For most of the first decade he was in business, Dave Sobelman focused on making great burgers. Then one day he posted a photo to Facebook with a slider as a garnish on a Bloody Mary. It was partially a joke to suggest maybe he’d gone too far, but instead, the idea of offering extravagant over-the-top Bloody Marys took off. Today, Sobelman’s restaurant location at 1900 W. St. Paul Ave. in Milwaukee will serve 40 to 80 Bloody Marys on a weekday, 80 to 100 on a Friday and 275 to 325 on weekend days. The total tops 400 on some summer days, and big events like a Brewers-Cubs series will bolster sales. Selling hundreds of drinks with elaborate garnishes requires lots of prep work for Sobelman’s staff.
- A completed “The Classic” Sobelmans Bloody Mary. Other versions include a cheeseburger slider, bacon-wrapped cheese balls or even a whole fried chicken.
- Blanca Sanchez sprays celery hearts used for garnish. Sobelman had to search for a vendor that would provide hearts instead of stalks.
- Pickled mushrooms and Brussels sprouts are supplied by Bay View Packing Co. and prepped earlier in the week.
- Bay View Packing, located next door to the Sobelman’s restaurant on West St. Paul Avenue, also supplies pickled Polish sausage for garnish.
- Sanchez skewers bacon-wrapped cheese balls. Staff preps hundreds of them each week.
- Each Classic Bloody Mary includes a variety of garnishes, including lemon wedges.
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