January 2023 Restaurant News

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Nō Studios (1037 W. McKinley Ave.) now has a food menu. The artists’ workspace and social community, founded by Oscar-winning screenwriter and Milwaukee native John Ridley IV, is collaborating with chef Gregory Johnson, former owner of On the Bayou, for Nō Bayou restaurant, beginning Jan. 27.

Confectionately Yours Café (inside Legacy Building, 1920 N. King Dr.) is open each morning from 7 a.m. to noon on Monday, and 7 to 11 a.m. Tuesday through Friday. The café is an expansion of Confectionately Yours by GGG bakery, which launched in Sherman Phoenix (shepherdexpress.com/food/eat-drink/baker-carries-on-family-traditions-at-sherman-phoenix). The café features Confectionately Yours bakery such as brownies, cookies, muffins and pastry, along with breakfast and lunch sandwiches, breakfast potatoes and coffee drinks.

Station No. 06 (6800 W. Becher St.), a West Allis bar that operates under West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe, is pivoting to a tiki bar for a tropical escape during the winter months. From now through early March, visitors can enjoy 12 different cocktails crafted from fresh juices and syrup reductions made in-house, along with a weekly tropical-themed food pop-up.

Contento Mexican Restaurant opened at 627 Genesee Street in downtown Delafield. The restaurant features tacos, burritos and Mexican entrées, along with a wide variety of tequilas. Contento is owned and operated by Manolo and Kelly Ramirez, the couple behind several Mexican-style concepts such as Los Paisa, which was located in Bayside, and Tacos y Tequila and Milwaukee Taco Mobile.

1033, a new restaurant featuring small plate fresh seafood with wine pairings, is planned for 1033 S. First Street in the Walker’s Point neighborhood. 1033 is the latest venture of Robert Levin, who owns 2A Wines in the Third Ward. Levin will partner with chef Justin Carlisle of Ardent and Red Light Ramen.

Sweet Joy Brazilian Café is a new breakfast spot that opened in the former Brewed Café location, 1208 E. Brady Street. The restaurant serves coffee and coffee drinks, smoothies, and Brazilian and American breakfast items such as avocado toast or the misto quente (ham and cheese) sandwich.

Sweetgreen, a Los Angeles-based salad chain, is eyeing Milwaukee to expand. The management for The Corners of Brookfield has confirmed that construction of Sweetgreen Brookfield will begin in spring 2023.

Scooter’s Coffee (2150 Miller Park Way, West Milwaukee) offering specialty coffee and scratch-made pastries, opened its first location in Wisconsin. The drive-thru franchise has more than 500 locations in 27 states across the United States.

This and That

Eric Holcomb, executive chef at Story Hill BKC, has been promoted to executive chef at Buttermint Finer Dining & Cocktails (4195 N. Oakland Ave.). Moving into the role of Story Hill BKC executive chef is James Sanders, who was previously the sous chef.

John Wise has been appointed vice president of food and beverage operations for Marcus Hotels & Resorts. Wise, who spent more than 27 years with Bartolotta Restaurants, will oversee all hotel catered events and 40 signature restaurants, bars and lounges across Marcus Hotels & Resorts’ 16 properties.

Nostalgic Wisconsinites rejoiced at the triumphant return of Big Boy restaurants with the opening of Wisconsin Big Boy, (N116W15841 Main St., Germantown). Wisconsin Big Boy announced that it will temporarily close its main dining room for about six weeks to work on some maintenance issues in their 150-year-old building. The bar is open with limited seating, and online ordering is available.

For anyone curious about what it was like to prepare a meal during the 19th century, the Wisconsin Historical Society is partnering with Wade House stagecoach hotel, in Greenbush, Wis., for a Hearthside Dinner series. Guests will prepare 19th - century dishes on a wood-burning stove and an open-hearth fire. Upcoming themes include Wisconsin Winter, in which guests will create rice soup, pork ragout, sweet potatoes and more, Jan. 28 through Feb. 18. Yankee Cooking, which runs Feb. 4 through March 4, will guide attendees on making corn chowder, pot roast with vegetables, and a variety of sides. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit tinyurl.com/m4b5js94.

Closures

Chef A.J. Dixon announced she will close Lazy Susan (2378 S. Howell Ave.), her hip, sharable plates restaurant in the Bay View neighborhood. The last day of service will be April 8, which marks the restaurant’s nine-year anniversary. Dixon cites challenges and aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic as reasons for the closure. She will eventually sell Lazy Susan as a turnkey restaurant.

Vivere Italian Restaurant (1000 E. Rawson Ave., Oak Creek) announced via Facebook that its last day in business was Jan. 6, 2023. The restaurant operated for nearly seven years.