Whenever I begin an extended work assignment out of town,
one of the first things I do to help acquaint myself with the area is to find a
place I can call my “regular” hangout during weeknights. Not every night. But a chill, low-key and above all,
comfortable place I can frequent once or twice a week and feel welcome.
On my first night in West Bend, Wis., I was fortunate
enough to find such a place when I walked into the Brazen Head Pub in the
city’s historic downtown district.
In full disclosure, I knew very little about West Bend before
I had to work there. It’s certainly not
on most short lists of “must see” destinations in Wisconsin. With a population barely over 30,000, West
Bend rests in the south-central part of the state about 30 minutes northwest of
Milwaukee. The surrounding area is
typical rural Wisconsin scenery shaped by glaciers eons ago. Perhaps what’s really noteworthy about West
Bend is that there’s nothing noteworthy about it. The town does seem like a perfectly fine
place to live and raise a family though.
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