BE MKE

Be MKE: Summerfest begins with Trump in town, new bars and ABC pulls an episode of 'The Proposal'

Sarah Hauer
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Be MKE June 27, 2018

Who we are. Where we go. What we need to know.

I can't remember if it was last year or the one before when it rained on the first day of Summerfest. Stay dry, music lovers. Be on alert for nutty traffic tonight: President Donald Trump is also coming into town. Summerfest + POTUS = (most likely) gridlock. 

The big deals this week: Trump attacking Harley-Davidson, a bitters company opening a bar, a new restaurant in Brewers Hill and tourists blacking out in Mexico. 

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Let's talk business

Because of retaliatory tariffs imposed by the European Union on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the company said it would move production for bikes to be sold abroad to international factories. And then President Donald Trump started tweeting, scolding the brand built on Americana. Harley said the tariffs could cost it $100 million per year. 

GE Healthcare will no longer be part of General Electric Co. Spinning off GE Healthcare is part of a company restructuring. The Aviation, Power and Renewable Energy units will stay under the flagship corporation. Jack Donaghy's response: "There there." 

Startups in Wisconsin raised $231 million last year. The total made it the second-highest fundraising year on record for the state. Here are the five biggest deals from 2017

Boozin'

Bittercube is opening a bar. The Milwaukee bitters-making company and cocktail consultant is moving out of the Lincoln Warehouse into a bigger spot on West Lisbon Avenue. The move will not only make space for a bar, but also increase its production space. The bar could be open as early as mid-August. 

The Lincoln Warehouse has a new tenant opening Friday. Component Brewing will have seven beers on tap Friday for its public debut: Mosaic Theory IPA; Three Steeples India Pale Lager; Chase Ave. Chaser, a Pilsner; Coffee, No Coffee, an Imperial/Double Stout; Rose's Sour, a sour ale; and Buck's Bitter, an Extra Special/Strong Bitter. The seventh beer is a surprise. 

Milwaukee breweries are feeling patriotic. Third Space Brewing is releasing three kettle soured beers packaged as a trio called Red, Whiteand Blue. The Pabst Milwaukee Brewery and Taproom is reintroducing its classic light lager, Red White & Blue

Don’t go hangry

My neighborhood has a restaurant again. View MKE opened Monday in Brewers Hill. The restaurant has Milwaukee-style thin crust pizza and shareable plates. View MKE is open for dinner everyday and weekend brunch. 

Soup dumplings are all I have wanted for weeks after watching "Ugly Delicious" on Netflix. A new restaurant, Momo Mee, opening in the Harbor District, will specialize in house-made dumplings and noodles. The owner thinks the restaurant could open as early as August. 

Milwaukee Sausage Co. is selling its meats just about as fast as it can make 'em. Our dining critic is "smitten" with its specialties like a jalapeño colby sausage, the Southsider that tastes like pizza and the Sophia, based on a Cuban sandwich. I'm intrigued. 

Fusion Poke on the east side starts its soft open today. In addition to Hawaiian-style raw fish and rice bowls, Fusion Poke will have ramen and rolled ice cream. 

The Big Gig aka Summerfest

Summerfest starts today. I've got all your guides in one spot. Here's everything you need to know to navigate the world's largest music festival. 

That arena

Work has begun on the beer garden connecting Old World 3rd Street with the still unnamed new Milwaukee Bucks arena.

A giant BUCKS "monument" has also been installed at the $524 million arena. Each letter is more than twice my size. 

Custom designed fire hydrants are going to add to the arena's distinct feel. The team commissioned 15 fire hydrants decorated with Bango and basketballs. 

Here are the talkers

A suspicious drowning in Mexico brought one of our reporters to learn of troubling accounts from tourists vacationing at all-inclusive resorts. It has been a year since the first story was published. The Journal Sentinel has since heard stories of more than 170 travelers about injuries, illnesses and deaths after drinking alcohol at the resorts. Here's a recap of what we've learned about tainted alcohol and the tourism industry in that time. 

ABC pulled an episode of "The Proposal" because a Milwaukee man who was to compete on the pageant-style show was accused of facilitating a sexual assault. The episode would have aired Monday. A woman had posted her experience with the man, whom she met through Tinder on Facebook. Other women have also said he assaulted them. 

We're more like our parents than most of us like to admit. In the competitive housing market, that means first-time homebuying millennials are bidding against downsizing baby boomers for houses. Add to that a shortage of homes around $300,000. “It is demand that is just outweighing any possibility of enough inventory that we could get our hands on right now,” said one Realtor. 

My purebred mutt Nala is living her best life on my Instagram @HauerSarah. Keep up with my gif game on Twitter @SarahHauer. You can always go old school and send me an email at shauer@journalsentinel.com. 

Be MKE,

Sarah

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Sarah Hauer and her dog Nala at Kadish Park in Milwaukee on Thursday, June 14, 2018.   - Photo by Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel