An exquisite serendipity. I never anticipated returning to Milwaukee so soon. I revisited Riverside University High School to admire the sprawling ivy, and enjoyed a stunning seafood meal with impeccable service at Harbor House. Recently, because a friend was returning to China, and as someone who loves traveling by Greyhound, we naturally decided to take a trip together. Adulthood makes reunions difficult, and with the vast distance between us, this might well be our final farewell. Since my friend had visited nearly all of the lower 48 states except the Cheese State, I suggested exploring Wisconsin. In my student days, Whitefish Bay loomed as an unapproachable, affluent enclave. Two decades later, I realize the locals are incredibly welcoming, even to travelers dressed as casually as we were. We followed the chef’s recommendations. The duck liver soup was delightful, and the appetizer platter featured exceptional fried mushrooms and St. Louis-style ribs. The veal cutlet was tender, and the sweet, boneless whitefish fulfilled my wish of eating whitefish in Whitefish Bay. The service was so graciously attentive that, as an East Coaster, I can only envy this innate Midwestern warmth (you simply don't find this level of hospitality in PA). The classical soundtrack—Billy May, Hugo Winterhalter, Percy Faith—was elegantly joyful, a refreshing departure from the sorrowful ballads that plague many eateries. Having dined extensively during my years in Philadelphia, I can be a harsh critic: the shrimp sashimi was underwhelming, but hardly enough to cost them a star. The European melodies and German tavern ambiance evoked fond memories of my late landlady, Else Ankel, a Basel graduate who spent half a century studying botany in an 1800s Wisconsin house. I will undoubtedly return. Life is a sprawling composition—the turbulent Goldberg Variations meeting the lingering grace of Albinoni’s Adagio. It is a profound blessing to pause by Lake Michigan and savor the local catch. Harbor House remains unmatched for pure culinary execution, but this establishment takes the crown for conversation and atmosphere. (Carnevor’s steaks are excellent, but the environment is too chaotic and they forgot my wine.) Highly recommended. Bathed in a sunlit, floral 1960s Lana Del Rey aesthetic and swept by the lake breeze, it offers a moment of joy profoundly.
