. Has a slightly intimidating sound to it.  

It does, doesn't it?  Hee-hee.

Buddy

I am getting a vague feeling of assimilation, in a weird Borg-like sort of way.  
Or was that The Collective?

^^What is the first rule of The Contingent?

I sure I hope I get to join y'all on one of these tours in my area.  I'm hoping the dates will end up in Oct. if you get something together.  I'm done going up north for the season then.  Summer is just to short to give up any of my weekends.  I only stayed home 1 weekend since May and that was for the race at the Mile in June.  I'll try to check in more often to keep up with this one.

stricken_detective


^^What is the first rule of The Contingent?

Yikes!  Is this a test?  I don't know what the first rule of The Contingent is.  Maybe "No one gets up from the table until the last person has eaten more than they can stand"?

Buddy

P.S. packerwoman, you're always welcome to join the group, as are all Roadfooders who are paying attention to our threads.  Just remember, we can talk politics, religion, sex, and who makes the best Barbecue, but we leave that Bears/Packers thing alone.  A person could get hurt.

B.

I understand and will abide by all rules.  I know my name may cause concern, but my heart isn't in it yet this season - and I've heard all the controversy I can handle.  I think I prefer the BBQ talk anyway!   

BuddyRoadhouse

stricken_detective


^^What is the first rule of The Contingent?

..... packerwoman,  we leave that Bears/Packers thing alone.  A person could get hurt.

B.

 
That is so true. Those poor flatlander folks have been hurt too much already! 
Where's Jay Cutler when you need him?

At least we can share our affection for #4 without any cross-border disagreement.