Milwaukee Specialty Food and Coffee

Glendale/Whitefish Bay: Good Deals: Sendik's

I know that some of you out there in WWW land are fellow bargain-hunters.  I've frequently mentioned getting two-for-one bakery at Alterra, Stone Creek and the like.  My latest craze is the reduced bakery at Sendik's in Whitefish Bay.  Almost every day--though I'm not sure at what time--it's put out on a table across the narrow aisle from the glass bakery case.  Last week, I got a bag o' bagels that was just fabulous.  I don't know where they get their bagels or if they're made in-house, but they're awesome (especially the blueberry-yum!).  Often, there are boatloads of it, ranging from the healthy (City Market power scones, pictured below) to the not-so-healthy donuts and such.

In addition to the reduced bakery, don't forget to check out the other reduced products put out along the center axis of the store, next to the cut produce table.  Yesterday, I actually ran up a $17+ tab (I usually buy less at a time) because they had 13 oz. bags of fancy apple-blueberry granola for $2.50 each.  I snapped up all of 'em--and some bananas to go along with it.

Mmm... Free Coffee Compost

Stone Creek Coffee Roasters introduced a coffee compost program at all of its stores last week. The basic concept? Baristas brew your drip coffee and/or pull your espresso shots and instead of dumping those used grounds into the trash they dump them into a bright green--get it?--garbage can. You can then take a bag of the growth-friendly stuff for your compost pile or for direct use in your garden. Sounds like someone's been using the squishy matter in their brainpan over there.

Beware though, kids--too much coffee on your tomatoes may result in an ungodly horror show akin to that of the notorious 1999 Tomacco Outbreak, causing humans and farm animals to become violently addicted. If that happens, and we all hope it doesn't, my suggestion to you is to calmly yet rapidly run for your lives!

Link

Ristretto: God in a Cup -- Cheap!

-No sacrilege intended, but I couldn't resist the headline.  I just purchased Michaele Weissman's God in a Cup on buy.com for $7.78 with a $10 Google checkout sign-up bonus. 

-I'm at Alterra Bayshore.  Earlier this afternoon, I had an espresso on Prospect that was not quite the God shot to which I've become accustomed.  I've just now enjoyed a cup of Organic Guatemala Azobagri, and am quite convinced this coffee figures prominently into their espresso blend.  I'm going to do some searching for the God shot at home in the near future.

Downtown Dining Week Kicks Off Tomorrow

Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21's annual Downtown Dining Week begins tomorrow, May 29, and runs through June 5. Thirty restaurants are participating this year and diners choose from a special three-course menu in order to cash in on the $10 per lunch and $20 per dinner deal.

Beverages, tax and gratuity aren't included, so ya may wanna go easy on the booze if your aim is to keep this a truly cost savings experience--though the eateries are no doubt counting on your inevitable weakness for liquor to make it worth their while, so, hey, go ahead and drink up!

Now get out there and enjoy this rare opportunity for fine eats at a fair price, but remember, kids, just 'cause you're gettin' the food on the cheap doesn't mean you should be a cheapskate--please tip your server accordingly.

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Free Samples at Caribou Coffee

So the folks at Caribou Coffee won a gold award for their Ethiopian Organic Yirgacheffe at the 2008 Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Conference, and guess what? They wanna celebrate with you by giving out free samples.

Get your own sample of their Yirgacheffe today, tomorrow or Wednesday--I suggest you show up all three days to get your celebratory fill--and let us know your good, bad or ugly impressions.

NOTE FROM MIKE: I went to the Glendale store tonight (5/19) and was told that the giveaway had taken place "all last week".  This contradicts the information in the article linked to below, which Mary reproduced accurately.  Moral of the story: call ahead, as they don't ordinarily brew the Ethiopian good stuff, so you can't even buy a cup--the best you can do is take home beans.

Link (via Coffee Talk)

You Want to Ride Your Bicycle, You Want to Ride Your Bike--Straight to Alterra

In honor of Bike to Work Week, the Alterra Foundry in Milwaukee's 5th Ward is handing out free coffee and bakery goodies to cyclists through Friday, May 16.

This is your chance to put the pounds you've burned right back on--it'll be like they never left. Let's ride bikes!

Link

Good Deal: USA Family Thrift

Dropping some donations off at USA Family Thrift tonight, I found a jacket from The North Face for $14.99.  I'm not exactly a fashion maven, but that seemed like a Good Deal, and from a cursory glance at the prices on their website, it looks like indeed it was.

Good Deal: W. Good Hope Rd. Home Depot Closing

The Home Depot store on 74th & Good Hope is closing, according to this article.  Today was the first day of the liquidation sale.  Given the vast array of merchandise the chain sells, the possible deals are almost limitless.  Personally, I'll be looking for an electric hot water kettle for coffee cupping.

UPDATE: I stopped there today (Sunday) and was shocked, as I hadn't been to the 76th & Good Hope area for probably a decade.  N. 76th Street is under construction from Mequon south through the intersection, and W. Good Hope Rd. is likewise torn up.  The entire Northwest Side gives the impression of a Mad Max-style blightscape.  The N. 76th Street Menards has since closed also. 

Strangely, the Home Depot replaced a KMart/Chuck E. Cheese combination.  The Chuck E. Cheese had been a Showbiz Pizza, which is where I celebrated my birthdays and other festive occasions circa 1983.