The Pfister Five: Meet international model Raengel Solis
Welcome to a new series on the blog called “The Pfister Five.” Occasionally, I’ll post a five-question interview with a guest. To kick this off, here’s a chat with Raengel Solis, an international model who stayed at the Pfister recently.
Raengel was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. Eight years ago, she moved to New York City and three years ago to Miami, where she works as a model for the Home Shopping Network and on Telemundo Miami.
“I love Miami,” she says. “Winter’s just not for me.”
Now fluent in both Spanish and English…
Talking New York City, identical twins and happy hours with the McDonoughs
It was clear Mary and Tim McDonough were having Date Night at the Lobby Bar. Snuggled closely on the couch in front of the fire, Mary cradled a glass of Shiraz and Tim held a Sambuca with three coffee beans. Engrossed in quiet conversation, they paused only to laugh.
Of course, the only element missing from this romantic scene was a complete stranger with a serious case of the chatties. And so I provided that.
“Hi, I’m the new Pfister Narrator. Can I pull up a chair?”
They might have politely told me to get lost, but when I…
The three-hour Milwaukeean
After I overheard – OK, totally nosily dipped into – Mario Guerra’s cell phone conversation when he was sitting next to me at the Lobby Bar, I gleaned he had recently moved to Milwaukee.
“So how long have you lived in Milwaukee?” I asked Guerra, who was wearing a nice suit and drinking a Bud Light.
“About three hours,” he said.
That explains the Bud Light in MillerCoors Country, I guess.
But really, this was the perfect opening to what would become an engaging, two-hour conversation about Milwaukee, family, disappointment, successes and what led Guerra to the Pfister Hotel.
“Why…
Pfister Files: A Tradition of Fine Dining
Over the next few months, I will be dusting off pages from the Pfister’s history books and sharing bits of the Pfister’s prolific history. This is the third post in this series.
The Pfister Hotel was and still is a mecca of fine dining. The holy grail? A Lobby Lounge Bloody Mary overflowing with accutrements, gourmet Sunday brunch buffet in the Cafe Rouge or a 14 oz. dry aged strip at the Mason Street Grill.
The English Room (1926-2001) was the special occasion place offering classic French cuisine. Lauded by the Journal’s long-time restaurant critic…
A Master and His Admirer
Dr. Jeffery Hollander has had a prolific career in addition to his 30-year tenure as the Pfister Hotel’s Musician-in-Residence. “He is so talented, I love the way he interprets the music. No one else plays like he can.” Natalia will be the first to tell you that he is not your typical lounge pianist. “No other place in Milwaukee has this kind of ambiance.” She has admired his work for the past seven years as a fixture in the Lobby Lounge. So much so, that she made it into Katie Musolff’s painting of Dr. Hollander…
5 O'clock Coffee Talk
It’s happy hour! What are we doing drinking coffee? It’s the kind of Friday night that calls for a martini – straight up.
I take my usual seat at the Lobby Lounge bar, looking around at the flurry of activity as hotel guests arrive for the weekend and the suits and gowns sashay in for their festivities. Tom takes the seat next to me, sipping a clear mug of caffeinated bliss, just like me. He’s another regular, but one that I haven’t yet met. Based on the way the staff flock to him to exchange pleasantries and…
Carla and Tommy
“I made a song!” she declared with a Christmas-morning smile. Dan invited her over to the piano in the lobby to play a few notes. “He knows that Jeff always plays ‘Summertime’ for me, because that’s the song my mother used to sing to me when I was a baby girl,” Carla explained as a juicy tear welled up in her coffee-colored eye. Now, her adoring husband Tommy calls her baby girl.
Carla and Tommy Shircel have one tradition – they celebrate their anniversary every year at the Pfister Hotel.
“Dan asked me to pick the first three…
Working to Give
Proudly showing off her black fleece sweater with the embroidered Pfister logo, I may have just met the Pfister’s biggest fan tonight. She and her husband were certainly fans of Jeff. Like any good bartender, he took to the attention like a moth to a flame and kept them entertained in the bustling Lobby Lounge where they were perfectly content taking in all the action.
Patty had neatly bobbed blonde hair, her rosy cheeks held up a pair of oval specs, and her meek smile was warm and inviting. Burt was in a collared shirt that peeked out loosely…
Brothers Reunite
All nine of them were huddling around the wide velvet couches like a football team reviewing the game-winning play. Then, they broke up to line up like soldiers in front of the fireplace and posed for a picture. One slight problem, the gentleman who volunteered to take the picture didn’t realize the camera wasn’t on, so I quickly intervened.
After they saw that I knew how to work one, they all began handing me their own cameras. It was clear that this was a momentous occasion and they all wanted their own copy of the picture to…
The Art of Storytelling with Ex Fabula
No professionals needed – just enthusiastic amateurs. That’s my kind of club. ExFabula has been organizing live storytelling events in Milwaukee since 2009. Founding member Megan McGee takes pride in helping people discover that they have a story to tell and showing them how to do it. There is only one rule – all five-minute stories must be true. And, each event has a theme that storytellers must stick to. “The themes aren’t a way to restrict people, they should just be starting off point,” explains Megan. ”Eventually everyone connects with something.”
Andrew Larsen got involved last fall and…
#MKE Foodies Take Over Mason St. Grill
In case you need any more proof that digital media is changing the way we do everything, here is a story of a food group that started on Twitter. Digital followers turned real-life friends, #MKE Foodies now meets offline once a month at a restaurant in Milwaukee to dine, enjoy and discuss food. And that pound sign, that’s called a hashtag in Twitter speak, allowing people to search and follow the same topics.
They call themselves “Food lovers making a difference in Milwaukee.” Food bloggers Lori and Paul Fredrich lead the group that also raises money for local…
Love is in the Air
Although it’s still one week from Valentine’s Day, there is love in air at the Pfister Hotel tonight. Romantic love, Milwaukee love, Latin music love.
“Guajira,” scrape, boom, swoosh, “Guajira,” scrape, boom, swoosh…It’s the type of sound that crawls under your skin and tickles until you dance. Two people are wildly gyrating in front of the window at Blu about four counts faster than the music. It looks like an African tribal dance of sorts. They are the only people dancing in the room, but they couldn’t care less. It’s hard not to notice…
Jay and John
There are two types of people in this world: those who hate being in the spotlight and those who love it. I am usually able to tell the difference within about two minutes of telling people that I am the hotel’s staffer dedicated to writing about guests.
“Oh I have a great story and I photograph well,” bragged John. Bingo! Here we have the classic extrovert who loves the spotlight. He was hanging out at the bar before heading out to a sushi dinner, resigning to his lack of self control and killing his appetite on snack mix.
His…
Keeping a Watchful Eye Over the Cafe
John Miller has been coming to brunch at the Pfister Café every Sunday with his family for the past eight years. It’s a post-church tradition that has continued to grow, along with with his family.
Henry Miller (the superhero-in-training, not the author) is 16 months old and Max is an outgoing and precious four. Superheroes are all the rage in their household. His brother Max led the way with his Spiderman fixation. “He pretty must just does what his brother does,” says John.
All the waitresses were cooing at Henry, playing with his wiry curls that…
Alivia and Elly
There was no dance floor so they created their own. Their dance moves were abstract, like the jazz. They were show stoppers – at just two feet tall. Who were these two little angels dressed in matching zebra print and ruffles at the Mason Street Grill? “People often mistake them for twins,” says Stacey, their mom. “They love to perform for others and make people smile and laugh. They are best buddies.” Elly is two and her sister Alivia is one – they are 13 months (to the day) apart and they’ve got serious rhythm.
Like trying to grab a slippery…
Christmas with the Tamscins
I think most people who’ve hosted a large gathering will agree that not having to cook on Christmas is a gift in itself. Being able to celebrate with your family, minus the grocery shopping, prep work and dishes leaves you a lot more time for holiday cheer.
One thing was also particularly evident this Christmas day at the Pfister – the hospitality industry never sleeps. Staff was bustling around through the crowd to accommodate each and every guest – over 500 for Christmas brunch in the ballroom alone. The lobby and the cafe were also busting at the seams with guests…
The Menu of Holiday Past and Present
There are all kinds of relics to uncover here at the Pfister Hotel. With the holidays in full swing, food comes to my mind right away. In my home, food for any celebration is always given the utmost care and attention, like a newborn baby. As I was poking around last week, I hopscotched my way up the wide, coral marble steps in the lobby guarded by Dick and Harry (the bronze lions). Displayed inconspicuously, was the china used at Thanksgiving dinner in 1899 at the Pfister Hotel, complete with the dinner menu.
Blue point oysters, Little Neck clams; followed…
A Voice Like Velvet
Close your eyes and you’ll swear Frank Sinatra is singing. Open them and take in the view. Up at Blu, it feels like I’m in a different city tonight, it feels like the Windy City.
I collided with Myles in the elevator and I recognized him (strangely enough) from the main stage at Homestead High School. He hasn’t changed much. Even back then, it was obvious that he was at home on the stage and behind the mic.
Tonight, he’s perched on a high stool in a tight configuration with a piano, bass and cymbals. He…
The Modern Day Businessman
It’s a Tuesday night in November. Truth be told, there’s not a whole lot going on in Milwaukee. Luckily, there is always a friend to be found at the Pfister. It’s dinnertime, so I pop into Mason Street Grill. A lone man drinking martinis – this must be the traveling businessman.
David Howard is on the road Monday-Friday almost every week selling natural beverages. Reed’s brand ginger beer is the flagship product. “No way, that’s one of my favorites!” I blurt out. He hates being away from his two little kids, but he tries not…
Chef Brian Selects: New Items in the Café at the Pfister
Winter is knocking, and the temperature is dropping. What better way to keep the pulse going at the Pfister than introducing a new menu in the Café. With over a dozen new delicious options, we’re hoping we can please any palette that stops for lunch at the Café this winter. Check out Chef Brian as he introduces two of his favorites in the videos !
The Café at The Pfister’s NEW Fire Sugar Pork Finger Wraps (Tacos)
Featuring braised pork, delicious fennel & blue cheese slaw and some of our house-made Pfister pickles – these finger wraps are…
94 Years Young
I’d say a 94th birthday is tux-worthy – wouldn’t you? Ron Fons not only sported a tuxedo, but he also flew 7,000 miles to celebrate with his mother at her favorite spot in Milwaukee, the Pfister Hotel. It’s an annual tradition, and the only time he makes it back home to Milwaukee.
Sylvia nibbles on a crab cake, smiles and has a little twinkle in her eye. She is 94 years young today. Her diminutive presence is far from the vivacious Vaudeville celebrity she once was. Her specialty was tap dance, but she also played the…
Tea for Two, at Blu
Sipping tea while overlooking the city on a clear day is a good day to be at Blu. I spotted a pair of dapper hats sitting in front of an impressive spread of tiered silver trays with scones, cookies, sandwiches and cakes displayed like a trophy.
Go figure – Gail, from Lake Mills, is a hat maker by trade. A cluster of beads, greenery and lace adorned her camel wool hat and an interesting smattering of necklaces tangled around her neck.
Tracy donned the classic charcoal newsboy and thick black frames, looking professor-like in his wool blazer.
“So how’s…
And So It Begins...
First day on the job as the Pfister Narrator and I feel like I’ll get used to hanging around this place pretty quickly. Greeted by the bubbly Timothy Westbrook concocting another masterpiece in his studio, I walked in on what I thought would be a quiet Sunday because of the Packer game. I was mistaken. Brunch –the most extraordinary brunch I have ever seen– was just wrapping up and sure enough, there was a TV hidden in that stately armoire, so the lobby lounge comforted a roaring chorus of Packers fans.
Within minutes of cozying up to the bar…
Every Three Seconds
“You want to know about Indian culture?” he asks with a raised brow.
I pick up my pen, square my shoulders, and give an affirmative bring-it-on nod.
The lobby lounge is relaxed after a full day of visitors and tourists trafficking through the hotel. I’m having an evening coffee at the bar and my guest, Murali, is unwinding with a glass of whiskey. His flight from India touched down only a few hours ago. He’s in the t-shirt business and his work carries him all over the globe: Sri Lanka, Australia, Europe, Japan, Singapore. He…
Sacred Harvest
I’ve always enjoyed fall. Not because of the burnished and bronze treetops or the soft comfort of an old sweater or for the ubiquity of football. Definitely not for the football.
Rather, I am incredibly buoyant during the early fall months, inspired by the season’s warmth and currents of change. Perhaps it’s trace enthusiasm for the first days of school. It might be my practice of renewal during my Libra days. Or, maybe, I have ancient agrarian roots still eager about the harvest. Yeah, maybe.
Whatever the source, I am aware of the conversion taking place. My…
