Greetings and Salutations My Friends,
In starters, I hope everyone had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend, the Thursday’s crew appreciates all who serve or have served this country to give us the freedom we have today. We are heading to one of my favorite spots in Milwaukee this Thursday, Stubby’s Gastrogrub and Beer Bar! This place is full of so many great things I’m not sure where to start: their amazing beer selection, the fantastic food, or just the simple atmosphere at Stubby’s. All in all, we are in for one great time this Thursday – and if the weather holds up we may even get to hang out on the patio overlooking the river. There is one thing however that has bugged me for the longest time, what in the heck is a “Gastrogrub”!?!
So, per the internet “Gastrogrub” is a pub that specializes in serving high-quality food. I have had the food at Stubby’s and have no reason to disagree with this title, as the food there is scrumdiddlyumptious. This led me to ask: how does one obtain the status of Gastrogrub? Asking Stubby’s this question led to one of the greatest tales I have ever heard.
You see, it all started some time ago when Stubby’s wanted to spread the word of amazing beer and dazzle the senses with amazing food; so, they hired a chef and began strategizing a new menu. After much debate and discussion, the menu was set and it was now time to be judged. The Gastrogrub name had to be earned so they contacted OLDMILAD (Ordinary League Devoted to Making Interesting Lunches and Astonishing Dinners) to send in a judge to assess if they were worthy of the name. They were informed that a judge would be sent on an unknown date to ensure that the quality was realistic. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, and Stubby’s was beginning to think that the judge would never come: then came the fateful Tuesday.
At first, it was business as usual. Stubby’s had just gotten over one of the busiest Memorial Day weekends they’d ever had; all the food was consumed, and all that was left was the beer (which isn’t a bad thing). Suddenly the front door opened to a cold wind.
As if all sound was erased, the room grew completely silent as the legendary Gordon Ramsay walked through the doors with an official “OLDMILAD” badge on. He politely asked to be seated and to see a menu. Not knowing what to do, the waitress obliged and sat him at the patio table with the best view of the river. No menu was given, so the chef of Stubby’s approached the table to explain the situation – when suddenly he had an idea. He approached Ramsay and told him that he would prepare a special dish just for him on this day. Ramsay seemed delightfully pleased and eagerly agreed. Minutes later, the chef approached the table with one dish, a single plate with a tall boy can of Old Milwaukee. Chef Ramsay was completely caught off guard, he cracked open the can and took a sip, which led to a gulp, which led to finishing the can. He got up, put some money on the table and told the waitress to give his compliments to the chef. A week later Stubby’s received their certificate making them an authentic Gastrogrub and beer bar. The rest is history.
Cheers my friends!
Your Co-Founder and Friend,
Jeremy Blandin
The legend himself could not resist the sweet sweet nectar that is Old Milwaukee.
*Keeping your glass filled and spirits high one Thursday at a time, this is Welcome to Thursdays: a local social group determined to make your Thursdays more fun. Each Wednesday, The Squeaky Curd features a fictitious history of a Milwaukee County bar that we gather at on Thursday evening. Join us this Thursday, June 1, 2017 at Stubby’s Gastrogrub & Beer Bar located at 2060 N Humbolt Blvd. (Beerline B) at 7:30pm.*