Photo credit: Lowlands Group
Lowlands restaurants have become a force in Milwaukee. They’ve created a brand designed to appeal to most people, whether avid beer drinkers, brunchers or bar food snackers. But many restaurants get stale over time, and so Café Centraal in Bay View recently closed for a complete rebranding. The new Centraal Grand Café & Tappery takes a pinpoint look at Dutch cuisine, focusing on the food served in Amsterdam’s Centraal railway station. That isn’t to say that the menu is narrow, however, because like any international crossroads, it’s full of variety.
Asian and Middle Eastern foods are especially prevalent. Shiitake potstickers ($9.95) with cream cheese, ginger and garlic and fresh spring rolls ($10.95) filled with soba noodles, vegetables and herbs are two of the “Staarters” (much is spelled with a double-a here). Baba ganoush ($8.95) is an especially creamy version with yogurt. Shrimp fritters ($10.95) were made with finely chopped shrimp in a light batter but were somewhat soggy on a recent visit as if they had been steaming in a sealed container. Remoulade for dipping was heavy on the mustard with plenty of fresh herbs. Doner kebab ($12.95) includes a token amount of sliced yogurt-marinated chicken and diced cucumber and tomato. Along with a liberal application of baba ganoush, tzatziki and roasted red pepper vinaigrette, there was more sauce than anything else in the pita.
Southern cooking also makes an appearance in the sandwiches section of the menu. A fried chicken sandwich ($14.95) comes with Carolina-style barbecue sauce, spicy finger hot peppers and garlic aioli on a potato bun. Pimento cheese, the staple spread made with cheddar, mayo and pimentos, is slathered on a grilled cheese sandwich ($12.95) along with a fried green tomato slice.
Photo credit: Lowlands Group
Sandwiches and burgers come with friets (French fries), which are thick cut and skin-on. You can get them loaded with toppings like the kapsalon ($11.95) with beef kabob, gouda, garlic sauce and greens, or chili cheese ($10.95) with vegan chili and cheddar. Like all the other Lowlands restaurants, you can also choose from homemade dipping sauces. Mildly spicy sambal aioli is a winner or opt for the oorlog peanut sauce or curry ketchup for variety.
There are only seven “Maains,” but they run the gamut from red curry trout ($17.95) with coconut curry, roasted eggplant and peanuts to rosemary goat cheese mac ($13.95).
Brunch is just as popular at the new Centraal as it was at the old. Arepas ($12.95) with braised pork, sweet pepper relish and cotija and a bibimbap bowl ($15.95) with pork belly are two of the international offerings. A ham and cheese omelet ($11.95) with Hook’s three-year-aged cheddar and local Badger ham or cinnamon rolls pancakes ($10.95) would satisfy breakfast traditionalists. And for those wondering if the Bloody Marys survived the rebrand, the answer is yes—there are seven of them now, including one with bacon-infused bourbon and barbecue sauce.
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Photo credit: Lowlands Group
Inside the newly renovated Centraal Grand Café & Tappery
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Photo credit: Lowlands Group
Inside the newly renovated Centraal Grand Café & Tappery
The bar program, including those bloodies, is really the star here. There are 70 taps, with 40 beers arranged in groupings by theme, like flights. The other 30 taps, though, are comprised of a wide variety of alcohol and non-alcohol options. The spiced-up KK Old Fashioned ($7.50) blends local whiskey, cardamom and molasses syrup and orange peel. Yerba mate, kombucha, cold brew and local tonics and sodas are also available. The Bittercube Snow Day Elixir ($4.50) is refreshing and fizzy with cranberry, grapefruit and rosemary for an herbaceous kick.
With a drink menu so long and varied, it makes sense that the bar is so prominent in the space. It’s brighter and more airy than it used to be, with a travel theme that you’ll only notice if you’re looking for it. The space feels calming, even though it’s bustling all around you—much as if you were standing on a train platform.
