| Milwaukee Brewers / County Stadium | |
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Phone: 414/933-9300; 800/933-7890. Web: www.milwaukeebrewers.com Online ticket sales? Yes Online broadcasts? Yes. Capacity: 53,192. Year Built: 1953. Last Visited: April 1999.
Generally speaking, there aren't many bad seats in County Stadium. The lower grandstand seats are oriented toward the infield, which means that you can sit quite a ways down either line and have a good view of the action without suffering a crick in your neck. Similarly, the upper-deck seats have the same orientation, and your only problem is distance, rather than orientation. However, if you're stuck in back of the overhang on the lower level -- that is, in rows higher than 15 -- you'll lose track of fly balls and miss out on part of the huge scoreboard in right field. Bleacher bums will enjoy the small and intimate areas in left field and an even smaller bleacher area in right field. County Stadium was originally designed for baseball, and it shows. In center field is a distinctive beer stein and brewhaus. When a Brewer hits a home run, Bernie Brewer slides into the beer stein, to the loud approval of the Brewer fans. In a sad footnote to this stadium's proud history, it looks as though County Stadium will be home to the Brewers for at least part of the 2000 season. Construction on Miller Park has been delayed after a deadly accident that also crushed a section of supporting gridwork. The team is being rather coy about an opening date, and don't forget that this is a team in turmoil on all fronts. The best bet is that the Brewers will spend most of 2000 in County Stadium.
Not surprisingly, all the beer served at County Stadium is brewed in Wisconsin, much of it across the freeway at the Miller brewery. Miller Lite, Miller beer, Miller Genuine Draft, various Leinenkugel beers (yes, Leinie is owned by Miller) and Icehouse (brewed by Miller under the bogus Plank Road Brewery label) can be found at every concession stand. Roaming vendors push more Miller products in the seats, including a unique wide-mouthed plastic bottle of Lite beer that looks more appropriate for the corner winos. Curiously, not all the Miller products are represented at the ballpark, but we're fully expecting to see Mickey's served at the new ballpark. (Sadly, we couldn't find any Miller High Life at County Stadium, either, which is a far more serious omission.) For those who want something other than a Miller product, the "Old World Deli" serves Sprecher, a tasty Milwaukee microbrewed beer. Still, there's something missing at a Milwaukee baseball game when you can't buy an Old Style or even a Special Ex. Now that the G. Heileman Brewery in LaCrosse is scheduled to be closed, you can count the number of major Wisconsin breweries on one finger and the number of breweries overall on one hand, including microbreweries. If the team were to remain true to its audience, then it should be known as the Milwaukee Brewer in 2000. For those who want something stronger than a beer, roaming vendors serve Jack Daniels Country Cocktails, while there's a frozen daiquiri stand behind home plate. During the opening series against the Cubbies -- played for the most part in 40 degree weather -- the daiquiri stand didn't appear to do much business.
Be warned that the current parking situation at County Stadium -- at least in the middle of April -- is hellish, thanks to the Miller Park construction. Since most of the old parking at County Stadium is now occupied by Miller Park, you're routed to lots that are literally a half mile or more away from County Stadium, which means that you'll have a long hike to the park. This may change over the course of the summer, but for now be prepared to park a good distance away from the stadium.
If you're out and about in the general area, check out the Miller Brewery tour. Though Miller beers aren't my favorites (MGD is good on a hot summer day, and I occasionally buy Miller High Life more because of the memories it invokes, not because it's a great beer), the tour is fascinating if only to see the high level of industrialization involved in the production of beer. To get there, take the 35th Street exit off of I-94, head north on 35th, hang a left on State Street, and follow the signs to the visitor's center. Call 414/931-BEER for hours.
The Water Street area is on the edge of the former Blatz brewery (indeed, many of the old Blatz buildings have been adapted for other uses, including apartments and office spaces). It's not a big area -- really, only two blocks long and two blocks wide -- but there are at least 13 bars and restaurants in the area. On a weekend night, the area is crammed with bar hoppers. My personal favorite: The Water Street Brewery (1101 N. Water St.; 414/272-1195), which serves an array of tasty beers brewed on the premises. The Farwell/North area is the center trendy of youth-oriented nightlife in Milwaukee. The Oriental Landmark Theater (2230 N. Farwell Av.) shows first-run artsy movies, while the next-door Landmark Lanes (2220 N. Farwell Av.) offers bowling, live music and cheap beer (what more could you want?). Across the street, Von Trier's (2235 N. Farwell Av.) serves a wide variety of beers -- both domestic and imported -- in a German-themed space. Shank Hall (1434 N. Farwell) attracts national and local bands. Brady Street runs through the heart of an old Italian neighborhood, with trendy restaurants and bars popping up alongside old Italian markets and bakeries. If nothing else, drop by the Peter Sciortino Bakery (corner of Humboldt and Brady) for some outstanding cannolli. Off Brady Street -- especially in the area north of Brady, south of North and east of Humboldt -- are a number of neighborhood bars. Several years ago I had friends living in this area, and on a cold winter's night we attempted to hit as many bars as we could, within walking distance of their apartment. I don't remember how many bars we hit (at least seven or eight), but some were downright surreal: at the Schmidt House (1754 Franklin), for instance, my friend Audrey was accosted by a truly mentally ill person who wanted to discuss his favorite movies. (Interestingly enough, he had pretty good taste in movies.) We ended the night at Wolski's (1836 Pulaski), which is legendary among Milwaukee bar fans for ownership with an utter disdain for local bar-closing times. We wandered out of Wolski's at 2:30 a.m., and the place was still rocking. One of the true regrets in my life was not staying till whatever time Wolski's closed that night, if only to snare me a treasured "I closed down Wolski's" bumper sticker. Two other dining recommendations: the Turner Restaurant Friday night fish fry and the John Ernst Restaurant. Turner Halls were once found anyplace where Germans congregated: they were essentially athletic halls that promoted healthier living through gymnastics. There are still Turner Halls scattered across the Midwest: A new Turner Hall in suburban St. Paul is used strictly for gymnastics, while the New Ulm, Minn., Turner Hall is the focal point of that community's sizeable German population. In Milwaukee, the Turner Hall is a grand old building that encompasses a gym and large dining hall. The fish is served in many different styles (fried, broiled), and there's a buffet line of side dishes, including cole slaws and breads. The walls are festooned with trophies and pictures of old Turner athletic teams. Contrary to public perception, Friday night fish fries didn't originate because of any link with Lenten Catholicism -- they popped up during the Depression as a marketing gimmick to draw folks out at the end of the week, which is why you can find fish fries year-round. Milwaukee is home to many renowned German restaurants (the best known probably being Mader's), but my favorite is the John Ernst Restaurant (600 E. Ogden). Here, the food is the focus, instead of schlocky Hummel figures. It's advertised as being the oldest restaurant in Milwaukee. Also unique to Milwaukee -- and Wisconsin as a whole -- is the ubiquitous nature of frozen-custard stands. Only in Wisconsin would you have frozen custard, which is ice cream fortified with extra eggs and cream to make it especially smooth and creamy. (There is a reason why Wisconsinites tend to be overweight.) With three locations, Kopps is the leader for that frozen delicacy in Milwaukee. Go to the Web site and see what flavor is available today. Finally, no discussion of Milwaukee would be complete without a discussion of Art Altenburg's Concertina Bar (1920 S. 37th St.). There's usually a polka band playing in the evening, while Art himself will show you a collection of his concertinas and button boxes. For a complete listing of what's going on in town, check out the weekly Shepard Express. It's home to one of the most unique voices in Midwest journalism, Art Kumbalek. Why? "'Cause I'm Art Kumbalek and I told you so."
Also, you may want to consider staying downtown, which is a short drive from the stadium. The Pfister Hotel (424 E. Wisconsin Av., between Jefferson and Jackson streets) is a turn-of-the-century landmark, and even if you don't stay here you'll want to check out the ornate lobby.
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| Last changed August 23,
1999. Copyright 1999 Kevin Reichard. All rights reserved. All logos are the right of their respective copyright holder. |
