Category Archives: eliz-a-trip

tales of my travels

July 28, 2009 · 12:05 am

Eliz-a-trip

Will be doing more traveling and less blogging this week, be back in a few days!

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July 1, 2009 · 12:05 am

Obrycki’s in Baltimore

The Obrycki's bib, wooden mallet and house lager

Being in Baltimore to cover the National Pork Board’s Taste of Elegance chef event, you’d think a paper bib would come in handy for consuming a never-ending parade of competing pork dishes (from loin to belly) that were dolled out all weekend for us to try. But a bib and a wooden mallet actually came into play at Obrycki’s, a legendary crab and seafood joint we tried one non-pork night. The historic Fell’s Point restaurant has been around since 1944, and specializes in seafood, especially Maryland blue crabs, from small to large (depending on what’s delivered to the restaurant that day) smothered in a kicky array of seasonings and peppery mustard sauce. After about half an hour, the dork factor begins to rise as you sit there staring at each other in your bibs, but it’s all worth it as a steaming pile of bright orange, spicy crabs are literally dumped from a tray onto the center of your butcher-paper lined table, and you find yourself reaching around to make sure it’s on good and tight.

Hot crabs fresh are literally dropped onto the center of the table

Once the spillage occurs, the table stares at the Jenga-pile of crabs as everyone figures out where to begin, and by begin I mean grab a mallet and start cracking. “To eat crab you must work, which makes you appreciate him more,” is stated on the front of the menu and the phrase couldn’t be closer to the truth. We fumbled with the legs, painstakingly cracked the shell until the lovely, tender, mustard and seasoning smothered meat could be retrieved. Paired with the light, house lager, it was a messy, delicious feast I won’t forget.

Obrycki's menu

Hot steamed crab on a plate

After successfully cracking the shells of the dozen or so crabs, we were happy to easily bite right into Chesapeake Bay soft shells, the freshest I’ve ever had, fried to a soft golden brown and served with green beans and a baked potato. Throw in the crab dip and deviled crab balls (fried crab cakes with cocktail sauce) and that mail order option on the Web site is looking pretty perfect right about now. Obrycki’s 1727 E. Pratt St., 410.732.6399

Soft shell crab

Loved the old-school sign out front the historic building

Clipper City Beer

A tasty beer with a pirate theme? Holy crap I'm in.

A tasty beer with a pirate theme? I'm in.

I spent the last couple of days in Baltimore covering the National Pork Board’s Taste of Elegance chef competition, and while I am very full of swine (pork belly, jowl, cheek, etc.) as well as soft and hard-shell crabs (post to come on Wednesday), I also indulged in a local brew called Clipper City. I was first drawn to the label of Clipper City Gold Ale, with a font that might as well be called “peg leg” and cool ship motif. Named for a ship historically built in Baltimore’s home port, I cracked open a Clipper and discovered a totally drinkable ale, with a slight hoppy taste and subtle fruity notes, like a cross between Bass and Sam Adams Summer Ale. An ice cold one would go great with said seafood or a spicy pork belly dish. Now I am in a mission to find it in Chicago, any tips? Oh, and when you log onto their site it tells you to “embrace your inner pyrate,” and later to grab one of their “extrAARGHdinary beers,” which only feeds into my pirate-imitating obsessions and makes me love this brew even more.

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May 28, 2009 · 12:05 am

I love scotch…

I like scotcharoos

And by scotch I mean the butter kind loaded into the scotcharoos at Cafe 1505 in Mequon, WI. One of my best friend’s mom’s used to make these for us back in the day, so I know they are a common bake sale good, but when do you ever actually see them in a bakery? Every time I head up north I have to stop at this little gourmet cafe just off the freeway. It’s worth it for what is essentially a chewy block of butterscotch-and-peanut-butter-flavored Rice Krispie treat with a hardened milk chocolate top layer. Made in-house, they always have a fresh stack of them under a glass case. Anyone ever spot these in a bakery closer to home? Give a shout in the comments. Cafe 1505, 1505 W. Mequon Rd., 262.241.7076

Trocadero

Well, I survived another holiday weekend in Milwaukee, sans speeding ticket and full of great food. Every time I head up there to visit my family I try to scope out great, newish restaurants and old hidden gems. Just a quick two-hour drive up is totally worth it for visit to the Calatrava at the Milwaukee Art Museum, or to one of the many lakeside fests (from Summerfest to Polish fest) that go off all summer. We devoured all the usual suspects, including fantastic steak at Coerper’s Five O’Clock Club, vodka milkshakes at At Random, burgers and custard from Kopp’s and discovered Trocadero for brunch. Reminiscent of a Parisian café and located in a great, historic building, the often-packed restaurant has a fun outdoor terrace area complete with a fountain and lights, heated patio and small café tables with wicker chairs inside. French-style breakfast crêpes include a smoked salmon and herb cream cheese, brie and portobello and ham with spinach and gruyère. The rosemary potatoes that come with other dishes like smoked salmon omelette and croque madame beat any breakfast potatoes I’ve had in Chicago, and the coffee and espresso drinks come with actual sugar cubes and a square of Valrhona chocolate. Dinner looks just as delish with mussels, steak frites and other bistro-inspired goodness. 1758 N. Water St., 414.272.0205

Trocadero, Milwaukee, WI

Mars Cheese Castle

The sun shines over the Mars Cheese Castle sign, an I-94 landmark

How many times do you have to drive past the Mars Cheese Castle in Kenosha, WI before you finally venture in? I had stopped into the haven for all things Wisconsin (from cheese to beef jerky to stuffed cow kitsch) once in high school, but not again until this past weekend. It’s looks like a poor man’s Medieval Times marred by a slew of random, mismatched signs (namely the massive one everyone notices from the I-94) on the outside. Instead of knights, falcons and jousts going on inside (yes I have been to Medieval Times too, don’t hate), there are aisles stocked with Wisco-produced products from Door County wines to local jams, beer, smoked sausages, specialty sauces, bakery, cooking products, and of course lots and lots of cheese. Not to mention a cafe, bar, deli and fully stocked gift shop. A fellow Milwaukee native swears by the 9-year-aged Cheddar, but there were dozens of other varieties to choose from. I resisted the cheese, but reached instead for a packet of beef jerky sticks by Klement’s and a Mars-brand raspberry kringle. Not exactly Kosher for Passover but my family devoured them nonetheless. At check-out I learned that the Castle has actually been in the same location since 1947, but will be relocating to a new 25,000-square-foot space (directly behind the current one) as soon as the freeway expansion project gets underway starting in July. The new location will include a wine shop, the original sign (phew), and some sort of “draw-bridge” thing that shouldn’t be tacky at all. In the meantime, don’t just wonder what goes on inside the Castle, pull over next time and stop in for all the cheesy Wisconsin goodness you crave and more. Mars’ Cheese Castle, 2800 120th Avenue, Kenosha, WI 800.655.6147

Beer sausage (literally)

Curd you die?

Apple and cherry wines from Northeastern Wisconsin-based Von Stiehl Winery

Really, can anyone resist a Wisconsin kringle? I mean...

If I had to guess, this trippy sign was designed in the mid-'60s. I love the planet hovering over the castle, but isn't Saturn the one with the rings?

If I had to guess, this trippy sign appeared in the mid-'60s. I love the planet hovering over the castle, but isn't Saturn the one with the rings?

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February 24, 2009 · 12:05 am

Water Street Brewery

Water Street sign

I so would’ve gotten the beer tasting flight at Water Street Brewery if I didn’t have to race back to Chicago on Sunday night by Oscar time. But I still enjoyed my dinner at the Milwaukee brewery and pub that’s been around for more than 20 years. While I continue to search for good restaurants in Milwaukee, I often end up at the pubs and breweries for decent bar food, great beer and a trip down memory lane of growing up in the “Brew.” While Water Street Brewery isn’t Milwaukee’s oldest brewery (it’s been home to Pabst, Schlitz, Miller and Blatz), the place does have a fair amount of impressive memora-beer-lia. Only those who grew up in Milwaukee will remember the Green Sheet section of the newspaper (think comics, crosswords, horoscopes, Dear Abby, guess-how-the-almost-identical-drawings-are different games all printed on green paper!). At Water Street, the Green Sheet design is cleverly resurrected as the menu, and I think any beer fanatic will appreciate the wall-to-wall collection of vintage beer cans and case filled with 1,400 ultra-cool beer tap handles. Oh, yeah, and the beer, from honey lager light to raspberry weiss and brown ale, is pretty fantastic too. Besides WSB, Milwaukee’s still got Lakefront, Sprecher and, of course, Miller breweries with tours, tastings and more, so you can easily get your Laverne and Shirley on and head up there for a brewery tour day trip. But don’t race home too fast, get your designated driver to stop for a steak at Coerper’s 5 O’clock Club (2416 W. State Street, 414.342.3553), vodka and oreo milkshakes at At Random (2501 S. Delaware, 414.481.8030) and finish the schlimaazely adventure here. Water Street Brewery, 1101 N. Water Street, 414.272.1195