Hotel Metro Adding Rooftop Tiki Bar

What began as a pandemic pop-up is now becoming a summer-long bar on the roof of Hotel Metro, located at 411 E. Mason St. PufferFish tiki bar was created by the Bay View cocktail joint Lost Whale, where it resided on the bar’s patio during the pandemic. Now, Lost Whale is bringing the bar to the rooftop at Hotel Metro, where it will serve tiki drinks until October. The bar’s residency will begin on June 23, and will operate Thursday through Sunday. Carol Deptolla reports:

The rooftop has a glassy indoor bar and 1,500 square feet of open patio space with views of downtown and beyond.

New drinks will include the Get Lost, a PufferFish tribute to influential Lost Lake tiki bar in Chicago, which closed this year — it’s rum and papaya syrup with pineapple, lime and house tiki bitters. Another is the Ocean Eyes, a riff on the Vicious Virgin No. 2: tequila, overproof rum, grapefruit juice, lime, orgeat, blue Curaçao and Jamaican No. 2 bitters.

And Hotel Metro will prepare tropical-ish small plates created by its chef, Aaron Miles, including banh mi sliders and sweet-soy chicken kebabs. Drinks will be $11 to $15; the plates, $15 or less.

Meat and Co. Popping Up in Walker’s Point

Meat and Co., a pop-up that started in downtown Milwaukee during the pandemic, has a new residency at the Zocalo Food Park in Walker’s Point. Meat and Co. specializes in sandwiches and sides including vegetarian options. The food truck is open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. Deptolla reports:

New on Meat and Co.’s menu since its downtown pop-up is the chopped cheese, a New York-style sandwich of chopped ground beef and melted sharp American cheese, tomato, onion, shredded lettuce, ketchup and mayo.

Sandwiches it made the Journal Sentinel list for are back, like heirloom tomato with onions and herbs, the breaded eggplant with mozzarella, house pomodoro sauce and fresh basil called the Veg. and Co., and griddled mortadella, aka the Lunch Box.

Sides are a la carte and include basil latkes, cucumber and onion salad, and roasted potatoes that are crisped to order and drizzled with smoky mayo.

New Ice Cream Shop for West Allis

Chef Dana Spandet, co-owner of the West Allis pizza joint Flour Girl & Flame, has plans to open an ice cream spot at 8125 W. National Ave. — the building adjacent to Flour Girl & Flame. Named Everyone’s Ice Cream, the shop aims to source its ice cream locally, serving scoops of brands like Scratch, Purple Door and Liv a Little. Lori Fredrich reports:

The inaugural collection of curated flavors will include:

• Scratch Ice Cream’s cotton candy, Door County cherry and cake batter
  Purple Door Ice Cream‘s salted vanilla bean, raspberry sorbet (vegan) and pistachio

• Crème De Liqueur’s chocolate brownie bourbon and vanilla bean horchata

• Liv a Little’s Boujee Bluebz (vegan)

• Sweet Tooth Grins’ Bees Knees and Mom’s Favorite

Pricing for ice cream will range between $4.50 and $7.50 per scoop, with both cups and waffle cones available. Guests will also be able to purchase ice cream flights featuring six scoops of their choice packaged in eco-friendly compostable packaging for $13.50.

Everyone’s Ice Cream will also feature cold brew coffee floats ($7) and Sprecher root beer floats ($6).

Downtown Pizza Pub Now Open

A new build-your-own pizza restaurant is now open in one of downtown Milwaukee’s oldest tavern buildings. The restaurant, located at 322 W. State St., takes a turn-and-burn approach to its service — pizzas are ready in no longer than 10 minutes, a quality that the owners hope will draw crowds from events at Fiserv Forum and other downtown venues. State Street Pizza Pub is open Wednesday and Thursday from 3 p.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 11 a.m. to midnight. Jeramey Jannene reports:

The build-your-own seven-inch pizzas start at $8.50. Larger pizzas, as well as salads, wraps and appetizers, are also available.

While you wait you can watch any of the 60-inch televisions, 16 of them, which show a large rotation of sporting events. The tap beer list is predominantly craft offerings from both local and national breweries.

We tested the claim during a soft opening this week. Turns out, (co-owner Jake) Dehne undersold the speed. Our pizza arrived in just over seven minutes.