Essentials
Address: 324 E Mason
Street
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Review
The Scene
Leading the long anticipated push against the bulging borders of Milwaukee
Street, Euro carries the club flavor and feel across the Mason Street Divide
and stands as the first venue to edge further into downown without abandoning
the vestige of it's heady predecessors. Packed with the fresh sounds of Milwaukee's
up and coming, and practically bleeding sensuality, the warm, inviting interior
of Euro is the incubator of Milwaukee's continued nightlife revolution.
The Drinks
Euro mixes a solid blend of trendy neaveau elixers with traditional selections
of upper tier spirits and some exotic brews into one of the tastiest long
bars in the city. Borrowing from the likes of CO2, who borrowed from HiHat,
who in turn borrowed from the Cafe Metro (who, actually, didn't borrow from
anyone), Euro prides itself on its extensive list of creative, sumptuous,
and occassionally downright decadant martinis. While we tend to shy away from
all food products with a too blue to be true glow, we nod our heads in acceptance
of the fact that some of the funkier, and, shall we say, brightly hued creations
are just plain tasty. With a menu running the gamut of straight laced to bleeding
edge mixology, there should be no issues with everyone from your sanguine
neighbor to the wild child who lives down the block finding something to enjoy.
Priced at just $9 each - perhaps in defiance of the $10 price tag of nearby
rival Tangerine? - the seductive flair of these drinks is almost too much
to resist. While our nod for Best Chocolate Martini in the city still goes
to Tangerine, Euro's incarnation is still worthy of note. Creamy, rich, and
darkly seductive, be careful becasue they tend to disappear quickly, and are
not mixed with a light hand. The espresso martini is without hesitation the
best we've ever had. Anywhere. Owing to the non-trivial use of 100% Illy beans
and brewed in four ton beauty of a metal monster, the rich undertones provided
by the finest coffee in the world lend a powerful smoothness and depth of
character unlike anything we've tried elsewhere. Among the more inventive
mixes on the menu, the chocolate martini is dressed up a bit in a Strawberry
Chocolate variety. Sweet, but not overpowering, you'll probably not even realize
it's made with Stoli. Hey, Grey Goose, get cracking on some strawberry vodka!
For those not of the martini persuasion, Euro has a very large selection of premium wines, including some true gems. Making the selection even more attractive is the fact that Euro has finally answered our call and made each and every wine on its list available by the glass. While delicate Gris or smokey Cabernet might not be the best choice for the clubber in you, the breadth of the offerings in Euro's cellar are worth an after work visit once the weekend has worn off.
Euro also offers one of the larger brew selections in the city, and tends to trend towards upper end, and harder to find varities. Oh, and if anyone is brave enough to try The Tatoo, drop us an email and let us know how it was.
Our only tsk is the sometimes very long wait at the expansive bar. But, the place is busy, and the wait is certainly not from being understaffed or underskilled - you'll find plenty of experienced servers behind the bar at Euro, you'll just have to wait your turn.
The Music
Amazing. Full. Amped. Organic. Gorgeous. Inspired.
The first time we spent a night at Euro we were blown away by the grooves being tossed out by resident Eric Romero. A native and up and coming candidate in Milwaukee's DJ scene, he spins a balanced mix of powerful euro house and a great selection of remixed and RE-remixed melodic vibe. We tend to get a little carried away with staying up to date on the trends and forces that are driving club music, but still have heard no fewer than FIVE tracks that we had absolutely no idea even existed. And which completely blew us away. Example: There's a fairly well done remix of Duran Duran's Save a Prayer that has been marching the club circuit for several months now. When we heard the opening strains of this track at Euro, we were completely unprepared for what was apparently a re-remixed version of the track that was vastly superior to one we were expecting to hear. When that happens once, you think it's a fluke. When it happens two or three times, you start to worry that you're losing your edge. When it happens five times, you have to just give in and admit that the DJ is great. Mixed into the lineup at Euro is a sparse but full flavored mix of musical themes spanning different nights. Still in flux and fiding their ultimate direction, they are nonetheless a promising incubator for the musical trends that are shaping this city. A great mix of harder beats a la Three, mixed with the lighter and somehow less self conscious melodies of what can only be called "Weekend." It reminds of us Sasha in his prime, or of Digweed in his NYC radio days. Go. Listen. Enjoy.
The People
Fab Glam. Is that really a term? If not, it should be. Kind of like "darkle,"
that's a great word. Euro is a destination, not a layover. As such, the mixture
of people tends to flux in the early club hours (11-12:45) and solidifies
into a exhuberant mix of fun seeking party cats as the night matures. The
age range is one of the most dynamic we've seen. Yes, the predominant mix
is still of mid-twenty-somethings but only by a bare thread. The early thirty
crowd is exceptionally well represented, with strong threads of gracefully
successful upper thirtysomethings. It's a mix that works well in the enivrons
of Euro for some intangible reason that we can't quite put a definate finger
on. While the new world beats and upper edge drink prices might seem to indicate
a populace of bling seekers, it has been our experience that the crowd at
Euro is vastly weighted to the open and genuine side of the equation. We've
had no difficulty striking up random conversations with whomever we happen
to be standing next to (one of our favorite passtimes), which typically turns
into fifteen minutes of meeting everyone's friends, co-workers, and the random
guy/girl who got sucked into the group for the evening. Euro does seem to
lean towards midsized groups of people rather than smaller pods of two or
three, but this does not, in our experience, diminish the approachability
of the crowd as a whole. In all, the people have been fun, talkative, and
happy to mix their friends with ours. It's a particularly good spot to venture
with a group of people who are comfortable meeting other groups of people,
and we've watched two groups mingle into one larger group so often at Euro
that it has become on of our defining "people" characteristics of
the place. Probably not the best place for a solo night out, but you'll be
well met even with one or two friends in tow. Interestingly, we've noticed
a much larger than normal "one guy, three/four girls" group composition
at Euro. What does that mean? No clue, but worth mentioning.
The Atmosphere
Warm and inviting, the interior of Euro is well apportioned and carefully
designed. The glow of the subtle lighting is the most immediately noticable
facet of the decor, and it is used to great effect - casting areas of relief
over the zones meant to be public gathering spaces, and dimming to a sensual
and almost palpable cover of velvety red hued shading over the more private
and personal seating areas. Walking in the main entrance carries you up what
we've termed the Cat Walk - a narrow, terraced walkway towards which heads
turn each time a new party makes it's way into the inner space of the club
space. Whether it was designed with this particular effect in mind, we don't
know, but we hope so, because it's very unobtrusively clever. It gives you
a fairly commanding view of the immediate surrounding space and envelops you
at once into the overall atmosphere, while simultaneously keeping the deeper
confines of the space enigmatic and alluring. Flanking both sides of the catwalk
are twin group gathering/seating areas ringed with worked wood and steel girdings
and both bathed in the pervasive orange red glow of the outstanding lighting.
Offering ample comfortable couches and oversized ottomans with minimalistic
and distinctly contrasting modern tables, these are a great area to gather
with friends and watch the scene as the night unfolds around you. Immediately
past the catwalk area is the main space of the club proper, with the main
bar stretching nearly the entire remaining length of the room on the right
hand side. Arching gracefully over the main space is a wrought, almost mobile-esque
marble hued sculpture that provides both an artful visual focus and a practical
light diffusion function. Nestled in the back area, Euro unexpectedly opens
up once more into areas of seating and private gathering spaces, creating
islands of privacy in the midst of a very public main setting. The modern
theme continues with the smaller pieces of furniture in the main club space,
but this potentially austere touch is well balanced by the softening effect
of well placed greenery and the plush coziness of the wrap around couches
which frame the larger seating areas. The carefully constructed wood framing
of the semi-recessed ceiling adds a tasteful touch, though the effect of the
multiple large skylights is lost during the nighttime hours.
What to Wear
We're unsure if there is an official dress code, as none is posted or referred
to on any of the literature distributed by Euro. However, we suspect that
the crowd is most likely self regulating with regards to dress. Both sexes
trend towards elegant, though jeans are the order of the hour for guys. But
not just "jeans," rather, great jeans. Well cut, just the right
amount of fray...you get the idea. Ladies, in typical lady fashion, seem to
run the range of clothing choices from refined black mini-whatever, to bright
colored tops and skirts. Always a mystery. Guys, a nice pair of jeans with
some refined and well polished shoes along with a button-up shirt (not white,
please!) and tasteful accessories (i.e., that cool watch you just bought)
will do the job perfectly. Ladies, this is a moderately fashion conscious
crowd, and while the level of dress-up dress-down varies across the clientele,
they are fairly uniformly well inclined to the trends and flows of recent
fashion.
Stay far away from boots, tshirts, and any kind of rips, tears, or hats. Guys, toss on a sport coat for added flair.
When to Go
Euro is still getting the shakes out of it's various nights, so for the time
being Saturday nights are the best bet. Milwaukee Street is the main feeder
for the crowd at Euro, and during the winter months Fridays tend to be notably
slower than Saturdays, with the resultant change in the populace at Euro.
Thursdays are also strong, and in typical Milwaukee fashion offer deep discounts
(nearly 50%) on the vast martini menu. Not billed officially as "Ladies
Night," it's still a busy time, and a good bet for the almost weekend
thrill seeker. Word is that Wednesdays may shake out to be another strong
night at Euro, but the jury is still out.
