Photo courtesy of Pizza de Brazil
Pizza de Brazil
When I wrote about all the new restaurant openings last month, I figured it was a flurry that wouldn’t last. I was very wrong. Here’s why:
Pizza de Brazil: Modeled after a trend in Brazil, this restaurant combines Brazilian buffets and pizza for a unique all-you-can-eat concept. Typical pizza toppings are available, but there's also versions with tuna, beef stroganoff, and a number of sweet fruit options, for example. Salads, apps and pastas are also available.
JC's Parkside Pub & Grill: This new bar offers all the favorite food specials like wing night, Friday fish fry, taco night and plenty of drink specials to go along with them. Burgers, apps, salads, wraps, sandwiches and pizza round out the menu of great-with-beer favorites.
Bobby's Bar: Taking the place of Slim McGinn’s in Brookfield after the owner retired, Bobby’s Bar has a focus on children's charities. Each day, a percentage of the bar's sales will go to a children’s charity, like Make a Wish or Ronald McDonald House. The menu is similar to McGinn’s, but will be changed and added to over time.
Sticky Rice: This takeout Thai and Lao spot opened in Riverwest. The menu of the small space is made up of classics like pad kee mao, tom yum soup, red and green curries, and fried rice. Harder-to-find dishes like Lao sausage and beef jerky, and Thai fish cakes are also available.
Eldr + Rime: Located in the new Renaissance Milwaukee hotel at Mayfair, this is a posh but comfortable Scandinavian restaurant that focuses on open fire and wood oven cooking. The menu includes modern takes on dishes like smoked salmon, Swedish meatballs, chilled seafood, steaks, and aquavit cocktails.
Taqwa's Bakery and Restaurant: The dome oven is the centerpiece of this Middle Eastern restaurant because it's where the freshly-baked specialty breads and pastries come from. Beyond baked goods is a full menu of classics, like hummus, falafel, kufta kabob, lamb chops, and entrees incorporating fresh taboun flatbread.
HIYA Taco: From the owners of BelAir Cantina comes this casual taco spot that takes the place of Ruckus in Shorewood. The menu is mostly tacos, including ribeye steak with roasted tomato salsa, brat tacos in a pretzel tortilla, chicken in a waffle taco, and an Asian jackfruit taco.
Sorella: An Italian-American restaurant with a New Jersey twist opened in the former Kindred space in Bay View. The centerpiece of the menu is pork chops with a cherry pepper sauce, plus pastas like "Monday sauce" with broken meatballs, fried goodies and antipasti, and a number of wood-fired oven pizzas.
Golden Nest Pancakes & Cafe: This bright and airy restaurant serves breakfast, brunch and lunch at the Mayfair Collection. The menu includes a number of eggs benedicts, including Cajun and Irish versions, omelets, crepes and other breakfast favorites, sandwiches, burgers and salads.
Big Daddy's BBQ and Soul Food: A new smokehouse restaurant has moved into the former Milwaukee Beer Bistro building in Riverwest. The pitmaster and owner has been barbecuing since he was 18, and serves up ribs, shoulder, jerk chicken alongside Southern favorites like catfish, greens, cornbread and fried green tomatoes.
Makk'n'Cheese: Bay View has a new family-friendly spot for mac and cheese. The menu consists of baked mac in styles like Mexican elote, jalapeno popper, buffalo chicken and Philly cheesesteak. Loaded grilled cheese sandwiches are also available and come with a side of cheese sauce for dipping.
Along with all these openings were also some permanent closures. The most surprising was Oggie's, the restaurant in Hotel Metro headed by Thomas Hauck that had only opened two weeks earlier. The owner and management company clearly didn’t understand the market in Milwaukee, and said as much in an interview. Absolutely dismal management. Additionally, the downtown location of Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub located in the Brewhouse Inn & Suites has closed, as well as Oak and Shield Pub, a gaming bar and restaurant on the East Side.
To read more New Restaurant Reality columns by Lacey Muszynski, click here.
