Beans & Barley Market & Cafe

If you're into organic food, have a vegan diet, or are interested in sustainable local food sources you probably love this place. If you live on the Eastside you probably know about this place, mainly because it’s been around forever.  I don't normally seek out places like this.  I have nothing against vegans, or people trying to make the world better by buying local or organic products. I am all for saving the world. However if we could save the world and still eat steak rare by the metric ton, I'd be more likely to get on board this train.

Walking in you have a bar in front of you, a market to your right and to the left a dining room. This place is kind of like the Cracker Barrel of organic products.

The shelves are full of organic lotions, candy bars, pastas... ect. For 5 bucks, you can own some original artwork, interesting use of an old cigarette machine. For 5 bucks, you can own some original artwork, interesting use of an old cigarette machine.  This product still confuses me; I mean this pot holder will not keep your stash fresh. I'd stick with a plastic baggy if I were you. It also doesn't help you hide your stash, it basically announces to the world "THIS IS WHERE I KEEP MY WEED!"... Oh wait, you mean pot as in "pots and pans" my bad.  If you are hungry it is of the utmost importance that you find this sign. If you stand by the door you're in a no mans land of market/bar/restaurant. Find this sign and stand by it and you will be greeted by hipster waiters and waitresses who will take you into the dining room. You may have to wait but that’s normally a sign that the food is good. GRILLED PORTOBELLO SANDWICH ... 7.50 Marinated Portobello mushroom grilled and served with roasted red peppers and a grilled sandwich bun.  Sundried Tomato and Tofu Sandwich ... 8.50 This sandwich was a daily special, and it wasn't bad. I'm not a vegetarian and normally I wouldn't order anything like this for lunch, but when in Rome, I'll try it. On a scale from "1 to not bad", it was definitely not bad. So let’s break it down. The dining room is nothing fancy; it’s a clean cafeteria where you can get some nice homemade organic food. The staff is very casual, but friendly. If you need something you have to speak up. It’s not the type of place where you are waited on hand and foot. You may need to wave someone over to get another drink or your sandwich might not have cheese on it even though you ordered it with cheese.  If you are looking for an awesome dining experience you might want to find some other place to eat. If you’re looking for fresh simple food with an organic, vegan, free range, Earth Day, feel good twist to it, this is your kind of restaurant. Go Eat.

BEANS & BARLEY MARKET & CAFE

1901 EAST NORTH AVENUE

MILWAUKEE, WI 53202

http://www.beansandbarley.com/

As always there are more pictures on Eat MKE's facebook page. So check us out there.

Comet Cafe

It was 2002, I lived on Maryland Avenue and attended UWM. I use to walk down to Comet Cafe for coffee and a place to not study. It was a coffee shop where the air was mostly second hand smoke. The tables were a mix matched collection of junk. Don't knock it, most of the furniture in my old apartment was stuff I found on the street. Comet use to be packed and getting a coffee and a seat was quite a feat some nights. It was full of young people that weren't quite being called hipsters or emo yet, and our livejournal accounts weren't quite as time consuming as facebook. We smoked and drank coffee because we couldn't get into bars. Comet was there for us and It was nice to stop back in this week to find that Comet has grown up a little bit, just like me.

Gone is the smokey haze I remembered and I was surprised to see real tables and booths. Comet Cafe is still a long way from being a fancy restaurant. It's still a haven for hipsters and college students. Walking in we were greeted and told to just find a seat. Comet Cafe is a place where you can meet people and get into conversation with strangers. It has a new emphasis on "from scratch" food and of course the bar is a welcome addition to this new version of Comet.

I'm not sure I even remember Comet serving food back then; if it did I sure didn't have the money to buy any. Looking over their menu I was impressed with what they were offering. I was also glad to see that the prices were more than affordable. This time around they definitely had food, and I could definitely afford it.

Creamy Artichoke Dip... $7

Chunks of artichokes and jalapenos topped with parmasion cheese. Served with huge ciabatta crustinis.  This appetizer is a pretty common menu item. Lots of restaurants have it, people like it and it's kind of hard to mess up. This artichoke dip was one of the better versions I've tried. I liked that it wasn't just a soupy paste and had nice big chunks of artichoke throughout it.

Comet Cuban ... $9

Wilson Farms pork shoulder, ham, house made pickles, swiss cheese, whole grain mustard on grilled ciabatta bread. Yes, it’s good.

Ahi Tuna Sandwich ... $11

This sandwich is GENUIS! I've had Ahi tuna wraps with chunks of tuna, I have had Ahi Tuna served as small slices with fancy sauces drizzled over it, but I've never seen anyone take a whole Ahi Tuna steak and say "this should eat like a burger". It has a kick to it thanks to the wasabi sauce. Over all the Ahi Tuna Sandwich is a winner! In fact... I've started making them at home.

Comet is said to have one hell of a Bloody Mary. I hear it comes with bacon. I know some people think that bacon was just a food fad that was cool two years ago but let me just say this... Bacon can't possibly go out of style, it's always going to be awesome.  So I think another visit is in order very soon.  I can't wait to check out their brunch menu.

Comet isn't an upscale fine dining restaurant. If you're looking for that kind of experience you won't find it here. What you will find is a warm staff, great food, and the laid back culture of Eastside Milwaukee. Ok now, Go EAT!

Comet Cafe'

1947 N. Farwell Ave.

Milwaukee WI 53202

(414) 273-7677

http://www.thecometcafe.com/

As always you can find more pictures on the Eat MKE facebook page. So go check us out there, or you can go to http://www.eatmke.com/ our very own website. Yes, we have a website.