New York-Style Bagels Coming to Walker’s Point

135 E. National Ave. Photo by Joey Grihalva.

Urban Milwaukee previously noted that Allie Boy’s Bagelry & Luncheonette, a new restaurant coming to Walker’s Point in the space previously occupied by Drink Wisconsinably and Blue Jacket at 135 E. National Ave., was aiming to open sometime in the fall of 2019. Although that never happened, the restaurant has now revealed more details on the food it will be serving as well as a new time frame for opening. OnMilwaukee’s Lori Fredrich reports:

Allie Boy’s is slated to open sometime in mid-to-late March at 135 E. National Ave., in the former home of Drink Wisconsinbly and Blue Jacket, filling a niche for high-quality craveable bagels and schmears.

…hand-rolled boiled bagels will form the foundation of their menu, which will include a variety of schmears and deli staples like house-smoked fish, egg salad and pickles.

There will also be bagel sandwiches (both open face and closed), along with “noshes” like upscale latkes served with additions like apple sauce, sour cream and maybe caviar; chopped chicken livers or mousse; and soups, including borscht.

“We’ll also offer a number of really simple sweet items to round out the breakfast offerings,” says (co-owner Ben) Nerenhausen, noting that in the weeks following their opening they will also expand their offerings to include weekend brunch. The restaurant’s bar will accommodate with a selection of beer, wine and a short list of brunch-worthy cocktails, including a number made with house-infused vodka.

Once open, Allie Boy’s Bagelry & Luncheonette will likely be open Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Milwaukee’s Got Dogs — hot dogs, that is

Between Vanguard in Bay View and Dogg Haus’ numerous locations, Milwaukeeans have plenty of opportunities to eat quality hot dogs. Soon, Milwaukee will have yet another option — a food cart aptly named Got Dogs. Urban Milwaukee’s own Graham Kilmer reports:

Tom Pappas, scion of the Pappas family that owns Ouzo Cafe at 776 N. Milwaukee St., is branching out on his own as a mobile purveyor of tubular meat.

Pappas’ carts will sell hot dogs, Polish sausage, bratwurst and Italian sausage. He will also offer a few specialty dogs. There’s the Seattle Dog, a favorite, he says, with cream cheese and caramelized onions. There’s the Dirty Dog, with bacon, caramelized onions and BBQ sauce. He also will offer a Chicago dog, which, he says, you will be able to make into a Milwaukee Dog by adding ketchup.

During the week you can find Got Dogs in Milwaukee’s central business district during lunch hours. And Thursday through Saturday, he’ll have carts on Old World Third Street and Water Street for all the hungry, drunk bar denizens. Pappas said he is also open to catering, he plans to use his family’s kitchen at Ouzo Cafe for such events. A license is pending before the Common Council.

Taco Stop MKE gets third location in Bay View

Fuji Poke, 2121 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The space recently left vacant by the closure of Fuji Poke at 2121 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. already has a promising future as the new home of a third Taco Stop MKE location. Urban Milwaukee’s Jeramey Jannene reports:

“Taco Stop MKE was built from a dream of bringing real authentic Mexican food to the masses, we felt our food has been butchered for many years of ‘non authentic’ or ‘tex mex food’ and we felt it was time to stop faking it and bring the realness of what Mexican cuisine is back to the people,” reads the restaurant’s website. An online menu boasts “Mom’s secret enchiladas,” authentic Mexican tacos, a one-and-a-half pound burrito, chilaquiles, tamales oaxaquenos and chimichangas.

The restaurant is owned and operated by AJ Agiss.

…

Signs on the window boast that the new restaurant is “coming soon,” but according to city records, the owners of Taco Stop have yet to apply for a food dealer or liquor license.

New coffee shop planned for Midtown Center

A space formerly home to a Starbucks location on Milwaukee’s north side soon might be filled in by another national coffee chain. Journal Sentinel’s Tom Daykin reports:

Biggby Coffee would operate at the former Starbucks, which was at 5610 W. Capitol Drive, part of Midtown Shopping Center.

The franchised shop would be owned by Keith Washington, who owns Boardwalk Realty LLC, and Curtis Grace, a U.S. Bank branch manager.

Washington told the Journal Sentinel that he and Grace are “highly considering that location” for a Biggby Coffee.

“Just awaiting on pricing, and see how the negotiations go,” Washington said.

But, he said, “This location is at the top of our list.”

If a lease is signed soon, the coffee shop could open by summer, Washington said.

Buckatabon Tavern & Supper Club coming soon to Wauwatosa

The Lowlands Group’s latest endeavor, Buckatabon Tavern & Supper, is planning on opening its doors to the public sometime in March. The new restaurant is taking over space that previously belonged to another Lowlands Group restaurant: Cafe Bavaria. Journal Sentinel’s Carol Deptolla reports:

The restaurant will have three menus by culinary director Thomas Hauck. The tavern menu will be served starting at 11 a.m. weekdays and 3 p.m. on the weekends, and will have appetizers, salads, prime rib and other sandwiches, and items such as booyah and vegetarian pasties.

The supper club menu will be served starting at 5 p.m. daily; variations on classic dishes will come with relish trays and wedge salads.

The brunch menu will be served on the weekends.

Friday fish fries will have five fish options, served with potato pancakes. Fridays and Saturdays will be rib nights, either prime or barbecue baby backs.

Lowlands will have a house brandy, aged with birch wood that the Lowlands folks harvested near Eagle River, made by Central Standard Craft Distillery for the bar’s Old Fashioneds.

And Eagle Park Brewing is making a milkshake IPA with Old-Fashioned flavors for the restaurant. Buckatabon also will have ice cream drinks, other craft beer, wine and no-alcohol cocktails.

Experience an extended Mardi Gras in Milwaukee with Maxie’s

For the first time ever, southern-inspired restaurant Maxie’s (6732 W. Fairview Ave.) will extend it’s Mardi Gras celebration to five days. From Feb. 21 to Feb. 25, guests can get a taste of Mardi Gras in Milwaukee with Maxie’s New Orleans-inspired menu. Fredrich has the scoop:

The New Orleans menu will include starters like New Orleans BBQ shrimp ($11.95); alligator, tasso and pork fritters ($11.95); crispy boudin balls ($7.95) and fried andouille corndogs made with hush puppy batter ($11.95).

There will also be entrees like jambalaya “me-oh-my-a” ($18.95; vegetarian for $15.50); crab smothered skatewing over creamy fettuccini ($22.95); cornmeal fried cod cheeks succotash ($21.95); duck gumbo ($13.50); and blackened scallops and dirty rice ($24.95).

And it wouldn’t be Mardi Gras without desserts like king cake, strawberry beignets, bourbon balls and chicory pot de crème ($6 to $8.50).

Each day of the celebration will feature varying drink and food specials. For more details on each individual day, visit OnMilwaukee.com.

Now Closing: Urban Beets Cafe & Juicery closes downtown location

Urban Beets Cafe & Juicery. Photo by Cari Taylor-Carlson.

Earlier this month, Urban Milwaukee reported some good news for fans of the vegan-friendly Urban Beets Cafe & Juicery when it announced its new brunch menu. Unfortunately, before the end of the month, Urban Beets announced via a Facebook post that it was closing its flagship downtown location. Urban Milwaukee’s Jeramey Jannene reports:

A Facebook post announcing the news cited a lack of parking and “growing demand for space in a corridor that has quickly developed into a congested area for commerce and entertainment alike.”

“We as a cafe have felt the effects of this increasingly more, and it is with heavy hearts that we have decided that this location is no longer a sustainable option for us to maintain,” said the post.

The area has seen a wave of development in recent years with Fiserv Forum opening.

The downtown location opened in January 2016 and owner Dawn Balistreri added a second location in Wauwatosa in 2019.

The Wauwatosa location continues to operate at 3077 N. Mayfair Rd. Balistreri is planning to open a new location in Brown Deer at 5091 W. Brown Deer Rd.

Now Closing: Bar Louie closes Bayshore and Downtown locations

According to a short-but-sweet Facebook post that has since been deleted, Bar Louie’s Bayshore Town Center and Water St. locations have permanently closed. The closings come during the Bayshore Town Center’s renovation of its shopping area.The Brookfield Square location remains open.

Now Closing: Plum Lounge closes for reinvisioning

Mazen Muna, owner of the stylish and intimate Plum Lounge, 780 N. Jefferson St., has announced that he will be closing down the bar, but not before sending it off with a farewell celebration held on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 Fredrich reports:

“The Plum brand has come to an end of its era,” says Muna, who says he will be taking time to reconcept the venue. “The space will be closed for an undisclosed amount of time while it is being re-envisioned.”