More Comfort Food for Milwaukee

Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. Photo courtesy of Potawatomi.

Canal Street Cafe

Potawatomi Hotel & Casino is bringing a new dining experience to the table. Gone is Locavore and its chef Van Luu, with their seasonal bent and locally sourced ingredients. Newly arrived is Canal Street Cafe, which will take over the space once occupied by Locavore at 1721 W. Canal St. Canal Street Cafe will be opening on July 18 and will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Ann Christenson of Milwaukee Magazine adds more detail:

The new venue follows the broad model of hotel dining: open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and serving a wide variety of American-style food. Breakfast includes omelets, steak and eggs, pancakes and waffles ($6.95-$10.95). Lunch features hot sandwiches, burgers, salads, some entrées (spaghetti and meatballs, beef pot pie) and several breakfast-style items ($6.95-$11.95). For dinner, it’s comfort food central: burgers, pot roast, meatloaf, fish fry, chicken-fried steak, chicken schnitzel ($7.95-$18.95).

Good Life Restaurant and Lounge

The City Center building found at 731 N. Water St. in Milwaukee has recently opened a new restaurant along the river. Good Life Restaurant and Lounge will focus on happy hour but will also serve breakfast and lunch. David Hinton, general manager at Good Life, sees his restaurant as a great place to enjoy a drink with friends, but not necessarily as a premiere dinner destination in downtown Milwaukee. Good Life’s hours are expected to expand as the restaurant becomes better known. Lori Fredrich of OnMilwaukee.com reports:

Although the footprint of the restaurant remains largely similar to former tenant Tazino’s, Good Life promises a new identity for the Riverwalk-facing spot located inside the City Center building.

The decor is more modern and urbane, featuring art by Ken Brown, along with custom bench seating and large lounge-style booths. The concept is also unique, promising an effortless transition from a convenient daytime breakfast and lunch spot into a hip Riverfront destination, complete with happy hour and regular nightlife offerings.

Breakfast options, which will be offered beginning at 7:30 a.m., will include an omelette station along with grab-and-go items like breakfast sandwiches and yogurt parfaits. Lunch service takes over at 11 a.m. with a menu that will include wraps, flatbreads and panini, along with burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches. Free Wi-Fi will sweeten the deal for folks looking for a place to hang out and get a bit of work done.

The Farmer’s Wife

Everyone needs to be comforted sometimes, and The Farmer’s Wife wants to help. The new restaurant is proposed to open at 6531 W. Mitchell St. in West Allis. Comfort food is the main focus for the new restaurant. The Farmer’s Wife plans to use fresh, farm-to-table ingredients in every dish. Melanie Lawder of the Milwaukee Business Journal reports:

The Farmer’s Wife will primarily be open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, with more limited hours for lunch on Sunday. Its menu will feature burgers, brats, salads, appetizers and sandwiches, including dishes like chicken and waffle sliders, stuffed quahog and bacon cheese balls.

According to a business synopsis submitted to the city, the restaurant will seat a total of 82 people inside with an additional 20 seats on the patio and initially employ seven staff members with more employees being added within the first six months. The business’ long-term goal is to open a second location within two years…

A public hearing for the restaurant will be held Aug. 2.

Portillo’s

Wisconsin will soon have another option for Italian beef and other Chicago-style eats. Portillo’s is opening its first ever location in the dairy state on July 19 at 17685 W. Bluemound Rd. in Brookfield. A unique aspect of the Portillo brand is that no two locations are the same. The new Brookfield location will have a rock ‘n roll and 1950s sports theme. Over 200 people can be seated, 45 of which are patio seats for the warmer months. Fredrich dishes more details:

The restaurant that specializes in Chicago-style fast casual fare, including Italian beef and loaded hotdogs, also serves up favorite items like crinkle cut French fries drizzled with cheese sauce and cake shakes, ice cream drinks comprised of vanilla ice cream blended with a slide of chocolate fudge cake.

Since 2005, the Portillo’s brand has expanded beyond metropolitan Chicago to markets in California, Indiana and Arizona, boasting a total of 43 locations (Brookfield will be the 44th). In addition to the new Brookfield location, Portillo’s has also set its sights on locations in Greenfield and Madison, which are expected to open sometime before the end of 2017.

Beginning July 19, Portillo’s will be open daily at 10:30 a.m.

Now (Temporarily) Closing: Sake Tumi

This past weekend, Sake Tumi decided to close temporarily for the next month to renovate the menu. The owner, Sunhee Selliken, wants to provide customers with a more comfortable experience, including a newly refreshed menu. The renovated restaurant, found at 714 N. Milwaukee St., is expected to reopen sometime in August. Fredrich adds more:

Additional changes include the hiring of master sushi chef James “Oshi-san” Oh. Oh brings more than 25 years of sushi experience to Sake Tumi, with a resume that includes work at Midori Sushi and Pacific Rim Bistro in Albuquerque, as well as Asahi Sushi Steak and Grill in Los Lunas, New Mexico.