When the Banana Leaves Split

North Shore Bistro
8649 N. Port Washington
Fox Point, WI 53217
414-351-6100

“Yes, we have no banana leaves. We have no banana leaves today.” This devastating news from his purveyor might have crushed any other chef just hours away from a gala dinner for the prestigious American Culinary Federation. The problem? His showcase dish was to be Polynesian-style triggerfish steamed in banana leaves. Wolf, however, put his thinking toque on and turned potential disaster into a creative opportunity. With the prestidigitation of a master illusionist he came up with the solution: The Milwaukee Zoo! After all, who in the area buys more bananas? Wolf admits he had a moment of sweaty panic, but the Zoo’s contribution saved dinner for some very discerning primates with cultivated palates.

A Homestead High School graduate who grew up in Thiensville and Mequon, Wolf was a regular guy into sports, hunting and fishing. Football, wrestling and track were his games. Nothing suggested that he would end up as the Corporate Chef for the high-end NStars Restaurant Group.

During high school Wolf was a self-described “Friday Fish Fry Bitch” at a local eatery. [I know the feeling having been a Friday Night Football Pizza Bitch in college myself.] As a teenager, Wolf also worked at the Four Seasons in Mequon – and at Sardi’s. He still gets a dreamy look in his eyes describing Sardi’s beef and chicken spiedini cooked with tomatoes and peppers, simmered until the meat fell off the bone.

He studied the gastronomic arts at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island and returned to Milwaukee upon graduating. “After culinary school I worked for Larry’s Brown Deer market. It was a great experience working with such high quality cheeses and imported products.” The young chef then worked at Mike & Anna’s for eight years.

“The owner, Tony Harvey,” says Wolf, “created a great environment to learn in. It started out as a 50-seat Northern Italian bistro. Tony’s mother was a blast and his dad was a World War II vet with great stories. As young as I was in this business, I had the opportunity to do whatever I wanted. We had a chalkboard menu that constantly changed: rack of lamb, fois gras, scallops, turbot. Whatever we wanted.” Since Harvey also ran Rent-a-Chef, a catering business, Wolf was left much to his own devices at the restaurant.

The North Shore clientele had high expectations and chefs like Scott Sebastian, Patrick Schultz, and Richard Staniszewski consistently met and exceeded them. It was a place for great food in a warm, inviting environment. Wolf recalls Mayor John Norquist, who lived nearby, as a frequent diner. “He’d have his bottle of wine, dinner and then fall asleep there right in his chair — he must have felt very comfortable.” The family feel of the restaurant extended to the little kitchen garden in the back full of herbs, edible flowers, nasturtiums, pansies and tiny roses.

The owners of the North Shore Bistro – Michael Tarney, Elias Chedid and Nan Soref were customers at Mike & Anna’s. They liked the menu. After Tony Harvey died, it was time for Mike Wolf to move on. For a while, Wolf served as a corporate chef, then flew around the country as a private chef for Quad Graphics. He even did a bit of kosher catering before teaming up with the NStars Restaurant Group.

It’s a good fit for Wolf with a lot of creative potential. The haute casual cuisine of North Shore Bistro showcases winning items like jumbo scallops nested in wilted spinach and caramelized shallot polenta (a total YUM) and Harry’s astoundingly greasy, but reputedly fabulous beer-battered burger: an 8-ounce Angus beef patty grilled to medium rare, coated in a Wisconsin-style beer batter, fried and topped with fried onions. It’s the diet buster invention of Wolf’s colleague, Dave Engle.

Wolf is renowned among his customers, and this past August won the challenging East Town Battle of the Chefs.

“This business is very people oriented – treat people kindly and you may not always hit a home run, but you make a lot of people happy. Of course, you remember the 1% who complain, but when people enjoy their food and are having fun, there’s nothing like it.”

VS