Falcon Bowl is Coming Back
Plus: Six new restaurants coming, farewell to Boo-Boo's and more.
Falcon Bowl. Photo by Michael Horne.
Falcon Bowl Reopening Under New Ownership
Falcon Bowl hosted its final league night at the end of June, following a tumultuous year and a half for the business. Teams of bowlers left the lanes uncertain of when, or if, they would play their next round at the historic building.
Thanks to a group of Riverwest residents, the historic Falcon Bowl, 801 E. Clarke St., officially resumed operations Oct. 1.
The Riverwest Investment Cooperative (RIC), a member owned investment organization created to give residents a vehicle for getting involved in the development of their neighborhood, bought Falcon Bowl in 2021. On Friday, Sept. 30, the group announced it’s reopening in a Facebook post. The new operator was not named, but the post did say they would be introduced at the annual meeting in October.
Lynn Okopinski, operator of Falcon Bowl since 1982, had plans to retire in June but agreed to stay on a little longer to help facilitate the transition.
The Bridgewater Modern Grill Announces Grand Opening Date
The Bridgewater Modern Grill, a new restaurant from Benson’s Restaurant Group, will open its doors to the public Tuesday, Oct. 25.
The restaurant is located along the Kinnickinnic River in the River One development at 2011 S. 1st St.
Grand opening festivities will see the restaurant’s 245-foot-long patio transform into a “fall fest,” featuring lawn games and live music. A professionally-carved pumpkin display in the shape of an anchor will be the centerpiece of the outdoor space.
Each reservation during the opening week will include a complimentary Bridgewater lap blanket, while supplies last.
Dawg City Joining North Avenue Market
Dawg City, a Milwaukee business specializing in East Coast and Chicago style hot dogs, is set to join North Avenue Market later this fall.
The food and retail hall opened in September at 5900 W. North Ave.
Ken Hughes and his wife, Tonya Hughes, would open the business at stall 103, just north of Bittercube. The Hughes’ are currently “at the mercy of the paperwork,” according to Ken Hughes, but are aiming to open in early to mid-November.
Earlier this year, the husband and wife team opened the first Dawg City location at 3rd Street Market Hall. The new addition will keep the same menu, said Ken.
New Cafe Enters Dubbel Dutch
A new cafe and cocktail lounge, Gülden Room, is now open at Dubbel Dutch hotel, 817-819 N. Marshall St. F Street Hospitality opened the new concept on the heels of former operator Space Time Coffee’s late September departure.
And while Space Time no longer occupies a physical space at the hotel, Gülden Room offers freshly-brewed coffee direct from the local roastery.
“We wanted to keep using them because they had kind of created a following in the area for that coffee, said Adam Miller, corporate executive chef for F Street Group, and a self-described “avid coffee drinker.”
“I drink it black and mostly cold brew, and I really like it,” he said of Space Time coffee.
Dairyland Leaves Central Waters Brewing
Dairyland Old-Fashioned Frozen Custard and Hamburgers has left its post at Central Waters Brewing Co. As of Tuesday, the downtown taproom, 1037 W. Juneau Ave., was notably devoid of Dairyland’s well-loved burgers and cheese curds.
For the rest of the fall season, Central Waters will partner with a series of food trucks and kitchen pop-ups, according to an online statement from the company. In the meantime, guests can fill up on several flavors of Palo Popcorn, mixed nuts and pretzels.
Dairyland announced its departure in a Facebook post Wednesday.
“After much thought we have made the difficult decision to close our kitchen at the Central Waters Milwaukee Tap Room, effective immediately, to refocus our efforts on operations at 3rd St Market Hall,” said the post. “We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to partner with Central Waters, and we encourage all of you to continue to visit and support them in the future.”
A Summer-Long Beer Garden for Juneau Park?
Milwaukee County Parks is planning to open a new beer garden in Juneau Park next summer, if it can get around a prohibition-era federal law.
The county’s two annual traveling beer gardens — sponsored by Sprecher Brewing Co. — already make stops in Juneau Park, and average approximately 2,600 visitors a week while there. “Due to the overwhelming popularity of the Juneau Park Traveling Beer Garden stops, we are exploring the possibility of making Juneau Park a summer-long beer garden,” said Joe Mrozinski, assistant director of business services for parks.
In August, the county released a request for proposals (RFP) seeking bids from breweries or beer suppliers to be the exclusive sponsor of the new, summer-long beer garden. An informational sheet said it should have seating for up to 200 patrons. Initially, the department was seeking a vendor to be the exclusive beer supplier for the new beer garden. There was only one problem: such an agreement is likely against federal law.
D’Sign Pizza Planned For Clarke Square
A new restaurant planned for the Clarke Square neighborhood would offer fast, convenient meals with a focus on fresh ingredients.
D’Sign Pizza would open at 2138 W. National Ave. in a building that also houses Garden of Eden Kingdom Living, a sauce and seasoning brand.
Inspired by Blaze Pizza‘s made-to-order pies, the new restaurant would offer a highly-customizable menu of pizza, cheese-stuffed burgers and wings.
“My goal is to do three main items, and do them well,” said owner David Samuel in an interview. In the interest of variety, each of the main menu items would be customizable: pizzas would come in one size with a flat price for unlimited toppings, and wings would be available in 10 different flavors. Side options would include french fries, onion rings, milkshakes and soda.
New Restaurant Planned For Soup Bros Space
Clarke Street Sausage, a pop-up deli known to frequent Riverwest, is planning its first brick-and-mortar location in Walker’s Point, at the former home of Soup Bros, 209 W. Florida St.
The Soup Bros space, once overcrowded with an eclectic collection of knick-knacks, is now bare. In lieu of the previous ‘for lease’ message, a cheerful sign in the front window announces “Hen’s Deli Coming Soon.”
Clarke Street Sausage has been a fixture at the Riverwest farmers market for the past two years, with attendees flocking to the vendor table piled high with bagels, sausages, pastries and homemade pickles. Beyond deli fare, co-owners Lucas McDonald and Vivian Sotolongo prepare a wide variety of dishes, including ramen, banh mi, tacos and barbeque, for weekly dinners at The Daily Bird.
In marking its departure from Riverwest, the operation will rebrand as Hen’s Deli. But Sotolongo reassured customers that the staples and specialties will remain unchanged, even as the business continues to evolve.
BelAir Cantina Shuffles Ownership
The hospitality group that operates some of Milwaukee’s best-known restaurants is restructuring the ownership for three of its flagship brands.
Since it opened in 2010, BelAir Cantina has been under the ownership of longtime restaurateurs Leslie Montemurro, Scott Johnson and Kristyn Eitel. But in August, Montemurro and Johnson stepped back from their positions as co-owners, leaving Eitel and chef Noe Zamora at the helm of the California-style eatery known for its weeknight deals on tacos.
Eitel also took over ownership of Finks tavern and Fuel Cafe.
And while the two former owners are embarking on a new journey, guests can expect a “positive, informed and seamless transition,” according to a news release from the company.
Bay View Restaurant Reopens As Little Cancun Sports
Little Cancun reopened its Bay View location Saturday after an extended hiatus, but with a new name and slightly different offering. The Mexican bar and restaurant, 3040 S. Delaware Ave., will now operate as Little Cancun Sports.
The name change reflects a refreshed look and feel for the business, according to owner Veronica Cervera. Turnout is always good on Packers game days, she said. So it made sense for the name to match that.
The business leaned into its new label, adding 13 TVs and a menu of game-day snacks like mozzarella sticks and fried pickles.
The 2,166-square-foot space, which previously housed Hector’s On Delaware and R&D Pub, includes a bar area and a separate dining room with a pool table, jukebox and entertainment machines.
Poutine Stop Joins Paper Table
When Silvia Larsson moved to Wisconsin from Canada, she was surprised to find that hardly any area restaurants offered authentic poutine. Although Wisconsin is no stranger to cheese curds, the state was missing out on a critical application — on top of carbs and smothered in gravy.
“Why would they not sell poutine?” she said. “I mean, in Canada, you get it at McDonald’s, Burger King, you can get it anywhere.”
After years of trial and error, Larsson perfected her version of the dish, which will star on the menu at her new restaurant, Poutine Stop. The business is expected to make its debut later this fall at Paper Table, the delivery-focused downtown food hall.
At its most basic, poutine consists of a hearty mound of french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. In such a straightforward dish, each individual component must be in perfect balance with the others. That’s where other restaurants go wrong, according to Larsson.
Boo Boo’s Sandwich Shop Closed
Boo Boo’s sandwich shop in Walker’s Point is closed, a month after its sister business Soup Bros closed.
A representative of Boo Boo’s confirmed Friday morning that the restaurant is seeking a new location and urged customers to check the Facebook page for updates.
The restaurant opened at 405 S. 2nd St. in 2017 as a sister establishment to Soup Bros, which closed in August after 23 years in business.
Owner Richard Regner grew up in Whitefish Bay and went on to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America. He worked at various restaurants in New York before returning to Wisconsin and opening his own.
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