Tomato Romp!

Won a ticket from good ole Yelp! First thing wife says "we aren't doing the tomato fight are we?" Well as a matter of fact, hell no we aren't. I'm a bit to old to get in a caged ring with a bunch of youngsters chucking rotten tomatoes at each other. It does make for a good watch though and that we did. First this 2017 11th Eastside Annual Tomato Romp couldn't have dreamt up better weather. It was sunny and crisp out and so it began, the jaunt around to hit up 8 different pubs and enjoy a 5 oz. sample at each location. That's 40 oz of the goods! If you didn't walk away full or buzzed... well that's your problem. As expected some bloodies weren't nearly as good a s others and thus why they call it a contest. Still trying to figure out who won the damn event. Voting was as easy as 1, 2, 3 so that was a plus. All the places to try the juice were centrally located except Buddha Lounge which was a little further walk away. No matter I crowned one of favorite local spots Vintage as the Bloody Mary Champ. We'll see if it holds true. After that Vitucci's, Hooligan's and Landmark Lanes all had tasty bloodies, in that order. Fun event, good weather and lot's of people roaming around MKE make for a great day!

Oh it is about that time of year! Young and old get together to join forces and battle it out in the one and only tomato arena around! In this engagement individuals are divided into two separate teams and you enjoy the atmosphere leading up to the battle.As tradition it begins on a cool September afternoon and you can register online or in person and choose to opt for the Blood Mary Challenge or register for just the Romp. The Bloody Challenge entails a sampling of 5 oz. Bloody Marys for establishments in the area and all include beer chasers. Afterward you cast you vote for the best.A parade around the block proceeds the event and it concludes near the cage where there are thousands of pounds of tomatoes ready for action. The whole thing lasts only two minutes but be expect to be covered in tomato seeds, soaked to the bone, and sloshing around in tomato juice filled shoes in the end. No worries, you are given goggles for safety and will only sport a few bruises!Come join the fight, chicken out and be a spectator, or step up and go crazy, fill up on Bloody Marys and beer chasers, cast your vote, and don't be shy and put some heat on those tomatoes.See you in the pit.http://fox6now.com/2016/09/10/10th-annual-tomato-romp-day-full-of-eating-drinking-and-throwing-tomatoes/

The Eastside Tomato Romp enters it's 7th year as an awesome fundraiser for the North Avenue BID.And it's a pretty cool one at that! For years my friends and I have been marking this September event date on our calendars when it's announced in early spring. And as with any annual event, it's great to see improvements made each year.The two largest draws are the Tomato Fight and the Bloody Mary Crawl.The Tomato Fight takes place at 4pm($10 entry fee goes to a local food pantry). A chain link cage (less the roof) is assembled in the parking lot between Farwell and Murray just north of North Avenue. The cage is filled with donated tomatoes and eagerly awaits the throngs of most costumed tomato fighters. Even spectators getting unwittingly pulled into the act when errant tomatoes fly past the 15 foot sidewalls. As fun as watching this spectacle is the many rookie fighters that are ill-prepared for life after the fight. Tomatoes are juicy, and therefore wet. And wet means cold, especially when the high temp this year barely crossed 64 degrees. But these gladiators of produce are unfazed. Some set out to the nearby sponsoring credit union that offers a "hose off" station. And some begin what is likely to be a very long walk home, no matter how close they live.New in 2012 and every since it the Tomato Plate Crawl. For $2-$8 for a tasting plate the 12 participating restaurants will regale your tastebuds with all things tomato.The other major draw is the Bloody Mary Tasting Crawl. Pay $20, get a wristband and scorecard, and embark on a self guided tour of some of the divey-est, hipster-esque, popular, and trendy places on and around North Ave.The participating bars must follow three rules: Use the sponsor vodka (SKYY in 2014), use the sponsor chaser beer (Milwaukee Brewing Company Outboard in 2014) and garnish with only a lemon and or lime wedge if at all.From the start there seem to be issues with the chaser beer and we estimate we received the official beer at about half of the 14 stops. But this was about the bloodies and they ranged from solid (Divino, embracing basil) to over-spiced (Rascals) to culinary (Hooligans cumin based bloody tasted like a great chili starter), to one dimensional and overdone (BBC- black pepper, Replay - teriyaki) to downright undrinkable (note to School Yard, please balance your overly infused with pickle juice bloody with a little tomato flavor next year).Yield Bar took home the double crown as the Choice of both the People and the Judges even though no one in our group would choose to order it again. Go figure.But the point was fun and the Tomato Romp packs that year after year. So mark your calendar early and get it on it.

Ah.... finally. #100 reviews for the year! Feels good. To purge a few drafts. They have quite a great variety of Bloody Mary talent around north avenue. Some are great and some are not so great. A great time to enjoy the great variety of flavor and friends. The drinks are in smaller glasses just enough to get a good taste it is definitely on next years to do list. Oddly I wasn't always a tomato fan. Some places are definitely better than others. So as it may not be your first choice. It is a good chance to taste them all. I missed the Bloody Mary from Von triers and Landmark lanes. But I did have plenty. The last part of the party ends with a tomato fight that looks quite violent. See the pictures or find the videos on YouTube and Vine. I look forward to doing this again with our UYE. Good times thanks Carrie G. Keep your ears and eyes open. Unless a tomato flys your way. 100/2014

What a great way to go around and sample a Bloody Mary from different establishments on the Eastside of town. Met some Great people along the way. The Variety in the mixtures is what makes the experience so good. So glad I got out and I will participate again next year