Shepherd Express - December 2025

To a Better Next Year

BY LOUIS FORTIS

Year 2025 was a tough one for those who love their country, despite some of its imperfections, who love democracy along with its imperfections, and who are in awe of our Constitution that weathered many a storm and survived for 250 years. We have seen a group of unqualified and unelected characters appointed to high positions in our current government who appear to act like thugs showing no respect for our country’s Constitution and laws.

They are trying to reverse many of the long-fought victories we have won, often trampling on our laws and the Constitution. They have undermined many of the laws providing greater social justice, racial justice and anti-gender discrimination. Instead of being outright racist and sexist, they repackaged it as DEI and then made it fair game for their cohorts to be vocally racist and sexist, just under a different name.

They have vilified the public servants working in the federal government and fired many of them without any cause. These individuals are not perfect, but they work to keep us healthy and safe. They are not doing it just for the money because many of them could be making more money working in the private sector. Instead, they want to use their skills and knowledge to improve the lives of us average citizens; unlike Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who appear to be only concerned about how much money they and their children can hustle from the U.S. government.

While literally half the population of the United States is struggling to pay the bills each month and to feed and house their families, this administration made permanent the huge tax cuts for the very wealthy and corporations that had been scheduled to sunset.

To pay for these tax breaks for the wealthy, the administration put the screws to our lower income citizens by cutting SNAP (food stamps) benefits, cutting Medicaid benefits, and cutting the subsidies to help pay the health insurance premiums for the Affordable Care Act; to name just some of the most egregious cuts.

While we are the richest country the world has ever seen, half our population is struggling while a small group of billionaires are paying a lower effective tax rate than the average working person. We can strengthen our social safety net and begin to lower our national debt if we institute a fair and just tax system. We have the wealth and the tax base.

THE SLEEPING GIANT IS WAKING UP

Americans are often less informed than citizens in other countries about what is going on in the world and what is really going on in our country when it comes to politics and public policy. That has gotten worse with the help of some news sources that just lie and distort the news. However, when the public eventually does realize what is happening—like with Nixon and Watergate—just get out of their way. Nixon was forced out of office and his Attorney General,John Mitchell, and other high-ranking appointees ended up in prison. And now the sleeping giant is beginning to wake up again.

The opening of the Epstein files is beginning to happen. This is “sensational news,” the scandals of the rich and famous, that get people paying attention. Yes, the Trump administration will continue to try to keep things under wraps, but Trump is getting pressured from his own MAGA crowd. MAGA leaders like Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green, formerly a big Trump supporter, is leading the charge for full disclosure.

Trump made the Epstein files a big issue in the 2024 election only to see them come back to bite him.

Trump’s tariffs and his attacks on immigrants, which are creating labor shortages, are beginning to drive price increases. Lowering prices has become the biggest issue in the minds of Americans. In the most recent poll looking at what are Americans’ top priorities, “Lowering Prices” tops the chart with 57% seeing it as their top priority. Trump’s anti-immigration policies are a distant second at 16%. His policies are having a direct impact on rising prices, and his poll numbers are dropping. Trump’s recent approval rating is between 37%-41%. He is losing support from those who view themselves as Independents, and that group will be hard to get back.

If you don’t put much stock in polling, then look at the November 4 election results. Democrats won every election in every state having elections that day and they were not close elections. Right now, with the generic question, “if the congressional races were held today what party would you vote for?” Democrats were up by 14 percentage points. That is huge. This would result in landslide victories. Fortunately for the Republicans, the election is still a year away.

Finally, the negative impact of Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill will soon be felt especially by low- and moderateincome Americans. That’s his MAGA base. For those of us who love our country and democracy, we need to get involved and vote next November to reverse these policies that are going to hurt our citizens.

Publisher Louis Fortis has a Ph.D. in economics and is a former Wisconsin State Legislator.

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HOW A MILWAUKEE CHAIN IS BRINGING PHARMACIES TO UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS

BY HOPE MOSES

In cities across the country, pharmacies have long served as more than just places to pick up prescriptions. They have been some of the most accessible touch points in the healthcare system—offering flu shots, health screenings and trusted advice steps from home.

But as national chains scale back operations, the role of independent pharmacies has grown more urgent. Since 2023, eight Walgreens locations have closed across Milwaukee, deepening pharmacy deserts and leaving many residents without nearby access to care.

In response, Hayat Pharmacy is expanding. Its newest location at 1238 S. Chavez Drive on the city’s South Side is part of a mission that Hayat’s president, Tamir Kaloti, said has guided the company from the beginning.

“This has been the mission of our pharmacy since day one,” said Kaloti. “Our mission has been to take care of underserved areas of our community.”

STRATEGIC LOCATIONS

That mission began in 2011, when founder Hashim Zaibak opened Hayat’s first location at the intersection of North 37th Street and West Wisconsin Avenue.

Over the years, the pharmacy has grown to 20 locations— each one strategically placed in neighborhoods where access to pharmacies is limited.

Despite this growth, pharmacy deserts in Milwaukee remain persistent. A University of Southern California study published in 2021 ranked the city among the worst in the country for pharmacy access, with closures disproportionately affecting predominantly Black and Latino communities.

“I have seen many people that have recently come—and even a few years ago—start coming to Hayat as their pharmacies on the North side started going,” said Mara Ahmad, a community care nurse supervisor at Hayat.

Illustration by GettyImages/Jenny On The Moon.

MAJOR CHAINS SCALE BACK

The Walgreens closures are part of a three-year initiative by the company to reduce costs amid financial challenges. Other corporations are also scaling back, including CVS which closed three locations in Milwaukee this year with plans to close 270 stores nationwide.

For residents like Dan Schley, the impact of these closures in the city further highlight Hayat’s commitment to the community.

“They’re very intentional about finding those parts of our community that need representation,” Schley said. “They’re taking care of us.”

Schley also shared that healthcare professionals at Hayat went above and beyond to make sure his medications were affordable—something he said larger corporations often don’t have the time or flexibility to do. And resident Tasha Brown echoed that sentiment.

Brown worked as a pharmacy technician at both Walgreens and Hayat and said her journey into healthcare began when she noticed recurring issues with prescription fulfillment at her Walgreens location. That experience sparked a deeper interest in medicine and helping others.

But it wasn’t until she joined Hayat in 2016 that she felt truly connected to the work. “We were family,” Brown said. “And with CVS and Walgreens shutting down, it’s just amazing that they are still able to stand as an independent pharmacy.”

SENSE OF CONNECTION

That sense of connection and community is exactly what pharmacies are meant to foster, said Maria Pino, Associate Professor at New York Institute and Technology and pharmacy expert. She emphasized that pharmacists are often the first line of contact in healthcare, especially for non-native English speakers to ask questions in their own language.

But when pharmacies shut down, she said it can have major consequences for patients living in that particular area. “If you get a lot of closures, sometimes patients are not mobile enough to go to other areas,” Pino said. “They have to take buses or commute and if that happens, patients are not going to seek out care and that is a problem.”

Without accessible pharmacies, Pino added that patients may miss critical guidance on how to take their medications, which can worsen chronic conditions and delay treatment.

That concern was central to Hayat’s newest location, which will offer free home delivery, along with simple medication packaging and walk-in vaccines. Additionally, the new location will have bilingual pharmacists and care teams, as well as Spanish-language materials. Patients will also have access to a durable medical equipment specialist who provides in-home visits.

For Kaloti, the moment feels deeply personal.

“I feel a sense of trust and responsibility to the people that look to us to take care of part of their healthcare needs,” he said. “We don’t take that responsibility lightly.”

As pharmacy closures continue to reshape Milwaukee’s healthcare landscape, Hayat Pharmacy has responded to the increase in foot traffic by hiring new staff and planning further expansion. A new location is already in the works near Farwell Avenue and Brady Street, Kaloti said.

As for the Cesar Chavez Drive location, the opening date is to be determined. “We tried to think first of what is needed in the community and then we try to find a way to make it sustainable,” Kaloti said.

Hope Moses is a Milwaukee native, graduating from Marquette University with a bachelor's degree in journalism. She also holds a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and is currently a reporting fellow at the Chicago Tribune.

The President Who Stole Christmas

BY E.G. NADEAU

Thanks to President Trump, most Americans and tens of millions of people in other countries are getting a lump of coal (and a splash of oil and a noxious whiff of methane gas) to celebrate the end of 2025. These are not the gifts we requested in our notes to Bad Santa, nor the gifts that Bad Santa promised us prior to his election in November 2024.

As part of my monthly series of articles on Trump’s corruption during his second term in office, this one chronicles some of the goodies that Trump has bestowed on himself and his wealthy supporters and the lumps of coal he has dumped on the rest of us since his inauguration on January 21, 2025.

Unlike most of my previous articles in this series, this one focuses primarily on Trump’s “institutional corruption” rather than his “financial corruption.”

When Trump was inaugurated in January 2025, part of the ceremony included the following oath of office: “I do solemnly swear . . . that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” On the many occasions Trump subverts rather than preserves, protects and defends the Constitution, he is committing “institutional corruption.”

CONQUEST, WAR, FAMINE AND DEATH

Since Trump illegally enabled Elon Musk to take a chainsaw to many federal programs, in particular those related to foreign aid, the results have had truly horrific consequences for the world’s poorest people. Not at all the makings of a happy ending to 2025.

CONQUEST AND WAR

Trump has made threats about taking over Canada, Greenland, the Panama Canal and other parts of the world. As has been well documented, he has also authorized attacks on Venezuelan and Colombian alleged “drug boats” off of South America. These attacks have resulted in the deaths of dozens of crew members.

But at least so far, he is more bombast than action when it comes to conquest and war.

FAMINE

The UN’s World Food Program reported in mid-October that “13.7 million . . . food aid recipients could be pushed into emergency levels of hunger [in the near future] as support is cut.” This is a result of the termination of US Agency for International Development (USAID) funding and cutbacks by other large donors.

DEATH AND DISEASE

A July 2025 article in the medical journal Lancet estimated that more than 14 million people in low and middle-income countries could die by 2030 “from tuberculosis, nutritional deficiencies, diarrheal diseases, lower respiratory infections, and maternal and perinatal conditions” unless the current steep funding cuts to USAID were rescinded or replaced by other sources of assistance.

Serious, but less apocalyptic, consequences for poor and middleincome people in the U.S.

Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day,” the initiation of a global trade war.

The headline in a mid-October article published in The Guardian was “‘Empty shelves, higher prices’: Americans tell of cost of Trump’s tariffs.” The article continued: “US consumers say price rises caused by president’s tariffs contradict his promise to make life more affordable.”

As most economists predicted, raising tariffs on other countries have led to higher prices at home. High tariffs on imported goods have a similar impact to increases in domestic sales taxes. Foreign sellers can only reduce their cost of goods sold by so much. Importers can only absorb part of the cost of more expensive imported goods. Thus, eventually, consumers end up paying higher prices. According to aol.com, as of the fall of 2025, the five biggest price hikes in the United States tied to Trump’s tariffs are clothing and footwear, new cars and car parts, imported food, personal care items and energy.

The “Big Ugly Bill,” signed on July 4, ushered into law a new level of financial inequality and uncertainty in the U.S.

“New Trump Administration Policies Will Decrease Average Incomes for All Americans Except the Top 1 Percent” is the headline from an early September article published by the Center for American Progress. The article goes on to state: “New policies in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, paired with the Trump administration’s tariffs, will leave the bottom 99 percent of Americans with less . . . income by 2027, while the top 1 percent will benefit.”

In addition, as the well-respected economist Robert Reich put it, “Trump’s cruel budget is eliminating food stamps for hundreds of thousands of Americans and reducing or eliminating health insurance for millions more by cutting Affordable Care Act subsidies and making it harder for people to qualify for Medicaid.”

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEEPENED THE IMPACT OF TRUMP’S CRUEL BUDGET

During the longest government shutdown in American history, tens of millions temporarily lost access to food stamps and other federal benefits— effectively hostages to the shutdown. The large majority of Democrats in both houses of Congress were opposed to the Senate deal to end the shutdown.

What did the “cavers” get in return for their capitulation? As the BBC put it in a November 13 article, “next to nothing . . . a promise of a vote in the Senate on the subsidies [in December], but no guarantees of Republican support or even a necessary vote in the House of Representatives. . . .”

However, the BBC article continued, “Congress will have to approve spending for the rest of the government by the end of January to avoid another shutdown. Democrats, licking their wounds, may be hankering for another chance to fight. Meanwhile, the issue they fought over—healthcare subsidies —could become a pressing concern for tens of millions of Americans who will see their insurance costs double or triple at the end of the year. Republicans ignore addressing such voter pain at their own political peril.”

A RECESSION COULD BEGIN IN LATE 2025 OR EARLY 2026

Paul Krugman, the Nobel Prize winning economist, wrote an article with the following headline in late October: “The U.S. Economy is in Worse Shape Than It Looks: No recession so far, but the no-hiring economy is hurting workers.” The article concludes: “Many economists—actually, all the economists I know—are worried about a potential downturn. The AI boom is troublingly reminiscent of the ‘90s tech bubble.” In other words, don’t be surprised if the U.S. experiences a recession triggered by overly optimistic investments in AI-related companies.

An article published by Fortune magazine in mid-August contains the following quotation: “The odds that the economy will slip into a recession are nearly 50-50,

and the time of greatest vulnerability will run from late 2025 to early 2026, according to Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi. That’s when the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his immigration crackdown will reach their peak, he predicted. The economy could suffer a brutal winter as President Donald Trump’s tariffs and immigration crackdown keep the U.S. teetering on the edge of recession.”

CONCLUSION

Not only has Trump stolen Christmas in 2025, he has set the stage for even more lumps of coal for poor and middle income people around the world and in the United States in 2026 and beyond by the increasingly autocratic and erratic approach to his presidency. Thus, there is ample evidence that Trump’s personal corruption as president has enriched himself and his family. However, his institutional corruption is likely to have a much more damaging, long-term impact on people around the world and on democracy itself in the United States.

E.G. Nadeau is co-director of the Cooperative Society Project, dedicated to the idea that humanity may be on the verge of a new era of cooperation, democracy, equitable distribution of resources and a sustainable relationship with nature. He has a Ph.D in sociology.

Brush Box Makes Arts and Crafts Accessible to Everyone

BY BEN SLOWEY

Art heals, and that is precisely why Amber Thomas and Kadijha Jones believe that arts and crafts should be accessible and affordable to anyone, regardless of age or status. “At any level, you can create something, even if you’re one year old or you’re an elder with fine motor issues,” Thomas affirms. The two share thoughtfully curated art kits, activities and events with Milwaukee and beyond by way of their business Brush Box, driven by its mission to help others find joy and healing through autonomous creativity. Since its launch in 2020, Brush Box has worked with community partners like Milwaukee Art Museum, Mount Mary University, Islands of Brilliance, ACLU of Wisconsin, NextDoor Milwaukee and many others.

As an art therapist, Thomas recognizes that making art accessible means breaking down what it means to make art. She notes how even the simple act of ripping paper to make a collage can be therapeutic. “Half my job is convincing people that they should create,” Thomas elaborates. “People associate our business with children—and yes, we do serve a lot of younger people - but anybody can make art, even if it’s something you do for fun that you never think about again, because the artistic process is healing.”

Jone adds, “It also means recognizing how art is part of every moment of our lives. I do a lot of habit-tracking, so I create a lot of calendars for myself, or I’ll create a punch card for my goals for the month.

It’s not always about the end product but taking whatever is in your imagination and putting it into physical form and being present in the moment. Even if you crumple it up and throw it away, maybe you let it be a reminder that you needed to reflect and process.”

CUSTOM KITS

Brush Box adapts each art kit or activity to who they work with. For example, one kit might have bigger tools for someone who cannot hold small ones, or another may not contain certain materials due to someone having a sensory issue. Customizable creative catalysts like bead soups, slimes, paper flowers, junk journals and fidgets are available for sale via the Brush Box website.

Thomas and Jones met as RA’s [resident assistants] at Alverno College. With art therapy, Thomas found she could combine her passion for helping others with creative expression. Jones had always been interested in writing and poetry, but meeting Thomas got her also dabbling in arts and crafts. “Amber would show me all her supplies in her dorm and would take me to Michaels [arts and crafts store],” Jones remembers. “It got me comfortable finding and sourcing things to create art.”

Years later, when Covid hit, Thomas found herself among many who sought out new hobbies and creative outlets.

“People were ordering subscription art boxes, and I wondered if I could make one,” she recalls.

“Kadijha and I had recently reconnected and I told her I had this idea, and she said she thought it was cool and wanted to do it with me.’’

VIRTUAL ART PROGRAM

Next thing they knew, Thomas and Jones were cofacilitating a virtual art program that would eventually become Brush Box. “The first kit we ever sold was buildyour-own-superhero,” Thomas remembers. “It was based on me making superheroes with my clients so that they knew they had strengths and that it was OK to have a weakness, and that they should build a community around themselves.”

Fast forward to now, Brush Box has partnered with more than 50 organizations and has products in a myriad of local stores, including Bronzeville Collective MKE, Milwaukee Makers Marketplace, Swoon, Mixed Bag MKE, Frankie’s Gift Shop, Kujichagulia Producer Co-Op in Sherman Phoenix and Maxilyn House in Racine. “The majority of our business has been word-of-mouth, and a lot of our growth has been based in our community believing in us,” Thomas attests.

Thomas and Jones are assisted by a team consisting of art therapist Yuliana Iniguez and yoga practitioner/art therapist Haley Fuhr.

“We also just hired my friend Tiffany to help us develop kits for the holiday season,” Thomas mentions. Brush Box is currently involved in several recurring programs, including art therapy during Empower Hour at St. Joan Antida High School as well as a pre-teen girls social group at CLARA Healing Institute. Thomas and Jones can also be found with Brush Box at local vendor markets and will be at Hover Craft on December 7.

The two hope for Brush Box to eventually have its own brick-and-mortar space. “My dream would be to have daily drop-in programming like after school programming

Lafayette Crump, Milwaukee Commissioner of City Development

BY TOM JENZ

When Lafayette Crump was sworn in as Milwaukee’s commissioner of city development in 2020, the city faced a series of stubborn challenges: a widening gap in housing quality between white and minority residents, a Downtown still grappling with vacant commercial buildings and districts of underused industrial land. Not long after, along came Covid.

Five years later, Commissioner Crump, 52, is still at the helm, steering projects that include redeveloping long-empty properties into affordable housing and coordinating with Public Works on the streets, sidewalks and public spaces that knit neighborhoods together. His work demands fluency in both economics and equity, skills he honed not in politics, but in law and the private sector.

Crump grew up in Milwaukee’s inner city near 27th and Burleigh, an only child of teenage parents. His mother began her career as a probation and parole agent at the Ethan Allen Boys Home in Wales before joining the family business. His father became an electrical engineer for Cutler Hammer and Eaton Corporation before starting his own company. Both emphasized education.

That educational focus propelled their son into the city’s gifted-and-talented track, first at Golda Meir School, then Samuel Morse School, and later to the elite University School in River Hills on financial aid. Crump was accepted to Harvard but ultimately chose Duke University after visiting the North Carolina campus. He won an Angier B. Duke Scholarship, one of just 14 awarded nationwide, but lost it after his first year because he had not applied himself.

“It was my first real adult lesson,” Crump said. “You may be smart, but you have to work hard.”

Crump switched majors from engineering to history, drawn to writing, debate and public speaking. After graduating from Duke, he went to Duke Law School and returned to Milwaukee to practice at Foley & Lardner, specializing in corporate law, and later at Quarles & Brady, where his expertise expanded to litigation, government compliance and lobbying.

During this time, his parents launched Prism Technical Management & Marketing Services, a firm focused on diversity and inclusion requirements for major construction projects including the Milwaukee Brewers stadium. Crump advised them on corporate structure and legal issues while deepening his own expertise in the intersection of law, policy and economic development.

Crump brought his legal background and lived experience to the role of city development commissioner. He has since overseen the creation of new Tax Incremental Districts (TIDs) to spur housing, championed adaptive reuse of underutilized office towers, and pressed for more equitable contracting practices on city-backed developments.

“Our built environment shapes opportunity,” Crump said. “If we get housing, infrastructure, and business growth right, we can close the gaps that have held too many people back.”

You’ve been commissioner of city development for five years now. A lot has happened since then in terms of Milwaukee city development. What would you say have been the biggest challenges?

The Covid pandemic year was a huge challenge because getting things done took longer, and we had to change on the fly. After the pandemic, many businesses rethought their operational process.

For instance, were employees required to work in the office, and what should the office layouts look like? As for challenges in housing, the way that people live has been changing—the size of houses, condos and apartments. We have been assisting on developing new housing and office buildings, and also new policies like how we utilize Tax Incremental Districts.

What have been the biggest successes?

We are incredibly proud of landing Milwaukee Tool in the city of Milwaukee, which brings thousands of jobs into the city. We worked with Northwestern Mutual to consolidate their workforce right here in Downtown. We brought Fiserv into the Downtown area. Fiserv is a huge company in terms of the financial technology and payments space.

Those large companies mean more housing is needed. Yes. That’s part of our responsibility—to increase the amount of housing in general as well as the number of affordable housing units in the city. Another challenge is to address racial disparities. For the first time in decades, we have increased the number of African American homeowners in the city. New affordable homes. This is all done in partnership with the city council and philanthropic organizations. One of our great nonprofit partners is Habitat for Humanity

Hypothetical question. Let’s say I am a developer and I own a piece of land in the Downtown area. My plan is to build a high-rise apartment building. What is my process for getting that done?

Your first step, which we would help you with, is to figure out if your building is a viable project at the location of your land. That means feasibility of meeting zoning codes or the option of altering the zoning. Second, your building plan needs to align with the city’s plan for that area. We have 14 area plans under the city’s comprehensive plan. But we could be flexible on making alterations. Third, if you have a financing gap, for instance, if you your building costs are $200 million but the building will be only worth $100 million when built, you could talk to us about Tax Incremental Financing (TIF). We figure out how your new building will increase the value of that property and also the tax revenue the city would receive from your office and apartment rentals. If your building will bring jobs and affordable housing to the city, then we might participate in the financing and help you finish the building.

You recently proposed two new TIDs. First, TID 127 at 100 East Wisconsin Avenue. Your aim is to transform that office tower into 373 residential units, including 75 workforce housing units for households making up to 100% of the Area Median Income (AMI). The 100 East project is estimated to cost $165 million, with a proposed $14.4 million developer-financed TIF lasting 16 years at 6.2% interest. Can you expand on this project? And who will be the developer?

I think you just said it all. The developers are Johnny Vassallo, Klein Development, and 100 East PropCo LLC. Construction will begin on 100 East Wisconsin later this year and is expected to be completed by late 2027. You know, that office tower is one of Milwaukee’s most iconic buildings.

Those 75 units will be the first workforce housing units financed under our new program.

Part of the TID 127 proposal requires 40% of labor via the Residents Preference Program (RPP) and 25% from small business enterprises (SBEs). Explain those two programs.

The RPP kicks in when the city gives at least $1 million in financial assistance to a project. We require that 40% of the hours be worked by workers who live in the city. We also require that small businesses be a part of this project.

Let’s talk about TID 128, the Compass Lofts, which would be part of the ML King Drive Redevelopment. The TID 128 project would involve repurposing a long-vacant, city-owned commercial building at 3116 N. ML King Drive into a four-story mixed-use building with 67 residential units and also 8,100 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. Can you elaborate on this TID 128 and who will be the developer?

The developers are Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation (MLKEDC), a non-profit organization, and also EA Development. This project will be receiving WHEDA low-income housing tax credits. WHEDA is the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. The projected development cost for Compass Lofts is around $19.6 million, with a TIF-supported grant of up to $1.37 million, repayable over and up to 20 years plus interest at around 7.23%.

Of the Compass Lofts units, 56 will be affordable, targeting families earning 50–60% of AMI (Area Median Income), but 22 units will be designated as permanent supportive housing for individuals at risk of homelessness. If I am a paying resident, why would I want to live in a space with those at risk of homelessness?

We expect the developer will make sure those units are comfortable and viable for all residents. Additionally, the developer has entered into an agreement with a service provider to deliver increased services needed by residents at risk of homelessness. But what might be the concerns about residents living in a building that houses unhoused individuals?

A lot of homeless people are mentally ill, which results in drug use, drug dealing, alcoholism, rabble rousing, unclean hygiene, even violence. Los Angeles, for example, with tent cities lining the streets, is an example.

That is a fair question. Any resident of a building has an expectation that the property owner will be responsible for the building care and the surrounding area, all to ensure a safe environment. The Compass Lofts would not accept bad behavior. Our goal is to get the unhoused to live stable lives.

When will the Compass Lofts be completed?

Construction on Compass Lofts will begin this fall and is expected to be completed by late 2026.

Were you involved with the ThriveOn King development, restructuring the old Gimbels Building near North and ML King? That turned out very well, supporting tenants, businesses, big nonprofits, educational daycare, a restaurant and more. Yes, I was involved, but our economic development team member, Dan Casanova, played a huge role in the success of ThriveOn King.

What is Connecting MKE: Downtown Plan 2040? I believe it promotes population growth and mixeduse Downtown development in the city. How does it do that?

This is one of those 14 area plans I told you about. We view Downtown as for everyone and that everyone is treated well when Downtown.

The Downtown Plan does include developing Downtown but also connecting the areas north, west and south of Downtown, as well as open public spaces. If you are a developer and would like to build in the Downtown area, take a look at the Downtown Plan, and you will see the projected future for every little pocket of Downtown.

Tom Jenz is a Milwaukee writer-photographer and author of the Central City Stories column for shepherdexpress.com.

Lisa Kaye Keeps the Focus on Quality, Consistency and Community

BY HAZEL WHEATON

When Chef Lisa McKay opened her own brickand-mortar restaurant on Vliet Street in 2024, at the site of the former Tricolo Peru, all signs pointed to it being a great success. McKay had the bone fides, having operated her own catering business since 2007 to rave reviews and multiple awards. Lisa Kaye Bistro swiftly garnered praise for McKay’s tasty combination of Southwestern flavors and traditional Southern Soul Food. Always community minded, McKay seemed poised to make her Bistro a neighborhood hub, an anchor to development along Vliet Street.

Bad luck struck, however, in the form of burst pipes causing an extended shutdown and a family illness that made it difficult to maintain a restaurant as well as an ongoing catering concern. But while such misfortune might be fatal to another fledgling venture, McKay’s determination, expertise and adaptability has meant the Bistro’s survival. McKay scaled back the restaurant’s hours and menu, keeping the focus on quality, consistency, and community. The restaurant plans to re-expand their hours and their menu, reintroducing lunch and breakfast service.

In the meantime, conflicting information posted online about opening hours makes it difficult to schedule a visit, but the outstanding food and warm, friendly atmosphere makes it worth the effort.

THINK TANK THURSDAY/SOUL FOOD SUNDAY

The revamped schedule reflects McKay’s background in catering, with two of the three days the restaurant is open each week merging restaurant-style menus with cateringstyle events. “Think Tank Thursdays” are dedicated to professional networking and socializing; “Soul Food Sundays” feel more like a neighborhood block party.

I visited twice: once on a Friday, for a regular dinner, and again on a Sunday. The regular dinner menu was a single sheet of tempting options, including cheesesteak sandwiches (beef or chicken), loaded nachos (brisket or ground beef), Baja tacos and whole chicken wings. It being a Friday, I opted for the fried fish dinner and chose catfish over perch. At the suggestion of McKay’s husband, Dwayne, I went off-menu for the hot honey version and was rewarded with an absolutely delicious entrée of two filets, perfectly mild and tender, with crispy but not greasy breading, drizzled with a sticky and spicy-sweet honey glaze.

The fries were good but not remarkable—but the vinegary sweet coleslaw was so good I could have happily eaten twice as much of it. There was also a menu of specialty drinks; the well-stocked bar offered an equal number of cocktails and mocktails, all thoughtfully designed. I indulged in a “Vliet Street Vibe,” a fabulous combination of rum, whiskey, and tropical juices jazzed up with ginger beer.

The atmosphere was laid back and quiet, with groups chatting at the bar and the bartender’s mother going out of her way to make me welcome.

At Sunday lunchtime, the mood was different—boisterous and celebratory, with a regular flow of people mingling and visiting, whether picking up take out or eating in. Sunday customers choose from a shifting selection of classic entrees, such as smothered turkey legs, meatloaf, blackened catfish, stuffed salmon, BBQ ribs, and pot roast; each entrée comes with two sides. I opted for the delectable whole fried chicken wings with greens & cornbread and mac & cheese as sides, and an order of blackened catfish with dressing and sweet potatoes to take home for later. I cleared my plate at the restaurant, and then again at dinner. All the sides were excellent, with my favorites being the greens and the sweet potatoes.

McKay is currently partnering with dearflorencesweets. com for Sunday desserts. I chose three to sample over the following few days—the German chocolate cake, carrot cake, and cheesecake with raspberry sauce were all excellent.

Lisa Kaye Bistro

3801 W. Vliet Street

(414) 751-8786, www.facebook.com/lisakayebistrocatering/

Hours:

Thursday–Friday: 4–8 p.m.

Sunday: 12–5 p.m.

Sandwiches & Entrees: $12–$18

Cocktails/Mocktails: $7–$12

Soul Food Sunday: Entrees (including two sides): $20-$30

Hazel Wheaton is a Milwaukee writer and the Shepherd Express magazine’s regular dining critic.

Photos by Hazel Wheaton.

“... a celluloid duck that made, when you pressed it, a most unducklike sound, a mewing moo that an ambitious cat might make who wished to be a cow ...”

The Useless Presents our wine & spirits holiday gift guide

BY GAETANO MARANGELLI

AChild’s Christmas in Wales” by the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas distinguishes useful Christmas presents from useless Christmas presents. The useful presents inflict monotony on their recipients. The useless presents give them joy. In an effort to protect those you love and care for

from yet another tedious bottle of Veuve Clicquot or Grey Goose or any such fermented bottle which derives its value from a quantity of advertising dollars rather than the quality of its juice, I’ve asked these discriminating palates to offer us their favorite useless presents for the holiday season.

Ben Christiansen,

Owner, Waterford Wine & Spirits

“Altos Malbec is super darn delicious, and half bottles of the 2020 vintage are a delight to give as a present. Why as a present? Well, it’s a ‘pocket rocket,’ wine in a 375-milliliter bottle. I just can't resist the idea of drinking good wine everywhere, anywhere, anytime, and a pocket rocket is highly smuggle-able into inappropriate situations — like movie theaters and your in-law's house. Also, a pocket rocket is an amazing gift because one person can enjoy it. So instead of a full bottle where a solo operator would have to set aside a night, a 375-milliliter bottle can be special. To the wine itself: it's an amazing team at Altos, this is a back vintage, and it’s drinking at its maximum fruit expression. I've always thought that the best of the best of Argentina can come across to customers like really good Napa, yet at a fraction of the price. And hey, it pairs amazing with

Andrea Hillsey, Owner, Square Wine

“Bubbles!!! The answer to almost any wine question can be answered with sparkling wine. Sparkling wine is not just for celebrations. It is first and foremost wine, and it needs to play a greater role in your wine-drinking life. My current obsession is the 2012 Le Brun Servenay, Vieilles Vignes, Grand Cru Champagne. This wine is 100% Chardonnay. It is precise and crystalline with an intense minerality. It'll cost you just under $100, but rest assured it is worth every penny. This is vintage Champagne, people!!! Most Champagne is NV (non-vintage) or MV (multi vintage), two ways to say the same thing. Historically, it's thought that Champagne producers would do this to hedge their bets on uncertain weather conditions in the region. This wine, however, is from one single vintage, meaning, that year's growing season was superb. A rarity under $100. Dress it up with caviar or dress it down with

Left to right: Matt Raboin, Marie Raboin, Honeybelle The Cow - Photo courtesy of Matt Raboin.

Photo of presents by GettyImages/zefirchik06. Tinsel border by GettyImages-Elena

Photo of Ben Christiansen by Francesca Magyar.

Photo of Andrea Hillsey by Tom Loup.

Matt Raboin, Co-Owner, Brix Cider

“Moooooove over Irish Cream! This holiday season you should try Wisco Cream, a new cream liqueur made with Wisconsin dairy. Enjoy it with State Line Coffee Liqueur, Great Lakes Distillery Good Land Coffee Liqueur, or on its own. In a nostalgic bottle like the milkman used to bring, it makes the perfect gift for the Wisconsin dairy lover in

Juan Urbieta, Executive Chef and General

Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993

Manager,

“For the holidays, I love to gift people a Barbera wine from a quality producer. I recommend talking to the sommelier on site at a reputable wine retailer for their suggestions. I love Barbera because it is a wine that universally pairs well with many different foods, making it a great gift. It's fruity, with high acidity and low tannins, which makes it ideal for many appetizers, pastas,

Susie Gilsdorf, Left Bank Wine Co.

“Though my personal taste these days veers wildly towards highacid, cool climate jams, Dr. Loosen ‘Blue Slate’ Kabinett Riesling is a favorite star in my sky. An absolute multitool of a gift, this steers the Blue Nun drinkers of yore (read: my lovely sisters-in-law) towards a serious German style, with appreciable amounts of residual sugar and acidity that add, not subtract, to a holiday meal. Fancy a dry alternative? Try the Dr. Loosen ‘Red Slate’ as a foray into a mind-blowing realm of dork-fodder: dry Riesling. You

Scott Miner, Cream Wine Co.

Jeff Cleveland, Managing Partner & Wine Director,

“I think one of the best holiday gifts that can be given is a bottle of Special Club Champagne. Special Club Champagnes represent some of the most unique bottles of grower production in Champagne. The wines are selected by the Club Trésors de Champagne to showcase each member's best expression of a single vintage. Only released in exceptional years, these bottlings are aged longer, crafted entirely from estate fruit, and approved through a rigorous blind-tasting process. The result is a collection of terroir-driven Champagnes that show precision, individuality, and the quiet confidence of growers at the top of their craft. Two favorites for me are J. Lassalle and Paul Bara. I love to give them out and wouldn't be sad to receive them either.”

“Domaine de Pallus Chinon, Les Pensées de Pallus is one of my all-time favorite Cabernet Francs from the Loire Valley. This is the flagship wine of the domaine and is made up of old vines from around the winery. It is aged for three years before release and has beautiful minerality and acidity to pair with all sorts of dishes. Be sure to surprise someone with a few bottles or a case because this wine will age and develop for decades. I had to open a bottle of

Brandon Reyes, Director of Operations, Bittercube

“Wisconsin boasts a thriving distillery scene, producing exceptional spirits from locally sourced ingredients. Our top pick for the amaro/ digestif aficionado on your holiday shopping list is Heirloom Liqueurs Pineapple Amaro or Heirloom Liqueurs Alchermes, paired with Bittercube Bolivar and Root Beer Bitters.”

Gaetano Marangelli is a sommelier and playwright. He was managing director of a wine import and distribution company in New York and beverage director for restaurants and retailers in New York and Chicago before

Photo courtesy of Matt Raboin.

Photo of Chef Juan Urbieta courtesy of The Bartolotta Restaurants.

Photo of Jeff Cleveland by Aliza Baran.

Photo of Brandon Reyes by Nick Collura.

Photo of Susie Gilsdorf by Joe Gilsdorf.

Photo courtesy of Scott Miner.

Holiday Dining Guide

CAFÉ MANNA

3815 N. Brookfield Road.

Brookfield (262) 790-2340

Cafemanna.com

Enjoy this winter season at this neighborhood gem located off of Capitol Drive. Sit, socialize and indulge in Manna’s craft cocktails and exciting vegetarian/ vegan winter cuisine.

CARINI’S SOUTHERN ITALIAN 3468 N. Oakland Ave. Milwaukee (414) 963-9623

Atouchofsicily.com

A Southern Italian Restaurant featuring Wood-Fired Pizza from Naples, Italy. Join us for our New Year's Eve celebration from 3 p.m. - 10p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 31!

FIVE O’CLOCK STEAKHOUSE

2416 W. State St. Milwaukee (414) 342-3553

Fiveoclocksteakhouse.com

Make your holidays special! Begin your evening with a classic cocktail at our bar and then relax and enjoy your supper club experience in our inviting and friendly dining room. Five O’Clock Steakhouse specializes in serving award-winning steaks and seafood paired with a notable wine list, classic cocktails, and outstanding personalized service. Holiday special: Buy $100 gift card, receive a $25 gift certificate!

Photo courtesy of Five O'Clock Steakhouse.

Photo courtesy of Carini's Southern Italian.

Photo courtesy of Cafe Manna.

Header

KELLY’S POT PIES & MORE

3268 Main St. East Troy (262) 592-1900

3785 S. 108th St. Greenfield (414) 662-7100

Kellyspotpies.com

Make dinner easy on yourself this holiday season! Our pot pies are crafted with love from the secret crust to the generous filling, each pot pie embodies our commitment to excellence. Our 'Heat-N-Serve' pies are ideal when you need a quick meal. Additional pies available: Shepherd’s Pie, Quiche, Desserts and much more! Frozen options are perfect to keep on hand when unexpected guests arrive. Frozen pies are also available at several specialty stores; visit our website for locations.

LAKEFRONT BREWERY

1872 N. Commerce St. Milwaukee (414) 372-8800

Lakefrontbrewery.com

Lakefront welcomes the Swedish community and anyone looking to immerse themselves in Swedish delights and an earlier 5pm "ball drop". Ticket includes appetizers, buffet, dessert, a beverage, and champagne toast. SALA

2613 E Hampshire St. Milwaukee (414) 964-2611

saladining.com

Milwaukee area diners have enjoyed unforgettable meals at SALA and trusted us to be their dining room for intimate dinners and family events for nearly 25 years. Whether you are craving a fresh, delicious, cookedto-order meal or you want to relax with a drink or bottle of wine at our comfortable bar, we invite you to join us.

THE PASTA TREE

1503 N. Farwell Ave. Milwaukee (414) 276-8867 pastatreemilwaukee.com

Treat yourself this holiday season to great food with quality ingredients. Truly a hidden gem with authentic Italian Cuisine and a vast selection of

Photo courtesy of Lakefront Brewery.

Photo courtesy of SALA.

Photo courtesy of The Pasta Tree.

Photo courtesy of Kelly's Pot Pies & More.

Photo

CELEBRATING OUR 35 th ANNIVERSARY

2025 BACK TO THE

BEST OF MILWAUKEE WINNERS

ORGANIZED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

ART & CRAFT

FAIR/MAKERS MARKET

MILWAUKEE MAKERS

MARKET

FINALISTS

Graveyard Gallery

Handcrafted: Lakefront Brewery

Makers Market

Hover Craft

Morning Glory Art Fair

ART GALLERY (NON-MUSEUM)

SAINT KATE

THE ARTS HOTEL

FINALISTS

Latino Arts, Inc.

Milwaukee Makers Marketplace

Scout Gallery

Var Gallery

ART MUSEUM

MILWAUKEE

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FINALISTS

Charles Allis Art Museum

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Haggerty Museum of Art

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MILWAUKEE

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Chant Claire

Our Voice Milwaukee

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MILWAUKEE

CHAMBER CHOIR

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Bach Chamber Choir

Sacra Nova

CLASSICAL

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MILWAUKEE

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

FINALISTS

Bel Canto Chorus

Milwaukee Community Orchestra

Our Voice Milwaukee

CLASSICAL

MUSIC ENSEMBLE (UNDER 60 PERFORMERS)

MILWAUKEE

CHAMBER CHOIR

FINALISTS

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Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra

Present Music

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FINALISTS

Carly Malison

John McGivern

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BASTILLE DAYS

FINALISTS

Bay View Bash

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Lakefront Brewery Maifest

Gluten-Free Festival

DANCE COMPANY

MILWAUKEE BALLET

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Danceworks

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ETHNIC FESTIVAL

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German Fest Milwaukee

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TWO BROTHERS

ONE MIND

FINALISTS

Glenn Gerard

Luka - Deception Artist

LAKEFRONT FESTIVAL SUMMERFEST

FINALISTS

German Fest Milwaukee

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LOCAL RADIO PERSONALITY

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RADIO MILWAUKEE

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Christreater/Chris Schulist - WMSE

Don Black

Dori Zori

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America's Black Holocaust Museum

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WISCONSIN CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC

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Milwaukee Jazz Institute

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CHILL ON THE HILL

FINALISTS

Jazz in the Park Tosa Tonight

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RADIO STATION

88.9 RADIO MILWAUKEE

FINALISTS

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WMSE 91.7FM

WUWM 89.7

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MILWAUKEE JAZZ ORCHESTRA

FINALISTS

Milwaukee Chamber Choir

Milwaukee Jazz Institute

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JOHN MCGIVERN

FINALISTS

Dimonte Henning

Jim Pickering

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THEATER COMPANY

MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER FINALISTS

Next Act Theatre

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Skylight Music Theatre

BODY, MIND & SPIRIT

ACUPUNCTURIST

MILWAUKEE COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE FINALISTS

Acupuncture & Holistic

Health Associates

A Right Path Wellness

Carrie Murphy

MKE MindBody Wellness

ALTERNATIVE MEDICAL CLINIC

MKE MINDBODY WELLNESS

FINALISTS

A Right Path Wellness

Syinthesis® Sound Healing Center

Thrive Holistic Medicine

BOUTIQUE FITNESS

HEALIUM HIIT

FINALISTS

Burn Boot Camp - Brookfield

Pole Factory MKE

Toned Body Fitness

CROSSFIT-STYLE GYM

BREWCITY CROSSFIT

FINALISTS

Badger CrossFit

Dropout

GYM

WISCONSIN ATHLETIC CLUB

FINALISTS

Burn Boot Camp - Brookfield

MASSAGE THERAPIST

MARYLISA AYALA

FINALISTS

Kate Lennartz - Tiger Guide Healing

Kristen Uribe

Lovely Salon and Spa

PERSONAL TRAINER

CRISTIAN ROSADO GARCIA AT TONED BODY FITNESS

FINALISTS

Alex Feavel

Joe Bruno

Rajah Shah

PILATES STUDIO

AFTERGLOW MKE

FINALISTS

Body Language Pilates

Embody Yoga

Flying Squirrel Pilates

REIKI STUDIO

ANGELIC ROOTS - OAK CREEK

FINALISTS

Allah Mode

A Right Path Wellness

Lovely Salon and Spa

SPA

PFISTER WELL SPA + SALON

FINALISTS

Bloom Skin Spa

Ever Beautiful Skin Wellness Studio

Lovely Salon and Spa

YOGA STUDIO

HEALIUM HOT YOGA

FINALISTS

Collective Flow

Tribal Yoga School

Yoga by Analisia

BOUGHT AND SOLD

ANTIQUE STORE ANTIQUES ON PIERCE

FINALISTS

BC Modern

Good Land Antiques

Mid-Century Meow

Third Point of View

APPLIANCE STORE

GRAND APPLIANCE

GREENFIELD

FINALISTS

Grand Appliance Glendale

Milwaukee Appliance

Ritzman Appliance

AUTO DEALERSHIP - DOMESTIC

BOUCHER BUICK-GMC

FINALISTS

Ewald Ford

Heiser

AUTO DEALERSHIP - IMPORT SOMMERS SUBARU

FINALISTS

Lexus of Brookfield

Reina International Auto

West Allis Hyundai

AUTO DEALERSHIP - PREOWNED SOMMER'S AUTOMOTIVE

FINALISTS

Boucher Buick GMC

John Amato Mitsubishi

Van Horn David Hobbs Honda

BIKE SHOP

WHEEL & SPROCKET

FINALISTS

South Shore Cyclery

The Bikesmiths

Truly Spoken Cycles

BOARD/TABLE TOP

GAMING SHOP

BOARD GAME

BARRISTER

FINALISTS

HoneyBee Games

Old Guard Games

The Mana Vault MKE

BOOKSTORE

BOSWELL BOOK COMPANY

FINALISTS

Renaissance Books

Story Keepers Books

The Well Red Damsel: A Romance Bookstore

BOUTIQUE CLOTHING

BOHO LUXE BOUTIQUE

FINALISTS

Mainstream Boutique Milwaukee

Ultratwist Vintage

CARPET/FINE RUGS

SHABAHANG AND SONS PERSIAN CARPETS

FINALISTS

Best Carpet Inc.

Carpets Galore

Shabahang Rugs - Waukesha

CBD RETAIL SHOP

KNUCKLEHEADS WELLNESS

FINALISTS

Canni Hemp

Puffin Pass

TerraSol

CLOTHING - CHILDREN'S BLACKBEAR

CHILDREN'S BOUTIQUE

FINALISTS

Lyss + Littles

Little Geese Shop

Little Monsters

CLOTHING - MEN'S MODA3

FINALISTS

Harleys Co.

Milworks

Omen Subculture Clothing and Accessories

Say Werd

CLOTHING - WOMEN'S PLUME

FINALISTS

Boho Luxe Boutique

Lela

COMIC BOOK STORE

LION'S TOOTH

FINALISTS

Collector's Edge Comics

Lost World of Wonders

EYEWEAR

BE SPECTACLED

FINALISTS

414 Eyes

Eyes On The Lake

Metro Eye

Milwaukee Eye Care

FASHION ACCESSORIES

BOHO LUXE BOUTIQUE

FINALISTS

Atypic Gallery

Cival Collective

OMEN Subculture Clothing and Accessories

FINE JEWELRY STORE

CIVAL COLLECTIVE

FINALISTS

A Trio Jewelry Design Studio

C3 Designs

Tobin Jewelers

FLOORING (NON-CARPET)

STU'S FLOORING

FINALISTS

Carpets galore

Straight Edge Flooring

FLORIST 414LORAL FINALISTS

Belle Fiori

Flowers for Dreams

Parkway Floral

FURNITURE - NEW

BILTRITE FURNITURELEATHER-MATTRESS FINALISTS

Penny Mustard Furnishings

Steinhafels Oak Creek

Stone House Collective

FURNITURE - RESTORED MID-CENTURY MEOW FINALISTS

Home Again in Riverwest

Rustic Rehabs

Spectre Vintage GARDEN CENTER

STEIN'S GARDEN & HOME

FINALISTS

Bayside Garden Center

Minor's Garden Center

Plant Land

GIFT SHOP

MILWAUKEE MAKERS

MARKETPLACE FINALISTS

Angelic Roots - Oak Creek

Fischberger's Variety

Ursa

HARDWARE STORE

BLIFFERT HARDWARE

FINALISTS

Ace Hardware-Lisbon Ave

Ace Hardware - Wauwatosa

Elliott Ace Hardware

HEAD SHOP

KNUCKLEHEADS WELLNESS

FINALISTS

Blue on Greenfield

Pipe Dreams

Puffin Pass

LIGHTING SHOWROOM

BBC LIGHTING

FINALISTS

Brass Light Gallery

Ferguson Brookfield

LUCE Lighting and Design

MATTRESS STORE

BILTRITE FURNITURELEATHER-MATTRESS

FINALISTS

Milwaukee Mattress Firm

Steinhaffels

Verlo Mattress

MOTORCYCLE DEALERSHIP

HOUSE OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON

FINALISTS

Milwaukee Harley-Davidson

Southeast Sales Powersports

Wisconsin Harley-Davidson

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STORE

CREAM CITY MUSIC

FINALISTS

Brass Bell

Wade's Guitar Shop

White House of Music

NEW RETAIL STORE (OPENED IN (2025)

CULTURAL CLOTH

FINALISTS

ECO MKE Refillery

Little Geese Shop

Puffin Pass

NOVELTY / VARIETY STORE

AMERICAN SCIENCE AND SURPLUS

FINALISTS

Fischberger's Variety

Mixed Bag MKE

Winkie's

PET RETAIL STORE BARK N SCRATCH

OUTPOST

FINALISTS

Mac's Pet Depot Barkery

Pet Supplies Plus

Skilos

RECORD STORE

RUSHMOR RECORDS FINALISTS

Irving Place Records

Lilliput Records

Record Head

SHOE STORE

STAN'S SHOES FINALISTS

Allen-Edmonds

Olde Towne Cobbler

Shoo - Third Ward

TIRE STORE

MR. P'S TIRE

FINALISTS

F&F Tire

Ray Tann

VAPE SHOP

KNUCKLEHEADS WELLNESS

FINALISTS

Cents Cannabis Collective

Lakeview Vapor, Vape, Hookah, Cigar & Smoke

Puffin Pass

TerraSol

VINTAGE/THRIFT STORE BC MODERN

FINALISTS

Alive and Fine

CITY CONFIDENTIAL

LOCAL ACTIVIST

EMILIO DE TORRE

FINALISTS

Angela Lang

Chloe Longmire

Jenna Washuleski

Ryan Clancy

LOCAL CHARACTER

CHARLIE BERENS

FINALISTS

Dear Ruthie Milverine

LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR

RUSS KLISCHLAKEFRONT BREWERY FINALISTS

John Crone - Man on the Moon Events

Marisa Schmitz - Boho Luxe Boutique

Marla Poytinger - Bars & Rec

Ryan Laessig - Milwaukee Makers

Market

LOCAL PODCAST

MILWAUKEE UNCUT FINALISTS

Ag45

MKE Sports Express

Radio Free Galaxy

MILWAUKEE ALDERPERSON

MARINA DIMITRIJEVIC FINALISTS

Peter Burgelis

Scott Spiker

MILWAUKEE COUNTY SUPERVISOR

SHELDON WASSERMAN FINALISTS

Jack Eckblad

Justin Bielinski

MILWAUKEE INFLUENCER

DEREK MOSLEY FINALISTS

Discover Milwaukee - Jordan & Todd

Milwaukee Eat & Play

Ryan Laessig

Thee Traveling Attorney

MILWAUKEEAN OF THE YEAR

DAVID CROWLEY FINALISTS

Jenna Washuleski

Pete Marshall

Ryan Laessig

MOST BELOVED POLITICIAN

TAMMY BALDWIN FINALISTS

Cavalier Johnson

Chris Larson

David Crowley

Ryan Clancy

Tony Evers

MOST TRUSTED PUBLIC OFFICIAL

TAMMY BALDWIN

FINALISTS

David Crowley

Gwen Moore

Marina Dimitrijevic

Tony Evers

NON-PROFIT/HUMAN SERVICES ORGANIZATION

STREET ANGELS

FINALISTS

Broadscope Disability Services

Harmonic Harvest

Milwaukee Diaper Mission

ORGANIZATION SUPPORTING VETERANS

MILWAUKEE HOMELESS

VETERANS INITIATIVE

FINALISTS

Burn Pit BBQ

Dryhootch

VA

PHILANTHROPIST

WOMEN'S FUND OF GREATER MILWAUKEE/LISA ATTONITO

FINALISTS

Bud Selig

David Gruber

Ellen and Joe Checota

Jenna Washuleski

PLACE TO PICK UP THE SHEPHERD EXPRESS OUTPOST

FINALISTS

Beans and Barley

Marshall Building

Rochambo Woodman's

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS (NONLAW FIRM)

PENZEYS SPICES

FINALISTS

Bloom Skin Spa

Jamie Robarge Photography

Lakefront Brewery

STATE LEGISLATOR

CHRIS LARSON

FINALISTS

Dora Drake Ryan Clancy

HOME IMPROVEMENT

ARCHITECT

ZIMMERMAN ARCHITECTURAL STUDIOS

FINALISTS

Jason Korb

Lakeside Luxury Homes

Lex Design Group

Meeteer Exteriors

BASEMENT/REC ROOM REMODELER

LABONTE CONSTRUCTION

FINALISTS

Allrite Total Basement Finishing

Kowalske Kitchen & Bath

Lakeside Luxury Homes

Zimmerman Architectural Studios

BATHROOM REMODELER

LABONTE CONSTRUCTION

FINALISTS

Lakeside Luxury Homes

KL Construction

Kowalske Kitchen & Bath

CLOSET DESIGN

CLOSETS BY DESIGN - MILWAUKEE

Catron Design Haus

Kristin Burke Interiors

Lakeside Luxury Homes

CURRENT ELECTRIC

GARAGE DOOR INSTALLATION/REPAIR

GEIS BUILDING PRODUCTS

FINALISTS

A1 Garage Door

Briggs Overhead Door

JD Griffith

GUTTER INSTALLATION/REPAIR

WEATHER TIGHT CORPORATION

FINALISTS

Allrite Home & Remodeling

M C Green Services

WeatherPro

HOME BUILDER

BIELINSKI HOMES

FINALISTS

Blue Harmony Homes

KL Construction

LaBonte Construction

Lakeside Luxury Homes

HOME REMODELING

LABONTE CONSTRUCTION

FINALISTS

Bielinski Homes

Kowalske Kitchen & Bath

Lakeside Luxury Homes

HVAC

CAPITOL HEATING AND COOLING

FINALISTS

Air Masters

Austin: Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric

Belle Heating

Laumann's Economy Heating & Cooling

Stramowski Heating

INTERIOR DESIGN

STONE HOUSE COLLECTIVE FINALISTS

KL Construction

Kristin Burke Interiors

Lakeside Luxury Homes

KITCHEN REMODELER

LABONTE CONSTRUCTION FINALISTS

Kowalske Kitchen & Bath

Kristin Burke Interiors

Lakeside Luxury Homes

LANDSCAPER/LAWN MAINTENANCE

THE SECRET GARDEN LANDSCAPING

FINALISTS

Blaze Landscape Contracting Inc.

Little Things Garden Design

M C Green Services

PAINTER

COLORWHEEL PAINTING FINALISTS

LaBonte Construction

Perfectionist Painting

Premier Painting

PLUMBER

OAK CREEK PLUMBING FINALISTS

Budiac Plumbing Inc.

Horner Plumbing

PJs Plumbing

ROOFER

BILLY GOAT ROOFING

FINALISTS

Allrite Home & Remodeling

Community Roofing

Weather Tight Corporation

WINDOW & SIDING

WEATHER TIGHT CORPORATION

FINALISTS

Allrite Home & Remodeling

Meeteer Exteriors

M LaPlant Contracting

WeatherPro

LGBTQ

DRAG EVENT

DRAG QUEEN BINGO AT LAKEFRONT BREWERY

FINALISTS

Bastille Days Drag Show

Drag Bingo at Pop

Lyz Dexic’s Gaggy Spelling B

Vivent Health Drag Race

DRAG PERSONALITY

DEAR RUTHIE

FINALISTS

Ester Flonaze

Lyz Dexic

Princess Janelza

Supernova

LGBTQ ADVOCATE

FLOUR GIRL & FLAME

FINALISTS

Lovely Salon and Spa

Michael Damian

Ryan Rehak

Vince Tripi

LGBTQ EVENT PRIDE FEST

FINALISTS

Lyz Dexic’s Gaggy Spelling B

Pride on Brady

Slayground MKE

Vivent Health Drag Race

LGBTQ-INCLUSIVE BUSINESS

FLOUR GIRL & FLAME

FINALISTS

Aggie's Bakery & Cake Shop

Hedwig's Hair Salon

Lakefront Brewery

Lovely Salon and Spa

Pop

Vivent Health

LGBTQ-OWNED BUSINESS

FLOUR GIRL & FLAME

FINALISTS

POP

Style Pop Cafe

The Well Red Damsel: A Romance Bookstore LOCALLY OWNED FOOD

BACON

BUNZEL'S OLD FASHIONED MEAT MARKET

FINALISTS

Becher Meats

Kettle Range Meat Company

Usinger's BAKERY

GREBE'S BAKERY FINALISTS

Aggie's Bakery & Cake Shop

Bakehouse 23

Rocket Baby Bakery

Story Time Sweets

BEER SELECTION

DISCOUNT LIQUOR FINALISTS

Forest Home Beer & Liquor

Otto's Wine and Spirits

Ray's Wine and Spirits

BRATWURST

USINGER'S FINALISTS

Becher Meats

BUTCHER SHOP

BUNZEL'S OLD FASHIONED MEAT MARKET

FINALISTS

Becher Meats

Kettle Range Meat Company

Ray's Butcher Shoppe

CAKE/SPECIALTY (THEMED)

SIMMA'S BAKERY FINALISTS

Aggie's Bakery & Cake Shop

Story Time Sweets

CHEESE CURDS SELECTION

WEST ALLIS CHEESE & SAUSAGE SHOPPE

FINALISTS

Cedar Valley Cheese Store

Glorioso’s Italian Market

Wisconsin Cheese Mart

CHEESE SELECTION

WEST ALLIS CHEESE & SAUSAGE SHOPPE

FINALISTS

Outpost

- RETAIL

ARTISANAL CHEESE

WEST ALLIS CHEESE & SAUSAGE SHOPPE

FINALISTS

Outpost Co-op

The Village Cheese Shop

Wisconsin Cheese Mart

Bunzel's Old Fashioned Meat

The Village Cheese Shop

Wisconsin Cheese Mart

CHOCOLATIER

INDULGENCE CHOCOLATIERS

FINALISTS

Freese's Candy Shoppe

Ultimate Confections

CRAFT BEER SELECTION

RAY'S WINE & SPIRITS

FINALISTS

Discount Liquor

Woodman's CUPCAKES

AGGIE'S BAKERY & CAKE SHOP FINALISTS

Blue's Bakery

C. Adam's Bakery

Classy Girl Cupcakes

Jen's Sweet Treats

Story Time Sweets

DISTILLED SPIRITS

GREAT LAKES

DISTILLERY & TASTING ROOM

FINALISTS

Central Standard

Discount Liquor

Otto's

Ray's Wine & Spirits FARMERS MARKET

WEST ALLIS FARMERS MARKET

FINALISTS

Oak Creek Farmers Market

Riverwest Farmers Market

South Shore Farmers Market

Tosa Farmers Market

FROZEN PIZZA

SCREAMIN SICILIAN FINALISTS

Cedar Teeth

Emil's Watertown

Flourchild Pizza

Palermo's

GOURMET POPCORN KNIGHTS GOURMET POPCORN AND CANDIES

FINALISTS

Goody Gourmets

Lush Popcorn

GROCERY - ALL PURPOSE

WOODMAN'S MARKETS

FINALISTS

Metcalfe's Outpost

Sendik's Food Market

GROCERY - ETHNIC EL REY FINALISTS

Glorioso's Italian Market

Monterrey Market

Parthenon Foods

GROCERY - GOURMET

GLORIOSO’S

ITALIAN MARKET FINALISTS

G. Groppi Food Market

Outpost

Sendik's Food Market

GROCERY - ORGANIC

OUTPOST NATURAL FOODS

FINALISTS

Good Harvest Market

Trader Joe's - Brookfield

HARD CIDER

DISCOUNT LIQUOR

FINALISTS

Cache Cider

Outpost

HOME COOKING

MEAL KITS

BUNZEL'S OLD FASHIONED MEAT MARKET

FINALISTS

Becher Meats

Kettle Range Meat Company

Miltown Eats

Outpost

HOT HAM & ROLLS

GREBE'S BAKERY

FINALISTS

Aggie's Bakery & Cake Shop

Bunzel's Old Fashioned Meat Market

Layton Fruit Market

Sendik's Food Market

LIQUOR STORE DISCOUNT LIQUOR

FINALISTS

Consumer Beverage Otto's

Ray's Wine & Spirits MEAT SELECTION

BUNZEL'S OLD FASHIONED MEAT MARKET

FINALISTS

Becher Meats

Outpost

Sendik's Food Market

PIES (SWEET OR SAVORY) HONEYPIE CAFE

FINALISTS

Aggie's Bakery & Cake Shop

Kelly's Pot Pies & More

Mr. Dye's Pies

SAUSAGE

USINGER'S FINALISTS

Becher Meats

Bunzel's Old Fashioned Meat Market

Outpost

West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe

SAUSAGE SHOP

WEST ALLIS CHEESE & SAUSAGE SHOPPE

FINALISTS

Bunzel's Old Fashioned Meat Market

Ray's Butcher Shop

Usinger's SODA

SPRECHER BREWING CO.

FINALISTS

Dang!

Goodland

Jolly good

Lakefront Brewery Golden Maple

Root Beer

Top Note

TAKE-OUT DELI

GLORIOSO’S ITALIAN MARKET

FINALISTS

Bunzel's Old Fashioned Meat Market

G. Groppi Food Market

Outpost

TEA

RISHI TEA FINALISTS

Fava Tea

HoneyBee Sage Wellness & Apothecary Cafe

Urbal Tea

WINE SELECTION

DISCOUNT LIQUOR FINALISTS

Nonfiction Wine

Ray's Wine & Spirits

Waterford Wine & Spirits

LOCALLY OWNED RESTAURANT

AFRICAN RESTAURANT

IMMY'S AFRICAN CUISINE FINALISTS

Alem Ethiopian Village

Blue Star Cafe

Ethiopian Cottage BAGEL

ALLIE BOY’S BAGELRY & LUNCHEONETTE FINALISTS

Hen's Deli

Ruby's Bagels

BAR FOOD

CAMINO

FINALISTS

Faklandia Brewpub

Layman Brewing

Pete’s Pub

BARBECUE

DOUBLE B'S BBQ FINALISTS

Faklandia Brewpub

Heaven's Table BBQ

Saz's State House

Speed Queen BBQ

Sweet Smoke BBQ

BREAKFAST

UNCLE WOLFIE’S FINALISTS

Blue's Egg + Bakery

Honey Butter Cafe

Landmark Family Restaurant

Mad Rooster Cafe

Mimosa

BRUNCH

UNCLE WOLFIE'S FINALISTS

Blue's Egg + Bakery

Canela Cafe

Mimosa

BUFFET

MAHARAJA FINALISTS

India Garden

Mekong Cafe

Waha Buffet

BURGERS

KOPP'S FROZEN CUSTARD

FINALISTS

Layman Brewing

Oscar's Pub & Grill

Patty Shack

BURRITO

CAFE CORAZON FINALISTS

Barrel Burrito Company

Cielito Lindo

Guanajuato Mexican Restaurant

Taqueria El Cabrito

CARIBBEAN RESTAURANT

CUBANITAS

FINALISTS

Caribbean Jaacs

McCoco’s

Mobay Cafe

Noche Restaurante

Uppa Yard

CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICAN RESTAURANT

CHEF PAZ RESTAURANT FINALISTS

Antigua Anytime Arepas

La Cocina Del Sur

Noche

CHEAP EATS

IAN'S PIZZA FINALISTS

Conejito

Landmark Family Restaurant

CHEF

DANA SPANDET - FLOUR GIRL & FLAME FINALISTS

Gregory Leon - Amilinda

Mary Kastman - Purslane

Suzzette Metcalfe - Pasta Tree

CHICKEN SANDWICH

CRAFTY COW FINALISTS

Faklandia

Fox Den

Pete’s Pub

CHICKEN WINGS

TOMKEN'S BAR & GRILL FINALISTS

Club Garibaldi

Fourth-N-Long

Points East Pub

CHINESE RESTAURANT

DANDAN FINALISTS

COFFEE SHOP

STONE CREEK COFFEE FINALISTS

Anodyne Discourse Coffee

La Finca

Valentine Coffee Co.

DONUTS

NATIONAL BAKERY FINALISTS

Aggie's Bakery & Cake Shop

Donut Monster

Donut Squad

Happy Dough Lucky

O&H Danish Bakery

FAMILY FRIENDLY RESTAURANT

LAKEFRONT BREWERY FINALISTS

Cafe Corazon

Centraal Grand Café & Tappery

Pegasus

Saz's State House

FARM-TO-TABLE RESTAURANT

ODD DUCK FINALISTS

Heirloom MKE

Parkside 23

Purslane

FINE DINING

BARTOLOTTA'S LAKE PARK BISTRO FINALISTS

The Jackson Grill

The Packing House

Sanford FISH FRY

LAKEFRONT BREWERY FINALISTS

Kegel's Inn

Layman Brewing

The Packing House

FOOD TRUCK

FLOUR GIRL & FLAME

FINALISTS

Azteca

Lakefront Brewery Curd Wagon

My Auntie's Kitchen

Tots on the Street

FRENCH RESTAURANT

LE REVE PATISSERIE & CAFE

FINALISTS

Lake Park Bistro

Lupi & Iris

Pastiche Bistro

FRIED CHEESE CURDS

GELATO SHOP

GLORIOSO'S ITALIAN MARKET

FINALISTS

Cold Spoons Gelato

Divino Gelato Cafe

GERMAN RESTAURANT

KEGEL'S INN FINALISTS

Bavarian Bierhaus

Mader's Restaurant

Von Trier

GLUTEN-FREE/FRIENDLY RESTAURANT

FLOUR GIRL & FLAME

FINALISTS

Cafe Manna

Lakefront Brewery Purslane

GREEK RESTAURANT

OAKLAND GYROS FINALISTS

Apollo Cafe

Avli

Gyro House

HOT DOG

THE VANGUARD

FINALISTS

Dr. Dawg

Martino's Hot Dogs & Italian Beef

Sammy's Taste of Chicago

The Dogg Haus

HOTEL RESTAURANT

MASON STREET GRILL

FINALISTS

Bar West Il Cervo

Stella Van Buren

Tre Rivali

ICE CREAM/FROZEN CUSTARD STAND

KOPP'S FROZEN CUSTARD

FINALISTS

Gilles Frozen Custard

Leon's Frozen Custard

Oscar's Frozen Custard

Purple Door Ice Cream

INDIAN/PAKISTANI RESTAURANT

CAFE INDIA

FINALISTS

Bollywood Grill

Himalayan Yak

India Garden

Maharaja Turmeric

LAKEFRONT BREWERY FINALISTS

Buckatabon Tavern & Supper Club

Camino Fox Den

FROZEN YOGURT SHOP

YO MAMA!

FINALISTS

IRISH RESTAURANT

COUNTY CLARE IRISH INN & PUB

FINALISTS

McBob's Pub & Grill

Mo's Irish Pub

Mulligans Irish Pub & Grill

ITALIAN RESTAURANT

SANTINO'S LITTLE ITALY

FINALISTS

Sala Modern Sicilian

That's Amoré

The Pasta Tree Restaurant & Wine

Bar

JAPANESE RESTAURANT HUNGRY SUMO

FINALISTS

Cute Robot

Kawa Ramen and Sushi

Kyoto

Screaming Tuna

JEWISH/KOSHER-STYLE

RESTAURANT

BENJI'S DELI

FINALISTS

Hen's Deli

Jake's Deli

KITCHEN OPEN AFTER 10 P.M. OAKLAND GYROS

FINALISTS

Fox Den Pete's Pub

The Vanguard

KOREAN RESTAURANT

CHAR'D

FINALISTS

K Street Cafe

Stone Bowl Grill

LOUISIANA/SOUTHERN RESTAURANT

MAXIE'S

FINALISTS

1700 Pull Up

Crawdaddy's

Mr Perkins

Tupelo Honey

MAC & CHEESE

DOUBLE B'S BBQ

FINALISTS

Lakefront Brewery

Maxie's

MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT LEBNANI HOUSE

FINALISTS

Apollo Cafe

Casablanca

Purslane

Shahrazad

MEXICAN RESTAURANT BOTANAS

FINALISTS

Cafe Corazon

Guanajuato Mexican Restaurant

La Casa de Alberto

MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT LEBNANI HOUSE

FINALISTS

Casablanca

Pita Palace

Purslane

Shahrazad

NEW RESTAURANT (OPENED IN 2025)

ST. FRANCIS BREWING & RESTAURANT

FINALISTS

Las Gardenias

Mother's

Outlaw Oyster

Purslane

OUTDOOR DINING

BARNACLE BUD’S

FINALISTS

Café Benelux

Lakefront Brewery

Sala Modern Sicilian

The Pasta Tree Restaurant & Wine

Bar

PIZZERIA - DEEP DISH

FIXTURE PIZZA PUB

FINALISTS

Capri di Nuovo

Lou Malnati's

PIZZERIA - THIN CRUST

ZAFFIRO'S PIZZA

FINALISTS

Balistreri's

Lisa's Pizza

Sala Modern Sicilian

PIZZERIA - WOOD-FIRED OVEN

FLOUR GIRL & FLAME

FINALISTS

Carini's

Proof Pizza

Santino's Little Italy

Wy'east Pizza

PLACE TO EAT ALONE

LAKEFRONT BREWERY

FINALISTS

Fred's Frozen Custard & Grill

Kawa Ramen & Sushi

Layman Brewing

Pete’s Pub

Purslane

RAMEN

HUNGRY SUMO

FINALISTS

Easy Tyger

Kawa Ramen and Sushi

Tanpopo Ramen & Sushi

RESTAURANT OPEN ON CHRISTMAS DAY

THE PACKING HOUSE

FINALISTS

Aria

Emperor of China

Kawa Japanese Restaurant

RESTAURANT SERVICE

LAKEFRONT BREWERY

FINALISTS

Purslane

Sala Modern Sicilian

The Jackson Grill

RESTAURANT WITH A VIEW

HARBOR HOUSE

FINALISTS

Café Benelux

Lakefront Brewery

Lake Park Bistro

ROMANTIC RESTAURANT

LAKE PARK BISTRO

FINALISTS

Milwaukee ChopHouse

Purslane

Sala Modern Sicilian

The Packing House

The Pasta Tree Restaurant & Wine

Bar

SANDWICH

WEST ALLIS CHEESE & SAUSAGE SHOPPE FINALISTS

Benji's Deli

Faklandia

Hen's Deli

McBob’s Pub & Grill

SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

ST. PAUL FISH COMPANY

FINALISTS

Carini's Southern Italian

Harbor House

Maxie's

Sala Modern Sicilian SOUL FOOD

MAXIE'S FINALISTS

Atwood BBQ

Big Daddy's

Daddy's Soul Food & Grille

Plate Pleasures Eatery

SOUPS

THE SOUP MARKET

FINALISTS

Beans and Barley

Benji's Deli

Loup

Sala Modern Sicilian SPANISH RESTAURANT

LA MERENDA FINALISTS

Amilinda

Movida

The Spanish Traveller

STEAKHOUSE

FIVE O'CLOCK STEAKHOUSE FINALISTS

Eddie Martini's

Mo’s...A Place for Steaks

The Jackson Grill

The Packing House

SUB SANDWICH

COUSINS SUBS FINALISTS

Chocolate Factory

Hen's Deli

Suburpia

SUPPER CLUB

SUSHI HUNGRY SUMO

FINALISTS

1033 Omakase

Kawa Ramen and Sushi

Kyoto

Screaming Tuna

TACO

GUANAJUATO MEXICAN RESTAURANT FINALISTS

BelAir Cantina

Botanas

Cafe Corazon

Chucho's Red Tacos

Paloma Taco + Tequila

TAPAS (SMALL PLATES) LA MERENDA FINALISTS

Movida

Odd Duck Purslane

THAI RESTAURANT THAI-NAMITE FINALISTS

Bangkok House

EE-Sane Thai-Lao Cuisine Room Service

VEGAN-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT TWISTED PLANTS FINALISTS

Beans and Barley

Cafe Manna

Purslane

Strange Town

VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT

TWISTED PLANTS FINALISTS

Beans & Barley

Cafe Manna

Purslane

VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT HUE ASIAN KITCHEN FINALISTS

Mekong Cafe

Pho Cali

Pho Saigon

Vientiane WINE LIST

STORY HILL BKC FINALISTS

Five O'Clock Steakhouse

Mason Street Grill

Mo's...A Place for Steaks Purslane

DOUBLE B'S BBQ

FINALISTS

Carson's Ribs

Pitch's

Saz's State House

The Packing House

FIVE O'CLOCK STEAKHOUSE

Buckatabon Tavern & Supper Club

Joey Gerard's

The Jackson Grill

The Packing House

CANCER CENTER

FROEDTERT CANCER CENTER

FINALISTS

Ascension Columbia St. Mary's

Aurora St. Luke's

CARDIOLOGIST

DR. MATTHEW WEINBERG

FINALISTS

Dr. James Schulgit

Dr. Michael Curley

Dr. Steven C. Port

CHIROPRACTOR

SOUTH SHORE FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC

FINALISTS

Anne Maedke

Ascent Chiropractic

Nick Lundbohm - ChiroWay of Menomonee Falls

COSMETIC DENTIST

MAJOR DENTAL CLINICS

FINALISTS

Lake Park Dental

Stephanie Murphy

The Dentists South Shore

COSMETIC SURGEON

DR. MICHAEL SWEET

FINALISTS

Dr. Bosbous

Dr. Mark Blake

DENTIST

MAJOR DENTAL CLINICS

FINALISTS

Saint Francis Dental Center

Stephanie Murphy

The Dentists South Shore

DERMATOLOGY

DR. EDIT OLASZ - FROEDERT DERMATOLOGY

FINALISTS

Affliated Dermatologists

Forefront Dermatology

Madison Medical

EYE DOCTOR

METRO EYE

FINALISTS

414 Eyes

Eyes on the Lake Milwaukee Eye Care

HOME MEDICAL CARE

RALYN HOMECARE LLC

FINALISTS

Aurora Home and Hospice

Compassus

Hearts to Home Senior Home Care

Horizon Home Care and Hospice HOSPITAL

FROEDTERT HOSPITAL

FINALISTS

Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center

Aurora St. Luke's South Shore West Allis Memorial Hospital

LASIK SURGEON

MILWAUKEE EYE CARE

FINALISTS

Dr. Lanny Hale

Dr. Louis Probst

MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC ROGERS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

FINALISTS

Integration Healing - Alivio Integral

New Frontiers Psychiatric & TMS

Water's Edge Therapy Services, LLC OB-GYN

MORELAND OB-GYN ASSOCIATES FINALISTS

Dr. Jessica Francis

Dr. Jonathan Berkoff

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST

ERIN BAFFUNO FINALISTS

Allison Ayers

Jackie Kucharski

ORTHODONTIST

BELL ORTHODONTIC SOLUTIONS FINALISTS

Dr. Todd Connell

Grafton Orthodontics

Wurm Orthodontics

PEDIATRICIAN

DR. STEPHANIE SLOCK FINALISTS

Dr. David Sherman

Dr. Jeffrey Gehl

Dr. Larissa Malmstadt

Dr. Timothy Marsho

PHYSICAL THERAPIST

WISCONSIN ORTHOPEDIC PHYSICAL THERAPY FINALISTS

Bradley Ng

Erik Heinlein

PSYCHIATRIST / PSYCHOLOGIST

LAKESHORE PSYCHOLOGY SERVICES

FINALISTS

Carlyle Chan

Kailagh Lewis

Shorehaven Behavioral Health

SOUND THERAPY

ANGELIC ROOTS - OAK CREEK

FINALISTS

Adagio Sound Healing

Parisa Yoga Shala

Syinthesis® Sound Healing Center

SPEECH THERAPIST

CUW SPEECH, LANGUAGE, & HEARING CLINIC FINALISTS

Cindy Shicotte

Julie Thoe

SPORTS MEDICINE

MIDWEST ORTHOPEDIC FINALISTS

Dr. Nicholas Webber

Wisconsin Sports Medicine

TELEMEDICINE PROVIDER

A RIGHT PATH WELLNESS FINALISTS

Thrive Holistic Medicine

WOMEN'S MEDICAL SERVICES

PLANNED PARENTHOOD FINALISTS

Care for All Clinic

Midlife Midwife MKE

Thrive Holistic Medicine

MUSIC

ACOUSTIC MUSICIAN

JAKE WILLIAMS FINALISTS

Jack Tell

Keanen Kopplin

Rio Lanza

BLUEGRASS BAND

CHICKEN WIRE EMPIRE FINALISTS

Bluegrass Allstars

Plank Road Project

Sawdust Symphony

The MilBillies

BLUES BAND

JOHNNY T-BIRD & THE MP'S

FINALISTS

Altered Five Blues Band

Milwaukee Blues Rock Collective CLUB DJ

DJ SHAWNA FINALISTS

DJ Breezy

DJ Topher

Don Black COUNTRY

THE WHISKEYBELLES FINALISTS

Bella Cain

Catelyn Huckstep

God's Outlaw

Ladybird Road Crew

COVER/TRIBUTE BAND FAILURE TO LAUNCH FINALISTS

FallBack

Smart Mouth

Sons of Sconnie

ELECTRONIC ARTIST

JOHNNY FRANCHINO FINALISTS

Demix

Immortal Girlfriend

FOLK BAND

THE MIDNIGHT PURCHASE FINALISTS

Long Mama

Tethered Souls

INDIE BAND

THE NEW GREY FINALISTS

Known Moons

JAZZ COMBO

MILWAUKEE

JAZZ INSTITUTE

FINALISTS

B.D. Greer & The Gents

Ellen Winters Group

Jazz Flux

METAL BAND

CHERRY PIE

FINALISTS

Beatallica Conniption

Fates of Death

Fight Dice

Garden Home

H1Z1

Metal Men

Reflection of Flesh

Snag

Spiral Trance

MUSIC PRODUCER/ENGINEER

SD PRODUCES

FINALISTS

Jeff Hamilton

Mitch Cooper Ric Probst

Vincent Van Great POLKA BAND

THE SQUEEZETTES

FINALISTS

Ed Hause

The November Criminals Vern and the originals RAP/HIP-HOP ARTIST

JOHNNY FRANCHINO

FINALISTS

414BigFrank IshDARR

NilexNile

Vincent Van Great ROCK BAND

THE NEW GREY FINALISTS

Gabriel Sanchez Project

Known Moons

The Midnight Purchase

VOCALIST-FEMALE

AMANDA HUFF

FINALISTS

Anna Hoak

Ashley Patin

B.D. Greer

VOCALIST—MALE

JOHNNY FRANCHINO

FINALISTS

Jake Williams

Josh Quinn

Vincent Van Great

OUT AND ABOUT

ALL-AGES VENUE

CACTUS CLUB

FINALISTS

Bud Pavilion

ART STUDIO/CLASSES

CREAM CITY CLAY FINALISTS

Angelic Roots - Oak Creek

Cloud 9 Workshop

Splash Studio

ATTRACTION FOR OUT-OFTOWN GUESTS

MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM

FINALISTS

Best Place at Pabst

Black Cat Alley

Harley-Davidson Museum

Lakefront Brewery

The New Fashioned

AXE THROWING BAR

AXE MKE FINALISTS

NorthSouth Club

BAR FOR QUIET CONVERSATION AT RANDOM FINALISTS

Bryant's Cocktail Lounge

Busby's Layman Brewing

BAR ON A BUDGET NEWPORT FINALISTS

Creed's Foggy Dew Dreamers Classic Bar

Monica’s

BAR TO BE SEEN IN THE BAR AT SAINT KATE – THE ARTS HOTEL FINALISTS

NorthSouth Club

The Wiggle Room

Tied House Milwaukee

BAR TO WATCH SOCCER NOMAD FINALISTS

Moran's Pub

The Highbury

Three Lions Pub

BAR WITH A PATIO BOONE & CROCKETT FINALISTS

Blackbird Bar

Fluid

The New Fashioned BEER GARDEN

SOUTH SHORE TERRACE KITCHEN & BEER GARDEN FINALISTS

Estabrook Park

The Vine Whitnall Beer Garden BLOODY MARY

SOBELMAN'S FINALISTS

BREWERS SHUTTLE

STENY'S FINALISTS

Brat House

O'Lydia's Paulie's Pub

Redbar

Saz’s State House BREWERY TOUR

LAKEFRONT BREWERY

FINALISTS

Layman Brewing

Pabst

Sprecher Brewery CAR SHOW

DOWNTOWN WEST ALLIS CLASSIC CAR SHOW

FINALISTS

Cars & Coffee

Cheaterama Car Show - South Milwaukee

Georgie Porgie's COCKTAIL LOUNGE AT RANDOM FINALISTS

Blu

Boone & Crockett Bryants

COMEDY CLUB COMEDYSPORTZ MILWAUKEE

FINALISTS

Keg Stand Up at Lakefront Brewery

The Laughing Tap COUNTRY BAR

NASHVILLE NORTH FINALISTS

Big Sky Country - State Fair

Schotzy's Steny's

CRAFT BEER SELECTION AT A BAR

SUGAR MAPLE FINALISTS

Busby's Fourth-N-Long

Ope! Brewing Co.

DANCE CLUB

MAD PLANET FINALISTS

LaCage Niteclub

Lucid

Wiggle

HAPPY HOUR

BLACKBIRD BAR FINALISTS

Mason Street Grill

Mulligans Irish Pub & Grill

HOOKAH LOUNGE

The New Fashioned X-Ray Arcade

ARCADE/GAMING

UP-DOWN ARCADE BAR

FINALISTS

Dead Bird Brewing Company

Garcade X-Ray Arcade

Lobby Lounge at The Pfister Hotel

CASABLANCA

HOTEL LOUNGE

THE BAR AT SAINT KATE

– THE ARTS HOTEL

FINALISTS

Bar West

The Pfister

Tre Rivali

IMPORT BEER SELECTION AT A BAR

CAFE HOLLANDER

FINALISTS

Busby's Moran's Pub

Mulligans

IRISH PUB

COUNTY CLARE

IRISH INN & PUB

FINALISTS

Mo's Irish Pub

Mulligans Irish Pub & Grill

Paddy's Pub

JAZZ CLUB

CAROLINE'S JAZZ CLUB

FINALISTS

Bar Centro

Blu

The Estate

KARAOKE BAR

AMPED

FINALISTS

Faklandia

Graingers

Jackalope Lounj

LIVE MUSIC VENUE

CACTUS CLUB

FINALISTS

Bud Pavilion

Riverside Theatre

The Rave

Turner Hall

X-Ray Arcade

MARGARITA

BOTANAS

FINALISTS

Cafe Corazon

Paloma

Tied House Milwaukee

MARTINI

BLU

FINALISTS

Don's TV Repair Shop

Mo’s...A Place for Steaks

Tied House Milwaukee

MICROBREWERY/TAPROOM

OPE! BREWING CO.

FINALISTS

Eagle Park

Lakefront Brewery

Layman Brewing

MILWAUKEE TOUR

LAKEFRONT BREWERY

MOCKTAIL SELECTION

BOONE & CROCKETT

FINALISTS

Agency

Station No. 6

The Wiggle Room

NATURE CENTER

SCHLITZ AUDUBON NATURE CENTER

FINALISTS

Hawthorn Glen

Urban Ecology Center

Wehr Nature Center

NEW BAR (OPENED IN 2025)

ST FRANCIS BREWERY

FINALISTS

Bar 920

Dirty Dime Mallards

OLD FASHIONED

BOONE & CROCKETT

FINALISTS

Copper On King

Layman Brewing

The New Fashioned

Tied House Milwaukee

PET-FRIENDLY ESTABLISHMENT

OPE! BREWING CO.

FINALISTS

Black Husky

Riley's Bar + Burger

Riley's Social House & Sandwich Co.

Station No. 6 - West Allis

PLACE FOR FAMILY FUN

WISCONSIN STATE FAIR

FINALISTS

Reunion Restaurant - West Allis

Safehouse

The New Fashioned

Urban Ecology Center

ROCK CLUB CACTUS CLUB

FINALISTS

Linneman's Riverwest Inn

Sabbatic

Shank Hall

X-Ray Arcade

ROMANTIC BAR AT RANDOM

FINALISTS

Blu

Bryant's Cocktail Lounge

Tied House Milwaukee

SPORTS BAR

STENY'S FINALISTS

Major Goolsby's

Moran's Pub

Pete’s Pub

TRIVIA NIGHT

BLACKBIRD BAR

FINALISTS

Creed's Foggy Dew

Lakefront Brewery

Ope! Brewing Co.

WHISKEY SELECTION AT A BAR

THE VANGUARD

FINALISTS

Maxie's

Station No 06

Tied House Milwaukee

WINERY

COOPER'S HAWK WINERY BROOKFIELD

FINALISTS

Apple Works Winery

Cache Cider

Chiselled Grape Winery

REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE AGENCY

MILWAUKEE

FLAT FEE HOMES

FINALISTS

Keller Williams

Realty Of America

Shorewest Realtors

REAL ESTATE AGENT/BROKER

PAUL STEVENS FINALISTS

Amanda Schroder

Lisa-Marie Franco-Garcia

Peter Adams - Coldwell Banker

Realty

RENTAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT GROUP

WELCOME HOME

MILWAUKEE

FINALISTS

Harmoniq Residential

Realty Of America

Vandelay Group

SERVICES

RENDERED

ACCOUNTANT/TAX ADVISER CONTABLE TAX GROUP

FINALISTS

JazNelly’s Tax Service

Nelson Tax Accounting Ltd

AESTHETICIAN

LOVELY SALON AND SPA

FINALISTS

Bloom Skin Spa

EpidermiSpa

Solskin Wellness LLC

ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATION

AUTO BODY SHOP

PEREZ AUTOMOTIVE

FINALISTS

Pinkey's Capital Auto Body

VCA Auto Body

AUTO DETAILER

METRO CAR WASH & DETAILING

FINALISTS

Detail Doctors

Endless Detailing

Van Horn Honda - Glendale

AUTO SERVICE & REPAIR

MANYO MOTORS

FINALISTS

R & R Auto Services

Riverside Automotive

BANK

ASSOCIATED BANK

FINALISTS

Chase

Tri City National Bank

US Bank

BARTENDING SERVICES OVER THE MOON BARTENDING

FINALISTS

Last Call Beverages

The Crafted Tavern BED AND BREAKFAST

COUNTY CLARE IRISH INN & PUB

FINALISTS

Brumder Mansion

Honeybee Inn

The Muse Gallery Guesthouse

Washington House Inn

BODY PIERCING STUDIO

AVANT-GARDE

BODY PIERCING

FINALISTS

Body Ritual

Kapow Ink

BOUTIQUE HOTEL

SAINT KATE

– THE ARTS HOTEL FINALISTS

Dubbel Dutch Hotel

Iron Horse

Kinn

CARPET CLEANING

J & S CARPET CLEANING FINALISTS

Shabahang

CATERER

FLOUR GIRL & FLAME

FINALISTS

Bunzel's Old Fashioned Meat Market

TRAVEL GATEWAY (BEST WAY TO GET OUT OF TOWN)

MILWAUKEE MITCHELL

INTERNATIONAL

AIRPORT

FINALISTS

Amtrak

Fox Travel

Intermodal

Station

Lake Express

High Speed Ferry

WISCONSIN HUMANE

Almost Home Cat Rescue MKE

Happy Endings No Kill Cat Shelter

Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal

Noble Catering & Events

Saz's Hospitality Group

COLLEGE / UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - MILWAUKEE

FINALISTS

Edessa School of Fashion

Marquette University

Mount Mary University

CREDIT UNION

EDUCATORS CREDIT

UNION

FINALISTS

Landmark Credit Union

Summit Credit Union

UW Credit Union

DOG WALKER

TAILS N' TRAILS

FINALISTS

Milwaukee Paws Pet Care

Off Leash MKE

DOGGY DAY CARE/BOARDING

TAILS N’ TRAILS

FINALISTS

Bay View Bark

Canine Einstein

Dog City Hotel & Spa

ESTATE SALE COMPANY

CHANO'S WAREHOUSE

FINALISTS

Golden Hour Estate Sales

Lakeshore Estate Sales

Landmark Estate Sales

FINANCIAL INSTITUTION FOR GETTING A BUSINESS LOAN

EDUCATORS

CREDIT UNION

FINALISTS

Landmark Credit Union

North Shore Bank

US Bank

FINANCIAL INSTITUTION FOR GETTING A HOME MORTGAGE

EDUCATORS CREDIT UNION

FINALISTS

Summit Credit Union UW Credit Union

Wisconsin Mortgage Corporation

FINANCIAL INSTITUTION FOR OPENING A CHECKING ACCOUNT

EDUCATORS CREDIT UNION

FINALISTS

Summit Credit Union US Bank

UW Credit Union

FINANCIAL INSTITUTION PROVIDING BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE

EDUCATORS CREDIT UNION

FINALISTS

Landmark Credit Union

Summit Credit Union

US Bank

UW Credit Union

HAIR REMOVAL

ROSE AESTHETICS

FINALISTS

414 Beauty

Beauty Marked LLC

Bloom Skin Spa

Lovely Salon and Spa

HAIR SALON - MEN'S GROOM FOR MEN

FINALISTS

BClip'd Barber Studio

Lovely Salon and Spa

Ortiz Brothers

Parker Hair Studio

Stag Barbershop

HAIR SALON - WOMEN'S MONARCH LOFT

FINALISTS

Julia's Hair Lounge

Lovely Salon and Spa

VitaBella Salon

HAIR STYLIST - MEN'S SAMANTHA BOYD – DAPPER & CO BARBERSHOP

FINALISTS

Alison Rahlf – Groom for Men

Jordanne – Golden Hare

Barbershop

Parker Davis – Parker Hair Studio

HAIR STYLIST - WOMEN'S KALIE BOWES –HEIRLOOM STUDIO

FINALISTS

Bella Menore – VitaBella Salon

Diffuse Hair by Michelle

Emily Ernest at Studio 890

Jelly Sosa – Jelly Sosa’s Hair

Bakery

HOME CLEANING SERVICE MOLLY MAID

FINALISTS

GC Cleaning

Magnificent Mamas LLC

Maid Pro

HOTEL ROOMS

THE PFISTER HOTEL

FINALISTS

Ambassador Hotel

Metro

Saint Kate the Arts Hotel

IMMIGRATION SERVICES

MARIA I. LOPEZ IMMIGRATION LAW

FINALISTS

Soberalski Immigration Law

INSURANCE AGENCY

SHOREWEST

INSURANCE

JUNK REMOVAL

TWO MEN AND A JUNK TRUCK

FINALISTS

Camo Crew

Toss It Disposal

LASHES

LASH MKE

FINALISTS

414 Beauty LLC

Flutter Beauty Bar

Sólskin Wellness LLC

LAW FIRM - BANKRUPTCY

DEBT ADVISORS

LAW OFFICES

FINALISTS

Buss Law

The Bankruptcy Law Office of Richard A. Check, S.C.

LAW FIRM - BUSINESS

HUSCH BLACKWELL LLP

FINALISTS

Fox, O'Neill & Shannon, S.C.

Hildebrand Law

Michael Woodburn

LAW FIRM - CRIMINAL DEFENSE

GIMBEL, REILLY, GUERIN & BROWN, LLP

FINALISTS

Fox, O'Neill & Shannon, S.C.

Kim and Lavoy

Pruhs and Donavon

LAW FIRM - DIVORCE

NELSON KRUEGER & MILLENBACH

FINALISTS

Davis and Associates Attorneys at Law

Gagne, McChrystal, De Lorenzo & Burghardt

Reanna Grabow

Wiemer Law Group

LAW FIRM - ESTATE PLANNING

FOX, O'NEILL & SHANNON, S.C.

FINALISTS

Hildebrand Law Firm

Sage Legal Group, LLC

LAW FIRM - FAMILY LAW

NELSON KRUEGER & MILLENBACH

FINALISTS

Gagne, McChrystal, De Lorenzo & Burghardt

MacGillis Wiemer, LLC

LAW FIRM - FULL SERVICE

VON BRIESEN & ROPER, S.C.

LAW FIRM - NEW (UNDER 5 YEARS)

SOBERALSKI

IMMIGRATION LAW

FINALISTS

Amy Shapiro Family Law, LLC

Sage Legal Group, LLC

LAW FIRM - PERSONAL INJURY

GROTH LAW FIRM

FINALISTS

Hupy & Abraham

Lindner Law, LLC

Martin Law Office

LAW FIRM - SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE

GROTH LAW FIRM

FINALISTS

Bankruptcy Law Office of Richard

A Check

Hupy and Abraham Soberalski Immigration Law LLC

MOVING COMPANY

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

FINALISTS

Badger Brothers

College Hunks

Power Moves Relocation

NAIL SALON

L.U.X.E NAILS

MILWAUKEE

FINALISTS

Carrie's Cuteicles

Nail Bar Milwaukee

Willow Nail Salon

PEST CONTROL

ADVANCED WILDLIFE AND PEST CONTROL

FINALISTS

Pest 2 Rest Pest Control

The Bug Man and Queen Bee

PET BEHAVIORIST / TRAINER

TAILS N' TRAILS

FINALISTS

All Paws In

Bay View Bark

Canine Einstein Wag the Dog and Company

PET GROOMING

WHITNEY'S MOBILE

GROOMING

FINALISTS

Dog City Hotel & Spa

Embark Pet Spa

PHOTOGRAPHER - PORTRAIT

MELISSA KEITHSTUDIO M BOUDOIR

PHOTOGRAPHY

FINALISTS

PHOTOGRAPHER - WEDDING

DEE VON DRASEK

PHOTOGRAPHY FINALISTS

Dominika Fitzgerald - Milwaukee

Photo Company

Lottie Lillian

PICTURE FRAMING GALLERY SOUTH SHORE

GALLERY & FRAMING

FINALISTS

The Great Frame Up of Whitefish Bay

Tradewind

SENIOR LIVING FACILITY

ST. CAMILLUS

FINALISTS

Capri Communities

Cedar Community

Clement Manor

Hart Park Square

The Three Pillars

TATTOO PARLOR

STR8 KLOWNIN INK FINALISTS

The Skin Museum

Trust Tattoo and Body Piercings

Walker's Point Tattoo Company

TRAVEL AGENCY

FOX WORLD TRAVEL FINALISTS

A3 Travel Group with Dream Vacations - Angela Kallay

Elm Grove Travel

Starship Travel

VETERINARIAN

COMMUNITY

VETERINARY CLINIC

FINALISTS

Airport Animal Hospital

Brentwood Animal Hospital

Milwaukee Vet Clinic

Riverwest Veterinary Clinic

VIDEOGRAPHER

GONZALES VISUALS

FINALISTS

Eron Laber - Through Line Studios

Ryan Von Drasek

Samer Ghani

WEALTH MANAGEMENT / FINANCIAL PLANNING

EDUCATORS CREDIT UNION

FINALISTS

Baird

Northwestern Mutual Park Place

SPORTS AND RECREATION

BOWLING ALLEY

LANDMARK LANES

FINALISTS

Bayview Bowl

Falcon Bowl

The New Fashioned DANCE STUDIO

DANCEWORKS

FINALISTS

Pole Factory MKE

Trinity Academy of Irish Dance

ENDURANCE EVENT

RIVERWEST 24

FINALISTS

Lakefront Marathon

Milwaukee Marathon

Sweet Home Milwaukee 5k

FAVORITE BREWERS PLAYER

SAL FRELICK

FINALISTS

Christian Yelich

Jackson Chourio

William Contreras

FAVORITE BUCKS PLAYER

GIANNIS

ANTETOKOUNMPO

FINALISTS

Bobby Portis Jr.

Thanasis Antetokounmpo

FAVORITE PACKERS PLAYER

JORDAN LOVE

FINALISTS

Micah Parsons

Tucker Kraft

GOLF COURSE

ERIN HILLS

FINALISTS

Brown Deer Golf Course

Kettle Hills

Lincoln Park

Warnimont

MINI GOLF COURSE

NINE BELOW

FINALISTS

Big Putts Mini Golf

Gastrau’s Golf Center - Oak Creek

Holey Mackerel

Moreland Road Golf

PADDLESPORTSRENT OR BUY

MILWAUKEE

KAYAK COMPANY

FINALISTS

Brew City Kayaks

REC SPORTS LEAGUE

Dee Von Drasek Photography

Dominika Fitzgerald - Milwaukee

Photo Company

BREWCITY BRUISERS ROLLER DERBY

FINALISTS

Konkel Park Softball

Milwaukee Lawn Bowling

Shuffleboard League at NorthSouth Club

SSBL Milwaukee

ROCK CLIMBING VENUE

ADVENTURE ROCK

FINALISTS

Turner Hall Climbing Gym

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2025

BBC LIGHTING

2015 W. St. Paul Ave., Milwaukee (414) 933-0808

Shopbbclighting.com

Boasting Wisconsin’s largest lighting showroom, you’re sure to find the right piece that fits your style. The friendly sales staff are readily available for answers to all your lighting questions.

C3 DESIGNS

2110 10th Ave., South Milwaukee (414) 764-3892

C3-designs.com

C3 Designs is the best jewelry store in the Milwaukee area to help with your holiday gift giving ideas. Store owner Chris Jensen is a nationally award-winning jewelry designer who has won over 25 awards for his custom creations. His design team at C3 Designs can help you choose the perfect one-of-a-kind gift for this

DISCOUNT LIQUOR

5031 W. Oklahoma Ave., Milwaukee (414) 545-2175

919 N. Barstow Ave., Waukesha (262) 547-7525

Discountliquorinc.com

Discount liquor is your one-stop shop for all your gift-giving needs with our expansive selection of 8,000 wines, 4,000 liquors and 2,000 beers. Check out our huge variety of holiday liquor, beer and wine gift sets perfect for friends, co-workers and loved ones. Find out why we have been voted the best for 24 award-winning years.

FISCHBERGER’S VARIETY

2445 N. Holton St., Milwaukee (414) 263-1991

Fischbergers.com

There’s so much in stock this holiday season at Fischberger’s Variety! Celebrating our 19th year and still bringing you the funnest, freshest gifts around! Add free gift wrapping and you’re done! Gifts for the whole family, always edgy and wholesome. Always at the lowest possible price!

FIVE O’CLOCK STEAKHOUSE

2416 W. State St., Milwaukee (414) 342-3553

Fiveoclocksteakhouse.com

Make your holidays special and shopping easy! Purchase a $100 gift card and receive a $25 gift certificate. Five O’Clock Steakhouse specializes in serving award-winning steaks and seafood paired with a notable wine list, classic cocktails, and outstanding personalized service.

GALLERY 507 GIFT SHOP

507 W. North Ave., Milwaukee (414) 307-4888

A new addition to the Bronzeville community, the Gallery 507 Gift Shop offers a curated selection of unique items from local artists and artists around the world, perfect for your holiday shopping. Your purchase directly supports the Bronzeville Center of the Arts and its future

HARMONIC HARVEST

250 N. Water St., Milwaukee (414) 373-1414

Harmonicharvest.org

This holiday season, shop with purpose and discover handcrafted pieces that support artisans and our nonprofit mission. Harmonic Harvest fosters social sustainability by empowering community connection. We envision a future where communities are woven together through meaningful gatherings, collaboration, and collective care. We are located in the Third Ward in the Marshall Building on the 1st and 3rd floors.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON MUSEUM

400 W. Canal St., Milwaukee (877) 436-8738

harley-davidson.com/us/en/museum. html

Rev up the holidays at the H-D Museum, where families can build and continue their own traditions and make lasting memories. Head to Breakfast with Santa on December 7, 14, and 21 for a full holiday experience including a delicious brunch buffet in Rumble, letter writing to Santa, cookie decorating, holiday movies and photos with our guest from the North Pole!

HEALIUM HOT YOGA-WEST ALLIS

6679 W. National Ave., West Allis, (414) 616-1106

Healiumhotyoga.com/hhy-west-allis

HEALIUM HOT YOGA-BAY VIEW

2534 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., Milwaukee (414) 232-2165

Healiumhotyoga.com/hhy-bay-view

HEALIUM RESTORE

435 E. Lincoln Ave., Milwaukee (414) 232-2165

Healiumhotyoga.com/ restore-bay-view

HEALIUM HIIT

2865 Kinnickinnic Ave., Milwaukee (414) 309-0472

Healiumhotyoga.com/hiit-bay-view

Give the gift of Healium Yoga and HIIT this season! Our 5 Class Pack is on sale now through Dec. 31! Our class packs work at all four of our studios: Healium Hot Yoga-Bay View, West Allis, Healium Restore and Healium HIIT. 2025 Best of MKE Finalist!

HONEYBEE SAGE & WELLNESS

1819 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Milwaukee

207 E. Buffalo St., Milwaukee (414) 455-8247

Honeybeesage.com

HoneyBee Sage Wellness is an herbal beverage cafe that combines the unique concept of an apothecary, tea cafe, and alcohol-free craft cocktail lounge. It is the first of its kind in Milwaukee. Known for high quality products and superior service, our motto is “Elevation without intoxication!” HoneyBees thrive in community, and we joyfully welcome you to ours.

KNUCKLEHEADS WELLNESS

2949 N. Oakland Ave., Milwaukee (414) 962-3052

Knuckleheads.shop

Slide on down to Knuckleheads Wellness and check out why Knuckleheads won “Best of Milwaukee” Best Head Shop, Vape shop and CBD Shop 2019-2024! With the holidays coming up, Knuckleheads knows exactly how to help you get into the Holiday spirit. Our Holiday sale runs Dec 13– Dec 24; with 20%-50% off the entire store! Need something before or after then? Check out our large variety of Wellness products.

MILWAUKEE FILM

Mkefilm.org/gifts

Give the gift of film! Milwaukee Film has gifts for all the movie-lovers in your life, from Gift Memberships to Cinema Gift Packs—plus 2026 Milwaukee Film Festival ticket packages available starting Cyber Monday!

MILWAUKEE INSTITUTE OF ART & DESIGN (MIAD)

273 E. Erie St., Milwaukee (888) 749-MIAD

Miad.edu/holidaysale

Join us at the MIAD Holiday Sale, an annual tradition! The MIAD Holiday Sale is your opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind art and design gifts, from sculptures to greeting cards, paintings, photographs, jewelry and more, created by MIAD students and alumni at affordable prices. Preview night: Dec. 4, 6-8 p.m., $10 admission. Free admission Dec. 5, 5-8 p.m. and Dec. 6, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

MILWAUKEE

MAKERS MARKET

MilwaukeeMakersMarket.com

Dec. 7: “Early Bird Holiday Market” at Prairie Springs on Park

Dec. 21: “Holiday Showcase” at Discovery World

Milwaukee Makers Market encourages shopping Small, Local Businesses this Holiday Season! The Market will feature over 50 Local Businesses including art, jewelry, soaps, clothing, candles, unique gifts, Milwaukee themed accessories and more!

Admission to the Market is FREE! More information online.

MUSEUM OF WISCONSIN ART (MOWA)

205 Veterans Ave., West Bend (262) 334-9638

wisconsinart.org

Champagne Shopping

December 5–7

Find art-inspired gifts for everyone on your list this year at the MOWA Shop during Champagne Shopping! Throughout this three-day event, members sip champagne while they shop and receive exclusive discounts on a wide variety of products from Wisconsin-based artists and makers. Remember, a MOWA membership makes a great gift, too. Beginning at just $15, membership grants access to exhibitions, art making, tours, and so much more. Crew Membership receive 20% off and Member Plus and Above receive 30% off.

Visit wisconsinart.org/join.

OLD GUARD GAMES

3132 N. Downer Ave., Milwaukee (414) 988-0161

facebook.com/OldGuardMKE/

Come check out Milwaukee’s premier destination for tabletop gaming! Offering a vast selection of Magic the Gathering, Warhammer 40K, Pokemon, chess and board games, plus miniature wargames and figurines, Old Guard Games is a must-stop for your holiday shopping.

OLLIE SKINCARE Ollieskincare.com

Providing the best high quality and natural skincare gifts in Wisconsin, we carry a variety of specialty soaps, the popular whipped tallow and Bath & Body collections. With eight years of happy customers who swear by the benefits of our products, you can't go wrong with a gift from Ollie Skincare!

REFRESH VINTAGE

921 E. Ogden Ave., Milwaukee refreshvintage.com

The premier destination for stylish, vintage clothing and decor. Refresh Vintage has something for everyone on your list! Visit our website or stop by our store!

RENAISSANCE BOOKS

Milwaukee General Mitchell Airport Public Side of TSA Checkpoint (414) 747-4550 instagram.com/ renaissancebooksmilwaukee/

Thank you for supporting our local, independent, and family-owned store-since 1959. Come visit the world’s first and only used bookstore in an airport, conveniently located on the public side of the TSA Checkpoint. Renaissance Books sells used, new, rare, antique, and first edition books. Now offering bookish accessories as well. Free parking with purchase..

THE DEKOVEN CENTER

2000 Wisconsin Ave., Racine dekovencenter.org/christmas-2025

Celebrate the holidays at “Christmas at DeKoven” on Sunday, Dec. 7! This new family-friendly festival features local artisans, festive food, live music, a gingerbread competition, and a live nativity scene—all on our beautiful historic lakeside campus. Free entry.

THE JEWELERS GUILD

2408 E. St. Francis Ave., St. Francis (414) 488-2727

Jewelers guild.biz

Looking for something that says “only me” this holiday season? Join us at the Jewelers Guild where we feature stunning fine jewelry all made by hand in our studio! From classic to whimsical, the Jewelers Guild offers beautiful bespoke jewelry to fit every budget. Or give the gift of classes! Yes, we do that too! Gift Certificates, custom jewelry,

THE TOOL SHED: AN EROTIC BOUTIQUE

2427 N. Murray Ave., Milwaukee (414) 906-5304

toolshedtoys.com

The Tool Shed believes that loving our bodies is a revolutionary act, and that sexuality, pleasure, and intimacy are central to human well-being and health. We offer a curated selection of quality sex toys, lubes, body products, books and gifts in a welcoming atmosphere. Questions? Our friendly

Violins of Hope at Jewish Museum Milwaukee

BY DAVID LUHRSSEN

An orchestra of men in prison stripes waited for the trains at Auschwitz, ordered to serenade the new arrivals, lulling the captives into a false sense of calm. Many Jews sent by the Nazis to the camps carried their violins with them. After the Holocaust, some of those instruments were collected by a family of luthiers in Tel Aviv for a project called Violins of Hope. This fall, the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra hosted a Wisconsin tour that brought some of those instruments to various performing arts venues across Wisconsin. Many are displayed at the Jewish Museum Milwaukee as part of “Violins of Hope: Strings of Jewish Resistance and Resilience,” an exhibition guest curated by the Holocaust Research Education Center (HERC).

HERC’s executive director, Samantha Abramson, tells the origin story of Moshe Weinstein, “who fell in love with the violin the first time he heard one—at a Jewish wedding. He learned to play klezmer music and was trained as a luthier” before leaving Poland in the late 1930s during a wave of antisemitism. He was fortunate to exit ahead of the Nazi invaders who murdered his parents and siblings. Years later in Tel Aviv, he began collecting violins owned by Holocaust survivors and passed the legacy to his son and grandson, Amnon and Avshalom, who arranged performances with the instruments around the world. Although each violin is linked to a traumatic story, “Amnon thought destroying any one of them was a violation of the human spirit,” Abramson says.

HISTORY AND IDENTITY

The Jewish Museum’s exhibit opens in a space whose curvaceous walls suggest the gracious body of a violin and includes the instruments alongside text panels, videos, dioramas and interactive displays.

“This is not just a Holocaust exhibit,” Abramson says. “We want the viewers to understand antisemitism but also to understand who the Jews are—our history, our identity.” The museum hopes to provide the context with panels explaining klezmer as well as figures from Jewish cultural life. A timeline of Jewish history runs along one wall of the exhibit, starting in 825 BCE with Solomon’s Temple and winding through the Roman occupation of the Holy Land, the Crusades, the Expulsion of Jews from Spain … the Dreyfuss affair in 1894 France, the Immigration Act (1924) that restricted Jews and other unfavored groups from entering the U.S. …

“The violin is an instrument of exile—it’s portable,” says the Jewish Museum’s curator, Molly Dubin. Some of the exhibit’s violins are identified with owners who managed to escape into exile ahead of the Holocaust. Other owners remain nameless, but their stories can be inferred. One instrument is inlayed with a mother of pearl Star of David, indicating that the owner was a klezmer musician; the weathered topside suggests that its last months were spent outside, played under degrading circumstances at the orders of camp guards. Another violin is split open to show an insidious story. The label indicates it had been repaired in Germany in 1936 by a luthier who scribbled a swastika and Heil Hitler inside before returning it to its owner who went to his death unaware of the hateful message within.

Among the musician casualties of the Holocaust was Alma Maria Rose, niece of Gustav Mahler, forced to lead the women’s orchestra at Auschwitz. Bits of Nazi propaganda films are included in the exhibit’s videos, purporting to show well-treated Jewish detainees enjoying concerts.

Happier stories include the career of the Polish Jewish musician, Bronislaw Huberman, who founded the Palestine Symphony Orchestra (now the Israel Philharmonic) in 1936 and is shown in a photo at the inaugural concert. The conductor that night, Arturo Toscanani, was one of the world’s most celebrated classical musicians and an avowed anti-fascist.

The Holocaust murdered six million Jews but failed to destroy the Jewish people and erase their cultural contributions. “Strings of Jewish Resistance and Resilience” speaks to that survival.

“Violins of Hope: Strings of Jewish Resistance and Resilience” runs through January 25 at Jewish Museum Milwaukee, 1360 N. Prospect Ave. For more information, visit jewishmuseumilwaukee.org.

David Luhrssen is Managing Editor of the Shepherd Express and author of Hammer of the Gods: The Thule Society and the Birth of Nazism.

Photos of Violins of Hope Exhibit by Molly Dubin, courtesy of Jewish Museum Milwaukee. Illustration

This Month in Milwaukee 10 Things to do in December

BY CAROLINE DANNECKER, DAVID LUHRSSEN, NATALIE MURRAY, BLAINE SCHULTZ, BEN SLOWEY AND JULIA WATT

THROUGH DECEMBER 21

It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play Stackner Cabaret/ Milwaukee Repertory Theater

Director Jonathan Hetler gave this holiday classic—a familiar story to many—new life by incorporating original music and fully committing to the adaptation in both story and medium. The camaraderie between the actors— who were themselves playing actors cast in various roles for the station’s broadcast—was a joy to watch. Each cast member succeeded at making another laugh, and as an ensemble, they captured the spirit of a tight-knit team of creatives intent on making a good piece of art.

DECEMBER 6

Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church

The MMO celebrates its 125th anniversary this season with a program featuring, according to band member Fred Pike, “songs from the golden era of American mandolin orchestras” (pre-World War II). “We always do light classics—we’ll perform the Carmine Suite, and a newly commissioned piece by Josh Schmidt. Robyn Pluer will join us on a few songs.” MMO also performs December 7 at Plymouth Church on Milwaukee’s East Side.

DECEMBER 8

MSO Mondays Colectivo Coffee Wauwatosa

Coffee houses have long been havens for live acoustic music. Here’s a twist, a trio of string players from the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra with a live playlist you might not hear anywhere else. Violinist Jennifer Bouton Schaub, violist Michael Lieberman and bassist Broner McCoy set the scene.

CULTURE

DECEMBER 12

Season for a Smile: Lack of Reason w/ The Grovelers, Palm Ghosts and The Quilz X-Ray Arcade

The Team Bryce Foundation is a nonprofit devoted to giving children with disabilities a reason to smile. The fourth annual celebration and benefit concert features artists who appeared on the two volume Season For a Smile holiday compilation albums.

DECEMBER 19

Teenage Bottlerocket w/ Boris the Sprinkler and Rodeo Boys Shank Hall

Expect a wild night of music. Wyoming’s Teenage Bottlerocket brings a “perfect concoction of Ramones-esque pop-punk,” Green Bay legends Boris the Sprinkler combines highbrow songwriting with lowbrow nonstop stage antics. Rodeo Boys is “what happens when the Miller High Life gets legs and starts walking around on its own. A rippin’ four piece from Lansing, MI is for queers and steers alike.”

DECEMBER

23

The Commercialists Play the Music of A Charlie Brown Christmas

Turner Hall Ballroom

The 1964 soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas by the Vince Guaraldi Trio is a holiday classic. Likewise, “The Commercialists play the music of A Charlie Brown Christmas” has become a tradition with the Milwaukee trio Anthony Deutsch (piano and voice), Clay Schaub (bass) and Patrick Morrow (drums) reviving the familiar tunes. Two performances, 6 and 8:30 p.m.

DECEMBER 31

New Year’s Eve at the Bar

Saint Kate-The Arts Hotel

Dance the night away with friends and family at The Bar at Saint Kate’s extravagant New Years Eve party. Attendees can enjoy live entertainment from 3 p.m.-1 a.m., complimentary party favors and a champagne toast at midnight to ring in the New Year.

DECEMBER 31

New Year’s Sobriety Pow Wow

Tthigwe Gymnasium in Wgema Campus, 3232 W. Kilbourn Ave.

Milwaukee Intertribal Circle invites the community to gather for a New Year's Sobriety Pow Wow on December 31 at Tthigwe Gymnasium in Wgema Campus, 3232 W. Kilbourn Ave. The celebration of Indigenous culture, song and dance is free to the public and kicks off at 4 p.m.

DECEMBER 31

New Year’s Eve at Noon

Betty Brinn Children’s Museum

Families can ring in the New Year at the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum with a beach-themed party filled with fun activities and play-based learning from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Party goers can look forward to a beach ball dance, face painting, hat making, a giant beach ball drop and more, well before bedtime.

Dear Ally,

Now that the holidays are upon us, I don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m caught in the middle between the disagreement between my dad and sister. My mom died two years ago, and it’s been hard on all of us. She’d be devastated about their relationship and would stop at nothing to bring them back together. But I can’t do that.

Thanksgiving was a disaster. My father and sister just glared at each other and didn’t talk. After so much work in preparing the meal, my only reward was tension around the table.

I hated it. My husband and kids felt it too. After they left, my son said, “Thanksgiving used to be fun, but this year it was horrible.”

Dear Torn,

I’m so sorry about your mom’s passing. Time is a great healer. This quote about grief says it all. “Grief does not want to be solved. It wants to be held. Sat With. Witnesse …. It’s the shape of love after loss.” (Tierra Stockham.)

Your mom will always be in your heart. I bet she’d want you to prioritize taking care of yourself and your family rather than getting in the middle of the struggle between your dad and sister.

It’s natural to “try and assist,” but this is an example where you need to let them figure it out. Oftentimes, our willingness to help, robs them of a valuable learning opportunity. They each need to navigate whatever triggered the fight in the first place.

“Less is more,” in this case. The less you do, the more it forces them to solve the problem themselves. All of you will be stronger if you stay out of it.

Both my dad and my sister try to influence me to take “their side” of the issue, rather than leave me out of it. I’m trying to stay neutral, but I feel I should do something to get things back to normal. I have no idea of what would that be.

I offered to host our holiday dinner this year before they started fighting. Since Thanksgiving, they don’t want to show up at family gatherings anymore. My family doesn’t want to repeat another tense holiday.

But what’s the holidays without family? It’s more important now than ever, since Mom is no longer with us.

Because so much of my emotional energy is wrapped up in my father and sister’s drama, my husband and kids feel ignored. I feel like I’m disappointing absolutely everyone around me. Can you help?

Torn

Until they resolve their differences, you will need to see them independently and expect their absence at family gatherings. You can try to explain your choice by saying,

“I love you both. Because of that, I cannot take sides. Holidays are meant to be with family and celebrated.

At Thanksgiving, even my kids noticed the tension. I have to think about them. Once you make up, we can all be together. In that way, there will be room for joy and no space for tension.”

You can also add: “I really miss our time together.”

Regarding your husband and kids feeling ignored: this is a tough one. Moms feel this way often because we have been raised to believe that we’re supposed to be the universal caretakers for everyone and everything.

Sometimes we make mistakes and need to forgive ourselves. You need to do that. You cannot control the actions of others, like your father and sister’s behavior at Thanksgiving. You can only change your reaction. You are doing that by being open and letting them both know that they need to put aside their differences.

Stand strong and model the behavior you want to see in others.

If you start thinking more about standing up for yourself and less about disappointing others, you might start to feel better about yourself, your family and even the world.

You can do this!

Here for you,

Send your questions to AskAlly@shepex.com.

MChristmas Awaits

Our Return

BY PHILIP CHARD

aybe you’re one of the growing number of people who step back, take a long, thoughtful look at Christmas, the copious gifts, convivial parties, and festive decorations and, although cognizant of the wonder of it all, issue this sort of pronouncement:

“Get thee behind me!”

Don’t like the holidays much? Well, join the growing crowd who find that the commemoration of Christ’s birth (a la America) engenders little joy and heaps of temporary insanity. If I sound too “Bah humbug” for your liking, it’s probably because you remain in that shrinking sub-culture who still enjoy a merry and peaceful holiday season.

Maybe you complete your gift list by Labor Day. Perhaps your Christmas cards are out shortly after Thanksgiving. Possibly you’re not much for pricey items, big holiday parties, binge eating or alcohol-induced neardeath experiences.

How you differ from the frenetic masses.

GIFT GLUTTONY

Those crazed by Christmas engage in a dastardly tug-ofwar between the cultural expectation that they wallow in gift gluttony, credit card maximizing, power eating and family overdosing, while simultaneously embracing the holiday’s intended spirit of peace, joy and spiritual renewal. Reminds me of the parental admonition to a teenager about to leave on a hot date: Have fun and be good.

Hey, make up your mind.

It’s hard to make Christmas about peace, love and joy when it’s mostly characterized by shopping until you drop, baking marathons, abdominal distention and near-bankruptcy. There is no peace in still paying December’s credit card purchases in June. Joy does not rise from gaining five pounds in two days. There is no love in a mega mall crawling with hyperactive consumers clutching yard-long shopping lists.

FRENZY AND OVERLOAD

What’s worse, if you find Christmas a time of frenzy and overload, expect others to chastise you for saying so, likely labeling you a Scrooge. Some holly-jolly type may slap you on the back and ask, with condescending glee, “Where’s your Christmas spirit?”

In a place that’s unmentionable.

Those of us who find this season far more maniacal than merry sometimes mistakenly look for Christmas where we won’t find it, inside finely wrapped packages, cookies, hot toddies and dysfunctional family gatherings. It’s not there.

As the Grinch of Dr. Seuss’ story discovered, Christmas isn’t about stuff, or decorations or even celebrations. It is about giving of ourselves, and not just from our pocketbooks.

It’s easy to spend money (just look at our collective consumer debt), but it takes real heart to spend oneself. We are the Grinch that stole Christmas, and there’s only one way to save this holiday from ourselves. Give of what we have that holds true value, like our time, our caring, our empathy, our will to sow a little love in a world long on hate, indifference and cruelty.

Go caroling at a nursing home. Befriend an enemy. Give fewer gifts and, instead, more of your attention to someone who gets little. Invite a lonely person for Christmas dinner. Sing carols with your family instead of staring at the boob tube or face planting on some electronic device. If it snows, take a walk in the woods.

Christmas didn’t leave us. Sometime during the evolution of modern capitalism, we left it.

Lonely but hopeful, it awaits our return.

Philip Chard is a psychotherapist and author with a focus on lasting behavior change, emotional healing and adaptation to health challenges. For more, visit philipchard.com.

HO, HO, HOLD YOUR BOUNDARIES

DEAR RUTHIE,

I need you to be my holiday helper! Each Christmas, I visit my family, and they act like I’m still waiting to meet the right girl. I’m out, I’m proud and I’m tired. How do I handle the small talk without losing my cool?

“MARY”

CHRISTMAS, Gurlbye

DEAR BYE,

Family gatherings are like fruitcake — full of nuts and hard to swallow. Set boundaries: “We can talk about my life but let’s not rewrite it.” Then, arm yourself with distractions (silly stories about your friends, pictures of your dog in a Santa hat or a well-timed trip to the kitchen).

Ho, ho, hold your boundaries. If they still won’t behave, smile and say, “Santa knows who’s on the naughty list, and it’s everyone asking about my love life.”

XXOO

Ruthie's Social Calendar

DECEMBER 2

2025 SHEPHERD EXPRESS BEST OF MILWAUKEE PARTY AT HARLEY-DAVIDSON MUSEUM/THE GARAGE (400 W. CANAL ST.): Mix and mingle with the city’s movers and shakers during the party that keeps Milwaukee talking all year long. Who will be named best bartender? Most popular custard stand? Yummiest bakery? Favorite drag queen? Stop by the 6 p.m. bash and find out.

DECEMBER 4

JOLLYDAY PARTY AT WALKER’S PINT (818 S. SECOND ST.): The team at Walker’s Pint invite you to enjoy a little holiday cheer with this party that serves up music, drink specials, food and more. The fun starts at 5 p.m. and runs well into the night.

OPENING NIGHT IRVING BERLIN’S HOLIDAY INN AT BOMBSHELL STUDIO THEATRE (19700 W. BLUEMOUND ROAD): The beloved Christmas musical takes center stage in this delightful production from Bombshell Theatre. Check out the company’s new digs when you nab seats via www.bombshelltheatre.org. Hurry! The run closes December 21.

DECEMBER 6 & 7

MOSTLY CHRISTMAS JOYS FROM MOSTLY CHRISTMAS BOYS AT PITMAN

THEATRE (3401 S. 39TH ST.): The city’s choir for gay men and their allies, Our Voice, presents this seasonal offering that puts a little cheeky fun into Christmas. Two performances make it a snap to enjoy the classic carols, Broadway favorites and funloving parodies. Visit www.ourvoicemke.org for tickets, showtimes and more.

DECEMBER 11

OPENING NIGHT ANNUAL GOLDEN GIRLS SPECIAL AT LACAGE NIGHTCLUB (801 S. SECOND ST.): What happens when Rose butts heads with Blanche’s boyfriend? Will Dorothy get along with her daughter-in-law? Why is Sophia acting like a teenager? Find out during this all-new show. Get tickets at www.ticketleap.events/events/ lacage/GG-2025 before the all-original comedy closes December 21.

DECEMBER 14

“CHRISTMAS WISHES, LETTERS TO SANTA” WOMEN'S VOICES MILWAUKEE CHRISTMAS CONCERT AT OAK CREEK ARTS & EDUCATION CENTER (340 E. PUETZ ROAD): Make the holidays extra bright with a 3 p.m. concert. Featuring all the seasonal charm you’ve come to expect from this talented group, it’s one show sure to make memories. Stop by www.oakcreekpaec.com for tickets.

DECEMBER 21

HO HO HOLIDAY PARTY AT POP (124 E. WELLS ST.): The gang at Pop wants to make your holiday merry with an 8 p.m. party. Enjoy craft cocktails alongside Pop’s popular pizza and finger foods as you dance the night away. If you haven’t been to Pop lately, Christmas is a great time to check it out!

DECEMBER 24

A CHRISTMAS CAROL AT PABST THEATER (144 E. WELLS ST.):

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the annual spectacular has become a tradition for thousands. The Milwaukee Rep helps you fit this production into Christmas Eve with two performances. See www.milwaukeerep.com for tickets.

DECEMBER 26

CLOSING NIGHT THE NUTCRACKER: DROSSELMEYER’S IMAGINARIUM AT MARCUS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (929 N. WATER ST.):

Soak up every last bit of holiday magic with this annual delight from the Milwaukee Ballet. Nearly 200 dancers take to the stage to entertain, entrance and evoke the merriest of merry as we bid adieu to Christmas. See www.marcuscenter.org for tickets.

DECEMBER 27

QUEER CRAFTERNOON AT MKE LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER (315 W. COURT ST.):

Whether you draw, knit, paint or simply color, enjoy this friendly noon event. Grab your supplies and head over to the center for a few hours of friendly conversation while you craft with likeminded folxs. See www.mklgbt.org for details.

There is nothing like a good book to while away a winter’s day in front of a crackling fire, or to give as a perfect holiday gift. This season, the realm of the LGBTQ printed word offers a full spectrum of titles to engage even the picky reader.

Leading the list are the works of local author, playwright and impresario (and winner of the 2025 Shepherd Express LGBTQ Progress Award for the Arts) D.H. Gutzman. Recently released are several new titles to add to his dozen or so LGBTQ-themed mysteries and historic fiction. The most recent is Le Legionnaire, a murder mystery of gay romance, riffs and revenge set in 1939 Capri with a backstory that takes the reader from Chicago to Algiers and includes the likes of Cole Porter, Noel Coward and Mussolini’s son-in-law (and others) among its cast of characters. Gutzman’s knack for writing spellbinding page-turners makes any of his novels unreservedly recommended. They are available solely through Amazon in Kindle or hardcopy formats.

I turned to Milwaukee’s Gay Men’s Book Club member Konrad Kuchenbach for reading recommendations based on the group’s monthly selections. He noted the Club’s picks feature both LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ authors and cited several titles, many of which were selected by maven of all things literary Carl Szatmary, the former owner of Outwords Books and founder of the Milwaukee LGBT Film Festival.

A Winter’s LGBTQ Reading List

BY PAUL MASTERSON

“The first book we read by a non-gay author was Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby in which the fathers of two gay sons seek revenge for their brutal murders,” Kuchenbach said. Among the list are several works by Percival Everett: James, a Pulitzer Prize winning novel about an escaped slave set in the antebellum South; and Erasure, about the foibles of Black publishing that was made into the movie American Fiction. He also cited Wounded, overhung with the specter of Matthew Shepherd, and Trees, a novel that came out of Emmett Till’s murder. “All are very good reads with gay characters and broader connection to the social challenges of life in America,” Kuchenbach said.

SONG TO MYSELF

Another Club recommended title is Song to Myself by Arnie Kantrowitz. Kuchenbach described the work as “a wonderful picaresque novel that covers American gay history from the 1930s to the turn of the century. Kantrowitz was a lover of Walt Whitman as is the main character of this novel that includes Whitman's poetry is sprinkled throughout the book.” One of his “guilty pleasures” is Edmund White, whose last book The Loves of My Life: A Sex Memoir—he describes as “a delight” and also mentioned his preference for author Andrew Holleran.

LGBTQ history comes to life through a number of this season’s selections. They include the newly published biographies of two of the greats of LGBTQ arts and letters, Black writer James Baldwin and portraitist Don Bachardy.

Photo of books by GettyImages/Cunaplus_M.Faba.

Released in August of this year, Nicholas Boggs’ Baldwin: A Love Story recounts the life of the 20th century’s leading gay Black author in a four-section format defined by Baldwin’s relationships and career. The 500-page tome is an exploration of queer identity and has been embraced by critics as a work of “immense scope and profound insight.” Weighty but thoroughly engaging, it should lead readers to read some of Baldwin’s classics (if they haven’t already).

A second freshly released biography is Michael Schreiber’s Don Bachardy: An Artist’s Life. The author tells the story of the famed American portraitist who shared his life and art for over three decades with literary gay giant Christopher Isherwood. Schreiber’s bio shares insights and recollections gleaned through one-on-one conversations with the artist. Liza Minnelli called the work “A marvelous dance with words, enchanting, heady and daring!”

Speaking of Bachardy, his own Stars in My Eyes is a mustread follow-up, offering the reader a personal glimpse into the artist’s many sittings with celebrities of the last century including composer Aaron Copland, Bette Davis, Paulette Goddard and Ingrid Bergman. Bachardy’s candid impressions of his subjects from the self-absorbed to the self-effacing are themselves as revealing as the portraits he made of them.

Edited by Peter Parker, the two volume set, Some Men in London: Queer Life 1945-1959 and Some Men in London: Queer Life 1960-1967 offers a collection of short pieces in the form of diary entries, letters, police reports and other writings that serve as a Dantesque trip through the various circles of London gay life from the immediate post-war days of repression to the tentative dawning of liberation through the 1960s. Compelling and provocative, it serves as a reminder of the LGBTQ community’s relationship with hate and discrimination and a timely clarion for its continued engagement in its struggle for essential human rights.

Meanwhile, back in Milwaukee, a new destination for the literarily inclined is the woman-owned, queer-owned The Well Red Damsel: A Romance Bookstore (6429 W. North Ave.). Owner Natasha Meyer opened the romance-centric shop earlier this year and touts a “carefully curated selection that highlights diverse love stories, unforgettable characters and happily-ever-afters in every form.” The Well Red Damsel also hosts literary events, readings and book clubs that range from “Fantasy” and “Queer-themed,” to “Unhinged,” “Yee-Hockey” and “Well Nourished.” Meyer will certainly be happy to suggest stocking stuffers and more for those cold winter nights.

Paul Masterson is an LGBTQ activist and writer and has served on the boards of the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center, Milwaukee Pride, GAMMA and other organizations.

I’m Art Kumbalek and man oh manischewitz what a world, ain’a? So listen, I hear it’s now December: the month of the winter solstice (the 21st), the day with the fewest daylight hours, certainly a boon to vampires all over the Northern Hemisphere; so I suggest to you holiday gift-buyers out-and-about that you keep a keen eye out for fellow shoppers who may appear to be bat-crazy (numerous, they will be), I kid you not.

It can be a stressful time of year, and so a confession I must make: I thought by golly at this late date in the season, I’d have this holiday song I’ve been working on for years ready for your preview, ’cause if you hear what I hear this time of year every year, you know damn well that the creaky seasonal canon needs new ammunition.

Yes sir, I believed that my tune, “Every Day’s Just Another Focking Holiday,” not only would hit the charts with a big ol’ bullet but it would be the first holiday tune in human history that could be played each and every day of the year. And then some hotshot impresario would turn it into a Broadway musical and I’d be a millionaire, what the fock.

But I’m having troubles working out the bridge to the tune, such that I feel like jumping off it like a regular George Bailey, and it definitely is not a wonderful life. Not when you’re also flirting with the iron maiden of deep, dark despair on account of another failure—that being my inability once again to get the Art Kumbalek Mistletoe Belt Buckle to the holiday market. This really blows.

And I tell you, based on the number of queries I field throughout the year as to the availability of this fine gift idea, the Art Kumbalek Mistletoe Belt Buckle is also a million-dollar moneymaker waiting to happen. You may recall that the AKMBB is conceptualized to be so much more than just a focking stocking-stuffer gag gift, in that the belt buckle is designed to be compatible with the Art Kumbalek Big Boy Belt. Modeled on Batman’s ultra-handy utility belt, the snazzy Big Boy Belt—to be available with the Mistletoe Belt Buckle for only an additional buck two-eighty—would sport all kind of clips, loops and high-tech doo-dads so as to hold practical items like a can of Miller High Life, Swiss Army knife, prophylactic, loaded flask, carton of Pall Malls, an extra pair of socks; prepared to service truth, justice and the American way.

FROM THE CITY That Always Sweeps

BY ART KUMBALEK

But alas, what with the production and supply-chain schmutz, Artie Santa can’t locate a decent sweatshop. A lot of these Fourth World elves are looking to make 14 cents an hour and I simply can’t do business if I have to focking fork out blue-chip Third World wages like that. Hey, who could? Beats me.

And I know that some of you’s may also be feeling failure and disappointment this time of year, and the least I could do is give you a handy tip since I got experience in this area. You know what I do when I get disappointed cum out of whack?

Nothing, not a damn thing that’s what, ’cause why bother? Just suck it up and steady yourself for the next load of dashed desire due down the pike any second. And never ever forget that your crap casserole might not be some other knucklehead’s filet mig-focking-non; so what makes you think you’re so hoity-toity special you can’t have some disappointment once in a while? Hey, you tell me.

And then I’ll tell you to remember this, from the English poet John Donne about 500-focking years ago: “No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if Clod bee washed away by Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.”

Jeez louise, those old farts couldn’t spell for crap, ain’a? I had to read the above a couple, three focking times until I understood that the important thing not to forget is that every time a bell rings, an angel gets their wings.

So, there you go. And as a devotion upon an emergent occasion, I wish you happy holidays, merry Christmas, joyous whatever-it-is-you-got-deserves-celebrating.

And be damn sure to celebrate your holiday good and plenty. You just can’t ever be 100 per-focking-cent sure that it may not be the last one you’ll get; so make it a good one, what the fock, ’cause I’m Art Kumbalek and I told you so.