Care of: MKE

Guys! I'm so excited to present to you a GUEST POST!! by the wonderful, adorable, rep-the-homestate blogger Lisa at c/oMKE who came up with the brilliant idea to exchange 'care of' posts. I've followed her blog since I started blogging myself last spring and MKE (airport code for Milwaukee, in case you're interested, is what all the cool kids call it. Obvie!) is only a couple hours from where I grew up so it has a special place in my heart. It's also this love of place that really shines through in Lisa's writing and photography about her home. Enjoy! :D

Cheers,
Kate xx

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Hello Artsy Abroad readers! I'm Lisa from c/oMKE and I'm beyond excited to be guest posting in Kate's wonderful space because 1) We're both raised Wisconsinites and 2) Her blog is just the best, right?! I love her passion for exploring, photography, and travel. Kindred spirits I'd say.

I'm just a silly lass living in and blogging about my favorite city in the world, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I was born and raised here and have so much passion and enthusiasm for being proud of where you come from or where you live. My blog is a lifestyle blog about my life in Milwaukee. I share personal stories and tidbits about myself, but my main focus is showing the world what Milwaukee has to offer. I feel like many people think of Wisconsin as this northern state with not much more than cows, cheese, and beer. Don't get me wrong, we love our cheese and beer, but Milwaukee has so much more that people don't know about. On my c/oMKE I show the world Milwaukee's great restaurants, bars, and events so that maybe they can see the world in a different light.



Here are some of my favorite posts about MKE among other subjects that I write and share. 

Milwaukee is bursting with great brunch spots. There are tons of different options to choose from. Honeypie Café is one of those perfect restaurants for a country-cooking-homestyle meal.



There are greasy spoon restaurants scattered all over the city if you would be looking for something a little more sinful - one of the most popular being Comet Café. 



One of my new favorite brunch spots is Café Corazón for when you are feeling a little more Latin. Delicious.



Sticking with the restaurant feel - I love all of the unique places we have as well with a pretty big range.
There is Afternoon Tea at the Pfister Hotel which can make you feel all posh and fancy schmancy. Then there are places like our Underground Ramen joint which is a stealthy late night restaurant that only serves 60 bowls per night.



MKE also has some really cool events for people with a variety of interests.
I post about a variety of them like this Repeal the Prohibition Party or this Urban Garage Sale.



Apart from focusing on MKE and all that it offers I share pieces of my life like my style, recipes, and the occasional DIY.




I hope that you all can stop over and check out c/oMKE sometime, I'd love to have you! And please take a peek at Kate's wonderful c/oEdinburgh guest post.

Thanks for having me, Kate!

Lisa
c/oMKE

Bourbon & Tunns Tavern

Yesterday was yet another part of my visa application puzzle put in place with a brief appointment for fingerprinting at the application processing center, which was just another name for the Department of Homeland Security in Milwaukee. So, I was dually printed and handed my receipt, all before 11am, and it was off to try to find some place that was open for an early lunch.

We intended to stop at a tapas place my mother had heard about from a friend, but we were disappointed to arrive there and find the door locked, even though their posted hours suggested they should be open. Needless to say, we had to find someplace else, so we drove back to the historic Third Ward neighborhood, parked, and go out to stroll for a block or two.



In all my years in Wisconsin (most of my life) and all the trips I've ever taken down to Milwaukee, I have never been in the Third Ward! It's one of the nicest areas I've been in that city, and I don't know why I didn't stop there sooner. The things that sway us, eh? We found a place just opening up, and were drawn in by the decor, first and foremost, and the lovely pub tables butted up against open air windows. So we could be next to the sun, but not in the sun, and enjoy yummy Arnold Palmers before lunch.



The place was Bourbon and Tunns, an apparently newish/rebranded restaurant with a really sweet interior theme of dark wood, copper tile, exposed brick, and sturdy furniture.



The lunch menu was simple and delicious, and we were starving, so everything looked amazing (and was reasonably priced). I settled on the catfish po'boy (because if I see the word 'po'boy on a menu, I'm not not ordering it), and my mother had the Chattanooga salad. Both were very good, especially with the side of fresh pub chips that were still warm and perfectly seasoned. Alas, their bar area looked really wonderful, but we were a little early for drinks, but it looks like a place worth stopping. As for lunch, we'd definitely do a repeat.



Absolutely gorgeous weather we've had the last couple of days. Summer perfection.

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I've finally got all of my forms filled out and other components collected; all I need to do is send in the visa application! Perhaps all these hoops are designed to be so annoying that you wouldn't even bother if you weren't serious about your trip. ;) Time is a-dwindling.

Days to Edinburgh move-in: 58