November 2024 Restaurant News

The Milwaukee area will again have Polish restaurant, and unique holiday cocktail experiences await.

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Biggby Coffee at Red Arrow Park (920 N. Water St.) held its grand opening November 25. Biggby Coffee takes over as the official coffee server at the Slice of Ice winter skating rink. The café space was formerly operated by Starbucks; the Seattle-based coffee giant had closed that location last November after operating the space for nearly 20 years. After Starbucks had closed, Milwaukee County Parks operated the café in the interim, serving hot chocolate, coffee and snacks.

Biggby Coffee is a Michigan-based franchise with several locations throughout the Milwaukee area. Biggby Coffee at Red Arrow Park is owned by Milwaukeeans Keith Washington and Curtis Grace. They also own a Biggby Coffee location at 7700 S. Lovers Lane Rd., in Franklin, and plan to open a location in Cudahy.

The husband-and-wife team of Adam and Wioletta Bartoszek are building off the success of their Polish grocery store, Wioletta’s Polish Market, 3955 S. Howell Ave. and will open a Polish restaurant, Wioletta’s Polish Kitchen, on Milwaukee Avenue in South Milwaukee. The Milwaukee area lost its last Polish restaurant when Polonez (4016 S. Packard Ave., St. Francis) closed Sept. 25, 2022.

Pakistani Indian restaurant Al-Baik Restaurant is planned to open at 1017 W. Historic Mitchell St. in a space previously occupied by Think ReSale. The fast-healthy food concept will feature burgers and fries along with Indian, Pakistani, Somali and Mexican dishes, with an emphasis on fresh, nutritious choices.

Since June, The Wolf on Broadway (600 N. Broadway) has rebranded to Uncle Wolfie’s Dinner Diner, and most recently to The Wolf, featuring an Indonesian-inspired tasting menu. The Wolf is the sister restaurant of Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern & Nite Wolf Ramen (234 E. Vine St.).

Capybara Cafe is among the latest vendors at Crossroads Collective food hall, 2238 N. Farwell Ave. The vendor features Colombian street food such as arepas, empanadas, plantain dishes and Colombian-style hot dogs.

Ash Hearth and Bar, located in the Iron Horse Hotel (500 W. Florida St.) reopened with new chefs and a new menu. Updated offerings promise farm-to-table freshness that honors traditional flavors with a modern twist, emphasizing local produce and artisanal craftsmanship. The latest seasonal offerings include wagyu beef tartar, elk rack and burnt hay agnolotti pasta.

Crave Kitchens, a “digital food hall,” will open in the former Blackwood Brothers and Inka Peru Cuisine restaurant space at 3001 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. A digital food hall differs from a ghost kitchen in that the restaurant entrepreneurs are in the public eye. The space will also have a dine-in option, in addition to carry out and delivery. Crave Kitchens also has locations in Phoenix, and in Austin, Texas.

This and That 

A fire destroyed Oscar's Frozen Custard’s location in Waukesha on November 19. The Town of Brookfield’s fire department declared the building a complete loss. As of press time, the cause of the fire is unknown. Oscar’s other two locations at 2362 S. 108th St., in West Allis, and 7041 S. 27th St., in Franklin, are open to serve their signature frozen custard, burgers, sandwiches and more.

Now through December 7, Amilinda (315 E Wisconsin Ave.) is donating 100% of dessert sales to the Ronald McDonald House of Milwaukee.

The Bartolotta Restaurants is offering its annual holiday gift card promotion. Through December 31, guests that purchase a $100 in Bartolotta Gift Cards or eGift Cards will receive a $20 Holiday Bonus that can be redeemed January 2 through March 29 for dine-in only at participating fine dining restaurants. 

Also, Bacchus – A Bartolotta Restaurant welcomes Italian winery, Banfi Wines, for a five-course, five-pairing dinner. The menu will be crafted by Chef de Cuisine Brent Davis to complement the complex flavors of Banfi’s premium selections. This dinner is $175 per person. For more information, visit bartolottas.com.

This winter season, the Lowlands Group will again offer their outdoor dining Winter Experiences that include domes, igloos and ice shanties. For more information and reservations, visit lowlandsgroup.com/winter.

Also, Lowlands Group’s Black Friday sale kicks off the day after Thanksgiving. Guests that purchase $100 worth of gift cards at any Lowlands restaurant receive a free $25 bonus voucher redeemable in the new year. Gift cards can be purchased at all Lowlands restaurants or online lowlandsgroup.com/gift-cards.

PufferFish (411 E. Mason St.) and Tin Window (703 S. 2nd St) will host the cocktail pop-ups Sippin’ Santa Bar and Miracle, respectively. Miracle and Sippin’ Santa are both nationally recognized pop-ups with approximately 250 locations participating this season.  

Miracle was founded in New York City in 2014. Sippin’ Santa was founded one year later in 2015 as its tropical companion. Both pop-ups emphasize cocktails; Miracle’s focus is on craft drinks, while Sippin’ Santa is Tiki inspired. Only one bar of each kind allowed per city, and Milwaukee is among a handful of markets that has the privilege of hosting both.

Central Standard Craft Distillery has unveiled its 2024 Brandy Old Fashioned Hall of Fame inductees. The list includes six honorees from nominations across Wisconsin, chosen for their dedication to perfecting the state’s signature brandy old fashioned. Per the press release issued via Central Standard, “The inductees will receive a lifetime VIP status at the Central Standard Crafthouse & Kitchen, a personalized commemorative plaque, and a year’s supply of North Wisconsin Brandy, complete with a custom bottle featuring their photo. A celebratory event is planned in February for the inductees.”

Closings

The Cheel (105 S Main St. Thiensville) closed this month. The celebrated Nepalese restaurant reopened in November 2023 after being closed for three years to rebuild from a devastating fire in 2020. Owner Barkha Limbu also closed her other Thiensville restaurant, Daily Taco (105 W. Freistadt Rd.).