Call them a dynamic duo, a power couple or a match made in Milwaukee—however you slice it, these fall food pairings will have you savoring the season in a city where fresh, flavor-forward finds are tucked away at every turn. As the calendar turns from frights to wonderous delights, here are seven fantastic fall food pairings to try.
Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Scone
Some will try to tell you that the days of pumpkin-spiced everything have passed, but not so fast! Fall lasts until December 21. For the PSL lovers out there, there's no time like the present to cram as much of the delicious flavor as you can with a double dose of pumpkin.
For a taste of that sweet seasonal treat, head over to Pilcrow Coffee's tasting room in the Bronzeville neighborhood. The coffeehouse offers the PSL, of course, but it also features some of the most Instagram-able coffee flights you've ever seen, including a pie flight with flavors like pumpkin, peach cobbler, pecan and apple pie. For a further morsel of pumpkin-y goodness, head to the downtown Stone Creek Coffee for a pumpkin scone. A part of the café's seasonal menu, the cakey, spiced pumpkin scone is accented by pecans and topped with a maple glaze, adding just enough complexity to elevate this essential fall experience.
Apple Cider Donut and Chai Tea Latte
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. So, when you think about it like that, apple cider donuts are sort of a health food. While the apple-picking season may be over, you can still head straight to the source for apple cider donuts, which is just a short trip from downtown at Peck & Bushell. Located in nearby Colgate, the farm will re-open for its Winter Market on weekends, November 16-17 and 23-24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
But what complements apple cider donuts better: hot apple cider or a chai tea latte? There's good news for you: With Roast Coffee Company's Apple Chaider, you don't have to choose! The organic chai tea, mixed with hot apple cider, perfectly complements the flavors of the apple cider donuts, creating a taste of fall in every sip. To add a little extra kick to your latte, pick up a bottle of Twisted Paths' award-winning chai liqueur.
Pumpkin Beer and Spiced Almonds
Now, you could go full pumpkin person and add a pumpkin beer to the mix of PSLs and pumpkin scones, pumpkin pies and pumpkin breads—and if you are so inclined, this is your chance to savor the flavor to the max—but for a pairing with a little more balance, how about something a little bit spicy and a little sweet?
Lakefront Brewery's pumpkin lager is an annual staple for the brewery and a certain sign of the changing season's when it's stocked on supermarket shelves throughout the Greater Milwaukee area. Brewed with real pumpkin and pie spice, alongside the Munich and caramel malts, come together to create a brew that's as crushable as it is delicious.
If you're looking for a little something to snack on while you sip your special brew, you're in luck! FortuNuts' spicy almonds create that iconic blend of sweet, salty and bold spicy flavors that you crave. Offering sizes from 5 oz. to a full pound of the flavorful concoction; whether you're looking for just a taste or enough for a group, there's an ideal size for the occasion.
Pecan Pie and Ice Cream
Just because they're classic pairings doesn't mean they can't have creative culinary flair. Pecan pie isn't just a classic fall staple. It's a tradition and sweet eat to look forward to after post-trick or treat season. There are a ton of great pie makers throughout the Greater Milwaukee area, including Blue's Egg, Kelly's Pot Pies & More and Mr. Dye's Pies in 3rd Street Market Hall, but for something a little different, head out to Bay View to try Honeypie's whiskey walnut pecan pie. A modern twist on the age-old Thanksgiving staple, the flavorful pie is garnished with a whipped cream topping that'll have you craving a slice all year round.
To capitalize on the real whipped cream, a dollop of ice cream is the perfect match to round out a heavenly dessert experience. But let's step outside the box, beyond the blank canvas of chocolate and vanilla, by grabbing a scoop (or a pint) of Exhausted Parent from Joy Ice Cream Social. Bringing another layer of complex richness to the table, the notes of bourbon-spiked espresso cream and bittersweet chocolate chunks blend beautifully with the sweet nuttiness of the pie to create a fall flavor so good you'll want to jump for Joy Ice Cream Social.
Caramel Apple and Hot Chocolate
An underrated pair of fall classics, caramel apples and hot chocolate don't get the buzz of pumpkin muffins and pumpkin spice lattes, but this dynamic dessert duo takes a backseat to no fall food pairing. For nearly 20 years, Amy's Candy Kitchen's award-winning gourmet candy apples have treated the Cedarburg community to hand-dipped deliciousness. For maximum fall flavor and aesthetic, order a fall leaves caramel apple with dark Belgian chocolate. An apple dipped in chocolate, dashed with themed sprinkles designed to celebrate the falling leaves of autumn and topped with a kettle-made caramel, this decadent delight is an autumn essential.
Playing off of the dark chocolate and caramel notes in the Amy's Candy Kitchen apple, a cup of steaming hot chocolate will add a rich punctuation mark to this dessert pairing. Located just south of downtown in St. Francis, La Finca Coffeehouse offers a delightful Mexican hot chocolate inside the cozy café.
Squash Pizza and Hard Apple Cider
Fall is also harvest season, with fresh seasonal vegetables infused into menu items throughout the Milwaukee area, with dishes featuring squash and pumpkin cropping up all over the place. For a modern twist on the staple fall veggie, make your way to Wy’east Pizza in Wauwatosa for the Sasquash. The pizza features roasted delicata squash, blue cheese, mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, chopped walnuts and herbs.
Pizza and beer are a year-round staple pairing, but squash pizza and cider is a seasonal match made in heaven. Stop by Pomona Cider for a wide selection of ciders to tickle your fancy, from True North, which is made in-house, to oak-aged and cherry ciders, all available in 32 oz. growlers inside the taproom.
Chili and Brown Ale
A crispness in the air, football on TV and a bowl of warm chili on the table—Is there a more fitting fall combo than that? We’ve shifted in the soup mode (if you consider chili a soup), and hearty soups and stews are the thing to chew as the weather shifts to cooler days ahead. This year, try a Milwaukee twist on the ubiquitous fall favorite at the Old German Beer Hall with the establishment’s three-brat chili. The flavorful take on the meaty stew pairs nicely with a brew of a different kind entirely: beer, a brown ale to be exact.
Black Husky’s Big Buck Brown is a brown ale brewed with maple syrup that adds a nice balance of sweet toasted caramel flavor to the savory meat mix of Old German Beer Hall’s three-brat chili. The Riverwest brewery offers the brew inside its taproom, but you can find Black Husky beers at area liquor stores and grocers.
