This month’s new restaurants include Southern food and New York-style pizza in Bay View, long-awaited sushi in Wauwatosa, and a couple of new options for lovers of Mexican food.
2Mesa
4110 W. Martin Drive 414-808-1594 facebook.com/2mesa $$
The chef and owner of Il Mito Trattoria e Enoteca in Wauwatosa and Zesti in Hartland has opened a Mexican restaurant in the Martin Drive neighborhood near the Miller Brewery and Harley-Davidson headquarters. 2Mesa has a modern Mexican menu that spans breakfast to dinner. Jalisco-style steak salad ($10.95), available at lunch, includes grilled steak, chorizo potatoes, pinto beans and panela cheese on mixed greens. Tacos are served with rice, beans and mixed greens and include braised lamb ($11.95) with mint pico de gallo. Mexican-style chicken schnitzel ($15.95) combines German and Mexican heritage with a creamy lime and serrano sauce, rice, beans and wilted spinach.
Fish Cheeks
6818 W. North Ave. 414-509-5875 $$-$$$
A sushi-and-seafood restaurant has finally opened in Wauwatosa after being proposed almost five years ago. Fish Cheeks’ owners John and Lori Steiner previously ran a sushi restaurant in Oconomowoc until 2007 and ran into a number of hurdles with this project. Sushi rolls are the focus of the menu, ranging from simple vegetarian rolls to specialty rolls like the lobster roll ($18). Appetizers like pork gyoza ($7) and seafood entrées like black cod with miso ($22) join beef tenderloin, chicken, shrimp and scallop hibachi dinners ($18-$26, prepared in the kitchen) on the dinner menu.
Cocina 1022
1022 S. First St. 414-810-1022 facebook.com/cocina1022 $$
A Mexican restaurant has opened in the former Chez Jacques building in Walker’s Point. Cocina 1022 is owned by the current operators of Jalisco on North Avenue—Kevin Lopez and his mother, Judith Figueroa. The menu includes Mexican staples, like various tortas ($7-$8) at lunch, tacos ($2.50-$3) with fillings like pork al pastor, shrimp with garlic and tequila, and lengua. At dinner, the molcajete ($15-$27) with various meats and vegetables is a centerpiece, along with a richly colored chicken mole ($13). Side choices go beyond rice and refried beans, including frijoles charros, papas con chorizo and esquite, a creamy corn street food.
Belli’s Bistro + Spirits
3001 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. 414-210-3665 bellismke.com $$
A restaurant serving Southern-inspired dishes has opened in the former Pastiche space in Bay View. Belli’s relies partially on family recipes of the owner, Charmice Dodson, who previously ran a catering business. The menu includes appetizers like whole chicken wings ($10) in one of five flavors and loaded fries ($9-$14) with cheese, bacon and sour cream. Shrimp and grits ($14) are topped with poblano cream sauce, and blackened or fried catfish ($14) is served with sides like macaroni and cheese, roasted fingerling potatoes and asparagus. Weekly steak and seafood specials are also offered.
Pizza Di Famiglia
2242 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. 414-988-0001 pizzadifamiglia.com $-$$
A New York-style pizza spot has moved into a former Jimmy Johns in Bay View. Pizza Di Famiglia is owned by Besart Bajrami who is originally from Brooklyn, N.Y. The shop serves pizza by the slice as well as whole pies, salads and calzones for takeout or dining in. Pizzas come in 14- and 18-inch sizes. Grandma’s ($16.49-$20.49) is based on a family recipe and includes multiple cheeses, basil, garlic and tomato sauce. Chicken bacon ranch ($15.99-$19.99) and macaroni and cheese ($12.49-$15.99) are less traditional options. Stromboli ($9.49) are 15 inches long and include one topping—or add more for a few more bucks.
Point Burger Bar
4900 S. Moorland Road 414-255-2265 pointburgerbarnewberlin.com $$
A family burger restaurant and bar has opened in New Berlin in the former Quaker State & Lube building. This is the fourth area location for Point Burger Bar, which originally opened in 2015 on the Northwest side of Milwaukee. The menu is centered on an extensive build-your-own burger selection, including lamb ($12.95+) and bison ($14.95+) in addition to the traditional beef patty. Sandwiches, wraps, appetizers and salads complete the menu.
Closings
This month’s closings list is thankfully much shorter than March’s. The Fox Den, a neighborhood bar and grill in Mequon, has closed, and Boone + Crockett has closed their Kinnickinnic Avenue location, but don’t worry, because they’ll be back in a bigger location in Walker’s Point soon!
