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Currently living in Milwaukee, I was a little disappointed when the market opened a few years ago... I worked right near it, too. First, the font for the damn sign was taken right from my native Seattle's Pike Place Market! Get your own font!; second, the vendor turnover is constant - and they're not actual stalls, just deli counters or extensions of existing brick & mortar places around town; third, the highlight seems to be the outdoor market during the summer... but you can swing a (dead) cat & find a better farmer's market anywhere in the Milwaukee area (Westown, West Allis, Fondy Market, etc.); and fourth (for good measure), a seafood stall should NEVER smell like, well... seafood. Rotten seafood, that is... and it does. Oh boy does it ever.

It's too bad - I had high hopes. It's a great building, but I think they need to promote it better & get some real farmers to sell produce/products in there on a regular basis.

I'll be visiting Milwaukee over the 4th of July weekend to get away from the Texas heat and visit family. I had heard mixed things about the market...if I have time, I may check it out in person more out of an academic interest in such places.
Keltrue...do you have any suggestions about great new restaurants in Milwaukee that are worth a visit?

Love the MKE public market. Keltrue, you crack me up. Of COURSE the Pike Place Market is awesome (as is Seattle) but for a small up and coming city like Milwaukee, I thought having a place like this was pretty great. I spent many a business lunch there during a 2 year work/exile from the east coast.

The blackened Salmon sandwich (extra remoulade sauce) and the Salmon on a stick are my two favorite things in the market (St Paul Fish Co.). The soups in the market are really good, but for the absolute best heartiest most delicious soups head about 5 mins south to Soup Bros for a piping hot bowl with a quarter boule of fresh bread in a total hole in the wall/rowhouse.

Oh Keltrue, how right you are, though I wish it weren't so. I work a block from there now, and rarely go there. It's basically a glorified food court, and I am a diligent lunch packer. I will give props to the Spice House, and the bakery has good bread.

It saddens me, when I think on the potential that is there and not being met - we would have done better using the markets in Philly & Boston as models. There are good markets *in the same neighborhood* for any visitor who wishes to find an actual farmers market, though I would definitely not drive to that neighborhood on the Fourth, as its proximity to SummerFest will make it inaccessible. They are

East Town Market
Cathedral Square Park
Corner of Kilbourn Avenue & Jefferson Street
Saturdays 8 am – 12:30 pm
June 6 – October 31

and

Westown Farmers Market
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Where: Zeidler Union Square (Behind the Grand Avenue Mall) 301 W Michigan St
Milwaukee, WI 53203
Days: Wednesdays
Time: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Dates: June 3 - Oct. 28
Phone: (414) 276-6696

For other farmers markets, check out this article: http://www.jsonline.com/features/food/43351807.html

or go here:

http://www.farmfreshatlas.org/southeast/

@ Jts - As for quality new restaurants, well... I guess trendy restaurants aren't really my thing, and neither is downtown, but can I make some recommendations? My two faves in the whole city are:

Phan's Garden Restaurant
1923 W National Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53204-1156
(414) 384-4522‎

It's adjacent to a Bhuddist temple so the not-so-great view of the parking lot across the street is punctuated by the occasional saffon-robed monk. I can't vouch for it being vegetarian-friendly but I've never eaten off the Chinese part of the menu. Spring rolls, Pho, and many other good things.

and

Bombay Sweet
3401 S 13th St
Milwaukee, WI 53215-5011
(414) 383-3553‎
(414) 431-1751‎

The place is vegetarian only, run by a Hindu family. Deli cases crammed with home-made snacks and deserts, killer lassi, little cups of happy chutneys waiting to be stirred into perfect nutty basmati rice or slathered on rollups stuffed with spicy curries.

These are my happy places.

For upscale and local/ seasonal/ slow food, go here:

http://www.rootsmilwaukee.com/ they grow their own and are just so good.

Then go here after: lakefrontbrewery.com for the brewery tour. It's right down the steps outside of roots (ps, public transit info here: ridemcts.com do not drive after the tour. You can keep the pint glass)

Also check out Koppa's FulBeli- Deli koppas.com which is a Polish Milwaukee institution. Their sammiches are the stuff of legend. The Comet Cafe, across the street is not new, but is tasty and happy-making. Sundays have a beer and bacon special. These are mid-way between the hotspots of Brady Street (old Italian neighborhood turned cafe & bar & shopping venue) and North Ave (longest-running Rocky Horror Picture Show @ the classic Oriental Theater, water tower @ the end) on the eastside. Then go down to the beach and have a snack here: bradfordbeachjam.com at the new beach concession. We're working on getting the beach up to Blue-Wave standards. Yay!

You must also try custard. My favorite is: http://www.gillesfrozencustard.com/

But Leon's: http://www.foodspot.com/leons/ is a must-see landmark.

Kopps (kopps.com) is also very popular and has 3 locations.

Clearly I could go on and on and on some more. There's a lot going on here on the Fourth, and it's always "cooler by the lake"... Egh, I sound like I work for the tourist board... I just like living here. Have fun!

Thanks for tips MaryWynn. I'm looking forward to the trip.

Joanna & all commentors,

Thanks for the thoughtful post and responses - it's great to get feedback! My fiance and I own Thief Wine, the relatively new (just under a year old) wine shop and bar in the market, and we constantly get questions not only about our own business (and why the hell we moved here from California to do this?!?), but the market in general - here's my perspective on the issues raised:

- "constant" turnover: put in context, this is expected and a good thing. The Public Market has only been open 3 and a half years, which is nothing compared to markets that have been open for decades. It's natural to have initial shakeout both to see what does and doesn't work and to upgrade the quality of different vendor niches. Most vendors were on a 2 or 3 year lease just for this purpose, and I'd argue that the market right now is stronger than it's ever been.

- produce: this is a tough thing since we're in Wisconsin and the growing season seems to be about a week and a half. Look outside the box (i.e., the large rectangular space that is the main building of the MPM), though, and you'll see that Good Harvest Market is kitty-corner to the main MPM building; they're a part of the public market, but in a building across the street. They're a full-service organic grocery with a great selection of produce. locally grown whenever possible.

- glorified food court - not at all! We pride ourselves on being a top wine shop, of course, but there's also Good Harvest, spices, cheese, fish, bread, take-out dinner items, flowers, candy, etc.

If you're local and haven't been to the market in a while, you need to see it anew; if you're new to MKE (as we are) - this is where it's at.

Cheers,
Phil

Yay, I enjoy the MPM. It's nice to see it mentioned here.

C. Adams Bakery has the BEST baked goods. Their huge cookies (peanut butter chocolate chip!) and cupcakes (red velvet... yum!) are absolutely to die for. It was dangerous when I worked a block away from the market.