HIDDEN GEMS

Neighborhood insider’s pick their favorite local hangs.

“My favorite gem is Valentine Coffee Roasters! I am always greeted with a smile and the service is outstanding. But that’s not all. They happen to have an exquisite bagel. The Bagel and Lox has me firmly in its clutches. I went there searching for matcha and I found gold.”

EVAN CHRISTIAN, GIBRALTAR

“My favorite hidden gem is not all that hidden! I love walking my dog on Broadway in the morning before sunrise. It’s a great time to window shop with all the stores lit up, yet very peaceful while the city is still asleep. We then loop around and head towards the Hoan Bridge and see the sunrise by the lighthouse and Lakeshore State Park. It’s a perfect way to start the day!”

CAROL GRGIC, ELITE BODYWORKS

“We love the hospitality industry and often joke that, ‘we work in it, so we can enjoy it.’ My go-to meal is the fish dinner at St. Paul Fish Company. Get the Blackened Grouper with Beurre Blanc. And with so many places to grab a drink, it’s the hospitality that makes all the difference to us. 2A Wine Merchants and The Copper Turtle Brewery & Taverne are both go-to’s for us. They deliver on service and their ambiance cannot be beat.”

JOHN LUDWIG, RILEY’S

Social House

“My favorite outing is a stroll down the Riverwalk to the new BizStarts Community Market, just over the river on 1st St. at Pittsburgh Avenue. This marketplace sells products from entrepreneurs who come from disadvantaged circumstances. It is a great place to get beautiful, unique items and sip imported Puerto Rican coffee while investing in our community. It’s a win-win-win!”

ANN HANNA, TAUREAU GROUP

“My favorite walk is — and ends at — a hidden gem! I walk Erie Street to the lighthouse, around Lakeshore State Park, Discovery World and in front of the Milwaukee Art Museum, then take Wisconsin Avenue to the Riverwalk and the Riverwalk to the new Grace Coffee Company. I will definitely need to be taking longer walks if I keep eating these croissants! Grace is a vibrant, beautiful space — my favorite shade of green, replete with blooming flowers — equally matched by an energetic staff. Add the most delicious chocolate almond croissant and a latte, and Grace is perfectly positioned at the tail end of my favorite morning walk.”