"Not that kind of guy" (A post-Well Spa massage poem; as overheard)
“Not that kind of guy”
I don’t normally do this.
Any other
Thursday afternoon
this time of year
I’m in the office
until the sky is dark
walking to my car.
The glass of champagne
-well it was included.
Part of a…
24 Hours: Family at the Pfister
Ok, here’s the plan. (Trumpets, please.)
24 hours. The whole family. Take on as much of the Pfister as we possibly can. Take pictures and let you share in the fun.
Ready…
Set…
Wait…not just yet!
OK…
GO!
 …
Shelby Keefe reflects on her time as the Pfister Hotel's resident artist
Shelby Keefe has been the Pfister’s resident artist since April 2011. As all great things eventually come to an end, her studio torch will be passed to Timothy Westbrook in April 2012. Shelby and I had been trying to get together and talk for a few weeks and it…
For St. Valentine's Day, and every other day of the week
Years ago when I was fumbling through my way through working in computers. Our department traveled to sites across the country to perform computer installation and repair. When traveling most of our coworkers liked to eat at big restaurant chains, I gather the familiarity brought them comfort. Being 19, all…
Reflections of Remarkable Milwaukee
Last Monday January 28th an event was held at the historic Pabst Theater,which is just a stroll down the avenue from the Pfister and Intercontinental. The evening was titled Remarkable Milwaukee and gathered many of Milwaukee’s innovative business leaders, successful creative types, and championing envisionistas. The group relaxed…
The Next Pfister in Residence Finalists
This January’s gallery night tested the courage of every driver. The six finalists for the Pfister Hotel’s next Artist in Residence displayed their work in Gallery M at the Intercontinental. I braved the seven block walk from my Wisconsin Avenue home base and spent an evening taking in…
Snow!
Our Milwaukee finally became the winter wonderland we’ve grown to love. Here’s a look at January from our home at 424 East Wisconsin Avenue. Also in honor of our resident artist Shelby Keefe’s Winter Snowball event.
 …
The Time Spends Like Water
This is a poem written after a brief but meaningful conversation in the lobby lounge. I never asked the gentleman’s name, it seemed silly after discussing important life conclusions; regressive somehow. It would have been like asking for steak sauce at Mason Street Grill.
My wife and…
Meeting "The Captive"
One morning I was having breakfast in the lobby lounge and ended up speaking with a young lady. She was enjoying a Healthy Start Frittata and I’d ordered my favorite, The Vegetable Omelet. This young woman’s name was Jessica and we spoke about many things including art, cuisine…
Details, in photographs
So much of the Pfister Hotel is about details. See if you can pick out where I took some of these photos. A cheat list is included at the end. Happy Hunting!
 …
Take your grandmother out for Afternoon Tea
Last weekend my grandma and I decided to go out for afternoon tea. I don’t believe anyone’s ever taken tea with my grandmother, aside from a bag she dropped in a mug above her stove. When my mom called to remind her, my grandma asked what she should…
A brief history of Spring Street, Grand Avenue, Wisconsin Avenue
The Pfister Hotel is located on Wisconsin Avenue and sandwiched between Jefferson, Milwaukee, and Mason Streets. 424 East Wisconsin Avenue to be exact. That may seem like a simple enough fact; Wisconsin Avenue is a main street through the heart of downtown Milwaukee, a city not coincidentally located in the…
My favorite lady lives on the 2nd floor
My mother has always had portraits of women around the house. Her taste for paintings and sculpture spans the 1870′s up to early art deco. Overall she’d probably list Monet as her favorite painter. I grew up with these ladies hanging around so they’ve probably influenced which…
The Good Life in Blu (is a cocktail too)
Last night I was able to listen to a concert with pianist Dr. Jeffrey Hollander. The good doctor plays every first Thursday of the month on the 23rd floor at Blu, the cocktail lounge which looks east over Lake Michigan. Patrons sat at tables which radiated from the piano. Couples…
Your City Through Visiting Eyes- "Absolutely Gobsmacked!"
The other night I was sitting in the lobby lounge editing photographs on my computer. Something a bar patron said caught my ear and made me laugh. I don’t remember what exactly he said, but the gentleman’s tone and volume invited anybody within earshot to join. Hearing…
Holiday Season Begins
Last year I took a seasonal job selling Christmas trees in Florida. Why Christmas trees? Why Florida? Because it’s seasonal and the job is over soon. It’s nice to spend a month in the warmth. They paid for my travel, a house we shared on the beach, and…
Generations of Serendipity Swirl Through the Pfister
It’s not every day a person informs you the place you work probably had a hand in their family escaping the Holocaust.
This past weekend the Pfister was blessed to host the wedding of Mr. Wiley Norden and Ms. Marissa Mullen. Marissa recently followed her career to Chicago but…
The Unexpectedness of Travel
One can plan all the details of a trip but one can never plan the end result. I spoke with this fella in the Pfister’s Lobby Lounge. His name is Joon and he’s a Chicago native who moonlighted in Milwaukee before moving back home to th’Windy.
This…
Veterans Day at the Pfister
This past Saturday I asked Pfister Chef Concierge Peter Mortensen (found out chef translates to “chief,” and not strictly the cuisine variety. Yep, I asked.) to grant me a tour of a few rooms and unique suites. The Pfister is actually two buildings, the initial 1893 Wisconsin Avenue building and…
The Pfister Hotel and Johnson Controls grew up together
Did you know the first building to (ever!) have temperature controls in each room was the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin? During the Industrial Revolution Johnson Controls and the Pfister Hotel grew up like two kids on the same block. Both also grew to garner international recognition in their chosen…
