Go See Explore: South Shore Terrace Winter Chalets
Arguably one of the best things about summers in Milwaukee is beer gardens. For my family, they provide the best mix of entertainment for both adults and the kiddo. When the Winter Chalets were announced on December 17th, I immediately went online and reserved our chalet for December 18th at the 7:20 pm time slot.
Reservations were easy enough to make. Simply go to their booking website and select the day you want to go. There are 10 chalets, with staggered 90min rental times beginning as early as 10:50 am and ending as late as 11:00 pm. The rental rate is $75 with a $50 credit to be spent on food and beverages. Dates for the next 6 weeks are posted already, but you can call for dates further out.
Due to the pandemic, there are a number of rules to be followed.
The one that is most important is occupancy. The maximum number of people from the same household is 6, while the maximum number of people from different houses is two.
We arrived right at 7:20 pm and were greeted by name and escorted to our chalet. The rules and procedures were explained to us and due to the positioning of our chalet, we were allowed to latch our door to keep the heat in. After a short time, our server Emily came up to our window and took our drink and food orders and our drinks were served to the same window. Within a few minutes of being in the chalet, I was warm enough to remove my winter coat and sit comfortably next to the open window.
Remember: the chalets are warmed, not heated.
We played a round of SkipBo and people-watched.
While waiting for our appetizers, we were able to observe the cleaning process of one of the chalets across from us. Two staff members tag team clean the chalets by sweeping the floors and using a disinfectant mix from a spray bottle to wipe down the tables. Then they use a spray jug style of disinfectant and leave the door and window open while the chalet sits empty for 30 mins between guests.
Our appetizers were brought out in a food warmer. We ordered the Pigs in a Blanket and the Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Puff Pastry Tart. The puff pastry is similar to a flatbread pizza and the flavors blend together marvelously. The Pigs in a Blanket could be a kid’s meal as well as an appetizer. A short time later our main dishes came out. I had the Truffle Fontina Mac & Cheese, my husband had the Terrace Cuban and our son went with the Klement’s Hot Dog. Both my husband and son had the Loaded Potato Soup as their side dish. I’m a sucker for desert and we went with the Belgian Waffle. This was a phenomenal ending to our dinner. The cinnamon butter, the fruit compote and the syrup perfectly complemented the fluffiness of the waffle. We left full and happy.
Here are my Pro Tips for full enjoyment of the Winter Chalets.
Dress in layers. Here’s what we all wore: Husband: long sleeve shirt, shirt sleeve shirt, hoodie, winter hat, winter jacket Me: long sleeve shirt and hoodie, winter hat and jacket
Kiddo: t-shirt, sweatshirt, winter hat and jacket
Bring your own music. While there is some music in the background it’s not very easy to hear. You don’t necessarily need a speaker or anything, we just used our phones.
The 90 minutes goes surprisingly fast. Come with a general understanding of the menu so you can order your appetizers and drinks right away.
Bring an activity for your family to do inside the chalet. Per the rules you may not leave your chalet. You have 90 minutes together as a family. Enjoy it. We always bring SkipBo, Uno and Phase 10 in my bag to play.
Tip your server well. Don’t forget to tip on the full amount. Our bill was only $45, but with the $50 credit it was $95.
The Winter Chalets are a wonderful addition to winter adventures in Milwaukee!
