Bubbler Talk

Pink Squirrel, Grasshopper, Brandy Alexander, Banshee... Is there something uniquely Milwaukee about ice cream cocktails? That's the question Elina Kats of Glendale sent in to WUWM's Bubbler Talk . Elina says she always has been kind of fascinated by the drinks. So to learn more, we headed into a time warp of sorts. Or, really, we just walked into a Bay View bar. At Random is a Milwaukee institution, with its dimly-lit interior, twinkling lights, lounge music, naugahyde booths and curmudgeon-y

A lot has changed at the Wisconsin State Fair since the 1920s, especially in the categories of foods on sticks, foods that are fried, and foods that are fried and placed on sticks.

Bubbler Talk is supposed to be on its summer break, as we gather more questions and look for more answers to what you’ve always wanted to know about this place we call home. But not long before the hiatus, a question came in that it would be a shame to wait until fall to answer. "Hi, my name is Sarah Richoux, from San Francisco. My question is: Why is frozen custard such a big deal in Milwaukee?"

WUWM's Bubbler Talk receives a lot questions from a lot of people about Milwaukee's streets. So, to end this season of Bubbler Talk, we found two 'road' scholars — historian Carl Baehr and OnMilwaukee's Bobby Tanzilo - to answer your questions in a lightning round.

Update:

This week’s Bubbler Talk question comes from John Koeppen: What Milwaukee building was used as the military induction center for draftees and enlistees, during the Vietnam War?

Why are so many schools in Milwaukee named after streets? That’s our Bubbler Talk question for the week, submitted by Sarah Neilsen. Seems like a pretty straightforward topic – but as it turns out, there’s quite a complicated history behind the answer.

Phil Lapayowker has noticed a distinct lack of what some people unkindly call ‘flying rats’ in Milwaukee. "I was listening to a podcast and they were talking about animals in cities and stuff, and they ended with 'Do you know what color a pigeon’s eyes are?' and I was like, I have no idea!" he says. "So I’ll go look for one, or when I’m walking I’ll see one I’m sure. And I’ve never run into one in Milwaukee… I mean it’s kind of crazy. You go to other cities like Chicago and they’re everywhere."

This week's Bubbler Talk inquiry takes us to Milwaukee's lakefront. It has just a few buildings, such as snack bars and a place to buy a kite. Yet there's an imposing structure on the north end of Lincoln Memorial Drive, which is a mystery to many.

Sometimes we come across questions that confound us. What came first, the chicken or the egg? Do we truly have free will? And this week’s profound Bubbler Talk question: What’s up with ham and rolls in Milwaukee?