They're soft. They're dark. And they're undeniably handsome. We're talking about Bavarian-style pretzels, the oldest snack food known to man and – quite possibly – the best food to enjoy alongside an ice cold beer.
In this episode, we chat with Katie Wessel, the expert baker behind Milwaukee Pretzel Co., makers of the city's most traditional German pretzels. With her help, we dig into a bit of pretzel history, uncover the secrets to a truly great soft pretzel and glean insights into the ingenuity it takes to run a from-scratch pretzel bakery. And you can bet we have a ton of fun along the way.
Hungry for Milwaukee Pretzel Company pretzels? Get them here.
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Got an idea for a topic we should consider for FoodCrush? Want to offer feedback on our latest episode? Email me at lori@staff.onmilwaukee.com. You can also give @FoodCrushMKE a follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
