Two Views of Hanukkah in the Midwest

Menorah, Daley Plaza, Chicago, IL

At this time of year, when Christmas decorations, as beautiful as they are, dominate the landscape, I take great pride in seeing large menorahs displayed in public, for everyone to witness the miracle of Hanukkah.  Here are two such menorahs on public display, thanks to the efforts of Chabad. Above, at Chicago's Daley Plaza, you can even see the famous Picasso statue in the background, along with all the activity of Chicago's annual Christkindlmarket.  Good times.

Menorah, Milwaukee Union Station, Milwaukee, WI

Ice Sculptures in Milwaukee, WI

Posted here due to popular request, these ice sculptures graced the sidewalks of Milwaukee, WI, last weekend.  I am a little envious of people who can chisel away at an unstable element like ice and come out with a beautiful work of art.  I confess I find the body-less legs and pelvis, above, to be a little macabre, but let's assume the shock value it possesses compels people to pause and not take their surroundings for granted.

The horse, above, is my favorite.

This Native American gazes out upon the pedestrian traffic.

Chiseled in ice.

The Christmas Tree Post

As I have already mentioned, the Christmas season is one of the times of year, along with autumn, when I miss my hometown of Chicago the most.  I love the lights and decorations that come with Christmas, providing color, warmth, and illumination to an otherwise dark period of the year.  I also love the snow.  I wish I had been more deliberate in pursuing this theme when I was visiting Chicago, as there were many specimens to choose from, but I hope these suffice to give you, dear blog follower, an idea of the beauty found in Chicago during the Christmas season.  Above is a Christmas tree found in the lobby atrium of the Sears Tower.  Outside, the snow swirls and whips about in the wind.  By the way, I used this visit to resume my search for Willis Tower, but with no luck.

Above, a Christmas tree found on the second floor of the Milwaukee Public Market (the only non-Chicago specimen included here), sporting a patriotic theme.

Above, a wholesome, country-inspired Christmas tree, situated in a bank parking lot, of all places, across the street from The Lucky Horseshoe Lounge.

Above, gracing the park of the historic Water Tower.

A profusion of color and light in Daley Plaza, on display during the annual Christkindlmarket festival.

Above, a grand, multi-storied finale on the second floor of the Bloomingdale's mall on Michigan Avenue.  I must confess that I found the Christmas decorations in Chicago this year to be somewhat muted, but this particular Christmas tree would stand out on any given year.

Milwaukee Excursion, Part Four: Three Brothers Serbian Restaurant

My friends and I capped off yesterday with dinner at Three Brothers, a Serbian restaurant in the Bayview neighborhood of Milwaukee and one of our favorite places. Dinner at Three Brothers has become a real tradition with us. Almost every visit I have made to Milwaukee with my friends has come to this same delicious culinary conclusion. The restaurant itself is housed in an old bar dated from the turn of the 20th century. Three Brothers has done an excellent job of preserving its architectural integrity while also decorating it with a nice, quirky kind of flair.

Three Brothers Serbian Restaurant, Milwaukee, WI

Three Brothers Serbian Restaurant, Milwaukee, WI

Cool and funky historic interior, Three Brothers Serbian Restaurant, Milwaukee, WI

I would like to say that my friends and I have exhausted Three Brothers' considerable list of menu options--and it is true that one of my friends has tried their duck and I once ordered their goulash--but most often we have stayed true to our culinary custom of ordering burek. In fact, Three Brothers serves the second best burek in the world--second only to my own family recipe, of course!--and they have an outstanding Serbian salad consisting of chopped tomato, onion, and celery, all topped off with a shredded white cheese and oil. They also serve fresh rye bread as an appetizer. Burek is a savory Serbian pastry, made with phyllo dough for the crust and often filled with either beef or spinach and cheese. To everybody's delight, Three Brothers serves both types of burek.

Very cool bar, Three Brothers Serbian Restaurant, Milwaukee, WI

Back part of restaurant, Three Brothers Serbian Restaurant, Milwaukee, WI

Houseplants "gazing" out the window, Three Brothers Serbian Restaurant, Milwaukee, WI

Hey, any place that has houseplants growing on their windowsill--and I am referring to real plants, the organic kind that live, grow, and eventually wither away, not the plastic junk--is a place that makes me feel right at home.

For the love of plants (and booze!), Three Brothers Serbian Restaurant, Milwaukee, WI

Three Brothers and other Serbian restaurants prepare their burek differently from my own family recipe. The main difference is that of shape. At restaurants, burek is served as a large, round savory pie, whereas we always make our burek as a set of rolls shaped to resemble Serbian enchiladas (minus the toppings). Given that phyllo dough is so delicate, and I always find it a challenge to work with it when making my own family's burek, I just can't imagine making burek as a pie. You gotta have patience!

KRUSKOVAC!!!

Here is another thing I long waited for all yesterday: a shot of dreamy kruskovac, a Serbian pear liquor that is mildly sweet and goes down nice and smooth. I have looked around Chicago for stores that sell kruskovac and haven't found one yet. Another great drink is their Serbian tea, a nicely spiced liquor. Needless to say, a shot or two of kruskovac always helps me to have a relaxing train ride home to Chicago on the Hiawatha line. During the train ride home last night, it occurred to me, "Why didn't I take a photo of my burek when it was served?" Well, probably because I was too busy digging into it! Oh well, sometimes you just have to live the good experience rather than record it. That's life! L'Chaim!

Milwaukee Excursion, Part Three: Downtown, Vol. Two

Here is my final installment of downtown Milwaukee photos. After this will be one more post in the Milwaukee series. It's a beautiful city, and I hope that my moving back to the Southwest will not preclude any future visit to it.

Historic Federal Courthouse Building, Milwaukee, WI

Top of tower, Federal Courthouse Building, Milwaukee, WI 

While it has a tower reminiscent of a Medieval castle, the Federal Courthouse Building overall still looks very Victorian to me.

Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. Building, Milwaukee, WI

Lamp, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. Building, Milwaukee, WI

I was kind of disappointed to learn that this magnificent building houses an insurance company. Not that I object to insurance companies, but it looks like it should be the site of a central library or a natural history museum.

Ram detail on light, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. Building, Milwaukee, WI

Looking west from Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI

L to R: post-modern building, the Gas Building, and Northwestern Mutual Life, Milwaukee, WI

I like how three different periods of architectural styles are represented in this shot, the post-modern skyscraper that houses Wells Fargo, the art deco Gas Building, and the neo-classical Northwestern Mutual Life. It gives a good idea of the great diversity of architectural styles that Milwaukee possesses.

Northern Trust Bank Building, Milwaukee, WI

As you can see, Milwaukee is a very cool city. Throughout the summer, they hold a variety of very cool festivals, including the popular SummerFest. When I was visiting yesterday, they were holding a German festival.

Check it out: Visit Milwaukee

Milwaukee Excursion, Part Two: Downtown, Vol. One

This next series of photos will focus mainly on downtown Milwaukee architecture.

Front, Milwaukee Public Market, Milwaukee, WI

Viewing the selection of spices, inside of Milwaukee Public Market, Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Public Market reminds me of Seattle's Pike Public Market in miniature. Here, you can buy freshly baked breads, Wisconsin cheeses (of course!), gourmet chocolates, and, my favorite, a variety of gourmet spices from the Spice House. The Spice House, which also has locations in Chicago and Evanston, IL, just rocks! I like the Milwaukee Iron Seasoning, which is a chipotle-style blend, and they sell several varieties of cinnamon powder, with each having a very distinct scent. Very cool! At Milwaukee Public Market, you can also order Middle Eastern food from a restaurant located on the first floor or, at the opposite end, fresh seafood, among other culinary options. The second floor balcony is reserved for seating, although sometimes the work of local artists might be featured there. Produce and other items are occasionally sold outside, too. I remember my first autumn living back in Chicago, I took a trip to Milwaukee, and the first batch of McIntosh apples I encountered (and bought) that season were being sold outside of Milwaukee Public Market. I used them to make an excellent fresh applesauce. Milwaukee Public Market is located in the historic Third Ward, which offers a nice selection of restaurants, galleries, boutiques, and nostalgia stores.

Check it out: Milwaukee Public Market

Colorful lanterns, Milwaukee Public Market, Milwaukee, WI

Yes, I know you can find colorful lanterns hanging at any number of places, but I thought they were cool and so you need to see them, at least until you scan down to the next photograph!

Historic building, Milwaukee, WI

I don't know what this building once was, but I just thought it was beautiful. As you can see, it now houses a pizza and steak joint that I have never visited. This is just north of Milwaukee Public Market.

Building detail, Milwaukee, WI

Two beautifully ornate buildings, Milwaukee, WI

I don't know what the front building is, but it is beautifully crafted. The second, equally beautiful building in back is or was the chamber of commerce. There is actually a very rusty skyway that connects these two buildings.

Ornate building, Milwaukee, WI

Just incredible, almost baroque in its elaborate ornamentation.

Ornate building, Milwaukee, WI

Window detail, Milwaukee, WI

This window is part of the first building above. The greatest difficulty I had in taking photos of these beautiful, highly ornate buildings was deciding on where to focus my camera.

Old Bank of Milwaukee Building, Milwaukee, WI

Entrance of Bank of Milwaukee Building, Milwaukee, WI

Very cool post-modern building rising behind the old architecture, Milwaukee, WI

There is a building in Chicago, on LaSalle Street, I believe, that looks very similar to this building. Looking like a house at the top, it's some type of post-modern hodgepodge that turned out to be pretty cool-looking.

Very cool building rising in the background, Milwaukee, WI

Okay, I confess, my perception of things was oddly crooked yesterday!

City Hall, Milwaukee, WI

I was in love with Milwaukee's City Hall the first moment I saw it. Just beautiful!

Milwaukee Excursion, Part One: Alterra Coffee and Milwaukee Art Museum

I couldn't leave the Midwest without making one more visit to Milwaukee. To be honest, until I moved back to Chicago two years ago, I hadn't visited Milwaukee too many times before. Occasionally, I would visit, like when I went to Summerfest in the 1990s to see the Moody Blues perform in concert. The strongest impression Milwaukee always makes on me concerns what an excellent job the city does in preserving its historical architecture. I know there was a period in the 20th century when Chicago, seeking to move with the times stylistically, actually demolished many of its historical buildings to make way for modernist architecture. I actually recall hearing stories about how, at one time or another, even the Chicago Cultural Center and the original Water Tower, the last being the only building to survive the Great Chicago Fire, were considered for demolition. That would have been a truly regrettable loss. It's true that Chicago still possesses many historical buildings to add layers of architectural character to its cityscape, but sometimes I think we could have done a better job at historical preservation. However, downtown Milwaukee has an abundance of architecture from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as from the art deco period. Some of these buildings, reflecting the popular sensibility of the Victorian age, were highly ornate, which varies from the austerity of some of Chicago's architecture from the same period, in which "form follows function," giving Milwaukee a very different look and feel.

I have really come to love Milwaukee, it unique cityscape, its historic Third Ward, its diverse range of venues, its friendly people. Each time I visited I wanted to bring my camera, but forgot. But not this time. Included here are photos of Milwaukee I took yesterday, during my visit there with friends. Many of my photos from yesterday are of downtown architecture, but a couple of these feature favorite places of mine. As for the buildings, since I might not know all of their names, I might be required to leave their captions blank, but I will try to identify what I can. Because of the large volume of photographs, the Milwaukee photos will be posted in several parts.

Alterra Coffee (Alterra at the Lake), Milwaukee, WI

Once an old water pumping station, this building now houses Alterra Coffee, a local coffee roaster. Their cafe here serves excellent coffee and teas, as well as a variety of pastries, salads, and sandwiches. Their Southwestern chicken salad is excellent, and their curry chicken salad wrap is so good I have tried to replicate it at home!

Interior, Alterra Coffee, Milwaukee, WI

Contemplating an apple, Alterra Coffee, Milwaukee, WI

Part of Alterra Coffee's charm stems from the preservation of its building's historical character. This open space still maintains the look of an old industrial complex, brick, metal, and all.

Balcony dining area, Alterra Coffee, Milwaukee, WI

The furniture here adds a rustic charm to the cafe, but also maintains the simplicity of its overall decor.

Water Pump Room, Alterra Coffee, Milwaukee, WI

The old water pump is still present in the facility, sunken below the floor of this dining room area in back of the cafe. A gap in the flooring is maintained in this room, so as to leave the old water pump exposed for viewing.

Check it out: Alterra Coffee

Modern wing, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI

The modern wing of the Milwaukee Art Museum was designed by Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava. The soaring wings of this structure are lowered at night. Calatrava is the architect who also designed the Chicago Spire, which has yet to be constructed in Chicago.

Inside the Modern Wing of the Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI

Hallways in Calatrava's expansion of the Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI

Chihuly at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI

Chihuly Close-up, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI

And, of course, if you know me by now, you know that I am greatly attracted to the flamboyant glass artwork of Chihuly. Just beautiful! In addition to modern art, Milwaukee Art Museum has an excellent collection of historic art, ranging from antiquity to the Medieval period and onward. Yesterday, I went to see Posters of Paris, featuring the poster artwork of Toulouse-Lautrec and his contemporaries. It was an excellent exhibit.

Check it out: Milwaukee Art Museum