Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Milwaukee: Retique, Indulgence, Sorella, Jerry Seinfeld, Bryant's // Boxing Day

Dress: The Marais Printed Chiffon Maxi Dress by Anthropologie via Nuuly 
Coat: Catherine Malandrino, thrifted
Tights: Snag
Shoes: Fluevog, Enneagram: Enthusiast 
Purse: Portland Leather via Poshmark
Earrings: Wendy Baker
Bracelet & Pins: Vintage
Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42
I love renting these Marais dresses in fun prints. I only own one though, because it's not something I'd reach for a lot after wearing it once. They're a super relaxed fit...this is a small & I really could get an XS, but it would still be oversized. Comfortable & I received many compliments...it really brightened up a winter day.  
This was my first time using this boysenberry Portland Leather Circle Crossbody purse I hunted down on Poshmark...I had my eye on it for a while, then they discontinued making it in this color. It's also my first small size rather than large...I like both of them. 
This dress had a white slip that often showed...which doesn't usually bother me when it's a better color.
There were so many tights/shoe combinations I could have gone with...but there was no doubt it had to be Fluevog. 
This bright yellow Big Bird coat is full of happiness...& I added some vintage Christmas pins for the month of December. That Christmas tree on the left was a gift from my grandma back in the early to mid-70s. 
I first wore this outfit to spend the day in Milwaukee with David. Our first stop is usually Retique (& Likewise Coffee)...where I try on *all* the clothes. 
The find of the day for me was this gold metallic oversize turtleneck sweater & skirt set from the 80s...I'm overjoyed they've stayed together all these years. The skirt is a small & the sweater is a medium, which accentuates the oversize-ness in a good way.
It was a rainy day in Milwaukee...so I had to wear Docs as to not ruin my Fluevogs. Stupid weather. We found David 2 really nice coats, as well as a bunch of other stuff. 
Then it was on to a new to us place, Indulgence Chocolate...where we did the chocolate & red wine pairing...which is such a fun idea. 
We also picked out some other truffles to nom on...they were good, but didn't compare to the chocolatiers we have here (Gail Ambrosius & Madison Chocolate Co. especially). We still had some time before dinner, so we hit up our favorite antique store. 
And took pictures of each other. David got both the shirt & pants when we were in Asheville. 
Our second time having dinner at Sorella...the first time was in September & we were able to sit outside on a lovely warm evening. They did have a large tent set up on their patio with a big fire pit burning on this night...but I'm not that brave. 
I made reservations too late to get a table in the dining room...so we sat at a table in the bar area, which I may have liked better because it was a smaller room. These Arancini Mortadella were amazing...I'd been dreaming about them since last time. Our first cocktails were...Autumn in Flight (GL brandy, aperol, muddled cranberry & orange, apple cider, Peychaud's bitters) &...
Autunno (Mt. Gay rum, Frangelico, Poppy amaro, St. George pear, saba, lemon, root beer bitters). We also shared...Gnocchi Genovese (potato gnocchi, short rib & onion ragu) with a side of crispy potatoes...&...
Chicken Parmigiana (crispy chicken breast, marinara, mozzarella), & our absolute favorite thing from the first time, Cavatelli with Monday Sauce (broken meatball, sausage & pork ragu, ricotta)...it's just SO good. And we were SO full. The dessert here wasn't that memorable last time, so we just shared an espresso martini. 
Then...on to the reason we were in Milwaukee...Jerry Seinfeld. The line to get in was ridiculously long, but luckily it had mostly stopped raining. Jerry was hilarious & his show was so tight...& nothing he said was risky or made him in danger of being cancelled. I'm not usually into that kind of comedy...but he made it work. 
Afterwards, we decided to check out Bryant's...which has been on my list for years. There was a pretty long wait to get in, but not for us because we were only 2 people & the rest of the groups were at least 4. One of the guys in line complimented David's shirt & I told him he should check out his pants...he replied, maybe I already did & now I'm embarrassed...which made me laugh...I'm always impressed when someone shoots back the perfect retort. Bryant's has been open since 1938...& was an absolute time capsule...swanky velvet & the most smooth sound system I'd ever heard. There was a main floor & an upstairs, which was where we ended up. They don't have a menu of drinks...they're known for just telling your server what you're in the mood for...something with rum, vanilla, & citrus...or a tiki drink or whatever...& magically a drink appears that fulfills your wish. David got a take on a Hurricane & my cocktail was a Bryant's traditional favorite, Candle Light (a fruity vodka drink that our waiter set on fire). 
For only a handful of days in December...the Tom & Jerry bar is open...you go into the back room to collect your drink...it was the best thing we had all evening. I then asked for an ice cream drink with kalualua, chocolate, & caramel...& then I lost track. Our drinks were taking a while, so our waiter brought us some holiday punch...which was way too sweet & boozy for us. This place was so charming...warm & inviting...I could hang out there for hours...& probably would have LOVED it back in the 90s...but craft cocktails have come so far...so these blasts from the past just weren't that appealing to us. I'm so happy we experienced it though. 
David came home with a great haul from Retique...including this vintage wool coat. 
Our finds from the antique store...a tissue holder for my office at work, a jewelry display mirror for my makeup/jewelry room, & bits & bobs to decorate myself. My Retique scores...mmmmm...velvet. 
The second time I wore this dress was on Boxing Day to shop for sale Old World ornaments & similar...we found SO many new ones...it really makes decorating the tree the following year so much fun since we only briefly see these, so they are exciting all over again. On this day we visited Little Luxuries, Sur le Table, Bruce Company, & Kleins. Then...home to have leftovers from Christmas Eve dinner...ribs that we made on the grill with the blueberry chipotle bbq sauce from 12 Bones in Asheville & baked apples...I also roasted us some romanesco broccoli. YUM. 

 

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