The Milwaukee Suburbs

Holy Hill

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Attraction | "Classic Fall Drive Pilgrimage"

Holy Hill Photo - Holy Hill, Hubertus, Wisconsin

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Holy Hill is an area located roughly 30 minutes north of the Milwaukee in an area known as the Kettle Moraine. Created by glaciers thousands of years ago, the "kettles" are pockets where once the frozen ice melted creating lakes and in some cases dry "holes" in the land. The rolling hills of the Kettle Moraine are especially beautiful in the fall.It is known as Holy Hill in part because the Native American Indians believe the lands were sacred. While the US Government had the land for a period in the mid 1800's, it has primarily served as a religious center for nearly 200 years. Today the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians at Holy Hill stands 1,300 feet above s...Read More

Holy Hill is an area located roughly 30 minutes north of the Milwaukee in an area known as the Kettle Moraine. Created by glaciers thousands of years ago, the "kettles" are pockets where once the frozen ice melted creating lakes and in some cases dry "holes" in the land. The rolling hills of the Kettle Moraine are especially beautiful in the fall.

It is known as Holy Hill in part because the Native American Indians believe the lands were sacred. While the US Government had the land for a period in the mid 1800's, it has primarily served as a religious center for nearly 200 years. Today the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians at Holy Hill stands 1,300 feet above sea level overlooking the vast countryside.

The grounds are open to visitors throughout the year and are an especially busy place in the fall when folks from around the Midwest come to the kettle moraine area of Wisconsin to travel along the Wisconsin Heritage Trail. While visiting, guests can climb the 178 stairs to the top of the open spire to see out as far as the downtown skyline of Milwaukee. There are also several nice shaded picnic areas both on the front (main) side parking area and the lower level lot at the foot of Holy Hill. Many families were here enjoying the warm fall day; clear skies and air temps in the mid 70's.

Back up at the main sanctuary, visitors also have the opportunity to shop in the gift shop or grab a bite to eat at the Monastery Cafe. Burgers, brats, chips and fresh baked goods were available for those who didn’t pack a picnic basket.

The church was built in 1926 and maintains a very extensive calendar of masses, confessions and prayer retreats. With an extensive restoration completed in 2006, the inside of the church reminds me of the many I've seen in Germany. It was in 2006 that the basilica celebrated its centennial with placement in the National Registry of Historical Places and being dedicated as a minor basilica (just one of fewer than 60 in all of the USA).

More information including hours of worship and times open to the public and a very detailed historical overview may be found on their website: www.holyhill.com.
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Member Rating 3 out of 5 on October 10, 2010

Holy Hill
1525 Carmel Road
Hubertus, Wisconsin
(262) 670-8820

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Le Reve Patisserie & Cafe

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Nice French Dining for Lunch"

Le Reve Cafe Photo - Le Reve Patisserie & Cafe, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

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Maybe even more impressive is that this place was already in the IgoUgo data base! Naww . . . not really as it was in fact, very good.We had the occasion of an office baby shower luncheon and someone suggested this little place in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa . . . aka "Tosa". It was actually very good, with the perfect ambience for such an event.Tosa is filled with quaint little shops and restaurants in the downtown area, but Le Reve is tucked away on one of the side streets that unless you know it's there, you wouldn't be driving down the one-way street that feels a bit like a side street access alley. As you enter, the first thing you will notice is the lovely pastry...Read More

Maybe even more impressive is that this place was already in the IgoUgo data base! Naww . . . not really as it was in fact, very good.

We had the occasion of an office baby shower luncheon and someone suggested this little place in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa . . . aka "Tosa". It was actually very good, with the perfect ambience for such an event.

Tosa is filled with quaint little shops and restaurants in the downtown area, but Le Reve is tucked away on one of the side streets that unless you know it's there, you wouldn't be driving down the one-way street that feels a bit like a side street access alley. As you enter, the first thing you will notice is the lovely pastry, bread and dessert case. OK . . . maybe it was just me as that was the first thing *I* noticed. Some of the others noted the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

There is a small seating area on the ground floor level, but our group of eight had reservations for the larger and more open area on the second floor. With a 2:00pm reservation, the place was just starting to empty out as it would appear they have a decent lunch business during the week. Hard to say what happens in a small main street village cafe like this on a Saturday, but for a Thursday afternoon, it was perfect!

The cuisine is French with a decent assortment of salads, soups, sandwiches and crepes . . . and desserts! With eight in our group, we had a very large sampling of everything offered and from all reports, not a disappointed person in the group.

For my lunch selection, I had the Croque-Madame, a toasted French ham & cheese sandwich on a country white bread. I opted for the pommes frites (LOL french fries!) rather than a small green salad as my side dish. I am still laughing that they don't call them "french fries" in a French cafe. When the sandwich came out, it looked a lot like an open faced grilled cheese sandwich, loaded with ham in the middle. It was very good, although at one point I had to stop knowing there was still dessert to be had.

Ordinarily we would have ordered and brought in a baby shower cake, probably ordered from the likes of Sam's Club's bakery. I can now see why those organizing this shindig opted to skip the "a little better than average" cake from Sam's. OMG were there choices to be viewed and considered. Our group enjoys sharing, so we all ordered something different and then passed the dishes around.

I ordered the Raspberry Dome which was raspberry and chocolate mousse on a layer of pistachio cake, all "domed" in a hardshell chocolate shell. It was heavenly. I also enjoyed the sampling of the assortment of items that are baked fresh and vary daily. Sorry, the only photo I have to post is the one of the dessert I ordered and that was placed in front of me.

All in all, it was a lovely way to spend the afternoon over a wonderful meal. The total bill for eight came to $230 including tax & gratuity. Considering the high quality and amount of food and (non-alcoholic) beverages consumed, I felt there was very good value at Le Reve.

For more detailed information, include menus and hours, check them out at http://lerevecafe.com/ .
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 11, 2010

Le Reve Patisserie & Cafe
7610 Harwood Avenue
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin 53213
(414) 778-3333

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The Melting Pot

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Enjoyed the Meal - Paying for the Novelty of "Fondue""

Melting Pot Dinner Photo - The Melting Pot, Brookfield, Wisconsin

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Having had my first Melting Pot experience back in December in San Diego with my sister, I wanted to take David out some night to share in the yummy fondue dining experience. With my "Fondue Club" coupon good for a free chocolate fondue for two, we headed to the local Melting Pot located in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield.A bit about Brookfield should be shared as it is not really one of our favorite communities in the Milwaukee Area. Located in the next county west of Milwaukee County, they fancy themselves as a bit of a high class alternative to other areas of Waukesha County. Don't get me wrong, Brookfield is nice (their city council makes sure of that through their zoning regs), ...Read More

Having had my first Melting Pot experience back in December in San Diego with my sister, I wanted to take David out some night to share in the yummy fondue dining experience. With my "Fondue Club" coupon good for a free chocolate fondue for two, we headed to the local Melting Pot located in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield.

A bit about Brookfield should be shared as it is not really one of our favorite communities in the Milwaukee Area. Located in the next county west of Milwaukee County, they fancy themselves as a bit of a high class alternative to other areas of Waukesha County. Don't get me wrong, Brookfield is nice (their city council makes sure of that through their zoning regs), I just think they take themselves just a tab bit too seriously. Our dining experience at this particular Melting Pot sorta felt that same way.

A couple of weekends ago we were going to dine here. Expecting to arrive at 6:00pm on a Saturday night and no having to deal with much of a wait; we were very disappointed to be told the earliest they could get us in would be 7:45pm. I personally cannot imagine nearly a two hour wait . . . so we moved on that night.

For this experience, I was prepared with a reservation immediately after work and at the time they opened for the evening. Fortunately, we were immediately seated. In fact, when we left at 6:30p, there were only three of four other dining parties in the restaurant. I guess weekend dining is expected to be busier than a midweek (Tuesday) night out.

Our server's name was Krista and she was friendly enough, but not overly so. She stopped by throughout our meal to check in on us. She even brought soft drink refills without being asked. So five stars to Krista for the attentive service.

Because I had the fondue club certificate we were going to have to order their four course meal (cheese fondue, salad, entrees and the chocolate dessert fondue). There was really no way that we were going to be able to eat that much food, so the certificate was not an option for this visit. Instead, I choose to use the $10 coupon given to me after my San Diego experience.

For dinner David ordered the French Quarter, that featured cajun spiced chicken, steak, shrimp and sausage and I have the land & sea (chicken, steak and shrimp). The entrees came with a salad (caesars for him . . . California mixed for me). In terms of the fondue cooking pot, we opted for the Coq au Vin for an extra $5. The entrees were good, but for the $22 average price, you really don't get much in the way of meat. If I were to guess, probably 5-6 ounces total. They do provide a side bowl of accompaniments including red potatoes, mushrooms and broccoli which were also cooked in the fondue pot.

For dessert, we enjoyed the flaming turtle for two which was very good. For "dippers" the dish came with strawberries, banana slices, marshmallows, brownie squares, a wedge of cheesecake and pound cake.

Our total meal came to $75 including gratuity. Given the amount of food, this does seem to be a bit high and of poor value. If you want to take someone out to enjoy a leisurely paced meal or perhaps to impress; Melting Pot would be a good choice.
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Member Rating 3 out of 5 on February 10, 2011

The Melting Pot
19850 W. Bluemound Road
Brookfield, Wisconsin 53045
2627826358

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Silver Spring House

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Better Than Average Bar Food"

Silver Spring House Photo - Silver Spring House, Glendale, Wisconsin

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After spending some time at the Sprecher Brewery, an early dinner at Silver Spring House was in order while we were in the neighborhood. It had been years (maybe six or eight) since I had last been there. It was just as I remembered it; small, cozy and a bit on the dark side as in not much overhead lighting. While that might not sound all that good, it was really quite nice.Their menu features all that you would probably expect from appetizers to burgers and a great bar selection of beers. Thursday was apparently "turkey" special night as their featured dinner was "Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner" and the soup was turkey & rice. There was also a turkey sandwich offered. We however, op...Read More

After spending some time at the Sprecher Brewery, an early dinner at Silver Spring House was in order while we were in the neighborhood. It had been years (maybe six or eight) since I had last been there. It was just as I remembered it; small, cozy and a bit on the dark side as in not much overhead lighting. While that might not sound all that good, it was really quite nice.

Their menu features all that you would probably expect from appetizers to burgers and a great bar selection of beers. Thursday was apparently "turkey" special night as their featured dinner was "Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner" and the soup was turkey & rice. There was also a turkey sandwich offered. We however, opted for the Reuben (David) and tenderloin steak (me). Both were outstanding and prepared perfectly. I was surprised at how much meat was piled on his wonderful marble rye. My steak was supposed to be five ounces but seemed larger as it covered the big kaiser roll.

In addition to what we selected, diners also have the option for fish (cod), burgers, ham, bbq pork and cashew chicken. All sandwiches come with your choice of fries, onion rings, cole slaw or homemade kettle chips. He had the fries (not hot and a bit soggy) and I went with the onion rings (perfect).

I must admit, I wished that I had enough room for what looked to be a wonderful selection of desserts including key lime pie, fudge brownie ala mode, and home-style apple pie.

For those who are in the area and interested in a fish fry, I'm told they have one of the best. I recall years ago enjoying their Friday fish fry, but cannot vouch for them today. I'm guessing based on the quality of our food on this visit, they are probably still pretty good.

All in all, we enjoyed dinner at the Silver Spring House. The service was prompt and attentive; and dinner was quick and good. The value for our meal was also decent ($33 for dinner, a soda, one beer and tip). I'm sure we will stop in here again, since it's not really that far from where we live now that we're northsiders.
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Member Rating 3 out of 5 on November 4, 2010

Silver Spring House
6655 North Green Bay Avenue
Glendale, Wisconsin 53209
(414) 352-3920

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Sprecher Brewing Company Inc.

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Milwaukee's First Microbrewery"

Sprecher Brewery Photo - Sprecher Brewing Company Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Randy Sprecher brought his love for German beers home to Milwaukee and in 1985 started Sprecher Brewing Company. To be honest, they are better known in these parts for their nationally acclaimed root beer but they also have a great line up of adult beverages and other sodas.The brewery is a small and very unassuming building located in the middle of a middle class neighborhood on the north side of the city in the Village of Glendale. The brick building is gorgeous, with parking on either side as well as street parking. You enter through their large gift shop area where you can buy tee-shirts, hoodies, caps and other apparel as well as beverages by the singles, 4 pack or case (24 bottles...Read More

Randy Sprecher brought his love for German beers home to Milwaukee and in 1985 started Sprecher Brewing Company. To be honest, they are better known in these parts for their nationally acclaimed root beer but they also have a great line up of adult beverages and other sodas.

The brewery is a small and very unassuming building located in the middle of a middle class neighborhood on the north side of the city in the Village of Glendale. The brick building is gorgeous, with parking on either side as well as street parking. You enter through their large gift shop area where you can buy tee-shirts, hoodies, caps and other apparel as well as beverages by the singles, 4 pack or case (24 bottles).

Tours are offered on a very limited and on a "by reservation" basis. Generally there are tours daily at 4:00pm with some afternoons including a 3:00pm. On the weekends, guests can take in a "beer & cheese" pairing event that includes the tour and sampling. (Check out their website to see what is offered on the day you're interested in visiting them: www.sprecherbrewery.com .)

Our tour actually started with a sample which we were encouraged to bring along out in the brew house area. The first stop was where the fermentation process starts, with an explanation of mixture involved in making beer: yeast, water, hops and grain. We were not able to go into the "clean room" area where the large stainless steel drums contained the yummy liquid that would soon be bottled as yummy beverages.

It was interesting to see the bottling area even though it has stopped for the evening. They have one bottling line, with the majority of time spent with root beer as they sell more of that beverage than all of the others (beer and sodas) combined.

After the bottling area, we were invited back to the beer garden area to sample additional choices. At the time that guests pay for the tour ($5) they receive a row of tickets good for four adult beverage samples . . . soda samples are unlimited.

I was surprised at the number of choices they had. For me, I did try their cherry cola before the tour, and a couple of beers afterwards including the Generation Porter and Hefe Weiss. David went for the hardcore stuff including Black Bavarian, Dobble Bock and Irish Ale which he liked the best. Overall, I think I counted around 20 beer options and eight sodas. After you're done with your sampling(s), you get to keep your Sprecher Brewery etched glass.

They were getting ready for an evening event being held in their bar area, complete with hard alcohol and food. If you're interested in hosting a small intimate party (probably 100 people or less) this would be a nice location to share some good times and beverages with friends or co-workers.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 4, 2010

Sprecher Brewing Company Inc.
701 W Glendale Ave.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53209
(414) 964-7837

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