May 2023 Restaurant News

by

Pier Garden, a pop-up restaurant at The Starling (102 N. Water St.) event venue, opened May 23. Located along the Third Ward Riverwalk, the restaurant features Tall Guy & a Grill’s White Claw tempura battered fish fry, along with other menu items, craft cocktails and local beer on tap. Hours are available on Instagram and Facebook: @TheStarlingmke and @piergardenmke.

Buchanan’s, a U.K.-inspired restaurant, will open this summer at Bayshore (5800 N. Bayshore Dr., Glendale) on the second level of the rotunda across from ACX Cinemas and Backlot Pizza + Kitchen. The menu will feature “classic fare with a Midwestern twist” and include dishes such as shepherd’s pie, and fish and chips.

Also at Bayshore, the Sprecher Taproom opened adjacent to The Yard, an outdoor community space. Guests can enjoy selections from Sprecher’s 12 craft beers and sodas, along with soft pretzels, locally made popcorn, and Wisconsin cheese curds and cheese snacks.

7 Brew, a drive-thru coffee franchise, opened a location at 1010 S. Moorland Road, Brookfield. The business boasts more than 20,000 drink combinations of coffee drinks, smoothies, shakes and tea. At the ribbon cutting, the stand donated $2,000 to the Children’s Wisconsin Immediate Impact for Kids Fund.

The Baaree (Nepalese for “garden”) opened at 105 S. Main St. in Thiensville. The restaurant is led by award-winning chef and restauranteur Barkha Limbu Daily, who uses herbs and fruits harvested from the on-site garden. Look for fermented tea leaf salad, wagyu Beef Sliders and barbacoa tacos.

GF-Smoothies, a dedicated gluten-free business, opened May 22 at 1400 W. Mequon Road in Mequon. The cafe offers smoothies made with gluten-free and/or dairy-free ingredients, along with smoothie bowls, avocado toast, chia pudding and healthy snacks such as protein balls.

Rob Levin and Tony Bisciglia of Wach Hospitality, along with chef Justin Carlisle of Ardent and Red Light Ramen, opened 1033 (1033 S. First St.). The small plates restaurant features a raw bar with seafood options such as oysters, clams, shrimp and mussels, tin fish, charcuterie and sharables like beet salad and sourdough chicken.

Forage Kitchen, a health-focused, fast-casual restaurant, will open its first Milwaukee area location this fall at 103 E. Silver Spring Drive, Whitefish Bay. Menu options include salads or seasonal and grain bowls that can be topped with vegetables and proteins. Forage Kitchen has four locations in the Madison area and one in Champaign, Ill.

Palomino (2491 S. Superior St.) reopened its kitchen May 18 and will again serve customer favorites such as burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, vegan items and sides. Palomino temporarily closed their kitchen last summer due to staffing shortages but kept the bar open and sold snacks and pies. Kitchen hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday through Monday, with bar hours until 11 p.m.

Jessica Orr, owner of Electric Lime taqueria, plans to open a steakhouse at 801 N. Jefferson St., in the space formerly housed Louise's restaurant. The prominent space across from Cathedral Square Park has been vacant since Louise's closed in August 2018.

This and That:

May 13 was the last day of Funky Fresh Springs Rolls presence at Sherman Phoenix (3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave.). Formed by TrueMan McGee in 2013, Funky Fresh Spring Rolls has been a vendor at Sherman Phoenix since the entrepreneurial hub opened in 2018. McGee stated in an announcement on social media that the closure was so he could focus on growing the brand through his recent partnership with Palermo Villa.

Black Shoe Hospitality is restructuring Buttermint Finer Dining & Cocktails (4195 N. Oakland Ave., Shorewood) as a neighborhood-friendly restaurant starting June 1. The updated concept will include new dinner and brunch menu options, an expanded kids’ menu and carryout offerings. Look for new dishes such as sandwiches, fried cheese curds, wings, braised beef short ribs, sandwiches and vegetarian options. Brunch will be available Friday, as well as Saturday and Sunday. The new brunch menu will include lunchtime items like salads and sandwiches. Co-owner Dan Sidner stated in a press release that the decision to change Buttermint’s menus and hours was driven by a desire to build a more inclusive dining experience. 

Café Nights have returned to The Polish Center of Wisconsin, 6941 S. 68th St., Franklin. From 4 to 9 p.m. each Wednesday through October, guests can choose from two dinner plates ($15) that include sides and a roll. Featured items include pork schnitzel, Polish meatballs, pork chops, or lighter fare such as Polish sausage or pierogi. Full menus are available at polishcenterofwi.com.

Punch Bowl Social (1122 Vel R. Phillips Ave.) announced a new seasonal menu that included choices like Ahi Tuna Tacos, Crispy Catfish Sandwich and the Punch Bowl Rueben.

Third Space Brewing is partnering with Nadi Plates to offer calzones, pizzas and appetizers at the brewery.

Closings:

Sobelman’s, known for its burgers, along with Bloody Marys topped with a salad bar’s worth of garnishes, will close its location on 1601 W. Wells St., near Marquette University. The original Sobelman’s location at 1900 W. St. Paul Ave. will remain open.

StoneFire Pizzeria Co. (5320 S Moorland Road, New Berlin) the popular restaurant and entertainment spot popular for hosting birthday parties and outings, abruptly closed after 17 years in business. No reason was given for the closure.