The arrival of Carson's, the Chicago rib and steak house, in Milwaukee this fall is likely to seriously shake up the balance of power among Downtown restaurants like no one has in years. It was announced yesterday that the Chicago institution will occupy the ground floor of The Moderne, the 31-story apartment and condo development that is rising on the corner of Juneau and Old World Third Street.
Carson's ribs – slow cooked, smoked for hours in a hickory wood pit, tight to the bone, slathered in a sweet and tangy sauce – are so popular, the restaurant ships them in Styrofoam coolers with dry ice around the country. Although its home is the Windy City, Carson's is a Milwaukee-style eatery.
Portions are very generous at the two Chicago-area locations. The au gratin potatoes – best I have ever eaten – are cheesehead heaven. They have been called a cardiologist's nightmare.
Substitute the restaurant's signature Caesar salad, which has a slight hint of anchovies in the dressing, for the standard salad. More heaven.
Casual in style but serious about food, Carson's should do fabulous business before Bucks, Marquette and Admirals games, and it is close enough to the Marcus Center, Pabst Theater and Milwaukee Rep to appeal to pre-show diners.
My mouth is already watering for those potatoes.
Damien has been around so long, he was at Summerfest the night George Carlin was arrested for speaking the seven dirty words you can't say on TV. He was also at the Uptown Theatre the night Bruce Springsteen's first Milwaukee concert was interrupted for three hours by a bomb scare. Damien was reviewing the concert for the Milwaukee Journal. He wrote for the Journal and Journal Sentinel for 37 years, the last 29 as theater critic.
During those years, Damien served two terms on the board of the American Theatre Critics Association, a term on the board of the association's foundation, and he studied the Latinization of American culture in a University of Southern California fellowship program. Damien also hosted his own arts radio program, "Milwaukee Presents with Damien Jaques," on WHAD for eight years.
Travel, books and, not surprisingly, theater top the list of Damien's interests. A news junkie, he is particularly plugged into politics and international affairs, but he also closely follows the Brewers, Packers and Marquette baskeball. Damien lives downtown, within easy walking distance of most of the theaters he attends.
