OT: Milwaukee Restaurant/Food/Beer/Entertainment Discussion

[humanrefutation]

Just curious. I chimed in last time TJs was talked about in here since I used to be an assistant manager at one in Eau Claire when I was in school. I would always substitute the beef with beans. The beans come dehydrated, but are actual beans and taste okay. Always added hot+superhot sauces and sour cream.

The beef always seemed wrong to me, though. It is an odd light brown color, smells kind of funny, and doesn’t really look like beef if you examine it closely enough. I heard from a co-worker once that they load it with oat casings (whatever that is) to make it more spreadable.

Thanks for the info.

[chuckleslove]

We have a Taco Johns in town and I went there a few weeks back to try them out. I liked the potato oles, but the tacos were atrocious. What am I missing?

What kind of tacos did you get?

Just regular **** hard shell tacos. It was so bad. The meat was so bland and underseasoned that it just led me to never go back.

The only reason to go to Taco John's is potato oles. Their tacos are garbage. If I am going to eat a taco there I get the grilled stuffed taco as it at least has a little more flavor than a regular taco.

[crkone]

Is anyone going to Mitten Fest? 2.5K have said they're going on Facebook. The sheer amount of people occupying that area has me wondering if I would be just standing in line the whole time.

[stellation]

Zombie Dust and Hopslam were my last two beers. [THUMBS UP SIGN]

I'm figuring to do a horizontal of Hopslam, Sucks, HiRes, Scream, and whatever else I can think of.

Victory Dirt Wolf Double IPA belongs in that horizontal.

You cats seem to be speaking knowingly in this secret language of "horizontal" that I've not heard of over here in this context. Pleas explain! Unless it's just a comparison, which now that I think of it that's probably what it is.

[Ill-yasova]

I'm figuring to do a horizontal of Hopslam, Sucks, HiRes, Scream, and whatever else I can think of.

Victory Dirt Wolf Double IPA belongs in that horizontal.

You cats seem to be speaking knowingly in this secret language of "horizontal" that I've not heard of over here in this context. Pleas explain! Unless it's just a comparison, which now that I think of it that's probably what it is.

Technically a horizontal is tasting different beers that are all the same style while vertical means different vintages of the same beer (2008,2009, 2010,2011, etc...). Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine is a beer that a lot of people do vertical tastings on.

[stellation]

Victory Dirt Wolf Double IPA belongs in that horizontal.

You cats seem to be speaking knowingly in this secret language of "horizontal" that I've not heard of over here in this context. Pleas explain! Unless it's just a comparison, which now that I think of it that's probably what it is.

Technically a horizontal is tasting different beers that are all the same style while vertical means different vintages of the same beer (2008,2009, 2010,2011, etc...). Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine is a beer that a lot of people do vertical tastings on.

Cool, thanks for that. I suspected that's what it was, but I have no shame in asking questions that might make me look dumb just so I can be certain.

[Jez2983]

Zombie Dust and Hopslam were my last two beers. [THUMBS UP SIGN]

I'm figuring to do a horizontal of Hopslam, Sucks, HiRes, Scream, and whatever else I can think of.

Victory Dirt Wolf Double IPA belongs in that horizontal.

Clown Shoes Spacecake? Enjoyed that recently.

Ooh and New Belgiums Rampant. From what u guys say the 1st 2 are the best (not that I can get them ever...)

[neiLz]

The fiancé and I just got back from our beer tour to Madison. Didn't get to hit everything but what we did check out was great. Karben4 - very good beer. Upset they don't bottle to milwaukee but was able to get a six pack of fantasy factory at steves.
Next door brewimg - beer was phenomenal. We got flights of every beer there and All of them were solid.
Great Dane - beer was ok but the food was really good. It was packed in a weds for the badger game.
Vintage brewing - food was great. Had the chicken and waffles. Sampled some beers and was impressed. Only negative was that they were cleaning their tap lines for about four of the beers we wanted to try.


A little upset we missed a few places but we are coming back in the summer to catch some more spots.

[stellation]

From memory we have some homebrewers on here, I've just done my first batch on my own (somehow I've never gotten around to doing it on my own before, I've teamed up with a regular homebrewer a few times before) which was a moderately basic kit to produce a clone of a beer from a "once was craft" brewery over here called Little Creatures (that was bought out by the big boys) called "Bright Ale". It's essentially maybe one step up from just brewing straight out of a can (it used a can, but had some finishing hops/a different yeast strain/some grain). It's bubbling away nicely at the moment.

Anyway, much as I enjoy mocking Wisconsinites for their lack of Australian warmth, I actually live at the top of a mountain and in winter it can get a little chilly (not cheesehead chilly, but a little chilly). Does anyone have any ghetto level methods they use to keep a fermenter at a constant temperature in winter?

[KidA24]

From memory we have some homebrewers on here, I've just done my first batch on my own (somehow I've never gotten around to doing it on my own before, I've teamed up with a regular homebrewer a few times before) which was a moderately basic kit to produce a clone of a beer from a "once was craft" brewery over here called Little Creatures (that was bought out by the big boys) called "Bright Ale". It's essentially maybe one step up from just brewing straight out of a can (it used a can, but had some finishing hops/a different yeast strain/some grain). It's bubbling away nicely at the moment.

Anyway, much as I enjoy mocking Wisconsinites for their lack of Australian warmth, I actually live at the top of a mountain and in winter it can get a little chilly (not cheesehead chilly, but a little chilly). Does anyone have any ghetto level methods they use to keep a fermenter at a constant temperature in winter?

Do you have anything set up for temperature control already?

Things I've seen used: Base of a dehydrator. A space heater. Even a light bulb -- depending on how insulated your storage area is (I have friends who use an old fridge)

[vital_signs]

If you're ever in Eau Claire and looking for some decent Mexican I would suggest Taqueria La Poblanita on London Rd

[ReasonablySober]

If you're ever in Eau Claire and looking for some decent Mexican I would suggest Taqueria La Poblanita on London Rd

Hadn't heard of that one before. Maybe I'll grab lunch there today.

[JimmyTheKid]

Malone's on Brady Street currently has a keg of Three Floyd's Zombie Dust (best beer on the planet). Stopped there after the Hozier show (amazing btw) Saturday night and had a few. I highly suggest swinging by there before the well runs dry.

[VooDoo7]

Anybody ever been to Blue's Egg off of Bluemound? I've never been there, but always hear good things.

[quick23]

Blue's Egg has great breakfast and Brunch items.

Huge lines, but well worth it.

[giraldo5]

Anybody ever been to Blue's Egg off of Bluemound? I've never been there, but always hear good things.

Very good but expensive with a super long wait. Engine Company No. 3 is our go to for breakfast.

[WRau1]

Blue's is pretty good. I've been trying to get into Mad Rooster Cafe for breakfast on the weekends but everything time we try there's over an hour wait.

I went to Mulligan's Irish Pub & Grill on Fri night and had one of the best burgers I've ever ate in WI. Highly recommend that place.

[UWNick]

Anybody ever been to Blue's Egg off of Bluemound? I've never been there, but always hear good things.

Good but not great food. Not worth the almost certain hour+ wait. Many places I'd rather go for brunch. (Honeypie and Storyhill BKC are my wife and my favorites right now).

Blues Egg is fine but really overrated IMO mostly because it's more "accessible." As in not downtown/in the city, right off the freeway, has a parking lot etc...

However I guess it's the place to go for fancy hash browns.

[0BobLobLaw0]

Nourri in tosa is great. I'd say on par with odd duck. Same small plate style.

[stellation]

From memory we have some homebrewers on here, I've just done my first batch on my own (somehow I've never gotten around to doing it on my own before, I've teamed up with a regular homebrewer a few times before) which was a moderately basic kit to produce a clone of a beer from a "once was craft" brewery over here called Little Creatures (that was bought out by the big boys) called "Bright Ale". It's essentially maybe one step up from just brewing straight out of a can (it used a can, but had some finishing hops/a different yeast strain/some grain). It's bubbling away nicely at the moment.

Anyway, much as I enjoy mocking Wisconsinites for their lack of Australian warmth, I actually live at the top of a mountain and in winter it can get a little chilly (not cheesehead chilly, but a little chilly). Does anyone have any ghetto level methods they use to keep a fermenter at a constant temperature in winter?

Do you have anything set up for temperature control already?

Things I've seen used: Base of a dehydrator. A space heater. Even a light bulb -- depending on how insulated your storage area is (I have friends who use an old fridge)

I have zero/naught/nadda and basically no insulation at all! The temperature is relatively stable, I have it in a little shed kind of thing that is under a fair sized water tank (about 3000L/800 gallons) so it creates a thermal mass that keeps it pretty even, but in winter I'm guessing it'll be too cool.