By Matt Mueller Culture Editor Published Oct 01, 2020 at 4:01 PM

Soup weather has arrived in Wisconsin, and a fundraising event based on bowls wants your next spoonful to warm your body, your soul and your community. 

Starting today and running through the first half of October, purchasing a handmade bowl from participating local shops or a bowl of soup from participating restaurants will give back to Milwaukee Empty Bowls – a non-profit volunteer organization focused on using art to raise hunger awareness as well as funds for local food pantries and meal services – and to its partner organizations working to stop food insecurity. So far, in just over 20 years of existence, Milwaukee Empty Bowls has donated more than $900,000 toward helping feed locals in need. 

From Oct. 1-14, the hand-crafted bowls – created and donated by individuals, pottery and craft businesses, and schools across the area – will be available for $20 at the following "bowl stops."

  • Cream City Clay: 7105 W. Greenfield Ave.
  • Good Harvest Market: 2205 Silvernail Rd.
  • Outpost Natural Foods: 100 E. Capitol Dr.
  • Outpost Natural Foods: 2826 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
  • Outpost Natural Foods: 7000 W. State St.
  • Outpost Natural Foods: 7590 W. Mequon Rd.
  • The Potter's Shop: 1314 S. West Ave.

The Outpost locations will also sell Milwaukee Empty Bowls cookbooks for $20.

Bowls will also be available to purchase on Oct. 3-4 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. during the Milwaukee Fine Craft Studio Tour, at these select shops:

  • Andrew Linderman Pottery: 3057 N 80th St. (bowls will cost $30)
  • Cream City Clay: 7105 W. Greenfield Ave.
  • Jean's Clay Studio: 8469 N. 50th St. (bowls will cost $30)

Meanwhile, from Oct. 4-11, soups bought from the following restaurants and eateries will also help support Milwaukee Empty Bowls and ending hunger, with a portion of each soup purchase going toward the organization and the groups, services, pantries and more that it helps support. This year's partner restaurants include:

  • Braise: 1101 S. 2nd St.
  • Cafe Benelux: 346 N. Broadway
  • Cafe Corazon: â€‹2394 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
  • Cafe Corazon: 3129 N. Bremen St.
  • Cafe Corazon: 6300 Mequon Rd.
  • Cafe Hollander: 2608 N. Downer Ave.
  • Cafe Hollander: 7677 W. State St.
  • Cafe Hollander: 5900 W. Mequon Rd.
  • Cafe Hollander: 20150 Union St.
  • Cafe Lulu: 2261 S. Howell Ave.
  • Centraal Grand Cafe and Tappery: 2306 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
  • Glorioso's: 1011 E. Brady St.
  • Good Harvest Market: 2205 Silvernail Rd.
  • Lazy Susan: 2378 S. Howell Ave.
  • Lisa Kay Catering: 944 N. 33rd St.
  • Meat on the Street: 1125 N. 9th St.
  • Outpost Natural Foods: 100 E. Capitol Dr.
  • Outpost Natural Foods: 2826 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
  • Outpost Natural Foods: 7000 W. State St.
  • Outpost Natural Foods: 7590 W. Mequon Rd.
  • Saz's State House: 5539 W. State St.
  • Sweet Basil: 6509 S. 27th St.
  • The Bay: 342 E. Silver Spring Dr.
  • The Soup Market: 2211 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
  • The Soup Market: 5300 S. 108th St., Suite 25
  • The Soup Market: 5330 W. Vliet St.
  • The Soup Market: 440 N. Water St. (inside the Milwaukee Public Market)

For more information on hours and what soup offerings each restaurant will have on the menu, check their respective websites. 

And that's all there is to it! Buy a bowl or buy some soup, and enjoy the most soul-satisfying soup you may ever eat or the most beautiful bowl, inside and out, you may own. And for some odd reason, if you strangely don't like soup or have no need for another bowl in your cupboard but still want to support Milwaukee Empty Bowls, the organization also offers merchandise – like T-shirts, sweatshirts and spoons – at its website, where you can also simply make a donation as well. 

Matt Mueller Culture Editor

As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.

When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.