The story of Goldilocks is pretty well known. A little blond girl breaks into a house owned by a family of anthropomorphic bears and proceeds to jack up their chairs, porridge and beds while they're out doing, I don't know, bear stuff. But what if, instead of being a cute little fairy tale girl with no respect for property, Goldilocks had some sense and happened to be just a little bit of a lush? Well, that'd be me.

I've decided to explore every bar, pub, lounge and dive Milwaukee has to offer – in sets of three, just to be cute. Check back often as I embark on regular bar tours with my self-proclaimed "magical sidekick," Jessie. And don't worry – I'm too much of a taste chameleon to ever find one that's "just right."

With fall in the air and Oktoberfests popping up all over the city, I think we both knew it wouldn't take long for me to get back to a good old-fashioned beer round.

Not one to throw all my money into one pot, however, I decided to spread things out and get back to basics. So sadly, there will be no recounting of late-night revelries today (maybe later – there are still many ideas in the well). We will, however, be recapping a lovely little tour of some of Milwaukee's better-known beer halls, which is just as good.

Von Trier, 2235 N. Farwell Ave.

Von Trier (or "Von Trier's," as some locals and even the bar's own website domain name refers to it) is the kind of bar that always seems to be in season. And even though German taverns revel in the Oktoberfest-ivities of fall, it seems to be perpetually spring inside this East Side bar.

From its lively hand-painted murals to its brightly colored stained glass windows and lamps, Von Trier exudes cheerfulness. Even as patio season comes to a close and their outdoor beer garden, it's almost not missed in the bar's main area surroundings.

The back room's no slouch, either. From an authentic Cyril Colnik chandelier from the Pabst Mansion to a custom stained glass window imported from Trier, Germany, t…

The story of Goldilocks is pretty well known. A little blond girl breaks into a house owned by a family of anthropomorphic bears and proceeds to jack up their chairs, porridge and beds while they're out doing, I don't know, bear stuff. But what if, instead of being a cute little fairy tale girl with no respect for property, Goldilocks had some sense and happened to be just a little bit of a lush? Well, that'd be me.

I've decided to explore every bar, pub, lounge and dive Milwaukee has to offer – in sets of three, just to be cute. Check back often as I embark on regular bar tours with my self-proclaimed "magical sidekick," Jessie. And don't worry – I'm too much of a taste chameleon to ever find one that's "just right."

The past two weeks have taken the Goldilocks tour to some very "beer and a shot"-type places. As great as these bars are in their own right, things were starting to get a little too beer-centric.

And, while you (and I, for that matter) can argue that's never a bad thing, we decided it was high time to fancy things back up. So this time around we said a temporary goodbye to beer and put on our classy pants for an evening of vino.

Vino 100 Milwaukee, 219 E. Erie St.

A franchise chain that includes both this and the Tosa locale, Vino 100 has opened a couple dozen wine shops across the U.S. with the goal of making every customer feel like a wine expert. Instead of making wine newbies feel awkward about asking a million questions in their search for a decent wine, they've come up with something they call the Wine Barometer, which rates each of their wines on two scales: flavor (fruity to dry) and body (light to full).

This is great if you're stopping by to pick up a bottle for dinner, but a little less useful if you're stopping in for a glass after work. All the wines served at the bar are also for sale in the store, so you can do your research on the wall, but having a working knowledge of what you like helps.

The bartender working when we stopp…

The story of Goldilocks is pretty well known. A little blond girl breaks into a house owned by a family of anthropomorphic bears and proceeds to jack up their chairs, porridge and beds while they're out doing, I don't know, bear stuff. But what if, instead of being a cute little fairy tale girl with no respect for property, Goldilocks had some sense and happened to be just a little bit of a lush? Well, that'd be me.

I've decided to explore every bar, pub, lounge and dive Milwaukee has to offer – in sets of three, just to be cute. Check back often as I embark on regular bar tours with my self-proclaimed "magical sidekick," Jessie. And don't worry – I'm too much of a taste chameleon to ever find one that's "just right."

Bars come and go a lot. They go out of business, they change hands or fall out of favor with customers.

There are plenty of successful mainstays, too, and among these are those well-known, almost notorious, neighborhood bars. It seems like almost everyone knows about them or has a story about a night they or a friend spent there.

This week I wanted to give a shout-out to three of these go-to bars, so Jessie and I ventured out to three different neighborhoods to spotlight their watering holes and go "where everybody knows your name".

Wolski's, 1836 N. Pulaski St.

Possibly Milwaukee's most definitive "Cheers" bar, Wolski's is also one of the most unassuming. Tucked away in a row of similar-looking houses, it's been serving thirsty bar-goers for over a century out of its modest building. It's currently in the process of a remodel and renovation to put in a beer garden, so the green two-story is even harder to spot if you don't know where to look.

Aside from stumbling upon it, the best way to find Wolski's is to follow the bumper stickers. Walking just a short distance up the road, the sightings definitely get more concentrated as you follow the line of cars belonging to regulars that proudly show off proof that they closed the bar.

Even in lat…

Are your old books collecting dust on the shelves? Looking for some new lit to add to your anthology? OnMilwaukee.com has your answer.

Bring your old books to Humboldt Park and join our Intern Team as they host the Bay View Bookswap Sunday, Sept. 11 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can swap out your used books for others donated by Boswell Books and brought in by other swappers, plus get automatically entered to win a free e-Reader.

Participants can take one book for every two donated, and can also buy books for just $1 apiece if you don't have anything to trade (or find an absolute must-have).

The Bookswap also boasts a great entertainment lineup, featuring live music from Keanen Kopplin at 11 a.m. and Tony Memmel at 1 p.m., paper-making workshops from the Urban Ecology Center, book discussions with Broad Vocabulary, kid-friendly activities and story times, the Living Photo Booth Project and board and lawn games – including giant human checkers.

So drop by, bring your books and enjoy a day in the park. You've got nothing to lose but those old paperbacks.