JoLindaKlopp has followed a different pattern. The former head chef at RiverLane Inn, the popular North Shore seafood place, has opened her own,smaller restaurant. The name is Triskele’s and it is located in aformer corner tavern on Milwaukee’s South Side. The new spot housesabout 60 seats and a bar. Everything is prepared behind the bar, whichserves as the kitchen. The staff includes a bartender, a server and akitchen assistant in the evenings. Klopp makes everything lookeffortless, even when cooking several items at a time.
Triskeleis a term for a Celtic three-spiral motif seen on the menus. Due to thekitchen’s space limitations, the menu is not large, but it isthoughtful. The River Lane Inn focused heavily on grilled seafood; thismenu offers some as well, but is more up-to-date. Grilled rainbow troutis made with chardonnay, smoked sea salt and a beurre blanc.Cider-roasted chicken is accompanied by pumpkin spaetzle. A sirloinsteak has a whiskey peppercorn sauce.
Ingredients areselected carefully. The Caesar salad ($4-$6) is chopped romaine withgrated Parmesan and a dressing with a hint of mustard. What makes thedifference is the use of white anchovies. These are not the overlysalty kind found at pizzerias, but are gentler and more subtle inflavor. There is an occasional element of surprise, too. The ahi tunahot pot ($9) arrives as a bowl of raw ingredients, including pieces oftuna with chopped scallions, slivers of bok choy and tiny enokimushrooms. The soy-sauce-based broth is in a teapot. The diner cooksthe ingredients by pouring the broth over them. The only drawback isthat the tuna cooks too quickly. It would be wise to put the tuna tothe side and add it at the last second.
Blue mussels takean interesting twist. Typically they are steamed with wine or beer, buthere they are served as Pei blues ($8), steamed in a roasted poblanopepper cream sauce. The poblano is soothing and mild, just enough tooffset the occasional full-flavored mussel. Tuesdays offerall-you-can-eat mussels in three different preparations at the sameprice.
Vegetarians will find this a worthy menu. Startwith a small plate of the Portobello fries ($7) in a light batter witha sprinkling of sun-dried tomatoes and a caper aioli that seemsespecially created for this dish.
The trout and sirloinsteak top the price list at $15 each. Wednesday converts one of thesmall plates, stout-braised short ribs ($8), to entre size for a mere$2 more. The fatty short ribs are popular of late. They are rich inflavor and disappear quickly. Roasted potatoes and wilted spinachaccompany the dish.
The homey side of Triskele’s menuis also expressed with the macaroni and cheese ($9). You choose acheesegoat, aged cheddar, Gorgonzola or a combination of the three.The tubular pasta is then baked with the cheese, which is thinned withcream and topped with a few cracker crumbs. Try the cheddar andGorgonzola combination. The sharpness of the cheddar is followed by arich undertone of the Gorgonzola.
There is a small butinternational wine list. Nearly all of the bottles ($18-$38) are alsosold by the glass ($5-$9). The choice of beers is as large as thewines. Try a pint of Pilsner Urquell on tap.
Triskele’sis a refreshing change of direction. It’s a place where you can sit atthe bar and watch a real chef at work, instead of on the artificialstaging of the Food Channel.
Triskele's
1801 S. Third St.
(414) 837-5950
