Naked Hobo

When I am in the mood for corned beef, and when I have the time (that is important because technically I am almost always in the mood for corned beef) I head to one place, McBob’s. Not only is it the best corned beef sandwich, not too mention their equally yummy ruebens, but it is big enough for any appetite. If not, then you can double the meat for a truly gargantuan sandwich experience. The corned beef is trimmed of the excess fat and very lean and it is piled high on bread and given a dash of horseradish mustard. The rueben adds melted cheese and sauerkraut (the best thing to come out of Germany ever, at least foodwise).

If corned beef isn’t your thing, aside from being odd, you can enjoy other great bar food. The best is the Celtic Taco on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Satrudays, and Sundays. It is big too, trust me, if you leave McBob’s hungry then you didn’t order any food, Wash everything down with a nice cold pint of Guinness and what more could you ask for.

The crowd is a great mix and I love locales that have a good sampling of folks. The staff is great too, and I’m saying just saying that because my wife knows some of them. It can get busy at times, so if you want food to go, I would recommend calling ahead. For a small hole in the wall type joint that isn’t really all the conveniently located it seems to do just fine, which when you have great food and good service the people will come back.

So, go gorge yourself on the finest corned beef Milwaukee has to offer. Maybe I’ll see you there next time I get a hankerin’.

McBob’s
4919 West North Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53208
Phone: (414) 871-5050

Also on the web!

I love Italian food. And I don’t just mean pizza. Of course I tend to go for the simple staples of life, spaghetti and meatballs. At Mama Mia’s I can get a tasty order of this dish, with some of the best meatballs around, and always leave both full, and with a hefty doggie bag. Not only do you get a plate piled high with spaghetti and two big, juicy meatballs, but you also get a bowl of tasty minestrone soup, a simple, but huge, salad, and the biggest piece of garlic bread on the planet. It is basically a brick of bread, and the butter just drips off it.

My wife is a fan of the eggplant parmesan and I can attest that even I like it, though in general I avoid eggplant. I can also attest to the greatness of their pizza, and oh how I wish they would deliver. A wonderful thin crust concoction that is making me drool even as I type this. I rank it third in my favorite pizzas of Milwaukee, I will get into numbers 1 and 2 at a later time (hint hint, Zaffiro’s and Lisa’s).

Of course if you don’t want standard Italian dishes, go on a Friday and have their delicious fish fry. Made with a sublime conrflake batter it is one of my favorites, again number 3 for me, but with the number of fish fries in Milwaukee that is a darn good ranking. And, they have potato pancakes, which any truly great fish fry in Milwaukee should have.

So, if you want a hearty size helping of good Italian food, and the cost isn’t too high, about 10-12 dollars per person for the full dinner, head on over to one of the locatiions of Mama Mia’s. I personally prefer the location on Silver Spring, both becuase of it’s proximity to me, sentimental reasons, and I think they have the best food the local chain.

Mama Mia’s on Greenfield
8533 W Greenfield Ave, Milwaukee, WI
(414) 475-0400

Mama Mia’s
800 Clinton St, Waukesha, WI
(262) 547-6504

Mama Mia’s
200 W Summit Ave, Wales, WI
(262) 968-2255

Mama Mia’s
200 W Summit Ave, Wales, WI
(262) 968-2255

Mama Mia’s on Blue Mound
18880 W Bluemound Rd, Brookfield, WI
(262) 789-0277

Mama Mia Italian Cuisine
800 Clinton St, Waukesha, WI
(262) 547-6503

Mama Mia-Barbiere’s
2615 W Silver Spring Dr, Milwaukee, WI
(414) 463-6262

Looking for some good greasy food to tide you over, or maybe you seek afterbar food. Well, look no further my friend for you have found your niche. Cheap and tasty eats from a quick and friendly staff is what waits for you here anytime between 11am and 3am, any day of the week.

I personally go there for my hot dog fix, at a $1.75 for a jumbo dog you can’t beat it. The Jalepeno Poppers are a nice treat too. Of course they have Gyros, and they are about as big as your head too. I never had a gyro before I went here, and I have to say I am impressed. It really is such a simple sandwich, and yet it tastes so darn good. There are other delicious eats on the menu, Athenian Chicken, burgers, brats, fries and an incredible (not too mention gargantuan) Greek Salad. My wife is a huge fan of their Spinach Pie too.

I go here quite often now that I live only 3 blocks away, which is great for my taste buds, but kinda sad for my dieting attempts. Plus with their long hours you can almost always be assured that they will be welcoming you with hot food whenever you want.

So, whether you just want a snack, or need to fill up with something to take the edge off of a long night of whiskey and beer, belly up and fill your food hole.

1810 E. NORTH AVE.
MILWAUKEE
414) 347-1920
MON – SUN 11 – 3 AM

or visit them here on the web

Okay, I am not of Mexican ancestry, the only places I have been in Mexico are of the touristy variety, and I am by no means an authority on authentic Mexican cuisine. But, if I am in the mood for Mexican food, and by that I mean mood in a whatever it is to you American way, I go to one place and one place only.

Sure there are “fancier” places one can go to, but I will pit Conejitos beef tacos and their awesomely perfect sauce against any place in the city, nay, the entire Midwest. Besides, where else can one go and get great food for about 4 or 5 bucks and leave feeling happy and satisfied. My normal meal usually consists of 4 beef steak tacos with a side of rice and beans, you got to have rice and beans and you have to mix them together. Other greats are the lunch plate, a tasty selection of aforementioned rice and beans, plus some shopped meat and a side of tortillas. And, I will say this once, always get a bowl of ships and salsa. In truth I have not had anything on the menu that I didn’t like. Now, if you are worried about your waistline, this may not be the place for you. The food is great, which ultimately means that it is not very healthy in the most general of terms. Spoil yourself once in a while.

This is also another fine place with a friendly staff. I am always greeted when I walk in and they always say goodbye and thank you when you leave. All you restaraunt owners and wanna-be owners out there listen to that. Those are two of the most important things you can do to show a customer that they are not only welcome but that you appreciate their business. Make good food too, that will help a lot as well.

One other thing I love about this place is that it is kinda one of those everyman locales. You will see people of all ethnic backgrounds and anyone from lawyers and doctors to construction workers and janitors. And everyone is enjoying good food together. Now, if you will excuse me I am going to go drool in expectation of my next visit to the lovliest hole in the wall Mexican joint in the world.

Oh yeah, and drink some tequilla when you are there too!!

Conejitos Place
(414) 278-9106
539 W Virginia St
Milwaukee, WI 53204

Not all good food out there comes from restaurants. Sometimes you can buy it at stores and take it home for later consumption purposes. While it is a bit of a drive for me, my favorite such place is Brennans. They have the absolute best produce of anywhere around. Not only is it sweet and fresh, they have samples of almost everything. You can taste which pears are the best, which plums the sweetest, which cherries the most tart. You can have an entire meal while browsing the produce section. But remember to save room.

Once past the produce paradise is the rest of the store. They have a fine wine department with a very knowledgeable staff. Beer more your style, they have a greta selection of micro-brews too. Plus you can mix and match your own six packs. And, if you are looking for something more Wisconsin than beer, look no further than the glorious cheese section. Piles and piles of dairy goodness, with many more delictable samples to be had. I am quite partial to both the Amish Swiss and the Aged Cheddars.

Now that you got your lactose on, check out the meat department and get yourself some yummy landjager. Don’t know what landjager is? Go find out. I will give you a hint, it is meat based and that should be enough for you to want it. They also have some fine sauages that are begging to come home and enjoy a fireside lounge on your grill.

Pickles. You can get them here to. This is just one big country store and it has all you really need. Pickled everything, cucumbers, cabbage, carrots. It’s all good.

The worst thing about this place is that there is so much good stuff and only so much money in your wallet. Check it out, you will not be disappointed.

Brennans

This is for all the PETA members out there. Of course by PETA I mean People Eating Tasty Animals. If you want meat stacked upon meat with a nice sidedish of meat, then there is one place to go, provided you don’t mind dropping a few coppers for a fine meal. Sabor. Named for the Portuguese word for flavor, the meat at Sabor is prepared churrasco style, roasted on spits. Wonderful men patrol the dining floor with these spits and hand carve the meats at your table. It is easy to get their attention too. At the beginning of the meal you are given a small disc, one side is orange and the other side green. When the orange side is up they leave you alone, but once they seen that flash of green they swarm down on your table ready to serve up tasty meats like the fabulous house steak, parmesan pork tenderloin, and top sirloin.

Now they do have some non-meat type foods. The salad bar is where you start and it offers quite a variety of edibles. You also get some sidedishes at the table too, beans, garlic mashed potatoes, and delictable fried bananas. However, once the meat starts it is hard to focus on anything else. Save some room though because you get dessert as well. They bring out a huge platter with several different deserts on it. Unlike most restaurants though yu don’t choose which one you want. They just leave the whole platter at your table. Bring your wallet though, it is a flat fee for lunch and dinner, running 28.50 and 44.50.

Sabor
777 N Water St
Milwaukee, WI 53202
414-431-3106

Sabor on the web