July Restaurant News

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Eat/Drink

Diverse Dining Market opened at 250 E. Wisconsin Ave. The concept features a daily rotating lineup of diverse cuisines from local food entrepreneurs including Mister BBQ, Alicia Thee Chef, DeltaBoy Seamoss and Soul Brew Kombucha. 

The Bartolotta Restaurants opened their latest fine dining and event destination, The Commodore – A Bartolotta Restaurant on July 24. The restaurant is located at the historic waterfront property on Nagawicka Lake that once served as Hasslinger’s Pleasant View Hotel & Resort when it opened in 1902, and later Seven Seas. Menu items include classics like Beef Wellington and Wiener Schnitzel, or contemporary dishes like Seared Georges Bay Sea Scallops or Roasted Atlantic Halibut. 

Valentine Coffee plans to open a third location at 3124 N. Downer Ave. The new location will feature menus akin to the other two shops in the Third Ward and Washington Heights, with coffee and specialty coffee drinks, breakfast sandwiches, bakery, sandwiches and wraps, soups and salads. 

Lemongrass, a new Thai Lao restaurant, will open at 1505 N. Farwell Ave. in the former Twisted Café space. The menu will feature classics like spring rolls and noodle dishes with modern twists. 

3 Sheeps Brewing, Door County Brewing Co. and Hacienda Beer Co. have partnered to open a reimagined taproom at Hacienda Taproom + Kitchen, 2018 E. North Ave. The “Triple Taproom + Kitchen” provides Sheboygan-based 3 Sheeps Brewing with a hub in Milwaukee. 3 Sheeps Brewing has been producing and packaging Door County products since 2020 and Hacienda Beer Co. products since earlier this year. 

Ben & Jerry’s new scoop shop opened July 14 at 203 N. Broadway, in the Third Ward neighborhood. The first Ben & Jerry’s shop in Wisconsin offers many of their most popular dairy and non-dairy flavors of ice cream by the scoop and in to-go pints. 

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, a national chain best known for its signature gyros with lamb, beef and pork, will open its first Wisconsin location in Waukesha at 21481 E Moreland Blvd. 

This and That

The Wolf on Broadway (600 N. Broadway) rebranded as Uncle Wolfie’s Dinner Diner. The updated menu more closely mimics Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern, its sister restaurant known for double-smash burgers and scratch-made cocktails. 

The Wisconsin State Fair kicks off Aug. 1, and with it, all things fried, crunchy, gooey, cheesy, exotic and eyebrow-raising (yep, the edible bug foods and drinks are back). New this year is the Alligator Taco, Beer Cheese and Brat Spud Muffin, Birria Egg Roll, Catch of the Day Crab Cake Slider, Cheesy Sriracha Funnel Cake Bites, and Bubble Gum Fudge.

This year’s Sporkies finalists include Deep Friend Lemonade Bites, Elvis Nachos, and the Loaded Baked Potato Churro.

For those seeking healthier or vegetarian options at the Fair, check out the Cheesy Strawberry Rhubarb Chutney Wrap, or Elote Corn Ribs, the latter a finalist in the Sporkies competition. Also new this year, plant-based cheesemaker Daiya will venture into the Dairy State with a booth at the Fair Aug. 1 - 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They’ll offer samples of their cheesy creations, along with a chance to win $20,000 and a year’s supply of Daiya plant-based products. 

For more information about the foods at this year’s Wisconsin State Fair, visit wistatefair.com/fair/food-shopping. 

Closures

Wisconsin’s only Big Boy location at N63W23675 Main St., in Sussex, has closed. Once a Wisconsin staple, the Big Boy chain had disappeared from the state 26 years ago but was revived in 2021 by the Wisconsin Big Boy group with a location in Germantown. The group eventually closed that location and moved the restaurant to Sussex. A letter announcing the closure states that the group will re-open Big Boy in Wisconsin Dells sometime this autumn and may also sell its franchise tag so that other restauranteurs can carry on the Big Boy tradition. 

1033 (1033 S. First St.) restaurant and wine bar closed July 13 after a year in business. Co-owner Rob Levin said in an Instagram video announcing the closure that he hopes to soon open another a wine bar concept with an approachable menu. 

Buttermint Finer Dining & Cocktails’ (4195 N. Oakland Ave., Shorewood) last day of service will be Saturday, July 27. The restaurant, operated by Black Shoe Hospitality group, announced via social media that they “thank all of you who have dined with us over the last two and a half years, and we hope to see you at Buttermint before the 27th. We appreciate your ongoing support at Maxie's, Blue’s Egg, and Story Hill BKC and we look forward to continuing to serve you and the city of Milwaukee for years to come.” 

Mr. Greens BBQ has closed its brick-and-mortar location in Franklin at 7740 S. Lovers Lane Road. Owner Thomas Green, an award-winning BBQ chef, will still operate Mr. Green BBQ via food truck. 

And a “We’ll Be Back Soon” 

Hamburger Mary’s, the popular bar and grill best known for its tasty burgers and popular drag show entertainment, will temporarily close as of July 28 as owners search for a new location. Their building at 730 S. Fifth St. was sold, along with adjacent property that had housed Hunty’s Social Club & Mary’s Arcade Bar.

Hamburger Mary’s opened 13 years ago in the Bay View neighborhood and moved in 2016 to the space that had housed La Perla. Hamburger Mary’s announced via a Facebook post that “What follows is not a ‘closing’ announcement, but more of a ‘We’ll Be Back Soon’ announcement.” Watch Hamburger Mary’s Instagram and Facebook posts—and the Shepherd Express— for further updates.