The editorial staff was busy perpetrating April Fool's pranks this week, but that didn't stop us from our required recommending. This week, we talk about a tiki drink from Foundation, another great iPhone application, a nice spot for lunch, a summer skin-care necessity, a couple great CDs, a delicious (and healthy) dessert / snack and -- believe it or not -- some tasty instant coffee.
These are a few of our favorite things this week:
Foundation's outrigger tiki drink -- What started out as "Tiki Tuesday" at The Foundation, 2718 N. Bremen St., is now an every-night-of-the-week tropical celebration. The Foundation's decor is completely over-the-top tiki, but in a good way, because the stuff isn't schlocky. Recently, I went there with a friend to shoot a game of pool and she bought me an outrigger, one of the many tiki drinks on the menu. It a mix of white rum, peach liqueur and fresh lime juice for a way-too-refreshing beverage that's surprisingly not too sweet. The zombie and the Gilligan's Island are tasty choices, too. Just don't mix too many of these exotic cocktails in one outing or you'll have an Easter Island-sized hangover the next day. -- Molly Snyder Edler
Skype for the iPhone -- When Skype released a version of the popular voice-over-IP software for the iPhone, Jimmy Fallon joked that he can finally use his iPhone to make calls. Of course, that's one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is that subscribers can now make and receive free crystal-clear calls (that sound more like a landline), anywhere in the world, for as long as they want. Also, if you're in a place with spotty cell reception but Wi-Fi, your calls will be perfect. And finally, Skype is platform independent, which means you can soon make/receive free VOIP calls between iPhones, Blackberries, Android devices and more. This is super cool right now, but wait until Skype enables video chatting, which I predict will happen this summer, right around the time Apple releases its next iPhone. --Andy Tarnoff
Soup's On -- Located at 221 N. Water St., Soup's On offers more than soup, but it does soup very, very well. I had an amazing Cuban chili this week and I highly recommend this cozy, Riverfront eatery for a great Third Ward lunch. Mary and her team make at least four soups daily along with sandwiches and salads. For only $3, you can dine on a Nathan's Famous Hot Dog, the Coney Island favorite. Open 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Soup's On is easily one of Milwaukee's finest homemade soups. --J.S.
LA Fresh all-natural sunscreen and insect repellent -- It might not feel like it yet, but by hook or by crook, summer will eventually come to Milwaukee. With those hot and humid days and nights come two downsides: sunburn and mosquitoes. I hate the smell of traditional bug spray, so I was happy to discover the new line from LA Fresh. The all-natural biodegradable insect repellent towelettes are paraben-free and made from sesame, olive, castor and wheat germ oils and vitamin E. The sunscreen comes in small, biodegradable cloths that are perfect for traveling and don't get all over the place like liquid sun block does when you throw it on your beach bag. --Julie Lawrence
DJ Hell's "Teufelswerk" (International DJ Gigolo) and "Southport Weekender Vol. 8" (suSU Music) -- A pair of double-disc remix extravaganzas. Hell's fourth outing is especially notable for its collaborations with Bryan Ferry, P. Diddy, Billy Ray Martin and others. One disc is "Night" and the other is, you got it, "Day." The latter is lit with quirky avant-garde experimentations, while "Night" is a techno dance workout. The Southport series -- which has featured the likes of Jazzanova, Gilles Peterson and others in the past -- now spotlights Ashley Beadle and King Britt. Beadle opens with The Dells and ends with London Heavy Disco Revue, adding Isaac Hayes, Faze Action and a dozen more in between. Britt is a little less trad R&B, although he does use Edwin Starr's "War," chiming in with tunes by Jellybean Benitez, John Tejada and Zak Ibrahim. --Bobby Tanzilo
The current season of "Friday Night Lights" -- I've raved about "Friday Night Lights" before, but this season just keeps getting better. It's real, honest and easily the best drama on broadcast television today. The show as come into its own this year with character-driven plot lines, real family stories and continued, quality football footage. Set the DVR, or buy the full season once it comes out on DVD. You'll love it, I guarantee. --J.S.
Starbucks Via Ready Brew -- My only real experience with instant coffee was in Mexico and the "flavor crystals" were basically disgusting and undrinkable. I'd heard about Starbucks' foray into instant coffee -- they say they've been working on the formula for 25 years -- but I just recently gave it a whirl. The verdict: not half bad. Granted, this won't replace real Starbucks coffee, but it's a gigantic step up from Sanka. While it doesn't taste perfect, it doesn't taste bad, either. More important, it tastes like real coffee. After two cups, however, I understand why you're supposed to add the water after pouring the coffee in; it gets sloppy if you do it in reverse. A 12-pack costs about $10, which means it's a cheap experiment to see if you can tell the difference. --A.T.
