Nearly every restaurant on Brady Street offers outdoor seating. Most of the seats are very much amid the hustle and bustle, as diners share the sidewalk with pedestrians. But there is one place, Balzac, that provides tables with more privacy.

In March, Milwaukee made its mark on the international world of Irish dance competition when two students from the Milwaukee area competed in the 38th annual World Irish Dancing Championships in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Maggie Dunn, 19, of Whitefish Bay and 15-year-old Riley Seiler from Greenfield...

In May, the minor league Calgary Vipers, of the inde pendent Golden Baseball League, traded pitcher John Odom to the Laredo Broncos of the independent United League. Originally, the trade was sup posed to bring another player, but the Broncos’ player balked at leaving the United States for a Canadian team...

The guys did their observing indifferent cities last week before getting together Sunday in Cathedral Square to compare notes. Frank: I’m just back from our nation’s capital, my friend, and the Bucks’ drafting of Joe Alexander was popular with the Washington media because he lived up the road in Maryland...

The economic cost of buying something is not just the price you pay. Finding what you want and ensuring that it is competitively priced can be expensive. But making a purchasing decision without all the relevant information can result in inefficiency...

For every dollar you spend at a locally owned business, more than 68 cents stays in Milwaukee. That means more of your money is used to buy from other local businesses, service providers and farms, further strengthening the local economy and creating more jobs...

Beware of a possible phone scam over the Fourth of July weekend, warns the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA). “Vishing”—a combination of “voice” and “phishing”—involves a recorded voice informing victims that their bank accounts are frozen and also provides a toll-free number to use in reinstating the account...

If you think that commuting to work is becoming too costly, consider what truck drivers are facing with $4-plus gas and diesel. “We’re just hanging on; it’s a struggle,” said Kathy Paul, office manager at Badger Freight Service Inc., which operates 12 refrigerator trailers out of Milwaukee. “It’s costing the guys a dollar...

For a whole lot of people, the reaction to former Milwaukee Alderman Michael McGee Jr.’s federal conviction for extortion and bribery was simple. These are the people who see the world in black and white. They have been conditioned by movies and TV—and that allegedly nonfiction media cousin, journalism...

Summertime road trips of 700-some miles into South Dakota, the Badlands and the Black Hills seem like a rite of passage. This is the most classic of vacations, especially for families, who follow typically flat and easy-to-drive I-90 for a glimpse of the Wild West. They encounter Shady Brady hats and jackalopes...

Precisely on schedule, the usual assortment of right wing operatives is preparing its expected assault on the Democratic presidential nominee. While this unwholesome phase of the election cycle is known universally as“Swift boating”—named after the defamatory media blitz against John Kerry four years ago —the style and some of the personnel date back at least two decades...

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain has promised to make the United States energy independent so that the country can reduce its dependence on foreign fossil fuels and rely on cleaner, greener technologies for our cars, homes and economy.

Shorewood’s Cafe Nation Smoothie Nation (1926 E. Capitol Drive) is a small, unique place to grab a cup of coffee or a dessert smoothie. The latter comes in many flavors. One favorite is the orange dreamsicle, so sweet and creamy that your taste buds will jump with pleasure. Also, try their super fruit smoothie...

When you’re deciding where to eat, are you in the routine of choosing from the same five restau rants? Many of us are creatures of habit, relying on the convenience and comfort of knowing what to expect. But what about adventure—where does that fit in? With a visit to a new, unique restaurant, an ordinary...