Story Hill BKC Puts Eclectic, Locally Sourced Spin on Contemporary Fare

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Story Hill BKC has a story to tell. It involves house made and locally sourced ingredients with backup from their sister restaurant Blue’s Egg bakery a few blocks away. The Story Hill part of the name tells what Milwaukee neighborhood it’s in, and the BKC stands for bottle kitchen cocktail, in case you were wondering. 

With three different sections of the restaurant, you can essentially choose your vibe for the day. There’s the bar area with views of the kitchen, the dining area for longer stays, and a bountiful retail shop equipped with all the fixings for a take-home boozy brunch. Whether you’re popping in for a quick bite, gathering with friends, or picking up curbside, Story Hill BCK has you covered. 

For a Wednesday at noon, this place was hopping with a midweek brunch crowd. Known for their crêpes and “innovative sandwiches” there’s really something for everyone on this menu, including those with food allergies and dietary restrictions. Next to the Burger on the Hill is the vegan BBQ shiitake wrap. Sweet and savory are well-represented and sides are pretty healthy to accommodate your possible over-indulgence on mains. 

My choices were approved by the very friendly staff, opting for the crêpe monsieur and the trending Buffalo cauliflower wrap. I figured I’d go full savory and come back someday for sweeter choices with someone who appreciates them more than me. 

I started with the crêpe monsieur and wow is this a dish that gives you a reason to brunch on a Wednesday. It’s basically a Cubano sandwich as a crepe dressed with pickle bites, Dijonnaise and two poached eggs. It is dressed to impress! Although I only ate half in preparation for my second course, this dish won’t leave you hungry. A beer in between was necessary after adding a lot of their homemade South by North hot sauce (available in the retail store). Going vegan next was also necessary after all that ham. 

The Buffalo cauliflower wrap proves why this dish has been a big trend recently with the vegan movement. With just enough heat and a bounty of veggies, it hits the spot as a replacement to an otherwise unhealthy classic. I chose the Brutus salad as my side. 

After venturing for brunch and peeping the dinner menu, a return to Story Hill BKC was imminent. Prepare ahead of time: reservations on a Friday night can be hard to get.

Collectively, my guests and I all had stressful weeks and were ready to indulge. On tap and handcrafted cocktails alongside a bountiful beer list started off our night. The dinner menu is divided into taste, share, pass, and bindings—which basically means you can divide and conquer every way you turn.

There wasn’t much strategy to our order but we were very pleased with it—crayfish Rangoon, mushroom lasagna, chicken paprikash and the beef short rib gnocchi. While these items might not sound like they go together, they oddly do and very much so. Each person at the table had a different favorite from the other.

Much like its brunch menu, Story Hill BKC’s dinner is an eclectic spin on American fare worth seeking out.