Free Brats at Old German Beer Hall

February 23 is the 15th annual Fred Usinger Day, and what better way to celebrate the occasion than with a free Usinger bratwurst? 

In 2005, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett proclaimed February 23 as Fred Usinger Day, recognizing Usinger’s long and ongoing run as a local, family-owned-and-operated business. How long, you ask? We’re talking four generations of Usinger sausages — over 125 years. 

To celebrate the 15th year of this delicious Milwaukee holiday, Old German Beer Hall, located at 1009 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., will offer one Usinger wurst per person from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or until the sausages are gone. 

And if one sausage isn’t enough, the Usinger store located at 1030 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. will have specials on the wurst and best of its products from February 23 to February 26.  

Maxie’s Celebrates Mardi Gras with Special Menu

Maxie’s is no stranger to Mardi Gras — it’s been a Milwaukee favorite for celebrating Fat Tuesday. This year, the restaurant, located at 6732 W. Fairview Ave., is offering a special New Orleans-themed menu on Friday and Saturday, February 25 and 26, and on Monday February 28. Lori Fredrich reports: 

During the celebration, guests will be able to enjoy a wide range of Cajun & Creole specialties including duck gumbo, crawfish étouffée, catfish courtbouillon, crispy boudin balls, and Maxie’s muffuletta.

Maxie’s happy hour (featuring $1 off drinks and $1 freshly-shucked oysters) will also be available from 4 to 6 p.m. every night for dine-in only. 

For those celebrating at home with family, Maxie’s is also offering a special Mardi Gras Box which feeds four with jambalaya or vegetarian jambalaya, crawfish étouffée, Maxie’s mighty-mighty gumbo, and maque choux salad to feed four for $90. King cakes will also be available to add to box orders. Boxes can be ordered online Feb. 20-24, with pick-up between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 25; Saturday, Feb. 26; Monday, Feb. 28; or Tuesday, March 1.  

New Brunch and Lunch Cafe For Greendale

The space formerly occupied by Ruby Tuesday will soon be taken over by First Watch Daytime Cafe, a Florida-based brunch chain. The building, located at 5320 S. 76th St., wasn’t vacant for very long — Ruby Tuesday closed early January, and the new restaurant is expected to open sometime this summer. Bob Dohr reports: 

(Owner Vinnie) Busalacchi, of Pewaukee, opened his first First Watch in Brookfield 12 years ago. Restaurants in Mequon and Oak Creek followed, and a Pewaukee location is expected to open by the end of the year.

The First Watch menu includes classic favorites, healthy options, omelets and frittatas, pancakes, waffles, French toast, power bowls, salads, sandwiches, kids menu, sides, small plates and more. 

Hours will be from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. seven days a week with the exceptions of Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

Turner Hall Getting New Restaurant

Turner Hall, the Pabst Theater Group’s live music venue located at 1034 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave., will soon get a new restaurant. Called Turning Tables Tavern and Eatery, the restaurant is currently awaiting approval of an occupancy permit. It will have an educational aspect as well, and will incorporate community participation in designing its menus. Graham Kilmer reports: 

The restaurant will involve a teaching kitchen that will give hopeful restaurateurs the opportunity to test their ideas. The mission of Turning Tables Tavern and Eatery is to “build equity through food and entrepreneurship,” according to a fact sheet about the new business. The project, in the long run, would create a network of restaurants that hold equity, community and diversity as standards of the industry.

The restaurant will have a constantly evolving menu, with staple items chosen by the community. The first partner on the project will be Jervel Williams and his business Mister Bar-B-Que, a successful barbeque trailer and food truck business.

The restaurant will also have programming space, and will offer monthly cultural dining experiences and corporate training events similar to Mills’ Diverse Dining programs. It will also develop an accreditation program for restaurants that participate in culturally diverse dining experiences.