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Ask Rachel: Where in Milwaukee should I go for a fun birthday dinner?

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Ask Rachel: Where in Milwaukee should I go for a fun birthday dinner?


Readers write in to Journal Sentinel dining critic Rachel Bernhard every day — sometimes with very similar questions. Each month, she picks the top FAQs in her inbox to answer publicly. Have a question for Rachel? Ask it at rseis@gannett.com.

Q: I’m celebrating my upcoming birthday with a group of friends. Where should we go? 

Rachel: It must be birthday season in Milwaukee (shoutout to my fellow Aries!), because over the past month, I’ve fielded a handful of questions about where to celebrate the happy day.  

Like reader Jessica Campolo, who was looking for recommendations for where to ring in a milestone birthday. “Not too fancy or intimidating,” she said, but fun for a group of around eight women in their late 30s to early 40s. 

Ah, right in my wheelhouse. I’m always looking for a spot just like this when getting together with my friends. Casual and carefree but still elevated enough to make the guest of honor feel … well, honored. A place where we can reserve a table, put on a fun outfit, pass around plates and not get side-eyed if our laughs grow louder as the night goes on. 

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La Merenda, 125 E. National Ave., fits that bill perfectly. I’ve been to plenty of b-day dinners at the tapas-style restaurant in Walker’s Point and its celebratory vibe always hits the sweet spot between easygoing and elevated. Same goes for another Walker’s Point tapas standout: Movida, 600 S. Sixth St., is such a fun spot to sip sangrias and try Spanish-style dishes — especially on the restaurant’s stylish (covered and heated) patio. 

Speaking of style, I’ve sent many groups to The Wolf on Broadway, 600 N. Broadway, since it opened last November. The dining room is a little small, so keep your group to four to six, but it’s such a chic spot for a celebration with a clever menu that has a little bit of everything: snacks for sharing, sandwiches, salads and playful entrees. 

Italian food is usually a pretty safe bet for group dining, and with shareable pizzas, pastas and antipasti that can please a crowd, spots like Sorella, 2535 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., (try to snag a patio spot if it’s nice out) and Tre Rivali, 200 N. Broadway, make group ordering a cinch, both with stylish spaces that feel celebration-worthy. 

If your friends are into sushi, Kin by Rice n Roll, 7484 W. State St., Wauwatosa, is a vibrant spot in the Tosa village with loads of sushi options for every taste. And even if your friends aren’t into sushi, I bet they’d love the Thai specialties and ramen on the expansive menu. 

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Bonus Q: Where’s a fun Milwaukee spot for a birthday dinner for two? 

Rachel: I love a big celebration dinner spent with friends, but sometimes you want to keep it simple. If dinner-for-two sounds better to you but you still like that middle ground of unfussy but refined, we’re one in the same, too. 

When my friend Brie asked for birthday dinner ideas a couple weeks ago, the first place I thought of was Odd Duck, 939 S. Second St. It’s where I celebrated my birthday last year, and, aside from the buzzy atmosphere and the fun, keep-’em-comin’ global dishes on the menu, I appreciated sweet touches like a handwritten birthday card on the table when I arrived.  

This year, I celebrated just up the street at Morel, 430 S. Second St., and it was the perfect choice. I love its farm-to-table menu with Wisconsin ingredients at the forefront, but the cozy dining room and friendly staff make the night feel extra special. 

The Diplomat, 815 E. Brady St., has a similar vibe, warm and friendly with upscale Midwestern food that expands your palate but doesn’t intimidate. Try the sublime peanut butter pie and you may never go back to birthday cake. 

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I’ve had a memorable birthday at The Original, 2498 N. Bartlett Ave., too, and I’m always excited to see what’s new on their rotating menu. The vibes inside are a little speakeasy-style — dim and cozy but relaxed. And you can’t beat the cocktails. 

Sometimes, a birthday brunch can top a birthday dinner (start the celebration early, I say!). In that case, Sabrosa Cafe & Gallery, 3216 S. Howell Ave., will make you feel special (its pancakes are some of my favorite in town), or head to Story Hill BKC, 5100 W. Blue Mound Rd., for killer crepes and fun cocktails and mocktails. 

Happy celebrating! 

Rachel Bernhard joined the Journal Sentinel as dining critic in June 2023. She’s been busy exploring the Milwaukee area food scene to share her favorite finds with readers along the way. Like all Journal Sentinel reporters, she buys all meals, accepts no gifts and is independent of all establishments she covers.   

Have a question for her? Contact her at rseis@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @rachelbernhard or on Instagram at @rach.eats.mke.    

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Milwaukee fatal shooting; Water Street bar manager wants safety changes

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Milwaukee fatal shooting; Water Street bar manager wants safety changes


A person of interest remains in custody following a fatal shooting on Water Street that left one person dead and two others injured early Sunday.

The Milwaukee Police Department says 22-year-old Dylan Jackson was killed. An 18-year-old and a 19-year-old were also injured.

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Local perspective:

Before the shooting, a bar manager says the area was already chaotic.

Tim Sluga, general manager of Duke’s on Water, said problems were brewing outside the bars before shots were fired. He said he was working Saturday night into Sunday morning and feared violence would occur.

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“Chaos. It was just chaos outside,” said Sluga. “The pistol whippings, the shootings, everything else. The street was already chaos when that happened.”

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Sluga said he was working Saturday night into Sunday morning and feared violence would occur.

“My reaction in general that night was, ‘here we go again,’” said Sluga. “It’s sadly not surprising.”

Sluga said the violence over the weekend reflects a recurring problem in the entertainment district.

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Dig deeper:

Last July, city leaders held an emergency meeting after increased violence in the area. Police later announced plans to increase their presence and curb loitering.

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Sluga said he expected more enforcement.

“We were told by MPD there was going to be a curfew enforced this year, we didn’t see that this weekend,” said Sluga.

Some patrons say they are also frustrated.

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“It’s like the younger crowd pushing out the older crowd now. If you ain’t 21, there’s no reason for you to be down here,” said Dequan Cave of Milwaukee.

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Sluga said bars themselves are generally safe, but problems occur outside.

“It’s a great place and there’s a lot of really good people,” said Sluga. “These are just issues that are out of our control.”

What’s next:

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MPD said a Code Red deployment focused on safety in the entertainment district was in place over the weekend. Police also say plans may be modified to improve downtown safety.

The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.

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Can the Brewers duplicate the success of 2025? Here are our predictions for 2026

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Can the Brewers duplicate the success of 2025? Here are our predictions for 2026


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Spring training in Phoenix has wrapped up and the Milwaukee Brewers are set to begin the 2026 regular season at 1:10 p.m. Thursday, March 26 at American Family Field against the Chicago White Sox.

The Brewers exceeded expectations in 2025, recording a franchise-record 97 wins and the best record in baseball (97-65) and advancing to the National League Championship Series. Can they match that in 2026? Here are Journal Sentinel staff predictions for the season.

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HOW I SEE IT: I understand what I’m doing with this prediction, ultimately putting so much of the Brewers’ 2026 outlook on a group of largely unproven, young starters. But I think the Brewers do, too. I’d be lying to you if I said I felt good about the plan to throw Brandon Woodruff and a cavalcade of guys with minimal big-league experience, but I also have to acknowledge the potential upside here. It’s been a few years since the Brewers’ rotation was this talented, and we know what the Brewers can do with those kinds of arms. On offense, I’d also be lying if I said I wasn’t somewhat concerned about their chances of repeating last year’s scoring output without adding any external thump to the lineup. My brain says it’s going to be a step back this year – although not a big one, maybe just to a wild-card spot – but my eyes have seen this film before. And it usually ends with the Brewers fielding a roster much better than the public is giving them credit for.

2026 PREDICTION: 89-73, NL Central champions, lose in NL Wild Card round.

HOW I SEE IT: Count me among the group of non-believers a year ago at this time. Heck, as late as the start of that series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in late May I penned a story guessing all the players the Brewers would be trading away in the near future because they were going nowhere. How wrong I was. And I’ve learned my lesson – don’t bet against these guys. Especially with the bulk of the team that ended up winning a franchise-record 97 games and advanced to the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2018 returning. No doubt, Freddy Peralta would look really good anchoring the staff. So would Caleb Durbin at third base. All five of the players Milwaukee received in return are going to factor in, however, with right-hander Brandon Sproat, left-hander Kyle Harrison and infielder David Hamilton in particular expected to fill large roles. There are major questions – most notably whether veteran Brandon Woodruff can remain healthy and how the young starting pitching will fare. No question, the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Pirates are all improved. But the road to the Central Division title has run through Milwaukee the past three years, and this group expects to win.

2026 PREDICTION: 90-72, NL Wild Card spot, advance to NL Division Series.

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HOW I SEE IT: I should finally just trust that this franchise can identify the correct unproven arms in the rotation and players who weren’t seen as building blocks in other organizations, transforming that brew into a runaway Central Division title. They did it last year. And 2024. And 2023. Why do I still have this nagging feeling that 2027 will be the year the Brewers really swing for the fences, and 2026 is about seeing what they’ll still need? Remember how weird it was that the Brewers thrived at scoring runs last year because other teams kept committing errors? They were one of the best run-scoring offenses in baseball, and yet it still feels like they got a lot of breaks offensively. Then, they didn’t get perceptively better in the offseason, while the chief rival Cubs and other NL Central brethren did. You know what? Maybe the Brewers just need the semi-professional prognosticators like me to keep hating. And maybe it’s just impossible for me to accept this team has solved the riddle of how to win consistently without overtly addressing their perceived weaknesses. One of these years, though, they really won’t get away with it.

2026 PREDICTION: 86-76, miss playoffs (barely)



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Milwaukee man identified as victim in shooting that injured four others

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Milwaukee man identified as victim in shooting that injured four others


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A 25-year-old Milwaukee man has been identified as the fatal victim following a shooting that injured five people on the city’s north side.

Simeon I. Calvert was shot on March 21 a little after 11 a.m. at the intersection of North Darien and North 37th streets, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.

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Calvert was transported to a hospital where he died in the operating room, the medical examiner said.

Four other people were injured in the shooting, ranging in age from 20 to 29 years old.

Police said March 23 that they have “persons of interest” in custody but continue to seek additional information.

The investigation is ongoing, police added, but it is believed that the incident was the result of an argument.

Anyone with any information about the incident is being asked to contact the Milwaukee Police Department at 414-935-7360. To remain anonymous while providing information, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS.

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This story was updated to add new information.



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