Every Friday, Stuff We Missed looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for, well, stuff we missed throughout the week.
• The last Bakers Square in Wisconsin has closed. Long live our memories of Bakers Square.
Yes, the Elm Grove location of Bakers Square Restaurant & Bakery closed up shop on Thursday. It was the last Wisconsin location of the pie-focused restaurant chain. Locations in West Allis and Greenfield closed this past May. A Capitol Drive location in Shorewood closed in 2016. Thirteen locations still exist throughout the Midwest.
“This is never an easy decision to make and one driven by many business factors, the least of which being the impact of COVID restrictions on our business,” a news release said. “We want to express our deepest appreciation to our team members for their hard work and service, and to our loyal guests for their friendship and patronage over the years.”
So let’s get to those memories. Oh, the memories. The pie at Bakers Square was key, of course, especially the heavenly French Silk pie. Was there anything better? No. And the rest of the food was…okay? In an Applebee’s/Perkins kind of way? Then there were the characters: Personally speaking, I spent a LOT of time at the Capitol Drive location during my first few years of college, and I remember a dude who would always show up at night with a bunch of synths and recording gear. He was working on his music, I guess, and you better believe he was always wearing a trench coat and sunglasses. It goes without saying that he was always posted up in the smoking section, too.
Smoking sections! Remember those? Good grief. Enjoy some more memories in the replies below. R.I.P. Wisconsin Bakers Square. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
There was another regular who would show up at night with a bunch of synths and recording gear and would work on his music, I guess. Was he always sporting a black trench coat and sunglasses, you ask? Why yes he was
— Matt Wild (@ByMattWild) December 11, 2020
• After less than a year in business, Milwaukee’s first hostel…won’t be a hostel anymore. Cream City Hostel, 500 E. Center St., will begin its transformation in January to a housing co-op. “The beauty of this pivot is that the project will stay true to our original vision of this work, which was to collectively empower the community, ourselves and each other to make our lives and neighborhoods better,” ownership member Juli Kaufmann said in a statement. [BizTimes]
• The delightfully homey Chudnow Museum is closing its location at 839 N. 11th St. and moving its collection to the Cedarburg History Museum. “As sad as the Chudnow family and staff of the museum are that the Chudnow Museum is closing down its Milwaukee operations, we are excited that the collection will remain intact and live on for people to enjoy,” Executive Director Steve Daly said in a statement. [OnMilwaukee]
• Laura Jane Grace has a new song called “The Swimming Pool Song” and it’s about the “haunted” swimming pool at The Rave. “It’s the spookiest fucking place ever,” Grace recently told Rolling Stone. “In a small section of the pool, they have a piece of Plexiglass over a place where Mac Miller signed the wall; I think it was maybe the second last or one of the last places that he played. It says: ‘I once lived and now I am dead. My soul remains here. Enjoy. P.S. I sold this place out three times.'” [Rolling Stone]
• Taylor Swift has a new album called evermore and Wisconsin’s own Bon Iver is all over it. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• The Fire & Police Commission still can’t agree on a new Milwaukee police chief… [Urban Milwaukee]
• …but they can agree on a new standard operation procedures (SOP) for Milwaukee police. Chokeholds are now illegal (unless police decide they’re necessary, so okay), and so is the use of pepper spray during peaceful demonstrations (unless police decide a demonstration isn’t peaceful, so okay). [Urban Milwaukee]
• A new “upscale sports bar concept” called Caliente Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar is coming to the former Fat Valdy’s Bar & Grill, 5108 W. Bluemound Rd. The bar is the brainchild of the owners of Sabor Tropical in Bay View. It’s expected to open in mid-January. [OnMilwaukee]
• Crossroads Collective food hall’s popular Egg & Flour Pasta Bar will soon open a pizza-focused sister restaurant, E&F Pizzeria, in the booth next door. The space was previously occupied by Raw Bar. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Light The Hoan has a lighting schedule now. [Light The Hoan]
• Have a great weekend, Milwaukee!