Since it was first introduced to readers in October 2017, Eat, Play, Applaud has sought to serve up a perfect pairing of dinner and a show, tied together by a common thread – featuring everything from a Brew City game night with Safe House and "The Price is Right Live" to a killer night full of meat and crime with Carnevor and "A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder."
But this December, in this season of giving and holiday cheer, someone gifted me and "Eat, Play, Applaud" enthusiasts an early Christmas present: They are taking care of planning dinner and a show for us, as Mason Street Grill is offering dinner and tickets to a beloved holiday tradition: the Milwaukee Rep’s production of "A Christmas Carol."
It's an occasion that even Ebenezer Scrooge himself couldn’t find fault with. For the second year, Mason Street Grill is inviting guests to enjoy a three-course prix fixe dinner, with executive chef Heskeith Flavien’s exquisite menu sure to get you in the Christmas spirit – whether it be past, present or future. Choose from a house salad, Caesar salad or seasonal soup appetizer before diving into your entree – and with choices like pan-roasted Atlantic salmon, wood-grilled petit filet mignon with brown butter and roasted Amish half chicken, you really can’t go wrong. Is anyone else hungry just from reading this, or is it just me? Save plenty of room for mouth watering sides as well, like garlic mashed potatoes and creamed corn – and, of course, dessert. I know I’m going to have a hard time deciding between the Weber’s carrot cake or the blood orange panna cotta.
The magic of this wonderful winter’s evening doesn’t stop once your dinner plates are cleared. After the final course is served, guests can then take The Pfister’s shuttle to The Pabst Theater for the 7:30 p.m. performance of "A Christmas Carol." Featuring the traditional story with your favorite characters, the Milwaukee Rep is excited to present its family-friendly adaptation written by Rep Artistic Director Mark Clements. You’ll be transported back to the heart of Victorian London for a magical immersive experience on the biggest and most elaborate set The Rep has ever created.
There are two opportunities this holiday season to wish yourself a Merry Christmas with dinner and a show: Saturday, Dec. 8 and Saturday, Dec. 15. Reservations are $125 a person and can be made by calling (414) 298-3131.
Coming up with dinner-and-a-show parings for this series has been a real treat for me this past year. It’s such a pleasure to come up with creative theme nights on the town that not only I can enjoy, but that hopefully others in Milwaukee can partake in along with me.
But with Christmas decorations to put up and plenty of holiday shopping to attend to, I have to admit that it’s nice to have someone else give me a break and come up with an unforgettable night out in Milwaukee. And considering the festive night Mason Street Grill and The Rep have planned, I don’t think I could have done it better myself.
