Every Friday, Stuff We Missed looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for, well, stuff we missed throughout the week.
• If you’ve been paying attention to baseball this year, you’ve surely noticed that, thanks to the new pitch timer, games are much shorter. Like, 20, 30, or even 40 minutes shorter. That’s led to faster-paced play, but it’s also led to something else: less time to drink at the ballpark. Happily, the Milwaukee Brewers (and other teams) have a solution for that.
Yes, the Brewers confirmed Friday that they have extended alcohol sales at American Family Field through the end of the eighth inning—as opposed to the end of the seventh inning, as in years past. “This is [reflective] of the fact that the games are shorter,” president of business operations Rick Schlesinger told MLB.com. “From a time perspective, we’re probably looking at selling beer for the same amount of time by extending to the eighth inning that we did last year through the seventh. Obviously, the safety and the conduct of our fans has primacy. We’ve had no issues, but it’s a small sample size and we’re going to continue to test it and see if it makes sense. I know a number of other teams are doing the same thing.”
MLB.com goes on to note that, thanks to the pitch timer, “the Brewers’ first six games against the Cubs and Mets averaged two hours and 34 minutes. None of the games exceeded three hours despite the Brewers scoring at least seven runs in each of their past four games. In 2022, each of the Brewers’ first six games exceeded three hours and averaged three hours and 19 minutes.” [MLB.com]
• The 2023 edition of Festa Italiana will take place September 8-10. Like last year, the festival will leave the Summerfest grounds behind and will be held at the Italian Community Center. [OnMilwaukee]
• Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s sportsbook is open NOW (in a temporary space). [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• This week in Food Hall Musical Chairs, the East Side’s Crossroads Collective has added a burger joint called Brew’d Burger Shop… [Urban Milwaukee]
• …while downtown’s 3rd St. Market Hall has added a BBQ joint called Smokin’ Jack’s BBQ, and a Latin American and Caribbean Creole fusion joint called Criollo Rotisserie Chicken. [Urban Milwaukee]
• Buckle up for Brady’s Street’s inaugural “‘Merica on Brady Street Bar Crawl” on May 28. “All the proceeds for this ticketed event will benefit veterans’ support group Dryhootch Foundation, the creation of a Brady Street historical documentary, and Cass Street Public School” notes [OnMilwaukee]
• New NEWSKI album! [Bandcamp]
• Bay View staple HiFi Cafe needs some help (again).”Dear friends and neighbors,” reads a GoFundMe page. “We came to you twenty six months ago to raise funds for our cafe, and our community generously came to our rescue. This was for us a needful boon, as it provided much needed assistance during the Covid nightmare, from which we are only recently emerging. We could not have survived without you. Many of our fellow cafes, and long established restaurants and other businesses have sadly disappeared. We must now ask our friends and patrons, and all those who would see Hifi continue to donate to our cause, once again. We are certainly appreciative of the financial challenges of the last few years, but if you can help us continue our mission, we sincerely thank you.” [GoFundMe]
• Speaking of staples, Wauwatosa staple Walter’s On North is changing ownership for the first time in its 50-plus year existence. But never fear! The new owners plan to keep it “mostly the same.” R.I.P. the carpeting, probably. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• R.I.P. D.P. Dough on the East Side. [Urban Milwaukee]
• R.I.P. some words on the walls of the Wisconsin Center. [Urban Milwaukee]
• Did professional eating star Joey Chestnut win the World Burrito Eating Championship earlier this week in the Deer District? Yes, yes he did. R.I.P. your appetite. Have a great weekend, Milwaukee!
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