With the entrance of fall come new restaurants serving comfort food of all kinds, from chicken pot pie to butter burgers. Plus, another taqueria opens in West Allis, a long-anticipated brewpub finally gets its license, and a new sports bar hopes to capitalize on the Milwaukee vs. Chicago rivalry.
Like Minds Brewery
823 E. Hamilton St.
414-239-8587
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Like Minds Brewery and restaurant has opened on the East Side in the former Hamilton space. The opening of this brewpub is a momentous occasion for owner Justin Aprahamian following a long battle with the state against a law that prevents retail liquor license holders—Aprahamian is chef and owner of Sanford—from obtaining a brewery license. Ten beers are available on tap along with a brief but varied menu of small plates, snacks, entrées and desserts. You can get everything from a mushroom bitterballen ($5) or butterburger ($12) to Armenian lamb pizza ($9) and sisig ($13), a Fillipino dish made with pig head, garlic rice and a poached egg.
Bumstead Provisions
2671-2675 S. Kinninkinnic Ave.
414-481-255
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A combination deli/liquor/grocery/restaurant, Bumstead Provisions has opened in Bay View. Made up of two connected storefronts, one side of the space is home to a bar and full service restaurant, while the other is a takeout-only deli, grocery and liquor store. The restaurant menu offers a number of hot sandwiches, bar snacks, appetizers and a small selection of entrées. Dishes tend to be meat-centric, like donuts made with foie gras ($6.50), a smoked half pig head ($36) served only on weekends, and carne asada fries ($12.50) with tenderloin, guacamole and bacon dust sour cream. On the deli side, both the Southern Gentleman sandwich ($11) with deep fried chicken, warm collard green slaw and honeycomb, and the Shermanator ($10.50) with deep fried turkey and spicy blackberry jam, sound like winners.
Rivalry
223 N. Water St.
414-210-3960
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Rivalry, a sports bar themed around the rivalry between Wisconsin and Illinois, celebrated its grand opening on Oct. 20, the day the Packers took on the Bears at Lambeau Field. The space’s street level was decked out in Wisconsin sports memorabilia, while the river level below catered to fans of Illinois teams, giving them a dedicated space to cheer their teams without heckling (hopefully). The establishment’s food menu includes all the sports bar favorites, like cheese curds from Clock Shadow ($11), chicken wings ($12) and nachos ($11-16). It also features a few border battle favorites, like a Chicago-style hot dog ($7) versus a bratwurst with kraut ($7). Eleven tap beers are on offer (including Revolution, an Illinois brew available in Wisconsin only at Rivalry), along with a number of specialty cocktails.
Crave Café
3592 N. Oakland Ave.
414-204-8778
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Crave Café, a small takeout spot focusing on international burgers, has opened in the former Runaway Meatball in Shorewood. Owner David Wu, who also owns East Garden Chinese across the street, created a menu of burgers with influences from around the globe. A Korean BBQ burger ($7) is glazed in a Korean barbecue glaze and topped with American cheese, kimchi and cabbage slaw, while the signature Crave burger ($8) comes with Swiss, arugula, caramelized onions and white truffle aioli. As with all burger restaurants, fries are important here, and you can get them with your choice of four different seasonings, including Cajun and cheddar.
Al Pastor
6200 W. Burnham St.
414-210-5714
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Al Pastor, a Mexican restaurant, has opened in West Allis. Takeout is the main focus, with only a few small tables and counter seats in the dining room. The specialty is dishes from Mexico City, including alambre ($10.50), a plate made with chopped steak, bacon, pork chops, chorizo, grilled vegetables and pineapple, all topped with melted cheese and served with tortillas. Tacos ($2-2.25), tortas ($7.50), enchiladas ($10.50) and burritos ($9.50) are also available, with meat choices of asada, chicken, chorizo, ground beef and the restaurant’s namesake pork al pastor.
The Farmer’s Wife
6533 W. Mitchell St.
thefarmerswife66.com
414-488-8296
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The Farmer’s Wife, a restaurant with a focus on locally sourced comfort food, has opened in West Allis. Owner Robin Matovich Mastera comes from a family of Midwest corn farmers and married a man from the East Coast who grew up on a dairy farm. That’s why you’ll see dishes like chicken potpie ($12) alongside New England lobster rolls ($15) on the menu. Each day there is a nightly special, ranging from Tuesday’s tomahawk prime rib dinner for two ($75) to Wednesday’s classic fried chicken ($12). A full bar and Sunday brunch are available.
