Dining - Oct. 20, 2009
GQ tabs Alterra as one of top 10 coffee shops in U.S.
If the line at your favorite Alterra Coffee Roasters seems a little longer this month, you can thank the folks at GQ, who picked the Milwaukee roaster as a top place to get coffee.
Tags: alterra, gq, top 10

Dining - Oct. 11, 2009
Milwaukee's best coffee shop / café, 2009: Alterra
We can't remember a readers' poll in which Alterra didn't take the top prize as best coffee shop / café, but this year was even more lopsided than most. In 2009, Alterra received 52.5 percent of the votes; second place, Stone Creek got 7.5 percent.
Tags: alterra, coffee, best of, paul miller, ward fowler, lincoln fowler

Milwaukee Buzz - Aug. 20, 2009
10% could just save Our Milwaukee
In hopes of reaping the economic rewards, Our Milwaukee urges local residents to make the 10 percent switch. Whether it is in groceries, dining, services or entertainment, Our Milwaukee pushes area shoppers to become aware of their ability to transform the local economy.
Tags: our milwaukee, local economy, alterra, outpost, beans and barley, eating local, economy

Dining - July 22, 2009
Vanishing food on kids' meals is a sign of the times
If you're looking for some tangible evidence of the recession, it's all around -- especially at the supermarket, where prices are going up and the net weight of the products is going down. But if you have kids and order off the kids' menu when dining out, you've got proof right on your child's plate, where the recession and narrowing margins are making their mark, causing food to vanish.
Tags: Recession, Alterra, Culver's, kids' meals, Pizzeria Piccola

Summerfest Guide - June 23, 2009
Ticket giveaway leads to mistaken identity
Late this morning, I announced via an OnMilwaukee.com blog and Facebook that I would be give away 20 Summerfest tickets at noon at the Alterra in Riverwest. I told readers I would be wearing a purple shirt. Guess I wasn't the only one who did.
Tags: summerfest, alterra, free tickets

Travel & Visitors Guide - June 3, 2009
Welcome to Alterras
One of our favorite Milwaukee-isms here in the OnMilwaukee.com editorial office is the Brew City penchant for adding an "s" to the names of local businesses that don't really have them. As in, let's have a coffee at Alterra's.
Tags: alterra, mitchell international, airtran, starbucks, ssp international

Living - May 21, 2009
OnMilwaukee.com Recommends: May 21, 2009
The warm weather means everyone is wearing fewer clothes -- even the burgers. This week, our list of recommendations begins with the Naked Burger Salad (pictured), which is a tasty new treat from Mason Street Grill. We also point out some cool music, including new stuff from Jason Isbell and Keith Urban, a cool Web site and -- for dessert -- a deliciously addictive cookie.
Tags: mason street grill, naked burger, jason isbell, alterra, cowboy cookie, stuart berman, this book is broken, kummrow automotive, wolfram alpha, lee perry, ari up, planet dub, keith urban, defying gravity

Dining - April 17, 2009
Bartolotta deal with SSP boosts airport dining
Mitchell International Airport has long had a taste of Milwaukee in its concourse, with a Renaissance Bookshop and a Usinger's sausage eatery in the food court. But thanks to SSP's partnerships with the Bartolotta Restaurant Group and Alterra Coffee, the airport is more "Milwaukee" than ever.
Tags: Nonna Bartolotta's, SSP America, Mitchell Airport, Alterra, Lotta Burgers, Joe Bartolotta, Danny Gokey, Russ Feingold, North Point Burgers

Marketplace - April 5, 2009
Thrifty Re-threads recycles fashion with style
Walking into Rethreads, 2943 N. Humboldt Blvd., you'd never guess it was a resale shop. Its walls splashed with warm, vibrant hues and its displays carefully detailed in shabby chic design, it embodies the independent, creative flair of a boutique.
Tags: re-threads, riverwest, alterra, resale, fashion

Dining - March 19, 2009
Kudos to coffee punch cards
Yesterday, OnMilwaukee.com's Bobby Tanzilo, Jeff Sherman and I coincidentally cashed in our full coffee punch cards. Personally, this was only the second time I held onto a punch card long enough to fill it up, but I'm a die-hard believer in them now because a free fancy coffee is a great way to start a day.
Tags: coffee, punch card, alterra, stone creek, fuel cafe

Milwaukee Buzz - Feb. 26, 2009
Lucey's victory brews a taste of Colombia
Lucey took top honors last weekend at the "Great Lakes Regional Barista Championship" during Coffee Fest Chicago with 687 points, the highest score of any competitor. Lucey will continue on to compete at the "United States Barista Championship" in Portland, Ore., this spring.
Tags: alterra, scott lucey, barista competition, United States Barista Championship

Marketplace - Feb. 19, 2009
Alterra celebrates Colombian collaboration
Tonight, Alterra brings the farmer to the customer to localize sustainable farming practices with an event for Colombian coffee farmer Nelson Melo, owner of Finca Las Acacias.
Tags: nelson melo, el castillo, alterra, coffee, discovery channel, how stuff works, george bregar

Dining - Jan. 15, 2009
What would you pay for unlimited coffee?
Recently, Bruegger's began offering a special deal for unlimited coffee for a year, their "Bottomless Mug Club," for $129. On the surface, that seems like a lot, but then I did the math.
Tags: coffee, whole foods, bruegger's, alterra

Dining - Oct. 7, 2008
Milwaukee's best coffee shop/café, 2008: Alterra
This swiftly growing coffee company has created quite a buzz both in Milwaukee and in the national coffee industry, and it's easy to see why. They serve the strongest cup of joe around -- but do offer a daily mild blend, if you prefer -- and pay obsessively close attention to quality and taste control.
Tags: alterra, stone creek, cafe, coffee shop, best of

Dining - Aug. 18, 2008
The best breakfasts in town
Due to some recent houseguests, I found myself breakfasting at restaurants more than normal and that led me to ruminate on some of my favorite places to eat breakfast in the Milwaukee area.
Tags: Heinemann's, Ted's, Wauwatosa, Omega, City Market, La Reve, Alterra