Recently the dining columnist for the Journal Sentinel ran a long article about the best places for corned beef in Milwaukee.
I don't know who Carol Deptolla is, but she lost all credibility with me with just one article. Talk about your bombshell mistakes, this is a world class one.
She left out Benji's.
She mentioned a couple of good places, like McBob's and Jake's Deli. But for corned beef fans, there is no place as good as Benji's. Using a recipe from Werner Benjamin, the founder and former owner, this place has corned beef that, in my not so humble opinion, is as good or better than any I have had anywhere in the world.
Corned beef is hard to cook. It is easy for it to come out too hard or too soft. But once you get the corning process down, then the secret is in how you cook the brisket.
Benji's is without doubt the king of corned beef in Milwaukee. The late, great Ben Barkin, who brought the circus parade to Milwaukee and who was a co-owner of Jake's, often snuck away to grab the corned beef at Benji's.
Don't get me wrong. I love Jake's. And I think their pastrami is better than Benji's. But for corned beef there is only one place that Milwaukee can call great. And to miss it on a dining list just marks the writer as a pretender who doesn't know what she's talking about.
With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.
He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.
This whole Internet thing continues to baffle him, but he's willing to play the game as long as OnMilwaukee.com keeps lending him a helping hand. He is constantly amazed that just a few dedicated people can provide so much news and information to a hungry public.
Despite some opinions to the contrary, Dave likes most stuff. But he is a skeptic who constantly wonders about the world around him. So many questions, so few answers.
