Had a great long weekend in Milwaukee with best friends

Got back last night from a long weekend in Milwaukee with my dear friends Logan, Josh, and Trey. Josh took us around to all his favorite spots. Eating and drinking well with friends - what more to life is there?

• On Friday, we had two bottles of French red at Voyager wine bar. We sat at the bar where we could chat with the owner Jordan while he sliced salami. You can purchase wine from their market at grocery store prices and sit at the bar.
• After Voyager, we ate at Goodkind. I had a rotisserie chicken with crackling crispy skin. Waitress said they have one of two specific French rotisserie units in the country.
• Saturday we went to the museum of art on a whim and I'm so glad we did. Great collection of medieval and renaissance European paintings. My favorite piece was probably St Francis Contemplating a Skull. Really rich dark oils and moody in a way I wasn't expecting from 15th century religious art.
• Late lunch at Bavette. At Voyager, Jordan pointed out that Bavette's celebrity chef a few seats down from us. Wanted to check out her place. We shared charcuterie, beef carpaccio, and a bottle of Schiava - the wine highlight of the weekend. Dry with no tannin pucker. Unbelievably light bodied - hovered in the mouth. Will be drinking this again this summer. 
• Had a bottle of Slovenian wine at Thelma Carrol. Chatted with other folks at the bar. Geryl behind the bar wore a kilt. Incredible scotch and whiskey selection.
• Tour at Great Lakes Distillery. Highlight was citrus honey vodka (flavored during distillation, not sweetened). Would be great as a highball.
• Amazing chef's tasting menu at Birch. They didn't have a vegetarian version listed, but chefs happily accommodated Logan. Lake fish, sunchokes, and beets aplenty. Logan swapped old jokes with chef Matt.
• Finally ended the night late at Shaker's Cigar Bar. Not a cigar lounge at all. A house bar filled with New Orleans appointments, jazz music, and smoke.

Milwaukee is smaller than Indianapolis. But the lake front has let the city grow dense. Somehow, they can support multiple lively bars on every block. I love that in residential areas, house bars are zoned in so that you can have your neighborhood corner pub.