Flipville USA

Flipville was a crowded dusty memorabilia store in a crooked little building on Farwell Avenue in Milwaukee. The proprietor wasn’t very talkative (at least with us) and his inventory was a little worse for the wear. Visiting Flipville was like an absorbing afternoon in Grandpa’s attic.

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Pizza Pie in the Sky

Calderone Club

Why is a calorie-counting girl like me fascinated with pizza?

For one, the pizza pie potentially contains all four food groups. Plus, I spent a few years slinging pizza on silver cake platters at tiny Italian restaurant called Villa Rosa.

I became a connoisseur.

Villa used to have a pizza called [...]

Looking for The Safe House

The entrance to the The Safe House (779 N. Front St.) is crowded with people who will not know the password. We circle the block to give the folks a chance to perform the antics that will be required of them to get in. (The password:  swordfish)

Ten minutes later, we’re back and [...]

Greasing the Wheels at the Michigan Diner

"Work has been kinda slow since cartoons went to color. Boop-boop-be-doop"

Hungry for a greasy breakfast, we take the concierge’s recommendation and taxi to the Michigan Diner (220 E Michigan St). The menu is ordinary:  eggs; eggs and toast; eggs, toast and a side of bacon, sausage, hash browns or American fries.

What’s [...]

All That Watermelon and Jazz

Watermelon Martini at Aloft's Wxyz Bar

Back at the hotel, we sit at the sunken Wxyz bar. Clever name, right? Just wait, The Aloft has more cleverness in store.

The bar’s surface is embedded with confetti-shaped lights that change from orange to pink to green and back. The large-breasted bartender struggles to cut [...]