Dave S.'s Profile

I went to Stack'd for a Saturday lunch and the place wasn't terribly busy. The atmosphere was "hip" and upscale, beer selection solid. But upon entering one couldn't help but notice crumbs on the tables and seats, here and there. A visual lack of cleanliness is a sure fire sign of a management issue.

When ordering a $9 burger, I have pretty high expectations. The "build your own burger" I had at Stack'd was underwhelming. The beef was dry and crumbly, and lacking flavor. The ingredients were bland, I could barely even taste the jalapenos I had asked for. They were on there, but had been apparently sitting around for so long they had lost their kick. Not a good sign at all.

I will not be returning to Stack'd.

This is a unique and interesting store full of all kinds of items, from kids toys to t-shirts, plants for the garden, books, notepads, you name it.

It's the kind of store that you go to 2-3 times per year to pick up unique gifts for the people in your life. It's impossible to not linger in this place to explore the incredible variety of things they have for sale.

Transfer is quickly becoming my go-to place for pizza in Milwaukee. While I'm still loyal to Classic Slice when I need a "New York Style" by-the-slice type place, Transfer more than satisfies with it's lighter, flakier crust and gourmet ingredients. It's also somewhat more vegan-friendly than Classic Slice, since they can pretty much vegan-ize almost all of their vegetarian options (which are many). At Classic Slice vegans have a relatively narrow range of special "vegan-only" pies.

Transfer has great service, great atmoshphere, and great pizza.

We recently returned to Turner, for the first time since our horrendous service experience a few years ago. The experience this time was better, and the food was pretty good. But the prices had gone up markedly, and while the service wasn't offensively bad, it wasn't terribly attentive either. So while I really wish for a return to the four star Turner of five plus years ago, I sadly give the place three, hoping for better things to return to this classic Milwaukee establishment.

Hey, big spender! If you're looking to drop as much on a new bike and accessories as you would spend on a new Hyundai, this is the place for you. Of all the bike shops in Milwaukee, this one, I would argue, is the most oriented toward the high-end racing or touring enthusiast.

Oftentimes when I'm talking to someone who doesn't ride, they ask me if I race bikes. I respond, just because you drive a car every day does that mean you race cars? No. Same thing with biking. Most riders are like me. They're not looking got break any records, they just want a ride that gets the job done and can handle the rigors of city riding. I go to other bike shops in the area for service and products that meet my needs.

I'm not a bicylist. I'm a guy who happens to ride a bike every day to get around town. Ben's is the store for the bicyclist crowd. If you're a serious racing enthusiast, then Ben's is one of the better shops in terms of knowledge, selection of built bikes and sheer variety of parts and accessories, many of them hard to find. Ben's custom makes bikes under the moniker Milwaukee Bicycle Company, and, by all accounts, they're great bikes, but expensive.

For someone like me, who cruises around town on a less-than-glamorous hybrid that gets the job done, and is probably not going to compete in a road race anytime soon, there are other shops in the area that are more accomodating to my particular needs. But Ben's holds an important place in Milwaukee's bicycling scene.

Whether you're a budget-concious commuter or a serious racing enthusiast, Cory the Bike Fixer's got your ride. One of the better selections of quality refurbished bikes in the city, along with a good selection of road, racing, touring and moutain bikes. This is not the place to come if you're looking to drop $4K on an Italian-made customized road racer. This is the place to come if you want a quality ride that's going to give you what you need. Great service, expert mechanics always willing to give advice to even the most novice riders. One of my favorite bike shops in MKE.

It's hard to think of a brand marketing campaign that has been as successful as Harley Davidson.  How many other corporations do you know of that have legions of devotees that tattoo the company logo to their bodies and travel thousands of miles to congregate with other devotees? How many other corporations could have pulled off something like the Harley Davidson Museum? Basically it's a giant ad for the brand, but it somehow feels natural, not so crass and commercial as to be a turnoff to those who aren't in the cult.

At the Harley Davidson Museum, you immerse yourself in the brand, and everything it represents: freedom, individuality, adventure. By the end of the tour you half-expect to be led right into a Harley Davidson dealership where company representatives are standing by ready to put you on one of these beauties today. And the weird thing is, you don't care that you've just paid Sixteen Bucks to walk through a huge commercial. The magic of the Harley Davidson brand is that it somehow seems authentic, not cooked up by a team of marketing geniuses.

As someone who is indifferent to motorcycles, I thought the Harley Davidison Museum was a mildly interesting diversion. As a Milwaukeean, I love the fact that the company built this museum on a long forgotten piece of land in an old, industrial part of the city that is coming back. They could have just as easily put it in Vegas, where it probably would have had ten times the visitors. But Harley Davidson is serious about contributing to its home city, and that's A-OK by me.

Wicked Hop is a nice place to hang out in that very distinctly Milwaukee way: somewhat "upscale" but without pretense. The service and ambience are great, and on a warm night, nothing beats al fresco drinking and dining under its mammoth metal canopy, an architectural feature that harkens back to the building's past as a vegetable warehouse.

Wicked Hop has a great beer selection, but the food, in my experience, leaves a little to be desired. The menu is eclectic enough, and goes beyond your usual pub food. But the quality and flavor have never blown me away.

I work right across the river from the Bronze Fonz, and yesterday, as hundreds of people were gathered, with local dignitaries, and Henry Winkler himself was there, along with Potsie, Laverne, Shirley and the rest of the gang, I was holding my breath, thinking "please, when they lift that curtain and the Bronze Fonz is unveiled, please, please, don't be terrible."

I then opened my eyes and laid them upon this .... thing. I know this isn't supposed be "art," and it's unfair to critique it as if it were. But even as a piece of pop culture kitcsh it doesn't work. First of all, it doesn't really look like the Fonz, nor does it capture his "cool" essence. It's awkward, and a little creepy. The Fonz's face looks contorted, with this wierd, rubbery smile. And who would ever think painted bronze is a good idea?

I give it two stars rather than one for two reasons: 1. it's somewhat off the beaten path. If this thing was plunked right on the busiest intersection in Downtown Milwaukee it would have been horrendous. As it is, it's somewhat discreet and tucked out of the way. 2. If the steady stream of tourists is any indication, this thing is going to be popular with out of towners. And let's face it: if you have driven hundreds of miles to see a statue of the Fonz, you're probably not too discriminating in terms of your spending habits. This bodes well for the many Downtown restaurants and shops that could use some tourist cash during these tough economic  times.