Heirloom MKE Moves from Food Truck to Bay View

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Heirloom MKE has been on my radar for a while, and I have no excuse as to why it’s taken me so long to dine there. Husband and wife owners Jessie and Pete Ignatiev ran Heirloom MKE as a food truck in 2020—until a fire last year. They have gone brick and mortar, taking over the old Lazy Susan space at 2378 S. Howell Avenue just off the main drag of Bay View. It is a triumph. The owners plan to bring back the elevated food truck by summer 2024 for those who’ve missed it. Moreover, I can’t believe I’ve missed out on this for all these years!

Immediately upon entering the door I was greeted by many friendly (and good looking) staff members who seemed genuinely excited to invite me inside. I took the furthest end spot at the bar to keep space open as people came in after the early bird special hours to which I have become accustomed. Someday I’ll be cool again and go out to dinner after 8 p.m., I promise.

The bartender Claire was more than eager to walk me through the menu which is extensive but not overwhelming in scope. It’s sectioned off into starters, handhelds, and then entrees separated by beef, fish and seafood, poultry, vegetarian and vegan. The menu changes a lo, but the website usually has the most updated version. Under each menu item is a description of the dish along with local ingredients and notes calling out dietary elements so you don’t have to ask.

Again, I wish I would have come with others to try more things but there’s always next time. This time I went with their famous hand stretched burrata with today’s seasonal salad of arugula, lavender honey vinaigrette, slivered red onions, blueberries, clementines, white truffle oil, Lady Grey honey, toasted pistachios, and toasted Turano Baking Company bread. For my entree I was really feeling like some red meat, and they have two great options of a porcini dusted Bavette steak and braised short ribs over your choice of polenta or mac and cheese.

But, Claire talked me into the pan seared halibut as the chef is known for his seafood. The halibut is served over potato crab hash, sautéed sweet broccolini, lemon butter sauce, blistered tomato salad, and parsley sorrel oil. I don’t know if I’m allowed to curse in print, but holy shit! As someone who goes out to eat a lot, I sometimes find myself at a loss of where to go because I’ve been to a lot of places. Not a bad problem to have. 

The housemade burrata is seriously something to write home about (which technically I’m doing right now). In America’s Dairyland, sometimes cheese dishes overwhelm me as I’m not always trying to stuff myself with it. But this burrata is memorable and huge—I don’t think I’ve ever taken home burrata from a restaurant before but this time I was happy to do so. And wow, the halibut was next level! A light dish complemented by a hearty hash and seasonal vegetables that made me glad I listened to Claire. 

The staff is also good at recommending beer, wine, and/or cocktails to accompany any of the menu dishes. Overall, this was a great restaurant experience.  I know I have a place to go that will really take  some time to work my way around its menu and know it will be ever-changing. There’s something so thoughtful about these dishes, the decor (inspired by Wes Anderson’s aesthetic), the service, and everything else about Heirloom MKE. And while I know Milwaukee people are super kind and say thank you when exiting a door, but here, the smiles on people’s faces (both staff and patrons) were noticeable. This is one of the greatest food truck success stories I’ve seen.