Remembering the Titanic 100 years later

MILWAUKEE--- Walking into Mader's Restaurant or the Grain Exchange on Sunday night might have seemed like a step back in time. Two different events were held honoring the memory of the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic.

"When I see all the other ladies and the men dressed up, you kind of feel like you're back in the day," Wendy Mader's of Mader's Restaurant said dressed in her "Titanic Dress".

Guests at Mader's and at the Bartolotta Restaurant Event at the Grain Exchange were dressed in their circa 1912 costumes as they were given boarding passes to enter for multi-course dinners.

"It's something we look at from a food angle," Maria Bartolotta of the Bartolotta Group said as they served a 10 course meal.

Two 10 course menu's were kept on record and that's what Bartolotta's used to create their menu.

"We did a little bit of every course," Mark Schmidt the executive chef of the event said. "I think we just went with the funnest stuff we could do."

At Mader's, the seven course meal has been so popular, they have added days to the event and might add more.

"It's been enormous. We're very surprised," owner Vic Mader said. "The original seating was going to be about 85 guests. Now we've moved up to 8 seatings of 85 guests and the reservations keep coming in."

While both dinners were festive, there was respect given to the more than 1500 people who lost their lives in the tragedy as well.

"It does give us an opportunity to pause and think about the souls that were lost," Wendy Mader said.

"Through all of this celebration and this moment, we will take a specific, short amount of time to remember those who did lose their lives, crews and passengers alike," Bartolotta added.