Southport Grocery » cafe

When We Head North……Milwaukee

lisa — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:50:22 +0000

I am from Milwaukee and with family and friends still there there are frequent trips north on I94. Food is a focus on all visits…not too surprising of a statement, now is it! What are my favorites, you ask? Here are 3 … more to come later.

Number One – Leon’s Custard

Custard…that cold dessert similar to ice-cream…is a popular year-round treat (yes, even in the dead of a Wisconsin winter). Milwaukee is sprinkled with custard stands all throughout the city, and everyone has their opinion as to which one is the best. Well I am here to tell you which one is the best…Leon’s Custard. I have been going there all my life.

I am a purist when it comes to my custard…a vanilla cone all the way! I believe that if you can do vanilla right the rest falls right into place. Leon’s vanilla custard has the perfect balance of butterfat and vanilla to give this rich dessert a clean, fresh taste. If I want to kick it up a notch I go for the strawberry sundae…it is to-die-for!!

Leon’s Frozen Custard (3131 South 27th Street) is a Milwaukee landmark, family owned and operated since 1942. Open all year long!!

Number 2 – Mama Mia’s

You can’t leave town before heading to Mama Mia’s for their pizza and garlic bread. Milwaukee pizza is thin crust…a crust that stays stiff when you pick up a piece…classic toppings…and just the right amount of sauce so as not to overpower those classic toppings. But then there is the garlic bread…

When you mention Mama Mia’s to anyone that has been there their first response is … ‘oh, the garlic bread’. A 6 inch long 2 inch high piece fresh crusty bread dipped in melted butter, sprinkled with garlic salt and baked to add a bit more crispiness. So, so good. Not garlicky enough for you? No worries…there is extra garlic salt at the table.

There are two locations; 8533 West Greenfield Avenue and 18880 West Bluemound Road

Number 3 – Cafe at the Plaza

Need a made-from-scratch breakfast or lunch in downtown Milwaukee? Cafe at the Plaza is your answer. The hidden cafe is in the lobby of The Plaza Hotel & Apartments (1007 North Cass Street)…yes, a charming 1920′s style hotel to boot! Many an artist & actor stays at The Plaza.

The cafe offers a classic Amercian breakfast and lunch menu, and just like Southport Grocery…breakfast is served all day long…so sleep in! Homey food (I had the Plaza Pleaser last …scrambled eggs, bacon and buttermilk pancakes) in a great atmoshphere….great food in a charming place.

I will share more of my Milwaukee favorites later…would love to hear yours too!

Rishi Tea, the meticulously brood over tea

jake — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:30:13 +0000

In the current landscape of tea there are a near infinite number of choices out there. We have scoured and found some of the finest tea we’ve had – Rishi Tea. Luckily they weren’t far and were based less than 100 miles away in Milwaukee – Lisa Santos’, the owner of Southport Grocery, hometown. From green to black to herbal and beyond, there is a tea for any palette.

Like a cup of tea you had with in the cafe? We carry all of the tea from the cafe on the shelf – and some that aren’t. One of our favorites is the Organic Jasmine Pearl tea (pictured left) – it’s light and has a smooth earthiness unlike many over-bearing green teas; an ideal soft pick-me-up tea for those long winter days that never seem to end.

Joshua Kaiser, founder of Rishi Tea, wanted to bring what had flourished in wine for years to tea - exceptional, hand picked, organic, and made with the best possible leaves. The midwest based Rishi Tea has grown, but their quality hasn’t been compromised – still visiting the tea fields and hand selecting just the right ingredients.

One of the greatest things about tea is sharing, and we want to share with you some of the best tea out there.

Toddler Tuesday

lisa — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:08:22 +0000

We tried Mother-In-Law Monday and Wierd Old Uncle Wednesday. And our attempt at Teen-Age Thursday left too much angst hanging in the air.

Grease the wheels on your strollers and pack up some Pampers because this Tuesday, June 16th, we’ll be holding our first ever Toddler Tuesday right here at Southport Grocery & Cafe.

From 7-11am and 2-4pm all toddlers under the age of 6 eat for free. There can only be two toddlers per adult, but the toddlers can order anything off our Kids Menu and can color our tableclothes with crayons to their little hearts’ content.

By the way, did you know that we always cut the crusts off our PB&Js and Grilled Cheese?

It’s not that we’re trying to outdo mom, we’re just trying to give mom a break…so in a way it’s kinda Mom Tuesdays Too!