None of us is really sure why, but we've all been hungry this week in the OnMilwaukee.com editorial office. We must be, considering most of our recommendations this week revolve around tickling the tongue and pleasing the taste buds.
Conejito's white meat chicken mole -- For about $5, Conejito's chicken mole is one of the best dinner deals in town. The mole sauce is thick and rich and the sides of beans and rice make this meal a stuff-yourself-silly or a take-home-for-tomorrow's-lunch. I recommend getting it solely with white meat because, well, it's healthier, but also because with the zesty, chocolately mole sauce, you really don't need the dark meat's added richness. -- Molly Snyder Edler
Pita bread from Attari Supermarket -- I've long been disgruntled with my pita bread choices at large grocery stores in Milwaukee, like Pick 'n Save. No matter how many brands they bring in, they are all slight variations on the same thin, flimsy and easily breakable pockets. I personally need a bread with substance. A couple years ago I discovered the jackpot. Attari Supermarket, 3042 S. 13th St., makes them fresh daily in-house and the smell permerates the small store out onto the street. Owner Reziq Attari prices a packet of 10 (maybe 12?) for a mere $2.25 and if you pick them up from the shelf and bring them to the cash register, he will insist on going into the back and getting you an even fresher pack. We're talking, still warm in a steamy bag. Good luck getting home without nibbling on them in the car. -- Julie Lawrence
MaineLobsterDirect.com -- You can find great seafood in several places around the city -- Empire Fish, Sendik's, Grasch's and other places -- but it's cool to have some flown to your house directly from Maine. I tried the lobster tails on New Year's Eve and they were terrific. They cost about $25 to $45 apiece, depending on the size. Our order came with clam chowder, which I'm dying to try. -- Drew Olson
Food Should Taste Good snacks -- I'm always up for finding a new tasty chip or cracker and Food Should Taste Good sports a whole line of them. On sale at Outpost, Whole Foods or Jewel-Osco in the area, Food Should Taste Good makes a line of chips and crackers in flavors from chocolate or cinnamon to lime, sweet potato or jalapeno. They're healthy, hearty and delicious. The company was founded in 2006 but I had them, served as a side, for the first time at Fiddlehead Cafe in Cedarburg earlier this week. Take a trip to the Web site at foodshouldtastegood.com and you can save a dollar off your first bag. It most certainly won't be your last. -- Maureen Post
Gloroiso's arancini (Italian rice balls) -- Rice, eggs, a bit of cheese, sausage and more all wrapped into a broiled ball. Good, good stuff. Made in two varieties, with and without meat, the arancini at Glorioso Bros. Co., the grocery store at 1020 E. Brady St., is fantastic. In fact, most every thing here is. For more than 60 years, Glorioso's has anchored Brady Street and there's no better time than now to stop in for its deli and other specialty items. We did hot ham and rolls last Sunday, too. Delicious. Call (414) 272-0540. -- Jeff Sherman
The music of Teddy Pendergrass -- Especially in his days fronting the great Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Teddy Pendergrass lent his silky smooth voice (and, often, a social conscience) to a slew of Gamble and Huff's Philly productions. Later, going solo, he made smoky late night classics like "Close the Door." But his career was stymied by a 1982 accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Still, Pendergrass kept singing and raising money to benefit spinal injury research. Last year, Pendergrass -- a Philadelphia native -- battled colon cancer and he died Wednesday at 59. His great music, however, lives on. -- Bobby Tanzilo
Usinger's Garlic & Onion Brats -- Just because it's cold outside doesn't mean you can't fire up the grill. And, why not? Maybe a summer ritual will help get your mind off the winter doldrums. Throwing some of these delicious brats on the fire will be an absolute treat for your taste buds, a little change of pace from the usual bratwurst flavor. Pick some up at the Usinger's Factory Store, 1030 N. Old World 3rd St. -- Andrew Wagner
