It's Madison Week at OnMilwaukee.com. We sent our editorial staff to check out bars, restaurants, retail outlets and cultural venues in order to uncover some of the best of Wisconsin's second-largest city.
Where it is: Located just south of the Williamson Street neighborhood and contained by East Washington Avenue and Lake Mendota, Atwood Avenue is the main retail thoroughfare.
Reasons to go: The Atwood Avenue or Schenks Corners neighborhood is an incredible cultural mix of young families, graduate students and older adults. Home to the Barrymore Theatre, the neighborhood has a great music scene that draws both local and national acts.
Located on the east end of the neighborhood, The Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3330 Atwood Ave., offer luscious outdoor gardens in the summer and a glass pyramid conservatory in the winter.
Reasons to eat there: Monty's Blue Plate Diner (American / vegetarian diner), 2089 Atwood Ave.; Tex Tubb's Taco Palace (Mexican), 2009 Atwood Ave.; Lao Laan Xang (Thai), 2098 Atwood Ave.; Dobhan (Nepalese and Tibetan), 2110 Atwood Ave.
Best coffee shop/café: Café Zoma, 2326 Atwood Ave.
Reasons to shop there: Jennifer Street Market, 2038 Jennifer St.; Revolution Cycles, 2330 Atwood Ave.; Absolutely Art, 2322 Atwood Ave.
Reasons to stop for drinks: Ideal Bar, 1968 Atwood Ave.; Harmony Bar, 2201 Atwood Ave.
Hidden gem: Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier, located at 2086 Atwood Ave., makes rich, delicious dark chocolates in all shapes, flavors and sizes in house by hand.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Maureen Post grew up in Wauwatosa. A lover of international and urban culture, Maureen received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
After living on the east side of Madison for several years, Maureen returned to Milwaukee in 2006.
After a brief stint of travel, Maureen joined OnMilwaukee.com as the city’s oldest intern and has been hooked ever since. Combining her three key infatuations, Milwaukee’s great music, incredible food and inspiring art (and yes, in that order), Maureen’s job just about fits her perfectly.
Residing in Bay View, Maureen vehemently believes the city can become fresh and new with a simple move across town.
