Whether you're in the mood to rummage, shave, ride a roller coaster or have a great breakfast, this week's edition of OnMilwaukee.com Recommends is full of the products and events you've been waiting for.
The Revomatics – Rev It Up! – Milwaukee's own instrumental exotica outfit returns with 14 slices of vintage guitar-fueled pop blending surf and Tiki chic to create an insanely infectious sound that will hook you from the get-go. The band plays Saturday, July 13 at 11 a.m. at Best Place and at 9 p.m. at the Brauer House in Lombard, Ill., so check out The Revomatics and grab a disc from them after the show or buy it online at therevomatics.com – Bobby Tanzilo
Simple Cafe's corned beef hash – Breakfast is always a difficult meal. There are so many choices, from French Toast to a bagel with cream cheese and lox. Well, I just added one to my go-to breakfast choices, this one courtesy of Simple, the wonderful restaurant on Farwell Avenue. They have a corned beef hash unlike any I've ever had anywhere. It's well-chopped corned beef that has obviously been allowed to sit for 24 hours after cooking, perhaps the key element in creating outstanding corned beef. The beef is chopped and grilled with green peppers, onions and some of the best potatoes I've ever had. Then you add a little Gruyere cheese and you are set to go. The potatoes deserve a special notice. They are grown locally and cut into wedges and grilled to a crisp as an integral part of the hash. Too often the potatoes in corned beef hash are added as an afterthought. Not here. They stand on their own and are an integral part of this delicious dish. – Dave Begel
Brock Brush Company Everyman Best Badger shaving brush – As if using a traditional shaving brush isn’t cool enough on its own, one with a base handmade out of Canadian hard maple is just a little cooler. Brock Brush Company’s Everyman badger brush isn’t just the best performing shave brush I’ve used – and I’ve used several – but it’s the prettiest. Instead of a faux ivory handle, you get a gorgeous wooden one, finished in environmentally-friendly Canadian hemp oil. As for the badger hair, itself, the 22 millimeter knot is denser than the "best badger" grade brushes I’ve used in this price range – The Everyman sells for $58.50. Of course, the feel of a shave brush is one of personal preference, but after just a few shaves, I knew this was my favorite. The gorgeous wood grain just takes it over the edge for me. Each one comes with a wallet card identifying your brush. That’s pretty cool. – Andy Tarnoff
Maxwell Street Days – I’ve been going to Maxwell Street Days since I was still in the womb (literally). The prices are usually great, it’s better for the environment to buy recycled goods when you can and it’s also the best place to find old Nancy Drew books. Plus, beer is served at 7 a.m., and you get to rifle through other people’s old stuff. Who doesn’t love that? The summer edition is being held at Firemen’s Park in Cedarburg this Sunday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., and best of all, it’s free! – Colleen Jurkiewicz
Flash pass at Six Flags – I would never have bought flash passes for my family because of the cost, but they were given to us by the staff after an unfortunate series of ticket hiccups, and I must say, they completely made our day. We went on a warm and sunny afternoon and the park was packed with one-to-two hour waits for most of the big rides. With the flash pass, we walked right up to the front of the line and spent the day riding instead of waiting. The cost of the flash pass ranges from $50 to $125 and is a virtual ride reservation system that holds your place in line electronically. When it's almost time for your turn to ride, an alert is sent to the flash pass. It's pretty sweet. I did feel like a jerk bypassing all of the other sweaty folks in the queue, and I could not bring myself to make eye contact with anyone as we breezed by – but not bad enough to go to the end of the line, of course. – Molly Snyder
"Theodosia and the Pirates" by Aya Katz – Not much is known about Theodosia Burr Alston, which is strange, because in her lifetime she was a pretty big celebrity. Theodosia was the only daughter of Aaron Burr, who (in no particular order) held the office of third vice-president of the United States, was arrested for treason, killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel and attempted to become the emperor of Mexico. His daughter was widely known for her intellect and beauty, and she married into the prestigious Alston family of South Carolina. She disappeared in 1812 at sea; no one aboard her schooner was ever heard from again, and there are a host of theories about her fate. In this novel, author and linguist Aya Katz presents the most fascinating one yet: what if Theodosia was captured by and fell in love with a famous privateer and embarks on a life of adventure, crusading against the colonial interests of European empires? This book is three parts historical fiction, two parts political thriller and one part romance. Katz’s exacting assessment (through Theodosia’s eyes) of the feud between her beloved father and Thomas Jefferson will be delightful for an American history buff, and those not familiar with the period will be interested to see that not everyone thought Jefferson was such a great guy. From a purely literary standpoint, this fast-moving and engrossing tale will have you turning the pages faster than any fluffy "beach red" you’ll find this summer. – Colleen Jurkiewicz
