What’s New in Milwaukee Dining?

by

El Tsunami Taqueria y Mariscos, a Mexican restaurant specializing in seafood entrées, opened a third location at 130 W. Layton Ave., in the space that housed the short-lived Pizza de Brazil. Diners can find an array of seafood dishes such as ceviche, grilled fish and shrimp, along with burritos, tacos and fajitas.

Olive Tree Café opened in Oak Creek’s Market Place Village (8629 S Market Place, Oak Creek) in the former Market Place Café space. The menu offers Grecian specialties like gyros and Athenian-style pork chops, along with café standards like salads, sandwiches, burgers, wraps and entrées. Breakfast specialties include omelets, skillet dishes and griddle classics.

Black Shoe Hospitality opened their latest venture, Buttermint Finer Dining & Cocktails, 4195 N. Oakland Ave., Shorewood. The establishment has a retro ambiance that harkens to the ‘60s. The cocktail menu includes classics like the Mai Tai, Sloe Gin Fizz and the Old Fashioned. The menu features dishes such as house-smoked sturgeon, turkey galantine or lamb and white bean salad.

The Social American Tavern, 611 N. Broadway in Downtown Milwaukee, reopened with a new Milwaukee-centric menu. Sharables include The Bavarian, a Milwaukee Pretzel Company pretzel appetizer with smoked gouda cheese sauce and Dijon mustard; the social burger; or main courses like Downtown Salmon with lemon beer-banc sauce, or Smoked Gouda Mac N’ Cheese.

On Tap opened in the former Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub space at 1203 N. 10th St. On Tap serves pub fare, sharable plates and a fish fry.

Throughout winter, the Scandinavian-themed restaurant Eldr+Rime (2300 N. Mayfair Road, Wauwatosa) will feature glogg—a warm, wine-based beverage with Korbel and a special blend of spices. New menu items include Norwegian halibut with smoked sablefish chowder, clams, fingerling confit and charred corn; roasted delicata squash with toasted pumpkin seeds, golden raisins and orange oil; and short rib stroganoff with cavatelli pasta and wood-roasted mushrooms.

Flour Girl & Flame is selling their wood-fired pizzas via carryout at a new location in West Allis at 8121 W. National Ave.

A new plant-based restaurant, Lafayette Place, now occupies the former Celesta vegan restaurant space at 1978 N. Farwell Ave. Lafayette Place is operated by Angela Wierzbinski and Amy Plennes, who in 2019 bought the popular National café in Walkers Point. Look for smoothies, coffee, tea and vegan sandwiches such as veggie melts and the southern soy boy.

The opening of the long-anticipated 3rd Street Market Hall is now tentatively set for January. The food hall hosted a special fundraising event in December to help victims of the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy. (Watch for a special Eat/Drink featuring the 3rd Street Market Hall.)

Closings?

Riviera Maya, 2327 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., now appears empty and there is a “For Lease” sign in the window. The website is down. The answering machine message states that Riviera Maya will reopen during the month of February, but the restaurant did temporarily close last January.

This and That

“Eighty-Six 2021! Here are the trends that defined this year in the hospitality industry,” an article in the December 2021/January 2022 issue of Food & Wine magazine, reports that 60% of American adults have changed their dining habits due to the Delta variant, and that menus got shorter and more expensive. Also, 38% of hospitality workers who left the industry do not plan to return. On a good note, 80% of guests surveyed in an American Express poll said they want to support local independent restaurants. (foodandwine.com/fwpro/2021-hospitality-industry-trends)