Two New Vendors Open at Paper Table
Plus: 7 new restaurants planned in town and farewell to Pat's Niche Pub and Grub.
Site of Paper Table, 733-737 N. Milwaukee St. Photo taken Oct. 31, 2022 by Sophie Bolich
Two new vendors have been added to Paper Table, 733-737 N. Milwaukee St. the unique food hall in East Town with a takeout and delivery-focused business model. Poutine Stop, Milwaukee’s first eatery dedicated solely to the Canadian dish, is officially open at Paper Table. Behind the concept is Silvia Larsson and Alshun Cole, partners and co-owners with more than a decade of industry experience.
View the full menu online.
Poutine Stop is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.
The second addition to Paper Table brings Mexican fare to the food hall with the launch of Taqueria Zapopan, which quietly opened earlier this week. This is a project of co-owners Cesar Lopez and Cesar Herrera, inspired by Zapopan, a city in the Mexican State of Jalisco — the area credited as the birthplace of birria. The dish is heavily featured on the restaurant’s menu, which includes quesabirria tacos, birria ramen and a quesabirria dinner plate. Other offerings include fajitas, carne asada fries, burritos and pollo zapopan, a chicken dish cooked with onion, tomato, green pepper and cheese sauce.
The full menu is available online.
The taqueria is open Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 5 p.m. until midnight.
Hot Dish Pantry Leaving 3rd Street Market Hall
Hot Dish Pantry has announced plans to leave its hawker stall at 3rd Street Market Hall ahead of its launch of a new location on the South Side. Earlier this week, Urban Milwaukee first reported the restaurant’s plans to move into the former Iron Grate BBQ Co. space, 4125 S. Howell Ave.
“We are thrilled to announce our upcoming move,” owners Nathan Heck and Laura Maigatter wrote in a Wednesday Facebook post. The restaurant, which serves Midwestern comfort dishes such as tater tot topped hot dish and handmade pierogies.
Hot Dish Pantry’s final day at 3rd Street Market Hall, 275 W. Wisconsin Ave., will be Dec. 31.
Hacienda Hundred Membership Slots Available
Hacienda Taproom & Kitchen is accepting new members into its 2023 Hacienda Hundred membership club. The East Side gastropub, which recently revamped its menu and beverage program, is located at 2018 E. North Ave.
The $100 membership comes with myriad perks including various discounts on beverages at both the Milwaukee and Door County taprooms, 10% off merchandise, first access to ticketed events, members-only beer releases and more.
Act fast, memberships are limited to 100 people per taproom. All members must be over the age of 21 with a valid ID.
For more information, or to purchase a membership, visit the Hacienda website.
Troublemakers’ Cocina Announces Dec. 16 Grand Opening
Just in time for holiday mischief, Troublemakers’ Cocina will host its grand opening at Central Waters Brewing Co. at 6 p.m. on Dec. 16.
The fast-growing Mexican concept has progressed from pop-up to private caterer over the past two years, and now plans to make its brick-and-mortar debut at The Brewery District brewery, 1037 W. Juneau Ave.
Though owners Martin Magaña, Arnie Gonzales and Dillon Knight were a seemingly overnight success, the business, in reality, is the culmination of several decades of combined industry experience.
Magaña’s career has spanned both Madison and Milwaukee, where he worked at a diverse range of restaurants alongside award-winning chefs while developing his own unique culinary style. Magaña was previously executive chef at Tess and co-owner of Frida at Crossroads Collective.
Liv a Little Ice Cream Announces Relocation To Chicago
Liv a Little, a Milwaukee ice cream stand known for its innovative, dairy-free flavors, will relocate to Chicago in the new year.
Owner Olivia Menzia announced the upcoming departure Thursday morning, explaining that she and her partner, Grant von der Lippe, have felt pulled to make the move for a number of reasons including a job opportunity for von der Lippe and the desire to be closer to Illinois-based friends and family.
It’s not goodbye for good, said Menzia, who plans to continue with Milwaukee pop-ups after getting settled in Chicago. Previously made bookings for 2023 will remain unchanged.
“People will still get their fix,” Menzia said, noting that she will likely attend several Milwaukee markets throughout the summer. “I’m definitely going to be very present here; it’s just going to be a little different,” she added, also emphasizing that catering services will remain open to Milwaukee events.
Big Sharks Fish & Chicken Plans Second Location
Prepare for a feeding frenzy. Big Sharks Fish & Chicken is planning a second location.
The fast food restaurant would open at 8333 W. Appleton Ave., at the busy intersection of W. Appleton and W. Hampton avenues.
A license application has not yet been filed on behalf of Big Sharks, but owner Ayad Maher said he hopes to open the new restaurant as soon as next month.
Maher, who first launched Big Sharks in 2020 at 3434 W. North Ave., said the restaurant’s second location will have similar offerings to the original, with some exceptions. Notably, the new menu will exclude pizza.
A New Plan To Save a Schlitz Tied House
Developer and contractor Clarence Morse‘s proposal to save the Humboldt Gardens building, 2249 N. Humboldt Ave., got an enthusiastic endorsement from the Historic Preservation Commission Monday. Morse would redevelop the 132-year-old building, long-used as a tavern, into an indoor-outdoor food cart park. The two upper floors would house offices, while a patio with up to six vendor stalls would be located on the south side of the building. The first-floor would house an indoor seating area and bar.
“What we are looking for here is a general conceptual approval so [the Department of City Development] feels comfortable moving forward to a sales contract and the developer feels comfortable with finished drawings,” said commission staffer Tim Askin.
Morse got more than approval. The commission had everything from advice to encouragement on redeveloping the former Schlitz tied house.
“This is really exciting,” said commissioner and UW-Milwaukee architecture professor Matt Jarosz. “In the year 2000, this was one of the most endangered buildings.” Jarosz, who is approaching 30 years on the commission, said it’s the lone building from that 10-item list of endangered buildings that hasn’t been either rehabilitated or demolished. “Kind of a sentimental project here.”
Amorphic Beer Plans Anniversary Bash
Throughout its nearly 12 months in business, Amorphic Beer has delivered imaginative, experimental brews with options to fit every taste. Its first anniversary celebration will be no different.
On Saturday, Dec. 10, the Riverwest brewery, 3700 N. Fratney St., will host guests for an afternoon of beer releases, live music and tacos.
Starting at noon, Amorphic will be pouring its existing offerings, as well as five new release beers, from two different bars in the space. New releases include Toasted Coconut BBA Major Particles, Wine Barrel Aged Brett Saison Series Variant 1, Meridian and Belma Dry Hopped La Fleurish Saison, Nelson Sauvin and Citra Cryo DDH DIPA and a Bavarian Dark Wheat beer.
Don Pastor Food Truck, winner of the 2022 Taco Fest’s “best tacos in Milwaukee,” will be in attendance from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m., serving up an assortment of tacos, tortas, quesadillas, burritos and elotes. The food truck, a frequent presence in Riverwest, offers al pastor, asada, barbacoa and chicken, as well as water, coke products, jarritos, lemonade and horchata for kids and non-drinkers.
Hot Dish Pantry Plans South Side Location
Hot Dish Pantry is expanding its Milwaukee footprint, with plans for a new restaurant at the former site of Iron Grate BBQ Co., 4125 S. Howell Ave.
The midwestern comfort food restaurant recently filed a license application for the address of the former barbeque restaurant, which closed Nov. 20.
Owners and self-proclaimed “Milwaukee kids” Nathan Heck and Laura Maigatter first launched Hot Dish Pantry as a pop-up amid the pandemic, later moving the operation to a rented kitchen in Oak Creek.
In early 2022, the restaurant made its debut at 3rd Street Market Hall as one of four hawker stalls under the purview of anchor restaurant Dairyland Old-Fashioned Frozen Custard and Hamburgers.
South Side Cafe Targets College Students
Before launching her own marketing company, overhauling the COVID-19 business plan of her dad’s wholesale business and working several jobs in the restaurant industry, Kristine Gomez Delatorre was a college student. And though she preferred to study in public places, Starbucks was never really her scene.
Now, the young business owner is taking steps to offer an alternative spot to support both the health and the GPA of local students.
Ahead of the spring semester, Gomez Delatorre plans to open Precious Vibes, a cafe and study space where college students can enjoy healthy snacks, find community and complete assignments.
The cafe is planned for 3956 S. Howell Ave., in the space formerly used by Pat’s Niche Pub and Grub, which closed earlier this fall. Prior to that, the building housed Ho Ho’s Chinese restaurant.
Pat’s Niche Pub and Grub is Closed
Pat’s Niche Pub and Grub, a southside destination for Friday night fish fries, is permanently closed.
The restaurant first opened its doors in November 2019 inside the former Ho Ho’s Chinese restaurant, 3954-3956 S. Howell Ave. Approximately two months ago, the business quietly changed its Facebook status to reflect the closure.
During its three years in business, Pat’s served comfort food classics such as meatloaf, fried chicken, wings and homemade chili, with a side of kitschy Midwestern charm. It featured retro decor, vintage booths and beer served in Mason jars.
The restaurant’s owner and namesake was 80-year-old Patsy Smith-James. A seasoned restaurateur, Smith-James has owned several Milwaukee-area bars and restaurants since 1975. She currently owns Pat’s Oak Manor, a bar, restaurant and catering company in South Milwaukee, as well as Bodega Nightclub & Lounge (formerly District on Water), at 628 N. Water St.
Paper Table Vendor Plans Two New Restaurants At Downtown Food Hall
Kamal Shkoukani is on a mission to prove that good things do, in fact, come in threes.
Just one month after opening his first restaurant, Secret Hot Chicken, the Paper Table vendor launched a second, dessert-focused concept, Evil Slice. In the coming months, he plans to add a third restaurant, Crooks Chicken & Waffles, to his collection at the downtown food hall, 733-737 N. Milwaukee St.
The business owner has built up an audience with his cloak-and-dagger antics, which included building an active, albeit mysterious, social media presence ahead of Secret Hot Chicken’s launch.
The same is true for Evil Slice and Crooks Chicken & Waffles. While both have active social media accounts, Shkoukani has mostly refrained from sharing any further information about the businesses.
Daiquiri Lounge Offers Year-Round Taste of Summer
A new, upscale daiquiri bar and restaurant is about to open in a coveted location along the Milwaukee riverfront.
S’Lush Daiquiri Lounge & Events will welcome its first customers on Dec. 9 at its new location in the Riverfront Plaza, 1110 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. The approximately 7,000-square-foot space was last occupied by Ale Asylum Riverhouse.
The new business is the second location for S’Lush. The first opened in Kenosha in August 2020.
The spacious lounge is outfitted with luxe pink and yellow sofa seating, hot pink accent lighting and neon slogan signs. Support columns throughout the room are overlaid with white roses, while sconces add warm lighting.
Good Vibes For Fond du Lac Ave.
After 20 years in the event planning industry, long-time business owners Gloriaand Bernard Diggs are adding a new venture. They’re planning a sports bar and restaurant in the Roosevelt Grove neighborhood.
The married couple would open Good Vibes, a bar and grill, at 3910 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
A license application for the upcoming business indicates that Good Vibes would operate as a full-service restaurant, tavern and deli or fast-food establishment.
Along with alcoholic beverages, the couple would serve a mostly American food menu featuring fish, chicken, turkey, hot dogs, burgers, fries, salads, onion rings, okra, steamed vegetables and seafood salad. The restaurant would also offer egg rolls.
New Domino’s Pizza At 35th And Capitol
The franchise group behind all of Milwaukee’s 14 Domino’s Pizza locations is planning a brand new outlet at a busy intersection.
Doug Baretz, agent for Milwaukee-based Brew City Pizza Inc., recently submitted a license application for a new restaurant at 3500 W. Capitol Dr.
Baretz and partner John Theisen co-founded Brew City Pizza in 1995. Since then, the two have acquired all of Milwaukee’s Domino’s, as well as several suburban locations and others throughout the Midwest.
The new location is being constructed on a lot near the corner of W. Capitol Dr. and 35th St. A long-vacant, 1,044-square-foot building on the property formerly operated as an auto loans business.
SlyFox Announces Holiday Pop Up
Brady Street‘s newest cocktail bar is gearing up for the holiday season and finally answering the pressing question: what does the fox say?
The answer? Ho, ho, ho — at least for the rest of December, as SlyFox Cocktail Bar transforms into SantaFox for the holidays.
The bar, located at 1692 N. Van Buren St. in the same building as Sticky Rice, will be outfitting its space with festive decorations and a tree, a perfect complement to the bar’s forest green decor and gold accents.
SlyFox’s bartenders have been busy workshopping an exclusive holiday menu, which will include both hot and cold drinks. In keeping with its inclusivity to non-drinking patrons, the bar will offer a seasonal craft mocktail menu as well.
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