Radio Chow Time at SPiN Milwaukee

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Tom squared, Slammers. Tom squared. I hit SPiN Milwaukee with WMSE station manager Tom Crawford one night, and McBob’s with DJ Tom Wanderer the next. TC and I saddled up to the bar at the table-tennis social club and tucked into some good stuff. We started out with the Taste of Wisconsin appetizer, comprised of Wisconsin cheddar-cheese curds, beef sticks, pretzel bites, and stone-ground mustard. You’ll notice in the pic above that one of the beef sticks has a bite taken out of it, and the pretzels look a bit scant, and there might be a pepperoncini missing. That’s cuz this platter’s so tasty that we dug in before I remembered to take pictures. This appetizer embodies traditional Wisconsin standbys in a way that can only be matched by SPiN’s house tap brewed by Sprecher, which goes so well with the pretzels and cheese that I felt like I was home in Bavaria or maybe on a mountaintop in Switzerland.

Next we continued our tradition of divvying up delicious sandwiches, and we each tucked into half a BLT and half a turkey sandwich. Jet over to SPiN with some work chums for a corporate event, or with just some regular friends for a game of ping pong, and chomp down on this BLT. It’ll strike a chord with your taste buds because the bacon ain’t just breakfast-table bacon–it’s deep, rich, crispy pancetta, and the mayo ain’t just bologna-sandwich mayo–it’s pesto aioli, rife with the heaven of garlic and the flavor and fragrance of fresh basil. The arugula gives the BLT bite and snap, and the toasted Tuscan bread . . . my God, why did I forget to ask them where they get that magnificent bread? Oh yeah–it was because I was so overwhelmed with the deliciousness of the turkey sandwich, which they’ll be featuring at the Slam. What could be better for an early-fall event than a sandwich that recalls one of the savoriest spreads of the year. The roasted turkey marries like rock and roll with the cranberry-orange chutney, and the cats in the kitchen at SPiN top it off with fresh baby spinach and creamy, pungent brie.

This is a sandwich you’re gonna wanna chow down on, so if you’re a lucky Food Slam ticket holder, you gots it goin’ on. But I admire anyone who doesn’t have their tickets yet. You’re living on the edge. You’re a thrill seeker. An adrenaline junkie. You’re gonna get your kicks, all right, as you hold back and back and back and feel the anticipation and wait for the rush. Then right at the last second you’ll shoot for the last pair of tickets as your palms sweat and your heart pounds and you can’t find your breath. But don’t drop the ball–you don’t wanna suffer Food Slam withdrawal. Be sure to score your tix and your fix.

And please stay tuned to this here blog for tomorrow’s news of The Tom Wanderer Dining Experience.

–Erin Harris