Accommodations
[1] The Intercontinental (139 East Kilbourn Ave, 414-276-8686; www.intercontinentalmilwaukee.com) is a four-star hotel at the heart of the downtown business and theater district. Located along the Milwaukee Riverwalk, the hotel is within walking distance of many parks, restaurants, and bars.
[2] The Iron Horse Hotel (500 West Florida Street, 888-543-4766, www.theironhorsehotel.com) is a luxury boutique hotel transformed from a historic building in the city’s warehouse district. Hardwood floors and dark furnishings make it an attractive stay for business professionals–and bikers. The hotel offers special parking bins for bikers and Biker’s Night on Thursdays, when enthusiasts get to show off their rides. With art by local artists displayed throughout, the hotel ambiance is great for mingling and dining at the bar, Branded, and The Yard, an outdoor restaurant.
Dining
[3] Bacchus (925 East Wells, 414-756-1166, www.bacchusmke.com) part of the renowned Bartolotta family of restaurants, offers several rooms for public dining and private functions. The eatery is known for fresh seafood, like Scottish salmon, and handmade desserts, like Bacchus “Banana Split.†Head Chef Adam Siegel won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Midwest 2008.
[4] Dream Dance Steak (1721 West Canal Street, 414-847-7883, www.paysbig.com) at the Potawatomi Casino resort, offers signature fine dining specials including root beer-cured venison and lobsterwurst–with five sauces to choose from. Chef Jason Gorman also offers a delectable cheese menu of up to 15 Wisconsin cheeses. For special business meetings the restaurant provides private dining with audio/visual capabilities for up to 50 guests or in-kitchen dining with the chef and a choice of five, seven, or 10 courses.
Check out:
[5] Harley-Davidson Museum (400 Canal Street, 877-436-8738, www.harley-davidson.com). A tribute to the iconic bikes and the culture that developed around them, this 130,000- square-foot museum campus displays artifacts from the company archives that have never before been shown to the public.
This article originally appeared in the October 2009 issue of Black Enterprise magazine.
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