Riverwest is a small but bustling neighborhood on Milwaukee’s east side. All festival events are within easy walking distance of each other, as well as tons of great bars, restaurants, cafes and co-ops. While not an exhaustive list, below is a bit of information about a few of our favorites, as well as nearby hotels and bus routes. We also encourage anyone looking for a cheaper stay to e-mail midwestsmallpressfestival@gmail.com or check out couchsurfing.com for the chance to meet and stay with locals.
Food and Drink
Fuel Café – 818 E. Center St. – Good for breakfast, lunch or a quick cup of coffee, Fuel is centrally located and inexpensive. Try the vegan chili!
Café Corazon – 3129 N. Bremen St. – An emphasis on fresh local ingredients and a great margarita make this small space a popular spot for dinner and brunch on weekends.
Riverwest Co-Op – 733 E. Clarke St. – Our local food co-op has a little vegetarian/vegan café attached that is well-loved for its soups, sandwiches and amazing breakfast options.
Nessun Dorma – 2778 N. Weil St. – One of the best places in the neighborhood for a late dinner, Nessun Dorma serves until midnight on weekends. Great panini, salads/antipasti, bruschetta, and beer selection.
Riverwest Public House – 815 E. Locust St. – Wisconsin’s first co-operatively run bar. Get brunch delivered from the food co-op by bike and enjoy one of the neighborhood’s best bloody marys. Also a great, friendly place to go for a drink after the day’s festival events are through, they stock tons of locally made beers and liquors.
Foundation Tiki Bar – 2718 N. Bremen St. – A very popular spot with locals, on a busy weekend night there’s a decent chance you might be turned away if they’re at capacity. If you can get in, however, Foundation has some of the best craft cocktails in the city, and a kitschy, casual atmosphere.
Accomodations
There are no hotels within the Riverwest neighborhood itself. If you’re driving to the festival and will have a car with you, there are a few hotels near a strip mall-y area about fifteen minutes north of Riverwest on I-43.
La Quinta Inn & Suites – 5110 N. Port Washington Rd. or 5423 N. Port Washington Rd.
Visit: http://www.lq.com
Hilton Milwaukee River – 4700 N. Port Washington Rd.
Call: 1-800-230-4134
If you’re going to be relying on public transportation during the festival, we can recommend staying somewhere on routes 10 or 15, which head north on Humboldt Blvd. and Holton St, respectively, which are the eastern and western boundaries of the neighborhood.
Bus fare is $2.25.
County Clare Irish Inn is right on bus route 10 and has a great Irish pub/restaurant.
Visit: http://www.countyclare-inn.com/
A bit further down route 10, The Pfister is an historic piece of Milwaukee’s downtown.
Visit:http://www.thepfisterhotel.com/
Comfort Inn and Suites Lakeshore Downtown is also convenient to the 10.
Visit: http://www.comfortinn.com/hotel-milwaukee-wisconsin-WI138?source=gglocaloz
