Last month I wrote about a great pretzel I had at Cafe Centraal. Brian Miller -- of Miller Bakery, 1415 N. 5th St. -- saw that and brought over a box of pretzels for us to try.
What he brought over were pretzel-shaped revelations and the oohs and aahs from the bedazzled OnMilwaukee.com staffers said it all.
I'm no pretzel expert, but I sure like a good pretzel and like most of you, I'm almost always disappointed by the pretzels I get at sporting events and festivals, which are dense, heavy, often cold and almost always past their prime. And, usually, they're way over-salted.
Miller's pretzels are big, but light as air. They have a pillowy soft white interior encased in a darker crust that snaps almost like a Usinger's wiener.
Now that Miller -- who is also a co-owner of Jake's Deli -- has perfected its pretzel, Brian tells us the bakery is talking to a number of area taverns about making them available over the bar.
"We are testing them at our bakery and hope to start selling them in bars, convenience stores, etc. right after the New Year," he says. "No locations are definite."
Hopefully, by the start of 2009, you'll be able to belly up to what I'm quite certain is the best pretzel in town and, dare I say, the best pretzel I've ever tasted?
I've got two more here on my desk to take home tonight to the real pretzel aficionados in the family.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
