New Restaurant Atop Hyatt Regency

Every city should have a revolving restaurant. Milwaukee had one for years, Polaris, which revolved 360 degrees, doing a complete circle atop the 21st floor of the Hyatt Regency at 333 W. Kilbourn Ave. Tourists liked it, but it went out of business years ago.

Well, it’s back! Or will be, soon, reopening under a new name, as OnMilwaukee reports.

The restaurant opened in 1980, and after millions of dizzying revolutions, it closed in April 2009 and became an events-only space.

But renovations were done this summer, and the space will be opening once more. As for the name, hotel guests submitted names throughout the summer. The new moniker should be announced in the coming weeks. We’re betting it won’t be Polaris II.

The top floor could become a popular place for weddings, galas and meetings once more. The hotel is also planning to serve holiday brunches in the space starting Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately, the restaurant will no longer spin. But it will still offer impressive views from the 21st floor, which you can see in our photos from last year.

Check out the hotel’s website for more info in the weeks to come.

Camino

Back in August we reported that Camino would be opening at 434 S. 2nd St. in Walker’s Point. Many will remember when this space was occupied by The Social, a popular restaurant and hangout until it wasn’t. Camino, owned by longtime Lowlands Group employee and former Beer Capital rep Casey Rataczak, has now opening, according to OnMilwaukee, giving beer lovers another way to enjoy American craft beer — along with an interesting menu.

The space today is made of reclaimed barn wood from Justin Kutz of the Wisconsin Reclamation Project and surrounded by local art for sale as well as arcade games. The bar and restaurant offers 20 different taps, one of which is from Pabst and 19 of which are from Great Lakes Brewing Company, Lakefront Brewery, Three Floyds and Ballast Point.

Guests more hungry than thirsty will be in luck. Chef Nicolas Goetzke will be serving up sandwiches ($7-12), including a ribeye with mushroom ragu and the Waldorf chicken sandwich. Vegetarian options will also be available, such as the “Kimcheese” which features American, Swiss and provolone cheeses in between helpings of authentic kimchee. Hand cut fries, rye breaded Clock Shadow cheese curds with Russian dressing and mushroom ragu with crostini will be joining the sides ($2). And to top it all off, there’s a rootbeer float made from spiked “Not Your Father’s Rootbeer” and double vanilla ice cream from Purple Door. Rataczak plans to include a lunch menu starting in November as well as expanding the patio next spring.

Camino is open Tuesday through Saturday beginning at 3 p.m. with the kitchen remaining open from 5 p.m. to midnight.

Door No. 7

Last Friday, Door No. 7, formerly the Red Star Cocktail Club, opened to the public. The bar and nightlife spot, located at 1758 N. Water St. above Trocadero, will fittingly host their grand opening on Nov. 7^th, according to OnMilwaukee.

The bar is run by Red Lion Pub, the new owners that took over Trocadero in December. This includes J.J. Kovacovich, former bar manager of Trocadero, Drew Deuster of Red Rock Saloon, McGillycuddy’s and Red Lion Pub; and Christopher Tinker and David Price of Red Lion Pub and Three Lions Pub.

The manager confirmed to OMC that the new bar will feel similar to Red Star, so we can probably expect a lounge feel, mood lighting, and, of course, cocktails.

Check out the bar’s Facebook page here.

The Milwaukee County Winter Farmers Market & Fondy Food Center

The Milwaukee County Winter Farmers Market’s prominence in the neighborhood is combining with the Fondy Food Center’s access to fresh food in a new partnership, according to OnMilwaukee.

The Winter Farmer’s Market won’t change much overall, but the collaboration increases market sustainability and helps reach new consumer bases. This also means that Fondy will have a market in operation almost every week of the year.

“In our six seasons we’ve continued to grow as a winter market and we’ve experienced significant success at the Mitchell Park Domes,” Ritch Durheim, president of the MCWFM board, told the publication. “We are excited about our partnership with Fondy, which will allow us to realize our mission to provide equitable access to wholesome food.”

The Winter Market will be open from Nov. 7^th to April 9^th on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Mitchell Park Conservatory, 524 S. Layton Blvd. For more info, check our last year’s coverage last year of the Winter Farmer’s Market.

South Second

Saz’s Hospitality Group is bringing the food and fun and HGA Architects is bringing the design because a new event venue by the name of South Second is opening in April 2016 at 838 S. 2^nd St.

The venue allows you to “customize every detail of your event, or lean on the expertise of our team to make it happen,” according to the website. The space offers a private mezzanine lounge to relax in while watching the party below in the historic industrial building.

All of the food is made by Saz’s new kitchen at 201 W. Walker St., just a hop, skip and a jump from the venue. Menus are tailored for multiple events, such as weddings, tailgates, picnics and even pig roasts. The seasonal spring wedding menu, for example, offers pan-roasted petite filet mignon with morel mushroom demi paired with abita beer butter shrimp, grilled spring asparagus spears, and chive and cheddar mashed potatoes for $51 or pan-seared ancho lemon chicken with sweet onion mashed potatoes and honey chipotle grilled carrots for $34.

Joey Buona’s Italian Restaurant Moving 

Say it ain’t so, Joey.

Joey Buona’s Italian Restaurant will have to move. Soon.

That’s became Bear Development is planning a $17 million project to renovate the historic Button Block building at 500 N. Water St. in January or February of 2016 so it can reopen as a 94-room Hilton Homewood Suites in 2017, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal. The renovation is meant to create a stronger link between Milwaukee’s central business district and the Historic 3^rd Ward and to bring more activity to the mostly vacant building, Bear Development President S. R. Mills told the Business Journal.

But because of the renovation, Joey Buona’s must depart from the first floor of the building. However, the operator is still “committed to doing something in the Milwaukee area,” Mills told the Business Journal.

But where in the Milwaukee area should Joey Buona’s relocate? Should they stay Downtown or move elsewhere? Feel free to offer your recommendation in our comments section below.