April Restaurant News

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Food halls continue to attract a diverse array of new vendors, and Shorewood says farewell to a favorite taco stop.

3rd St. Market Hall (275 W. Wisconsin Ave.) continues to add new vendors. Kawa Ramen & Sushi features chashu chicken ramen, rice and poke bowls and Japanese snacks. Middle East Side opened as part of Dairyland Old Fashioned Hamburgers and Custard’s “hawker stall” food business incubator program, with Middle Eastern culinary staples like Man’oushe (flatbread), Baklawa, Fattoush Salad, Muhammara and more. Make Waves, part of Playing in the Plants, the restaurant collective behind On the Bus and Sugar Cube Donuts, has opened a fully plant-based menu including layered boba tea, smoothies, toast, flatbread wraps and a build-your-own açaí “Wave Bowl” bar.

HotWax, serving burgers, chili dogs, Nashville-hot style fried chicken, sandwiches, sharable plates and sides, opened at Crossroads Collective, 2238 N. Farwell Ave. HotWax is led by chef Ben Crevensten and sous chef Christian Cole. HotWax took over the stall operated by Lao restaurant Thum, which vacated the hall this past December.

Chef Dwight Jackson has expanded Pepper Pot, his catering and takeout business. Pepperpot, his spacious new dine-in restaurant, opened at 2215 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Specializing in Jamaican food, Jackson brings the flavors of the Caribbean to Milwaukee with classics like jerk chicken and pork and beef patties, along with lamb chops and grilled salmon.

Dobie’s Steak House, (4136 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.) known for its supper club ambiance, coal cooking and jumbo shrimp, is under new ownership. Chef Michael Feker, owner of 2Mesa, Zesti, Il Mito and Americas, purchased the restaurant from Dale and Julie Doberstein, who plan to retire. Feker was a customer before buying the businesses and intends to keep the same menu and staff.

Discourse: A Liquid Workshop, known for creative coffee and drinks, opened a location at Cafe Calatrava (inside the Milwaukee Art Museum) as part of a five- month residency program. Discourse was first established in 2017 in Door County. They recently moved to Milwaukee and opened a stall at the Crossroads Collective food hall this past February. Discourse’s Calatrava’s location will offer creative takes on caramel or vanilla lattes and drinks inspired by artworks displayed in the Museum’s galleries.

After pandemic-related delays, Flourchild Pizza is opening April 29 at 722 N. Milwaukee St. The restaurant specializes in pizza with unique toppings that highlight iconic fast food flavors but without artificially processed ingredients. They've also got standard pizzas like cheese or pepperoni. Guests can also choose from sandwiches, mac and cheese, and drinks from a full bar.

Those heading out to Old World Wisconsin this summer can see, smell, feel and taste Wisconsin’s brewing culture and heritage at The Brewhouse, presented by the Cleary-Kumm Family. Attendees can see how beer is made, engage with beermakers and bartenders and relax with a few cold ones while enjoying a brat and live German music. The grand opening is scheduled for June 18. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/43k7t2xf.

Sharlan Edmonds will replace Kenneth Hardiman as Milwaukee Bucks vice president of hospitality. Hardiman took another position within Levy Restaurants. Levy specializes in arena and sports concessions and has been the concessionaire at Fiserv Forum since it opened in 2018.

Golden Nest Pancakes & Café’s (11250 W Burleigh St., Wauwatosa) newest employee, Servi, is quite a hit with the customers. That’s because Servi is a robotic food runner and busser. Service robots are starting to be used nationwide to assist hospitality teams during staffing shortages. The polite robots connect with guests through phrases like “excuse me” and “enjoy your meal.”

The Milwaukee Brewers have partnered with Black Shoe Hospitality and American Family Field food service provider Delaware North Sportservice to roll out a new ballpark menu of offerings inspired by recent James Beard nominee Joe Muench. Muench, who co-owns Black Shoe Hospitality with Dan Sidner, operates Maxie’s, Blue’s Egg, Story Hill BKC and Buttermint Finer Dining & Cocktails under Black Shoe Hospitality. Hungry fans at the ballpark can choose from an array of new offerings such as Specialty Sausages like the Johnsonville Tipsy Polish Sausage and others inspired by the famous racing sausages; Burgers or Topped Hot Dogs powered by Story Hill BKC; Fried Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich & Tenders powered by Maxie’s, Nachos powered by Blue’s Egg and more.

Closures

HIYA Taco (4144 N. Oakland Ave., Shorewood) which featured tacos and salads, closed April 15. The restaurant opened August 2020.

Hue Vietnamese Restaurant temporarily closed as it prepares to move into a new, larger space two doors down, at 2699 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. The owners of Hue purchased the former Sven’s Café building in 2019 and constructed a new building on that lot. Andrew Swofford of Happy Dough Lucky is expected to open a doughnut and pizza restaurant in Hue’s former space at 2691 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.