Meet The New Kabab Shack

The Kabab Shack.

Oh My Dog, a restaurant that specialized in all-beef hot dogs, has added more Middle Eastern menu items due to popular demand, changing its name to The Kabab Shack in the process. Located at 8838 N. Port Washington Rd., Oh My Dog offered Mediterranean plates such as stuffed grape leaves, hummus and baba ghannouj alongside its hot dogs, sparking an interest in its customer base for more Middle Eastern options. Carol Deptolla reports:

The name change reflects the broader menu, and it prevents one misunderstanding — some people thought Oh My Dog was a pet groomer, (co-owner Amal) Fares said.

Some of the menu items Fares now is making include these:

• Kushari, the Egyptian dish of lentils, rice, chickpeas, pasta and browned onions, topped with seasoned tomato sauce (cup, $4.99; bowl, $9.49).

• Wraps of chicken kebab and beef or kufta (seasoned ground beef) kebabs, and chicken or beef shawarma (chicken wraps $9.99, beef $10.99).

• Kebabs and shawarma as dinners, with rice, hummus, pita and salad; kebabs can be ordered as a mixed grill (chicken dinners are $17.99, beef $18.99).

• Falafel dinners ($15.99) and gyro dinners ($17.99).

• Lentil soup ($4.99 cup, $8.99 bowl).

• Family dinners of mixed grill or kushari, serving four to six or seven to nine people, also are available. Prices start at $34.99 for the kushari and $65.99 for the mixed grill.

The Kabab Shack is primarily a takeout spot. Fares said she and her business partner are still hoping to expand into a vacant neighboring space to add seating.

The Return of Maya Ophelias

Popular vegan pop-up Maya Ophelias has returned after a hiatus, bringing its unique brand of vegan Latin and Filipino foods to various venues around Milwaukee. The pop-up announced its return via its Instagram page, stating that it would be serving brunch every Sunday at Bay View venue Cactus Club from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The pop-up also takes preorders for take-and-bake options, which can be made through its website. To stay up to date with where and when the pop-up will be next, follow its Instagram page @maya.ophelias.

New Hookah Bar for Brady Street

A new hookah bar promising a relaxed setting and lots of fruity hookah options is being planned for Brady St. Aptly named Pass Me Da Hookah, the bar would occupy the space at 1223 E. Brady St., previously home to a vape shop called Mad Over Vape. A liquor license request is currently pending before the Common Council. Graham Kilmer reports:

The new bar will serve wine and beer, but no liquor; its main draw will be hookah. Commonly associated with the Middle East, a hookah is a single or multi-stemmed vessel used to heat and smoke flavored tobacco using attached hoses.

(Co-owner Edward) Calloway is opening the place with business partner Sarah Richter. He told Urban Milwaukee that while there are some businesses in the Brady Street area offering hookah, his new venture is likely the only one that will make it the main focus of the business.

Another unique offering planned for Pass Me Da Hookah are mimosa and sangria towers. The large drink dispensers would be filled with a beverage of choice and a group can fill cups from a spigot. The towers would align with the hookah, which is also often a shared activity.

Copper Turtle Brewery Opening in Third Ward

A new brewery is being planned for the Third Ward, taking over the space at 330 E. Menomonee St. — the building left behind by Bavette La Boucherie when it moved a block northwest to a bigger home. Copper Turtle Brewery is being opened by an Illinois couple with experience in the beer industry, with an eco-friendly business model in place. The brewery is hoping to open sometime in July or August, as it works on adding a garage door to the space. Jeramey Jannene reports:

“My daughter wants to be a marine biologist and sea turtles are her favorite animals,” said (co-owner Ben Rossi) in an interview. “So we’re going to be an entirely eco-friendly brewery. No plastic straws with our drinks. We’re going to try to have 99% of our waste recyclable. All our silverware and our trays is going to be recyclable. We’re gonna donate a portion of our proceeds every year to sea turtle conservation. The whole thing is kind of inspired by our copper tanks and my daughter’s love for sea turtles.”

The beer menu will consist of a mix of staples mixed with seasonal offerings. “I am a lager guy, hands down, so there will be some very good, easy drinking, clean beers on the menu,” said Ben.

Copper Turtle will rely on a brewing system from Paul Mueller Company. Rossi believes it will be the first brewery in Wisconsin to use the system.

“These serving tanks are eco-friendly. They’re stacked, we’re gonna have six of these copper serving tanks behind the bar. So basically anytime we’re pouring beer, it’s not coming from a keg, it’s coming directly from the tank,” he told Urban Milwaukee. “That’s about as fresh as you can get when it comes to craft beer…”