Greetings and Salutations,
This week we travel to the fun and different Mangos Café East, a bar that really wants to get you in the mood for a different atmosphere. The second you walk in you will notice that this is not your average stop in Milwaukee; from the enthusiastic tiki statues to the tropical bar, which welcomes you to try the exotic drinks and full menu of amazing tacos, wings, and delicious burritos. This Thursday should be a good one, and I for one am very much looking forward to seeing you all there.
This takes me back to a time unlike any other in my past, a time that found me struggling to clinch onto what was real and what was in my imagination. It all started at Mangos: I was in the mood for something different so I went with my co-founder Kyle, and WTT member #1, Ryan to get a feel for the place and try something new.
As we approached the bar I noticed an odd tiki statue in the corner that seemed to have an extremely angry look to him. A bartender approached and asked what we wanted, she soon recognized who we were. She couldn’t believe that she had THE co-founders and original WTT member at her bar, so she asked us to take a picture for the bar and to pose in the corner by the angry looking tiki.
We obviously obliged and returned to the bar to order a drink. The bartender immediately knew what we wanted and brought out three fresh cans of Hamm’s. She put up the picture behind the bar and I could still not understand why she would have us take a picture with such a grumpy looking tiki. Just as I was about to open the can she asked if I wanted to spice up my Hamm’s a bit with a secret ingredient. Now you and I both know that you can’t make something that is already perfect better, but I was in the mood for something different so I let her. She called it the Tiki Tonic, and told me that it would take me places, she then pulled out a vile and poured 2 drops into my Hamm’s. I raised my glass to Ryan and Kyle and took a sip.
As my glass approached my mouth, my view turned down the glass and the Hamm’s fell down my throat – the tunnel vision of the glass suddenly turned to tunnel vision of a cave leading out to what appeared to be a beach. Suddenly I found myself floating in the air in this cave, but gravity quickly decided to kick back in and I fell into the water. I resurfaced to find that I still had my Hamm’s.
Photo Credit: Pinterest
I journeyed outside to a beach and found myself on a small Island. Down the beach I noticed the very same tiki from the bar. I approached it and its eyes met mine. It spoke in a very deep voice, “As it stands, I require Hamm’s. It is symphonic this tiki tonic, pour down my throat and I will be your lifeboat”. I took the Hamm’s and started to pour, suddenly I found myself getting smaller and falling into the tiki’s mouth as well.
Then with a flash, my eyes were opened to find myself still looking down the very glass I drank from at the beginning, with Kyle and Ryan right where I left them. It was like I never left – until I noticed one thing that stood out, the picture we took had changed. There now appeared to be a very happy Tiki statue in the background.
The rest is history.
Cheers my Friends!
Jeremy J. Blandin
*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 week, The Squeaky Curd features a Milwaukee County bar that we gather at on Thursday evening. Join us Thursday, November 8, 2018 at Mango’s Cafe East, 1682 N Van Buren St (Brady Street), at 7:30pm.*