New Empanadas Place for Brady Street

World of Beer. Photo by Mariiana Tzotcheva.

The World of Beer has disappeared from Brady Street and a new place, also with a cosmic-sounding name, will replace it. Yes, the WOB franchise operation that was located squarely in the center of Brady Street at 1300 E. Brady, has closed, and a new restaurant called La Masa is going to open at this location, across from Rochambo and Jack’s American Pub. 

The owners of La Masa are siblings Brad and Megan Todd, who own Stubby’s Gastrogrub & Beer Bar; and Scott and Becky Berger, owners of Yo Mama Frozen Yogurt. They are banding together to open the new establishment, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Though named La Masa, which means “dough” in Spanish, it remains to be seen how Latino the place will be. The name references empanadas, the luscious meat-packed pockets made in many Latin-speaking countries, that will be this establishment’s main feature. Yet neither the restaurant nor the menu will carry a strictly Latin American vibe. According to the Journal Sentinel, many menu items will reflect world cuisines and Wisconsin flavors. Local ingredients will also feature heavily. Besides empanadas, the menu will also offer sandwiches, salads, and more.

According to La Masa’s owners, the space for the restaurant is being rearranged to accommodate an expanded kitchen. That means a significantly smaller tap beer menu than World of Beer’s.

Don’t despair, though. Stubby’s is known for its 53-option beer menu, so we can probably expect La Masa’s list of drinks to still be fairly impressive.

Even as we mourn the closing of Love Handle, a brand new project is already prepping to fill the void.

Enter Blooming Lotus, a brand new bakery being opened at the 2251 E. North Avenue space, next to Jalisco. Blooming Lotus is being opened by Shorewood’s Milwaukee Yoga Center, hence the name, and will commit to offering healthy, gluten-free products. No details yet on what specific items we can expect, but according to reports the goods on offer will be prepared free of eggs, cane sugar, and most nuts.

Biggie Subs & Deli Shop

Couple Al and Rita Hill opened Biggie Subs earlier this month. At their modest little shop, located at 6602 W. Lisbon Avenue, simple, classic comfort food is the name of the game. Biggie’s specialty is Johnsonville brats, as OnMilwaukee.com’s Molly Snyder reports, but there are plenty of other options guaranteed to satisfy. Their colossal subs, for example; four thick slabs of meat, each a different kind, layered with four types of cheese and as many condiments as allowed by law. Oh, and lettuce and tomato, too.

If that’s a bit much for you, the husband-and-wife team have you covered. Hot dogs, chili dogs, and sloppy joes are just a few of the no-nonsense options they’re ready to serve up.

The Hills are newcomers to the restaurant business. Their new shop is small for now and only offers carry-out service, but they hope to expand with a delivery service and online ordering. That expansion may come sooner than you think, once you get a load of their prices.

The Hills’ brats will run you a whopping $1. Yes, that includes the bun, in case you were wondering.

And those “colossal subs”? A staggering $2.50.

So if you’re in the neighborhood when your inner carnivore starts calling, it won’t cost you much to try the fare.

Speaking of simplicity, is there anything more straightforward and satisfying than a big plate of saucy wings?

Wingstop, the Texas-based wings chain opened a brand new location in St. Francis this month, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal. The new location is at 2300 E. Layton Avenue, right on the outskirts of General Mitchell International Airport. Whether that’s pure happenstance or creative planning by franchisee Kurt Hodermann is up for debate, but either way, now you can sit down for a nice plate of wings after your 14 hour nonstop from Honolulu.

The St. Francis Wingstop offers both traditional and boneless wings, cooked to order. They are open 10am to midnight every day.

Colour Palate

There’s little info out there about this Water Street mystery, set to open at the end of the month. OnMilwaukee.com reports that Colour Palate is a “quick, casual restaurant” and will be filling the space at 789 N. Water Street formerly occupied by Cousin’s Subs.

We can reportedly expect soups, sandwiches, and made-to-order salads. Stay tuned to Now Serving as we learn more.

Now Closing

Mama’s Italian Cuisine

OnMilwaukee’s Molly Snyder reported on Thursday that, according to an employee, Mama’s Italian Cuisine at 7718 W. Burleigh Street was set to close by Sunday. The restaurant was known particularly for its thin-crust pizza and garlic bread. The closure reportedly also included the adjoining bar, Papa’s Social Club.
Mama’s has been open for over 50 years.