March 2024 Restaurant News

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Discourse Coffee Workshop’s newest location at Radio Milwaukee (158 S. Barclay St.) is now open. The space, which formerly housed Stone Creek Coffee, has been renovated with furniture and accents made by local craftspeople, and includes a retail component from Lilliput Records. The café serves experimental coffee drinks, tea, low-proof cocktails, bakery, and vegan or meat sandwiches and salads created by Chef Adam Pawlak.

Two locally owned chains, Donut Squad and Fil Fil, have partnered to operate a café space at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station (433 W. St. Paul Ave.). Travelers can enjoy Donut Squad’s colorful donuts that range from traditional to elaborate flavors. The café also serves bakery from Colectivo Coffee’s Troubadour Bakery. Fil Fil offers shawarma and sandwiches. Guests can also purchase Colectivo coffee and coffee drinks, bottled beverages, grab-and-go sandwiches and snacks.

Haven Café, a cocktail forward concept, will open inside the NOVA apartment complex, 1237 N. Van Buren St. The space will feature breakfast and paninis, with coffee available during breakfast hours and cocktails during evening operation. Owner Jeffrey Kinder brings experience from Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge and The Estate (formerly known as The Jazz Estate).

The New Fashioned opened at 1122 Vel R. Phillips Ave., in the Deer District. The space, previously occupied by Punch Bowl Social, is the latest venture by Bars & Recreation and features a 50-tap self-pour wall that dispenses beer, wine, cocktails—and yep, four different styles of Old Fashioned— and alcohol-free options via a wristband system. Bars & Recreation partnered with Benson’s Restaurant Group to offer made-to-order Wisconsin specialties such as New Fashioned Butter Burger, Usinger’s brats and cheese curds.

The dual-concept City Social Bar & Grill and The Lynq will open at 530 N. Water St. The restaurant and social lounge, located in the former Fore! Milwaukee Virtual Golf, will be owned and operated by Corey Smith, who also owns the neighboring BrownStone Social Lounge.

ChueYee’s will open at 3800 W. National Ave., in the former Thai Lotus location. The restaurant will feature Hmong food with a customizable buffet concept featuring meat or vegetable dishes, salads and sides.

Mitchell’s Corner coffee bar and cafe opened inside Rupena's Fine Foods (7641 Beloit Road, West Allis). The space features coffee and coffee drinks, homemade bakery, sandwiches and grilled items.

Also in West Allis, Ethiopian Coffee Shop will open soon at 7629 W. Greenfield Ave. In addition to offering Ethiopian coffee, the café will also have teas, bakery, soup, salads, sandwiches and healthy snacks.

This and That

Season 21 of the popular chefs competition Top Chef was filmed in Wisconsin and debuted March 20. In the first episode, restaurateur Paul Bartolotta, along with Adam Siegel, owner of Lupi & Iris, were guests judges for the Elimination Challenge filmed at Lupi & Iris. Milwaukee chef Dan Jacobs of DanDan (360E. Erie St.) and EsterEv (2165 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.), is one of 15 competitors.

Popular East Side pizzeria Lisa’s Pizza (2961 N. Oakland Ave.) has new owners: Hannah O’Hara and Dean Rein. The restaurant was founded in 1960 by brothers Joseph and Michael Bongiorno. Customers can still find Lisa’s signature pizzas along with appetizers like eggplant fries, and new additions like Detroit-style pizza.

Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern (234 E. Vine St.) will transition to Nite Wolf ramen on weekend evenings. Nite Wolf will serve ramen and Japanese-inspired dishes every Friday and Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m.

Room Service restaurant is scheduled to open at 2159 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. The restaurant will feature sushi, a full bar and a rooftop patio.

MOVIDA Spanish tapas restaurant (600 S. Sixth St.) recently unveiled its new rooftop bar and patio. Recent renovations also include an additional dining room, kitchen and first floor terrace dining.

The Lowlands Group restaurants will celebrate Easter with specially curated brunch options available in-person on Saturday, March 30 and Sunday, March 31 at Café Hollander, Centraal Grand Café and Buckatabon. Guests can enjoy options such as asparagus and smoked salmon omelets or Brie Tomato Bacon Benedict, mimosas and more. Café Benelux, which is being remodeled, will offer brunch pre-order options to-go.

The Pfister Hotel will serve Easter and Mother's Day brunch in its newly renovated Grand Ballroom. Both brunch menus feature a selection of salads, seafood, brunch classics, a carving station and dessert. The Easter Celebration brunch include a special appearance by the Easter Bunny.

Victor’s nightclub and restaurant (1230 N. Van Buren St.) is officially up for sale. The renowned venue, opened in 1967 by Vic Jones, Sr. and later operated by Jones’ son, Vic Jr., is known for its high-energy club ambiance, along with pizzas and Packers game buffets.

Beth and R Jay Gruenwald, owners of The Simple Soyman brand small-batch organic tofu, plan to retire and will close the business if they don’t find a buyer. Since 1983, they’ve been crafting tofu and soy products such as tempeh. Several area restaurants use their items for vegetarian and vegan dishes, and they’re also available retail at local grocers such as Outpost Natural Foods.

Closures

Havana Café (7119 S. 76th St., Franklin) closed Feb. 24. The café was known for Cuban fare, soups and desserts. Owner Angelina Maholias will still operate the Little Havana Express food truck and may reopen a brick-and-mortar restaurant in a new location.

Sully’s Sandwiches (9211 W. Center St., Wauwatosa) closed. Owner Molly Sullivan will concentrate on operating Sully’s sister restaurant, Miss Molly’s Café, 9201 W. Center St.

While these aren’t restaurants, two well-known Milwaukee area specialty food businesses closed in March. Kilwins - Milwaukee Bayshore (5756 N. Bayshore Drive, Glendale) closed March 25 as owners BJ Gruling and Rick Clark bid a bittersweet goodbye to the store but welcome their upcoming retirement. Kilwins is a Michigan-based franchise founded in 1947. Gruling and Clark opened the Bayshore location in 2014.

Also, T. Marzetti Company, owners of Angelic Bakehouse premium sprouted grain bread breads, wraps and pizza crust, abruptly closed Angelic’s plant at 3275 E. Layton Ave. in Cudahy, on March 12. Angelic Bakehouse was once known as Cybros, a Waukesha-based bakery formed in 1969 by the Cyrus family. Cybros sold the business to James and Jenny Marino in 2009. In 2016, the Marinos sold Angelic to Lancaster Colony Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of T. Marzetti. Approximately 40 local employees are affected by the closure.