Photo Via Café Hollander - Facebook
Café Hollander Wauwatosa
Bay View brunch enthusiasts may soon have a new option with Axolotl Cafe, 3001 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., in the former Blackwood Brothers space. The restaurant will feature classics like omelets and eggs benedict, along with breakfast tacos.
Two additional restaurants have come and gone in the space since Blackwood Brothers closed in 2024. Digital food hall Crave Kitchens, with locations in Phoenix and Austin, was also slated to potentially open there, but the plan never came to fruition.
Catrina’s Cafe will open a second location, Catrina’s Cafe and Cantina, at 2352 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. The space was most recently home to Tulum Latin Gastropub, and before that, it was the long-time home of Odd Duck before that restaurant moved to its current space in Walker’s Point. Catrina’s will be open from breakfast to bar close and feature all-day Mexican fare.
Vel R. Phillips Plaza (401 W. Wisconsin Ave.) will soon get a new tavern and restaurant, Draft & Co. Operated by Nat Davauer of Draft & Vessel, Draft & Co, will feature 32 draft beer lines and a simple menu of burgers, appetizers and soups.
The Argo entertainment venue is scheduled to open this fall in the former Fox Bay Theater space, 334 E. Silver Spring Dr., Whitefish Bay. The Argo will feature an entertainment hall, a ballroom and a bar and kitchen with craft beer, cocktails and elevated diner fare.
Coffee chain 7 Brew, a drive-thru coffee stand featuring more than 20,000 drink combinations, will open at 1738 E. Geneva St., Delafield. Coffee drink options include the original Blondie, a caramel and vanilla breve; 7 Energy; smoothies; shakes; and teas. 7 Brew has more than 460 stands across the country.
This and That
Chef Bryce Stevenson is returning to the culinary team at Odd Duck, 939 S. Second St. Bryce started his culinary career with Odd Duck as a line cook before opening his own restaurant, Miijim, on Madeline Island in La Pointe, Wisc. A member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Bryce's menu at Miijim blended Ojibwe tradition with classical French technique.
Bryce closed Miijim’s location on Madeline Island this past spring and has since participated in pop-ups throughout Milwaukee.
The Lowlands Group announced that Café Hollander Wauwatosa will officially reopen its doors at 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26, following extensive renovations after the historic flooding that struck Milwaukee and the Tosa Village on Aug. 9-10.
Marcus Performing Arts Center has partnered with Oak View Group (OVG) as its exclusive hospitality provider. Beginning September 30, OVG Hospitality will manage all food and beverage services at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, including bars, food kiosks, private events and public performances.
Popular burger restaurant Solly’s Grille (4629 N. Port Washington Rd., Glendale) is on the market for $875,000, including all restaurant equipment. Owner Glenn Fieber plans to retire. Solly’s, which began in 1936, boasts that it is home of the Original Wisconsin Butter Burger. The restaurant is also a James-Beard Award winner.
The Wisconsin Beef Council has partnered with Gather Wisconsin to introduce the Prime Rib Trail, a statewide guide that celebrates the Wisconsin supper club tradition. Locally, Milwaukee’s The Packing House (900 E. Layton Ave.) joined Northwoods favorites and small-town hidden gems nominated by Wisconsinites that shared their favorite prime rib spots. To learn more, visit beeftips.com/resources/prime-rib-trail.
Closures
Riverwest Co-op (733 E. Clarke St.) grocery store and café closed Sept. 21. A community hub in the Riverwest neighborhood since 2001, Riverwest Co-op sold natural, organic and locally sourced groceries. An in-store café featured vegetarian and vegan fare. The store was run by co-op members and volunteers. The co-op board cited financial difficulties as the primary reason for the closure.
Twisted Plants vegan restaurant, with three locations throughout the Milwaukee area, is closing its original location at 4905 S. Packard Ave., Cudahy. The last day of service will be Sept. 27. Open since March 2020, the Cudahy location was the business’ first brick-and-mortar space when owners Arielle and Brandon Hawthorne took the leap from a food truck to a permanent restaurant.
Twisted Plants’ two other locations on the East Side and West Allis will remain open.
