Photo via Facebook / DanDan / Fool's Errand
Restaurant openings and changes continued at a fast clip over the last couple months, including a number of new spots for hot dogs, sandwiches, and comfort food classics.
Caliente Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar: The people behind Sabor Tropical in Bay View have opened a new upscale sports bar in Story Hill. The menu is a similar mix of Latin American and Puerto Rican, with items like ceviche, burgers and ropa vieja, plus cocktails with an emphasis on rum.
Fool's Errand: The owners of DanDan have opened a new restaurant in their former Fauntleroy space in the Third Ward. The menu is full of accessible comfort food and retro nostalgic favorites, including chicken liver toast, steak Diane, a patty melt and grandma's potato salad. Brunch is also served with options like chicken and waffle and a Monte Cristo sandwich.
Riley's Good Dogs: A new food truck selling hot dogs and vegan dogs has hit the streets and is usually parked in front of the home of its future restaurant on Water St. near Brady. The menu includes styled hot dogs, brats and Italian sausages like buffalo ranch, Korean BBQ, and Cubano, plus loaded fries.
Riley's Sandwich Company: Not to be confused with the Riley’s food truck, this restaurant in Shorewood serves sandwiches, sides and treats for dogs. Meats for the sandwiches are cooked sous-vide, including a number of steak sandwiches, barbecue chicken sandwich, and chicken parm sub.
Smoke Creek: A new barbecue restaurant has opened in Oak Creek. Meats are slow smoked over wood and include ribs, brisket, ham, turkey, pork and chicken. Burgers, fried ribs, wings, nachos and classic sides like beans and mac and cheese are also available.
84th Classic Cafe: A new family restaurant and cafe has opened in the former Johnny V’s Classic Cafe spot in West Allis. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner from a large menu, including waffles, omelets, entree salads, triple decker sandwiches, burgers, seafood and Greek specialties.
Daddy's on Bluemound: A breakfast and lunch spot from the owners of Daddy’s Soul Food & Grille has opened in the former George Webb's on Bluemound. They serve Southern comfort food and breakfast, including fried chicken, catfish, waffles, omelets, burgers and desserts.
Sam's Place Jazz Cafe: A cafe and coffeehouse by day and jazz performance space by night has opened in Hamabee. During the day there is a full breakfast and lunch menu with things like salmon croquettes and red velvet waffles, plus coffee and pastries. Paninis, wraps and other sandwiches plus daily specials make up the lunch and dinner menus.
Bottle House 42: The former Glass+Griddle has rebranded under the same ownership. The bright beer garden and restaurant will have a new menu, though some favorites have stuck around. Options include fish fry, poutine, sliders, beer bottle chicken, bourbon salmon and desserts.
Louie's Char Dogs: A hot dog and butter burger restaurant has opened in the former Bee’s Cuisine on the East Side. Hot dogs are styled with lots of unique toppings, like a pastrami dog or a PB+J dog. Other sausages, vegan dogs, sandwiches, fried seafood, and butter burgers piled with toppings are also available.
In other dining news, Nite Owl is open for the season. As usual, get there before they sell out in early afternoon. Also, watch for pop-ups of Middle East Side and their Middle Eastern flatbreads at Amilinda, and Trouble Maker's Cocina, a Mexican-inspired collaboration between chefs from Tess and Good City Brewing, at various restaurants and bars.
A number of restaurants also closed recently, including Hue’s Wauwatosa location (the Bay View location will remain open and is expanding), Tenuta’s To Go (the original location will remain open), Stone Creek’s original location in Whitefish Bay, and The Dogg Haus on the Marquette campus.
