Listening to Dr. Jeffrey Hollander- Part 1
This is the one I’ve avoided writing. The elephant in my room. The profile I’ve put off for five months while I watched and listened quietly in the background, leaning against a column with my arms crossed wondering how it happens and how to write about it.
Every time I’ve listened to Dr. Jeffrey Hollander play the piano I’ve had a clear desire to write about him, to chronicle the man and his work. I’m a music fan but I’ve never been a musician. I can converse in a limited manner regarding jazz…
The Transplant ~or~ Pine Roses
I said I’d move here
for two years-
no more than two years.
That was my limit.
My office
suggested a promotion
but said I had to relocate.
Initially,
I was so sure
I’d move right back
that I considered
sub-letting my apartment
instead of ending the lease.
My friends all joked
that I was moving to Milwaukee
to become a cowboy.
That was fourteen years ago.
Before moving here
I thought this place
was a small town
and couldn’t wait
to get back to the city.
But the…
Milwaukee: The Best Deal In Chicago
Ah, big brother Chicago. Just two hundred years ago we were part of the same Illinois territory.
People come to Milwaukee for many reasons. Business. Dinner. Conventions. Celebrations. Sporting events. Art openings. Museums.
Visitors ask certain key questions which lead me to conclude they’re not from Milwaukee. This line of conversation usually takes place after someone says, “So how do I get a cab around here?” or “This place is great, where else should I visit?” Or they call the water drinking oasis a fountain instead of a bubbler.
I’ve noticed a trend of Chicagoans visiting us just…
Experiencing UW-Milwaukee's 2012 Women Leaders Conference
To my dismay I realized that the UW-Milwaukee Women Leaders Conference scheduled to take place at the Pfister Friday, March 30th was sold out. I’d hoped there was a possibility to watch from the perimeter and take in a little of the conference.
Thursday evening I was in the lobby lounge speaking with pianist Dr. Jeffrey Hollander regarding a Pfister blog I’ve been working on about the man. There was a woman seated at the table closest Jeffrey and the three of us talked for a bit. In conversation I asked if she was local or from…
Shelby Keefe's Farewell Celebration
The Pfister bids Shelby Keefe adieu and celebrates achievements of Keefe, Ferris and Williams
The Pfister held a farewell reception Tuesday, March 27th in honor of our 2011 Artist in Residence, Shelby Keefe.
The event had both Pfister elegance and Shelby flare. Shelby’s additions included: an interactive art piece allowing guests to paint on a shared canvas and the melodies of a barefoot guitarist. The Pfister provided the hors d’oeuvres, ceremony and free tastings of the new Mason Street Grill Private Label Cabernet.
The Cabernet unveiled that evening is Mason Street Grill’s private label Cabernet wine by…
Getting to know Chef Brian Frakes
The Pfister has received countless compliments on their Marcus Celebrated Chefs series. Many of the compliments centered around the hotel’s Executive Chef Brian Frakes. People talked about how generous he was with his knowledge and always sent them home with extra food. Guests went home energized with new ideas of how to invigorate their home cooking.
It turned out I’d met Brian briefly when I first came on as narrator. Concierge Peter Mortensen was giving me the introductory tour and we walked downstairs by the kitchen. Brian and I briefly shook hands and exchanged greetings. There were so…
The Pfister's British Invasion
Do you remember 1964, what happened after blues and rock and roll exported across the Atlantic Ocean and came back from a stop in England? The Kinks, The Dave Clark Five, The Animals, Donovan, The Rolling Stones, and of course The Beatles. When those four lads arrived in the States there was pandemonium along every stop. Each airport was crowded with admirers. Imagine a limousine driver trying to wade through a sea of screaming high school girls. These four gentlemen had not a moment to themselves once they hit stateside. Countless young ladies tried anything just for a handshake, a…
What's in a birthday?
One day I was sitting in the lobby lounge waiting for something to happen. It can be a strange feeling to think qualitatively about conversation, hoping for a moment of random brilliance to spring from a happenstance stranger. This random Tuesday evening my mind started drifting for all the typical reason’s one’s mind wanders from the task at hand while working. Bills, or maybe errands forgotten or neglected. Maybe the current song grabbed my attention and reminded me of another song which presented a memory of an old friend and I pictured the car they drove which stranded…
The Weekend of Promise Rings
Saturday afternoon I was hanging out in Shelby’s studio watching her work on a painting of the Milwaukee Art Museum. She was searching to find her way through the piece. A stroke here, a stroke there. Step back, consider. Wipe with a moist towel, then determine another stroke. Having this rare intersection between a writer and a painter makes me feel like we’re living inside of Frank O’Hara’s poem Why I Am Not a Painter.
While I was seated on the couch a guy in his twenties walked in to the studio for a closer look…
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 turned out to be a good thing we couldn’t meet until this past Monday. When I walked in to her studio Shelby was standing in front of a painting. She had her hands on her hips and kept shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Then she…
I Do: Part Deux - Wedding Photo Contest
Weddings are a big part of our history. From the grandest to the most intimate, each wedding has a special place here at The Pfister. That’s why we’re proud to announce our I Do: Part Deux, Wedding Photo contest.
You are cordially invited to share your Pfister wedding day memories with us for a chance to win some great prizes!
To participate, please upload your favorite wedding photo and story to our Facebook page. The couple with the best photo/story submission will win a one-night “I Do” anniversary package that includes the following:
You + Me…
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 the feel of a different hotel in the Marcus family. Please help us by voting for our next resident artist on our Facebook Page. For anyone not on Facebook, you can enter your ballot in person at Gallery M, or email amyhansen@marcuscorp.com with your selection. Below is what…
Marcus Restaurants Extends Chef Series Program
The culinary fun isn’t over yet! Marcus Restaurants has extended its popular chef series through February 2012, after a successful autumn session. Each Saturday, Marcus Restaurants will host a special sequence of classes called Celebrated Chefs Winter 2012 Series. Guests will get to know some of the city’s culinary leaders, enjoy perfectly paired beverages and sample each chef’s preparations, while learning great tips. With classes limited to 18 guests, they’ll enjoy a close-up look at cooking techniques in an intimate setting.
The Winter Series will feature an array of…
Spend New Years Eve With Us
This New Year’s Eve at the Pfister will be a celebration and a special evening full of drinks, dancing and fun. Join us as we say goodbye to 2011 and welcome 2012 with in style.
But we have to warn you; this will not be your typical New Years party. We have booked one of Milwaukee’s hottest groups, The Mr. Lucky’s Swing Syndicate. Two time winner of WAMI’s (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) ”Band of the Year.”
For details call (877) 704-5340 or (414) 935-5950. Packages start at $99 and are limited so make your…
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 wear for such an occasion, what is appropriate attire for tea? “We didn’t go out for tea when I was a girl. Am I supposed to wear her long white gloves? I would if I had them.” Fear not, we found that beautiful silver can be placed in front…
Baking Up Hope This Holiday Season
Marcus Restaurants donates 500 cookies to Hope House
MILWAUKEE – December 22, 2011 – For the third year in a row, chefs from Marcus
Restaurants are helping to make this holiday season a little sweeter for those in need. This
morning, they donated 500 cookies to Hope House in Milwaukee. Hope House is an
emergency and transitional living facility serving those in need of food and shelter.
Hope House is sharing the treats with its residents and patrons of its food pantry. The
recipe for the White Chocolate Chip Chewy Gingerbread Cookies was provided by Anna
Baird-Luedke, winner of Milwaukee’s…
The Sparkling Season
I am a geek for sparkling wines. This is one of my very favorite seasons as there are so MANY occasions to elegantly sip Champagne and share toasts with my friends and family. I cannot imagine a Christmas Eve dinner at my house without a few bottles of something bubbly chilling in my outdoor cellar (AKA-the snow drift on my patio), a Christmas morning without Mimosas and waffles, or a tiring but rewarding night at the restaurant on New Year’s Eve without toasting at midnight with my battle weary co-workers. Here are a few of my favorite…
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 sat close to one another in a piano-dangled warm quiet until the last few songs, at which point I began looking for a singer who appeared to my ears from of the middle of nowhere. I looked around the room to find someone now accompanying the piano. I then…
A Great Milwaukee's Favorite Cookie Contest Entry
Here at the Pfister, we love a great story. When we received this great story from Jill Drury who entered our Marcus Resturant’s Milwaukee’s Best Cookie Contest.
Nothing says tradition like a grandma passing great recipes, techniques, and a few special secrets to the next generation. Great story Jill, thanks for sharing…
It was a crisp Fall afternoon and I had just gotten home from another rough day of first grade. I sat down in my bedroom, unzipped my backpack, and pulled out my homework. Just as I was about to open up my math book, the smell…
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 my chuckle he turned around, delighted that another was entertained by his observation. As he approached my table with a glass of beer in hand I closed the screen on my laptop and returned the machine to it’s case.
Wayne was this fellow’s name and he was in…
2011 Pfister Tree Lighting Ceremony
We kicked off the holiday season with our annual tree lighting ceremony on Friday, Nov. 25th.
This year’s event featured cupcake and cookie decorating, complimentary holiday drinks and much more. And as always, Santa and Ms. Claus made a special appearance.
Thanks to everyone who came out. It’s one of our favorite events of the year…
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 all my meals while in the FLA. There exist customers who are glad to pay healthy prices to take their time selecting a special tree. They also enjoy that healthy Wisconsin farm boys, for a fee, deliver their chosen tree to their house and set it up. (Wherever, however, turn…
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 left her heart in Milwaukee. With the man willing she decided not only to marry in Milwaukee but wanted their big day to contain components specific to the city. Area beer, wines, and cheeses were par for their course and Marissa wanted them to be encompassed within a prominent Milwaukee…
The Pfister's Annual Tree Lighting Event
We will kick off the holiday season with our annual tree lighting ceremony on Friday, Nov. 25, 2011, from 5 – 6:30 pm.
Our tree lighting ceremony is a magical experience for the whole family. This year’s event will include cupcake decorating, complimentary holiday treats and much more. While the actual tree lighting will take place at 5:30pm, additional activities will extend to 6:30pm.
Parents are invited to bring their cameras, as Santa will be making an appearance for photo opportunities. Guests will be encouraged to write down their holiday wishes and drop them in a special…
