May Restaurant News

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The Bartolotta Restaurant Group is evaluating different concepts for a restaurant at the Roundhouse building, located at the McKinley Marina. The new restaurant is anticipated to open this summer.

Bellis Bistro & Spirits has reopened in a new location, 2643 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Bellis has combined signature favorites from the menu at their former location with a new elevated, reservations-only concept at the new space. Customers select their dinners when making reservations, and brunch is a plated buffet that includes seconds and bottomless mimosas.

Also in the Bay View neighborhood, Hue Vietnamese restaurant has reopened in a newly constructed building at 2699 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., where Sven’s Café was formerly located. The expansive menu includes favorites such as the BBQ Beef Short Ribs, several vegetarian options and the Vietnamese fish fry.

Sabrosa Café owners Frankie Sanchez and Ruben Piirainen will open Sisu Café, a counter-service breakfast and lunch spot at 2121 S, Kinnickinnic Ave. The menu will feature “Sabrosa fast-casual” with soups, sandwiches, salads and Finnish baked goods.

Many people have enjoyed Press Belgian waffles from their aqua blue vintage food truck. Owners Aaron Rosko and Emily Thomas now have a brick-and-mortar location, Press au Marché (207 E. Buffalo St., in the Marshall Building,) where they can serve their popular waffles to-go. Customers can also get coffee and Belgian-made Biscoff molasses cookies.

Anytime Arepa and Dawg City are among the newest vendors at 3rd Street Market Hall. Anytime Arepa specializes in authentic arepas, empanadas and fried plantains with recipes from their family’s home in Venezuela. Anytime Arepa began as a food truck in the Zócalo Food Truck Park in April of 2020 and conducted pop-ups at various farmers markets. Dawg City offers specialty hot dogs, sausages, brats and snacks like nachos, fries, onion rings, cheese curds and funnel cake fries. Dawg City owners Ken and Tonya Hughes use 100% all beef hot dogs in natural casings, sausages from Usinger and other fresh, local ingredients.

The owners of Goddess and the Baker continental café will introduce a new concept, Here Chicky Chicky, a fast-casual fried chicken meals and sandwiches restaurant, at The Corners of Brookfield this summer.

Lupi & Iris (777 N. Van Buren, in the 7Seventy7 building), a new fine dining Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Milwaukee, opened May 17 for dinner service from 5 to 9 p.m. Led by James Beard Award-winning Chef Adam Siegel and architect and developer Michael DeMichele, Lupi & Iris includes a lively bar space and a menu featuring Mussels and clams, Mediterranean Sea Bass, Corzetti Pasta Coins, Seafood Stew and several other choices.

Milwaukee will soon have a location of Rock & Brews, the rock-themed restaurant founded by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of the legendary rock band KISS. The rockers helped celebrate the groundbreaking on May 11. Rock & Brews will be part of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s $100 million renovation.  Featuring “American classics with spin,” Rock & Brews has pizza, burgers, fish tacos, sandwiches and more.

The Polish Center of Wisconsin will bring Café Nights to The Polish Center patio (6941 S. 68th St., Franklin) from 4 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday through October. Each week, two dinner plates are featured, such as baked cod or pork schnitzel with boiled potatoes, a side of vegetables and a roll. There’s also pierogis, Polish sausage, hot dogs and Polish beers.

Reunion restaurant and entertainment venue opened at 6610 W. Greenfield Ave., in West Allis. The restaurant offers a full menu of American fare, a line of craft and domestic beers, outdoor volleyball courts, bag toss, a foot pool table and a fire pit.

Closures

Thai Bangkok Express (9201 W. Capitol Dr.), closed at the end of April, according to a post on their website. Thai Bangkok’s original location at 9112 W. Brown Deer Road is still open.