New Downtown Mexican Restaurant

753 N. Water St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

North shore diners no longer have to venture very far to get a taste of Blue’s Egg, a popular brunch spot on Milwaukee’s west side. The restaurant’s second location officially opened in Shorewood on May 29 at 4195 N. Oakland Ave. The restaurant’s location, opening plans and ownership group were first announced last month, naming Amy Kerstein, Jason Kerstein, Dan Sidner and chef Joe Muench as owners. Both locations are run by Black Shoe Hospitality, which also run Maxie’s and Story Hill BKC. Amy Kerstein serves as the hospitality group’s Administrative Czar, while Jason Kerstein is the Director of Operations.

OnMilwaukee’s Lori Fredrich has a first look at the menu items:

When it comes to the food, the Shorewood location boasts the same innovative, comfort-filled menu as the Wauwatosa location, which sports breakfast and brunch basics like eggs, toast and hash browns, buttermilk pancakes and French toast ($8.95) along with a collection of creatively filled omelettes ($12.50 with toast and a side), and sweet items like blueberry pancakes and lemon cheesecake French toast with lemon curd, white chocolate cream cheese, blackberries, house granola, whipped cream, blackberries and the choice of bacon or sausage ($12.50)…

The menu also includes one new item: a beef cheek Benedict featuring poached eggs, braised beef cheeks, arugula, cheddar buttermilk biscuits and choron sauce, a variation of hollandaise made by blending tomato purée with béarnaise ($12.95 with one side).

Blue’s Egg is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, with lunch items available at 11 a.m. It can also be rented after business hours for private events and parties.

Stone Creek Coffee Cafe+ Kitchen Officially Opens Friday

In the case of the new Stone Creek Coffee location on Downer Ave., hopefully the third opening date will be the charm. Friday, June 1, is the newest, official opening date for Stone Creek Coffee Cafe+ Kitchen (2650 N. Downer Ave.). The cafe is one of the first to employ the new Project EAT venture, which will be rolled out to other locations throughout the year. According to a Stone Creek press release Project EAT “delivers unique food items in a format that delightfully compliments our core product: Farm to Cup coffee. ”

The Journal Sentinel’s Carol Deptolla writes more about the cafe’s food and layout:

It will have egg sandwiches, such as avocado with spicy egg and pickled relish; Liege-style Belgian waffles, including one with coffee-butter and bacon; and yogurt bowls, with house-made yogurt and in flavor combinations such as rosewater, pistachio and lemon…

Besides the food, notable features of this cafe include a walk-up window for on-the-go customers, plus a large patio with built-in seating and a three-season porch that take the place of what had been a parking lot for the Associated Bank branch that was there.

Stone Creek Cafe+ Kitchen will be open from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Kitchen hours are 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Fauntleroy Opening in Former Coquette Cafe Space

Owners Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite are sticking to their original plan and still intend to open their new venture, Fauntleroy (316 N. Milwaukee St.), by mid-summer. Like its predecessor, Coquette Cafe, the restaurant will serve French cuisine. However, the Jacobs and Van Rite, who also own DanDan (360 E. Erie St.), still have a few tricks up their sleeve.

Milwaukee Magazine’s Ann Christenson writes about Fauntleroy’s more modern twists:

Jacobs says from the menu to the ’70s rock music they will play in the dining room, the French place won’t be stuffy or too spendy. And knowing how the Dans approach Chinese cuisine at their other restaurant, there will likely be untraditional takes on French cooking. As for the timeline, Jacobs says the build-out is cruising along and he expects to open by mid-summer. Once I’ve got a menu in hand, Fauntleroy will sound a little more concrete.  That menu is a collaboration between the Dans, their chef de cuisine Blair Herridge (formerly of Goodkind) and their new culinary director Matt Haase (who left Ardent in late March).

More Tacos for Downtown

The Angry Taco is slated to fill the former Bruegger’s Bagels’ space at 753 N. Water St. Owner Robert Montemayor plans to open his new, authentic Mexican restaurant by mid-July. Montemayor also owns Monterrey Market on the south side and Burrito Express inside Southridge Mall. The eatery will focus on lunchtime counter service. Along with its namesake, the Angry Taco will also serve quesadillas, nachos, naked burritos and burritos.

Milwaukeee Business Journal’s Melanie Lawder provides this take on taco and drink options:

Taco varieties will include steak, chicken, pork, shrimp, vegetables and fish. Montemayor, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico decades ago, said customers will also have the option to “Mexican-ize” or “American-ize” their tacos at The Angry Taco. Diners choosing the former option will receive their taco variety with onion and cilantro; the latter style will feature a taco with tomato, cheese, onion, sour cream and lettuce, he said…

s for drinks, Montemayor is looking to secure a liquor license so that the eatery can serve up to four varieties of margaritas and Mexican beer. The business owner also is exploring a collaboration with Explorium Brewpub to whip up a lime lager for the new downtown eatery.

Tentative hours will be 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Now Closing: Black Rose Irish Pub

After nearly a decade, a well-known Oak and Loc bar has officially closed. The Black Rose Irish Pub had its last day of business on May 26, ending a nine-year stint at 2856 N. Oakland Ave. The tavern’s building has also been sold but its unknown who the buyer is. Urban Milwaukee reported on the closure last week:

The Black Rose has been serving Irish and Gaelic food and drink since 2009, overseeing the coming and going of multiple businesses in the shared space at 2856 N. Oakland Ave. The connecting area formerly housed a number of businesses throughout the years, including Oakland Trattoria, SoLo Pizza and most recently, Monster Pizza MKE.

All of these businesses have one thing in common: their proprietor, Robert C. Schmidt. The pub is the third business operated by Schmidt to close in the past five months. Black Rose’s neighbor, Monster Pizza MKE, closed in December, while the long-running East Side bar, RC’s, closed just last month.

Now Closing: Likkle Jamayka

Likkle Jamayka (235 S. 2nd St.) also closed over the holiday weekend. According to OnMilwaukee, the Jamaican restaurant was not open during its usual business hours, and owner Adriel McFarlane could not be reached for comment.