Honestly, I'm largely ambivalent to whether or not Cudahy builds a Wal-Mart. I don't much like Wal-Mart; I think they're cheap, dirty, and sell plastic Chinese toys loaded with lead paint (which clearly makes the megastore chain complicit in a Communist plot to poison an entire generation of American children). I've watched the whole debate from the outside thinking only one thing. You guessed it.
"Thank heaven it's Cudahy and not South Milwaukee."
Token Cudahy joke aside, I'm a big fan of spending my money locally whenever possible. Given the recent downturn in the economy (I'm not calling it a "recession" until the Yankees and Jets stop signing free agents), this has taken on a new sense of urgency. Let's face it: With all this talk of businesses closing and jobs in the balance, when you spend your hard-earned dollars would you rather they wind up lining the pockets of the Wal-Mart ownership group, or the guy across the aisle in church?
Being a free-market kind of guy, I'll spend my money where I want to. And whether or not Cudahy builds their Wal-Mart, that means I'll gladly pay a few extra bucks for a better product or service. I'm all in favor of quality over quantity, after all. So let's take a look at some of my favorite locally owned businesses here in the South Shore area and hopefully drum up some traffic for them. These folks all do a good job.
SportCuts (Barbershop - South Milwaukee, St. Francis, Oak Creek)
My boys and I make regular trips to the St. Francis location of this local barber's, and we always come away with decent-looking heads. The catch-- you get your own TV on which to watch, well, sports-- works great with guys like me. You can get a haircut and not miss the big game (or the small one, or SportsCenter, or the hot-dog-eating contest or whatever). One thing they could use is a few kid-friendly movies for the little ones-- my toddlers love playing football but they're not quite watching it yet-- but that's a small quibble. Every Packer, Badger, Brewer and Buck fan on the South Shore should get their hair cut here. There's not really any debate.
Taken 2 the Cleaners (Valet Dry Cleaning - Milwaukee Metro Area)
Now this is good stuff. Valet dry cleaning service that picks up your gear at your home or office door and delivers it back a few days later. Best of all, it's run by locals who take customer service personally. You can't go wrong with these guys. They've picked up my stuff from my home in Bay View and my office in Brookfield, and it always comes back looking better than new.
Sheridan's (Dining - Cudahy)
This is quite possibly my favorite restaurant not named Erv's Mug in the entire area. Located in the old Fountain Blue building on Lake Drive, it's situated in a Cudahy landmark but feels more like Brussels or Amsterdam. (Not that I'd know what Brussels or Amsterdam feel like, but I've seen pictures.) Given the high quality of the food, prices are reasonable. We've had both brunch and dinner here and come away impressed every time. And they're pretty kid-friendly for an establishment that places such high emphasis on aesthetics. You'd expect a restaurant like this to glare disapprovingly at toddlers, but the staff at Sheridan's were really generous to our boys.
Carleton Grange (Dining - St. Francis)
I've written these guys up in this space before, but it's worth pointing out the delicious curry french fries and my favorite new feature-- the smoke-free bar. As someone who inhaled plenty of second-hand smoke working in bars during my twenties, I've got real issues with cigarettes these days... just the smell of them makes me gag. At Carleton Grange, you can get good food, good beer and good atmosphere without the drag of cigarette smoke (pun intended). The Underground map on the wall makes me nostalgic for London, too-- a European capital I've actually been to, for once.
If you have your own suggestions for local establishments worth supporting, leave a comment below or drop me an email! Just FYI - Wal-Mart comments will not be published. Unless they're funny.
