Milwaukee April 2026 Restaurant News

Great Lakes cities, including Milwaukee, are now on the Michelin Guide’s radar, MPS launches a first student operated food truck, Calogero’s opens in Bay View and a Polish restaurant closes six months after opening.

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Eat/Drink

Openings

Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) launched its first student-operated food truck, 414 ATE, at Bay View High School (2751 S. Lenox St.). The food truck will be operated by Bay View High School students, through the school’s successful culinary arts program under the direction of educator Ann Marie Sims.

MPS is just the ninth district nationwide, and the first in Wisconsin, to launch the food truck through the Intuit for Education’s Food Truck Program, which supports educators with fully equipped food trucks, an entrepreneurial finance curriculum and business tools like QuickBooks and Mailchimp.

The menu is being finalized, and upon final permitting and inspection, 414 Ate will operate throughout the community and on campus, as well as at athletic events and other MPS locations.

The owners of Santino’s Little Italy (352 E. Stewart St.) are opening a lounge just down the street. Calogero’s (338 E. Bay St.) is dark, elegant and intimate, with an extensive menu of wine and Italian-accented cocktails and ice cream drinks, plus Italian street sandwiches, flatbreads and appetizers. It will open during the first full week of May, Tuesday through Sunday.

Nakama Omakase & Handroll Bar (1600 N. Jackson St.) opened April 9 to a pre-debut buzz that generated sold-out reservations through June 2026. Milwaukee's newest omakase restaurant— omakase a Japanese term for “I leave it up to you,” consists of a multi-course Japanese meal of surprise, chef-curated courses—features a 14-course omakase experience weaving food and stories as Chef Jason Morimoto prepares and presents each dish. Upstairs, a casual bar setting offers a temaki menu of hand rolled sushi, and otsumami, small plates and snacks.

Josã On the River opened at 106 W. Wells St. The upscale establishment features options like the JoSa' Wagyu Burger and Caribbean Jerk Chicken Salad, and entrées including Garlic Butter Shrimp Rice Stack and Ribeye Steak. There’s also a brunch menu.

Chucho’s Red Tacos opened a fifth location at Zócalo Food Park, 636 S. Sixth St. Chucho’s is known for its slow-cooked beef birria, served in tacos alongside a rich, house made consommé. Chucho’s operates a brick-and-mortar restaurant at 4511 S. Sixth St. (in The Farmhouse Paint Bar & Banquet Hall) along with food trucks at Ope! Brewing Co. in West Allis, at American Family Field and a booth at Fiserv Forum.

41Fork Hospitality has partnered with Walkers Point-based Wantable, an online personal styling service, to reopen their Wantable Café (123 E. Walker St.) as 41Fork Exchange@Wantable Café. The café will provide a gathering space to support Wantable employees, guests and the surrounding community with weekday breakfast and lunch service, Vennture coffee, grab-and-go items, croissant sandwiches, grain bowls, salads, snacks and varieties of Roman-style focaccia pizza sold by the weight.

Olive Flame-Mediterranean Grill opened at 1119 S. 108th St., West Allis. The halal restaurant features Mediterranean and Middle Eastern inspired dishes.

This and That

1033 Omakase (1033 S. First St.) made it to the finalist level of the 2026 James Beard Awards for Best New Restaurant, and Zak Baker of Ca’Lucchenzo (6030 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa) is up for Best Chef: Midwest. Congratulations and good luck to both!

The prestigious Michelin Guide is expanding to include the Great Lakes region, and for the first time ever, Milwaukee restaurants are eligible for a nod in the new American Great Lakes Guide, along with restaurants in Minneapolis, Detroit, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Michelin inspectors are already out and about evaluating restaurants in Milwaukee County.

Due to growing demand, The Pfister Hotel has expanded its Afternoon Tea Service to seven days per week. The year-round service is held inside Blu, the hotel's lounge on the 23rd floor, featuring panoramic views of downtown Milwaukee and Lake Michigan.

The Pfister’s Afternoon Tea service resembles a traditional English tea experience with a tea butler, who visits each table with a gueridon service trolley and provides in-depth education on tea, table-side blending options and aromatic qualities of each variety. The experience rounds out with a sampling of seasonal scones, sandwiches and pastry pairings. To learn more or make reservations, visit their reservation website.

Unwrapped MKE will bring Milwaukee’s top culinary talents to raise money for SHARP’s awarding-winning STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) programs in urban elementary schools across Milwaukee, Waukesha and Racine. The event, which takes place May 28 from 5 to 8 p.m. at 3rd Street Market Hall (275 W. Wisconsin Ave.), challenges Milwaukee’s top chefs to craft elevated, fine-dining dishes using McDonald’s ingredients as the foundation of their creations.

Participating restaurants include Dan Dan; Joey Gerard’s – A Bartolotta Supper Club; Saint Kate; Saz’s Hospitality Group; and Signature Sweets Bakery.

Amilinda (315 E. Wisconsin Ave.) and Tricklebee Café (4424 W. North Ave.) will again host Tables Across Borders, a series of four dining events that brings together local chefs and refugee cooks from diverse cultural backgrounds to share stories through food. Each dinner is a one-night-only experience with proceeds directly supporting the participating chefs and their families. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.opentable.com/r/amilinda-milwaukee.

The Oak Creek Farmers Market has received a $22,500 commitment from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 494 (IBEW) for the 2026 market season. Shoppers using SNAP benefits will receive $20 through Milwaukee Market Match. With IBEW’s support, they will also receive an additional $10 in Bonus Bucks, increasing their purchasing power for fresh produce, proteins, dairy and eggs.

Jim Neumeyer, co-owner of the former Beans & Barley, and his wife, Olive Crane, have purchased The Simple Soyman tofu from founders Barb and R Jay Gruenwald, who retired in 2024. Neumeyer and Crane reopened the beloved organic tofu company with the original recipes and small batch crafting techniques, and they retained most staff that had worked with the Gruenwalds. The Simple Soyman’s tofu products are again available at Outpost Natural Foods.

Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) welcomes Central Standard Tavern as the Airport’s latest concession. Travelers can enjoy a menu combining Central Standard’s popular original food offerings with its signature cocktail recipes. Bottles of Central Standard products will also be available for purchase.

Thistle ready-to-eat meal delivery is expanding into Milwaukee. Each meal, delivered twice per week, delivers health-conscious meals with 20-40g+ of protein, and 10-15g of fiber, with a variety of 50+ vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds across each day’s menu. Meals are customizable and start at $9 per meal. For more information, visit https://www.thistle.co/next-weeks-menu/

Axe MKE is relocating from its East Side location at 1924 E Kenilworth Pl. and merging with the NorthSouth Club at 230 E. Pittsburgh Ave. Axe MKE is expected to open in its new space on April 30.

Closings

Six months after opening, Wioletta’s Polish Kitchen (7135 S. 13th St., Oak Creek) closed April 25. Owners Wioletta and Adam Bartoszek cited labor and staffing shortages as the reason for closure. Yet fans of their restaurant’s Polish cuisine need not despair; their soups, stuffed cabbage rolls and house-made meals are available to-go at their market, Wioletta’s Polish Market, 3955 S. Howell Ave. Golden Honey Pancakes & Café is expected to open in May in the former Wioletta’s Polish Kitchen space.

Centro Cafe, 808 E. Center St., closed after 17 years in business. The staple in the Riverwest neighborhood was known for its cozy ambiance, Italian inspired cuisine and craft cocktails. As of press time, owners Pat Moore and Peg Karpfinger continue to operate the restaurant's sister business, Bar Centro, 804 E. Center St.

Caulfield's wine bar and restaurant (7413 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis) closed after 15 months in business. Owner Casey Rataczak may be exploring a new concept for the space.

Sugar Studio bakery (2201 S. 84th St., West Allis) closed, citing economic factors such as the price of goods, labor and utilities.