One of the best ways to get a true feel for the people and the food of any city is to visit the local market.  If they don’t have an historical market, most cities are working hard to establish new ones as a gathering place and showcase of the fine foods they have to offer – Milwaukee Public Market is one of the finest examples I’ve seen.  Located downtown, conveniently near plenty of parking and other shopping, they feature tons of vendors with prepared foods, delicious ingredients for your own cooking, on-site cooking classes and a full calendar of interesting events.  To give you an idea, in the 3 days we were in town, we visited this place 3 times!

Looking for some great coffee and sweets?  Grab a fantastic pastry or cookie from C. Adams Bakery.  The selections are endless and beautiful!  You’re definitely going to want to accompany your selection(s) with a honey vanilla latte (iced or hot) from Anodyne Coffee.  They roast their own beans and have some really great drink options.  Right across the street, and with 5 more locations throughout the city, is Colectivo Coffee.  They are worth a stop as well with a great selection of house-roasted coffee drinks as well as pastries and sandwiches.

Looking for some real food?  Check out Aladdin for delicious homemade hummus and other Middle Eastern delights.  The St. Paul Fish Company has lots of selections of fresh fish for you to take home, but there were a ton of people sitting at their counter with smoked salmon on a stick or having fresh oysters shucked right in front of them!  I had the breakfast tacos one day from Margarita Paradise and was blown away with the quality and freshness.  Finally, for a huge selection of meats, homemade sausage, fresh salads and an endless number of sandwiches and panini, check out Nehring’s Family Market.

My only regret is that we didn’t have more days to explore and try more things at the Market!  I highly recommend checking it out for a quick meal or a day trip before shopping in the Historic Third Ward – you’ll be one very happy foodie if you do…