The folks who work in OnMilwaukee.com's editorial office may bristle at the "hipster" label, but we do try to be cutting edge. That's why it's natural that we're recommending a great cutting board today, along with a neat wine accessory, a delicious vegetable salad (from Lulu), some good-looking workout clothes, a classic movie and great new music from Franz Ferdinand and old music from Seal.
These are a few of our favorite things this week:
Totally Bamboo cutting boards -- Bamboo is cool. I've got a handful of stalks growing at home (they're very hearty), and someone even gave me a T-shirt made out of the stuff (it's very soft). The wood is about as green and sustainable as it comes, and it's totally versatile, too. An eco-friendly alternative to traditional hardwood, it's also a great material for a cutting board. Totally Bamboo has taken the kitchen staple to the next level, however, introducing a stylish and durable cutting board that's dishwasher-friendly. Traditional wooden cutting boards must be hand-washed, but this durable product remains anti-bacterial and scratch-resistant while still uniquely stylish. The California company that makes them uses fair trade practices, producing the cutting boards from a managed forest west of Shanghai. Totally Bamboo cutting boards come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and range in price from $10 to $35. --Andy Tarnoff
Blind tasting wine socks -- Yes, socks for wine. But not to keep their toes warm, instead to keep tasters from getting an early peek at what they're tasting. These garnet-colored vin tube socks -- which come in sets of six numbered socks -- are decorated with a vertical listing of the word wine in black in a number of tongues -- wine, vino, vin, wyn, wein, vinho. You can also order them with a logo added (although there is a minimum order of 30. Without a logo, you can buy as few as two sets). If you host wine tastings for guests or customers, these classy, red-wine-tinted socks are much more attractive than brown paper bags and they tell your tasters that you're serious about wine and presentation. To inquire about orders, e-mail bernard.herbert@gmail.com. --Bobby Tanzilo
Seal's "Soul" -- Seal's sixth and newest studio album features excellent covers of vintage soul from the early days of Motown. It's a great download as it includes "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke; "I Can't Stand the Rain" by Ann Peebles; "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" by James Brown; "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" and "I'm Still in Love with You" by Al Green:' among others. Sure it's all covers, but Seal does soul proud. --Jeff Sherman
Cheap workout clothes from Kohl's -- Sure, you could work out in ratty sweats and a stained beer company T-shirt you've had since college. If you dress better, though, you may feel better about going to the gym. The men's department at Kohl's has competitive prices on apparel from Nike, Reebok, Champion and adidas, but you can get really good deals on the Tek Gear line and Russell Athletic. When you pay $5.99 for a moisture-wicking T-shirt, you won't feel bad about sweating it up; you can always use it to wash the car. --Drew Olson
Lulu's roasted vegetable salad -- A friend and I split this massive salad ($9.50) during a recent lunch date at Lulu, 2265 S. Howell Ave., and my plate contained a little pile of heaven. The greens were fresh, the vegetables perfectly roasted -- cooked but still crisp -- and the chevre cheese, oh, the chevre cheese. We ordered the dish with pine nuts, which furthered our food buzz and made me swear I wasn't going to wait another two years to eat this delicious, delicious salad. --Molly Snyder Edler
"The Odd Couple" -- I always loved the TV show (probably because I identified with Oscar Madison, the patron saint of sportswriters), but I caught the movie version of Neil Simon's play on cable the other night and Walter Matthau (Oscar) and Jack Lemmon (Felix) were spectacular. And, you have to love the Pigeon Sisters. --D.O.
Tutto -- I first told you about Tutto, 1033 N. Old World 3rd St., in July 2007. Since then, the return to the Milwaukee dining and drinking scene for the Giovanni family has been a big hit. I love the space and its food. It's a great place to hang out before or after a game, or to just grab a good burger. If you haven't been to Tutto yet, put it on your list. --J.S.
The first four songs on "Tonight" -- I haven't had time to check out the last nine tracks on Franz Ferdinand's latest effort, so I can't recommend downloading the entire disc. The first four songs -- "Ulysses," "Turn it On," "No You Girls" and "Send Him Away" indicate a band that is finding its swagger. The show April 29 at The Rave should be pretty strong. --D.O.
