Pastiche’s French Fare Now Downtown

Pastiche at the Metro. Photo by Dave Reid.

Pastiche at the Metro

As expected, Pastiche will be reopening in downtown Milwaukee on Thursday. The former restaurant, Pastiche Bistro & Wine Bar in Bay View, closed on Aug. 21 and will reopen tomorrow under its new name at Hotel Metro in Milwaukee (411 E. Mason St.). Pastiche will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner at the hotel. The Journal Sentinel’s Carol Deptolla describes the menu offerings in further detail:

Pastiche’s French dinner menu, with dishes such as escargots bourguignonne, coq au vin and cassoulet, will be served from 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday and 4 p.m. to midnight Thursday to Saturday. Prices range from $14 to $32 for main dishes.

At lunch, sandwiches such as a 6-ounce burger and entrees including steak frites will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Prices at lunch range mainly from $10 to $15, with the steak $19.

Pastiche will be open for breakfast from 6 to 11 a.m. daily, with a menu including omelets, eggs Benedict, Croques Monsieur and Madame, bread pudding French toast and crepes; prices are $10 to $15. The restaurant eventually will serve weekend brunch.

Third Space Brewing

Milwaukee is set to welcome a new brewery in the coming weeks. Third Space Brewing (1505 W. St. Paul Ave.) recently reached a big milestone as brewmaster Kevin Wright made the first batch of Acres Edge at the new brewery. Acres Edge is the inaugural brew, which Wright describes as a brew with coffee, espresso and dark chocolate flavors. The brewery is expected to open around mid-September. Lori Fredrich of OnMilwaukee.com highlights what you can expect:

Once Acres Edge is underway, Gehl says they’ll embark on brewing three additional beers, which will debut at the Third Space taproom (or potentially at a local bar or two)…

“We’re focusing on new school hops for our beer,” notes Wright. “They really have a lot of fruit and floral notes, not just the bitterness and citrus flavor. This beer is more balanced toward flavor and aroma … it’s hoppy, but not bitter. And it’s not aggressive or over the top…

Next up is a golden kolsch that Wright says is a throwback to the original golden ales that were popular during the beginning of the microbrewery revolution in the ’80s and ’90s.

“It’s a kolsch in spirit,” says Wright. “But, for this version, we’re using an American yeast, rather than the more traditional German yeast and we’re using a Pilsner malt from Malt Europe right here in Milwaukee. It’s a classic refreshing beer that’s really easy drinking.”…

Last, but not least, is the Third Space West Coast style IPA.

“We’re using a blend of five different hops with big aromas and lots of great citrus and tropical fruit, along with a few unique piney notes. This is for someone who really loves their hops. But, it’s balanced, not bitter. Definitely not a palate-wrecker.”

Sushi at C-Viche

C-Viche, the restaurant, which specializes in Peruvian, Mexican and Ecuadorian-themed food, is taking a swing at sushi. The restaurant’s sushi will be heavily influenced by Nikkei cuisine, which is a blend of both Peruvian and Japanese cultures. C-Viche will have sushi available during dinner hours, Wednesday through Saturday. Fredrich adds more:

At the foundation of this unique marriage of cultures lies a common ingredient: fresh seafood. In Nikkei cuisine, plentiful Peruvian seafood (along with traditional Peruvian staples like corn, chili peppers, yucca and potatoes) meets Japanese flavors and technique, resulting in a masterful mash-up of cultures and cuisines.

Options include shrimp and salmon rolls with salmon, fresh avocado and shrimp with limo chili sauce ($13) and a salmon teriyaki roll with smoked salmon, cream cheese, green onions, and signature teriyaki, topped with fried tortilla shreds ($14).

Batayaki rolls come with panko shrimp, avocado, quinoa and scallops topped with Nikkei garlic butter sauce ($16) and a house roll features Ahi tuna, avocado, scallions and huacaina/lecche de tigre sauce ($12).

Meanwhile the Acevichado roll includes a Jalea seafood medley, romaine lettuce, sweet potato, Ahi tuna, C-Viche chef’s aioli ($14).

New Chef and Menu at Iron Horse

The Iron Horse Hotel has announced the appointment of Executive Chef Joshua Rogers. Chef Rogers is now leading the culinary team of Smyth, Branded, and The Yard at the upscale motorcycle-themed hotel in Milwaukee.

Rogers was mentored as a chef by James Beard Award nominee Chef Dean James Max. Rogers went on to hone his craft at a number of award-winning hotels, including the Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai, China, where he served as chef de cuisine and at establishments in south Florida, San Francisco, Massachusetts and Montana.

Rogers is already making changes and has crafted a new, seasonal menu for Smyth and Branded. A sample of the new menu items include:

• Chilled Corn Soup with chanterelles and shrimp
• Serrano Ham with wild mushroom, arugula, crème fraiche, and summer truffle
• Globe Artichoke with duck egg, seasonal vegetable, and sauce gribiche
• Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast with marcona almond, fig, and baby leek
• Red Scarlet Quinoa with quail egg, rocket baby baguette, sarvecchio, and caesar dressing
• Biker’s Sandwich with flat iron steak, caramelized onions, Guinness mustard, and pretzel bun

For a look at the full menus, here is the menu for Smyth lunch; Smyth dinner; and for Branded.