Victor S.'s Profile

First of all, RIP. Hotcakes. One of the few places that carried fresh and innovative contemporary art. It's OK if you don't appreciate it, but I sure as hell did.

For those who don't know, Mike Brenner of Hotcakes Gallery decided to close his gallery if $85,000 was raised to erect the Bronze Fonz (http://promo.onmilwauk...), a monument so unnecessary and useless for that amount of money when it could have been put to better use.

Mike stated, "I cannot see running a contemporary art gallery in a city who's "leadership" is so eager to invest it's limited resources in garbage instead of fostering it's burgeoning arts community." And I fully agree with him.

Keeping Hotcakes alive would have continued to burgeon a community focused on the arts (which with the economy seems to be quickly dwindling), but Mike stuck to his beliefs even when he received death threats and homophobic remarks from idiots (http://www.hotcakesgal...).

Hotcakes was one of the galleries where I felt at home in. It wasn't pretentious, it wasn't overexposed, and it made me appreciate the small community in Milwaukee that truly appreciated the arts without all the sugar coating. It is so sad to see such a place go.

I really wish I would have been able to visit it more, but I'm glad I knew about it before it became history.  Some of my best gallery hopping moments are with Hotcakes...

I come to Broadway bi-annually to stock up on greeting cards for the year. I often feel like a yuppie for spending more than $30 in this place, but I can't help it: I'm a sucker for overly-trendy and adorably designed greeting cards, and I'm not afraid to admit it. Embarrassing, I know.

Most of the time, the cards I buy go unused for a very long time until they're needed and people express to me how much they like them and I get so many compliments (especially from many of my female friends). Even though many of their designs are quite feminine, they also have a good variation of gender-neutral designs for all the important men in your lives.

In the end, that's what Broadways says to me. Good design (NOT great design), and customer satisfaction. Nothing more, nothing less.

The shop interior is boring, staff is friendly, product is OK (Sales are frequent, so it's budget-friendly when it needs to be), but don't be blinded by the useless things in the center of the store (you'll get carried away and it'll cost you!!). Also like this place to support the local designers, but there are other shops in Milwaukee where my service would be much more appreciated.

Two words for this place: Over-hyped and overpriced. Known for their "exceptional" cupcakes and macaroons, what I experienced was far from that. Dry cake impossible to swallow, and piled-on frosting so displeasing I had to remove about 3/4 of it off to barely enjoy a bite.

Their raisin walnut bread was impossible to stomach, too strong for my taste, and would immediately break apart after a couple of hours with any touch. I bought an entire loaf, and sliced most of it after I bought it, by the way.

I only enjoyed their sugar cookies and that's about it. it's really hard for me to hate this place because the owners also own Coquette (a favorite restaurant of mine), but it was not an experience I enjoyed.

Other than that, the environment is nice (although the place could be bigger) and the employee that serviced me was cheerful.

As many have stated, what a wonderful treasure in such a generic and bland strip mall. Really hard to believe this place is upstaged by Old Country Buffet.

I came in here one day during lunch desiring the entire experience (Miso soup, hibachi, sushi bar, fried ice-cream...the whole 9 yards) and it's never been any different since. Never in my entire life will I forget the experiences I've had at Japanica.

The Miso soup is a wonderful start to ANY Japanese dish. While I can't really tell the difference no matter what restaurant I have it at, I could have it for the rest of my life and still be happy. The hibachi session is in particular spectacular, the chefs are extremely personable and really know how to put on a good show. I'll be honest and say this does overshadow  the ultimate result: wonderful hibachi-grilled shrimp fried rice. Consistency perfect, and enough to make you full with just that.

It does not stop there, their fish? So fresh, extremely delicious. Can not put into words how awesome their sushi (sashimi/maki/etc) is. Would recommend anything from their Temaki to their California rolls.

And last but not least, their fried ice-cream. The only place in Milwaukee worth purchasing it at. Such an awesome temporal surprise!

I've only been during lunch, and never for dinner. Would love to experience that sometime soon. Most of the time it seems to be inhabited by businessmen and couples, but it is always quiet when it needs to be (ie, where there's not an hibachi crowd applauding and laughing).

It can be a little expensive when you're with a group so be smart about it. Regardless, the hostesses are extremely welcoming and will accommodate your needs!

On my quest to embrace what my neighborhood has to offer (it's been pretty difficult: Living 1 minute from an Arbys, 3 minutes from a McDonalds, 5 minutes from Wendys, 6 minutes from a Taco Bell...you get my drift), I decided to wonder into the unknown and discover what exactly Asian cuisine far beyond Downtown/East Side/3rd Ward has to offer.

Needless to say, I was satisfied. Having been a longtime fan of Phan's Garden (Good friend of mine's mother owns the place, http://www.yelp.com/bi...), my exclusivity to pho there has forever been tarnished. It really is hard finding a pho that contains tender, well-cooked flank steak or tripe.

Keeping in mind their feature on Dirty Dining, I did not let that hold me back from the place. I wanted to experience it myself. Both the hostess and the waiter were extremely casual, welcoming, and thoughtful. They even asked if it was our first time dining there! It really seems like they're trying to prove their critics wrong.

As usual, I had flank steak pho. Very well done, with the exception of a few red, uncooked pieces. Nothing I would cry over. Left me wanting more to be honest! Hopefully next time, I'll try their other salivating dishes.

This place has the potential to becoming a new favorite local restaurant of mine, why?
-It's extremely close to me.
-Everything else within a 3 mile radius of where I live is mediocre and/or unhealthy.

I have one rule about this place whenever I come here to eat. NEVER, EVER arrive before 5pm because it just ruins the overall sexiness of everything at night. Completely different attitude, completely different environment. If you're not a fan of eating in the dark with a small candle lighting up your table, then pass out on reading this review.

Regardless of your dining time preferences, I always see large families, couples, and groups of friends having a wonderful time. Genuinely Italian, but not too artificial.

Considering my diet consists of mostly vegetarian dishes, this is one place where I like to "splurge."  Would recommend and not recommend:

-Chicken Ravioli Alla Romana with Shitake mushrooms (Could this not feed my addiction for mushrooms anymore? A little spicy, but I can handle it).
-Cioppino (Not a fan, too salty for me and preparation was kind of sloppy).
-Chicken Marsala (Marsala is Marsala. Nothing to it, nothing out of the ordinary or exceptional. But still damn good).

This is one of the places where I enjoy the bread (bruschetta) more so than the pasta dishes, extreme emphasis on pasta dishes because this seems to be Louise's specialty. But for some reason, I keep coming back. Maybe it's just that sexy environment...worth every penny.

Love their marble top. So many flavors, choices and toppings, but also wonderful weekend greasy goodness on their menu.

I first came to this place when I was younger and hanging with childhood friends. Had no idea I would end up forgetting the name until about 5 years later when I would start frequenting the place after searching it on the Internet.

The only setback: it's a little on the pricey side (especially for once again, a broke college student), but I think the environment, location, and history this place has in Greendale will forever make up for it.

This place is my own little secret amongst my family, whom have been cultured to the extent of a 12 year old hermit.

I know a lot of people have a problem with the severe smoking on the second floor, but it's nice to have a place to relax and have a cigarette once in a while with a lemon-mint tea. However, with this smoking ban coming into place I know there are going to be a lot of unhappy people. Sad, but true.

The only unfortunate thing about this place is the lack of seating for non-smokers, or people uncomfortable moving from the first floor to the second floor.

Probably one of the only affordable legit tea shops in the Milwaukee area. I would be TERRIBLY devastated to see this place go (let's hope that doesn't happen).

Phenomenal vegan and vegetarian pizza. Always stop by here whenever I get the chance. A healthy alternative to all the greasy joints in the Milwaukee area.

I've never actually eaten inside the place (I prefer to order ahead and carry-out), but from the looks of it, I always see happy families and customers enjoying themselves in a rather casual environment.

Slices are large, fulfilling, and damn tasty!

Always had a wonderful experience at Hotch-A-Do, whether it be alone, with a friend, or in a group. The service was always pleasant and accommodated splitting the check with the guests that I've arrived with.

I definitely do agree that the breakfast is a little bit on the pricey side for the small portions, but if you have a problem with that, why not just go to some place that caters to unhealthy people on a budget (ie, iHop anyone??)

The interior and environment is soothing, and there is never too many people in the place which is something I enjoy.

Recommended dishes:
-Vegan Burrito
-Spinach Salad
-The Julius sandwich