The Gouda Girls Retire
Plus: First Chick-fil-A in a city neighborhood, two food trucks slated to launch first restaurants.
Chubby Cheese food truck (former name of The Gouda Girls) at Food Truck Friday in Cathedral Square Park July 8th, 2011. Photo by Dave Reid.
Milwaukee restaurateurs Katherine and Tina Tonn announced their retirement last month.
Perhaps better known as The Gouda Girls, the pair operated the eponymous food truck for 12 “phenomenal” years, serving a dairy-focused menu of sandwiches, mac and cheese, soup and salad.
The mobile operation made frequent appearances at Milwaukee events including Chill on the Hill and Music Mondays. The restaurant previously operated at Eleven25 food court and, for the past five years, has served families at Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois.
“We’ve cried a lot over this decision, but it’s time,” Tonn wrote in a February social media announcement. “There are no words to describe how much we’re gonna miss you all, we’re gonna take advantage of attending events now as customers…”
Tonn also shared that the couple’s food truck — dubbed Ellie — has been sold, and hinted that the new owners will be “familiar faces.” The truck is expected to reopen with a similar menu and a slight name change.
Once finalized, additional details will be posted to the Gouda Girls Facebook page.
Canela Café Is Sweet Place for Breakfast
Ghosts of the former Coffee Trader on N. Downer Ave. greeted my companion and me at Canela Café. From 1974 until 1999, this beloved coffee shop/restaurant served locally roasted coffee and my favorite, the Ratatouille Omelet. The omelet is long gone, but the restaurant space looks mainly the same with beamed ceilings, large windows to the world on Downer, and those luscious Cream City brick walls that line the north side of the restaurant.
In later years The Original Pancake House had been located in this space, but it closed in 2021 and after some seven months Canela opened here, under owners Dina and Ray Awadallah – who had gotten experience working at El Beso Mexican restaurant in Greenfield and the Mad Rooster Cafe on 44th and Greenfield Ave.
Before opening Canela, they added a display of large contemporary art pieces to liven the brick walls and replaced the wood floor with neutral-colored tiles. Together they give the space a bright upscale and inviting ambience.
Thanks to our 11:00 reservation on a very busy Sunday morning, we were immediately seated by a friendly and efficient server. Because we let her know we were headed to the theater, our meals were delivered in a timely manner, but not before we enjoyed Classic Mimosas from a list of five choices.
New Dunkin’ Planned For Capitol Drive
A new location for Dunkin’ is slated to replace Wong’s Wok on on E. Capitol Dr.
The upcoming restaurant, 242 E. Capitol Dr., would be takeout only, with plans to offer drive-thru service as well as a pick-up window for walk-in customers. In order to accommodate the streamlined service, Dunkin’ plans to remodel the interior of the 2,527-square-foot building and expand the existing drive-thru.
The business shares a 12-space parking lot with neighboring O’Reilly Auto Parts.
Dunkin’, which officially shortened its name from Dunkin Donuts in 2019, sells breakfast items including egg sandwiches and wraps, hash browns, stuffed bagel bites and muffins, as well as a wide variety of doughnuts and doughnut holes, better known as munchkins.
Leinenkugel’s Barrel Yard Unveils Menu
Come April 3, the Milwaukee Brewers will be stepping up to the plate to take on the New York Mets at their home opener. Elsewhere in the ballpark, the chefs at J. Leinenkugel’s Barrel Yard will be garnishing theirs.
The new restaurant and brewery is set to open at American Family Field next month, featuring comfort food, cocktails and Leinenkugel’s beer brewed on-site.
The culinary team at Barrel Yard said they took “extensive care” in curating a selection of dishes that can be enjoyed year-round, game day or not. That includes a wide variety of shareables, entrees and house specialties.
The restaurant highlighted a number of menu items in a Wednesday news release, including buttermilk biscuits — made in-house and served warm with whipped butter and hot honey. Tavern chicken wings, a shareable appetizer, are available with a choice of three sauces: buffalo, maple sriracha or bourbon BBQ.
Benson’s Group Names Third Ward Restaurant
The Historic Third Ward will soon gain a new restaurant. The Edison, a project of Benson’s Restaurant Group, is slated to open this summer at 322 N. Broadway. The space was most recently home to a Wahlburgers restaurant,
The incoming “sophisticated neighborhood grill” will feature new American dishes and a speakeasy-inspired bar serving local draft beers, wine and cocktails.
“For the past few months, we’ve been hard at work with our partners, skilled executive chefs and staff to create impeccable food and drink offerings and a welcoming gathering place that stands out in the Third Ward,” said David Marcus, CEO of Benson’s. “We can’t wait for the community to experience The Edison for weekday brunch with a colleague, a family gathering for dinner, or a post-work drink at the bar.”
The brunch, lunch and dinner restaurant will serve coal-fired butcher’s cuts and seafood, along with other comfort food dishes. At the bar, guests can expect a curated selection of distilled spirits, craft cocktails, an assortment of local drafts and an approachable wine list.
Traveling Beer Gardens Begin in May
Milwaukee County’s annual Traveling Beer Gardens will kick off the 10th-annual season in May.
Sprecher Brewing is once again sponsoring the traveling beer gardens, which operate out of refurbished old firetrucks outfitted with kegs and beer faucets. Though, this year there will only be one traveling beer garden. In years past, the Glendale-based brewery sponsored two traveling beer gardens: one called the Roll Out The Barrel Tour, the other called the Pass Me a Pint Tour.
The tour’s inaugural stop this year will be in Greenfield Park on May 17, where there will be free Sprecher beer and root beer available, as there will be on the first day of every stop on the tour — while supplies last.
Between May and September, the tour will stop at eight parks around the county. It will be open every weekday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Two Birds Will Partner With County Historic Society
Two Birds Event Group has landed another classic Milwaukee building as a location for its hospitality business. The newest addition, to be called The Society, is located at the Milwaukee County Historical Society, 910 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
The historic building features a high-ceilinged main hall, mezzanine level and a patio overlooking Pere Marquette Park and the Milwaukee River. Two Birds touts the space as an ideal setting for weddings, meetings and corporate events.
“We are excited and grateful for the opportunity to do what we love in an iconic Milwaukee landmark,” said Ramsey Renno, co-owner of Two Birds, in a statement. “We are also excited for current and future clients to experience our brand of award-winning customer service that we’ve gained a reputation for.”
The MCHS building first opened to the public in 1913. The Kirchhoff & Rose architectural firm designed the landmark in the Beaux Arts style, characterized by highly decorative surfaces, stone columns and classic details.
Milwaukee Food Council Names First Executive Director
For the first time in its 16-year history, the Milwaukee Food Council has selected a sole leader to steer the organization. The nonprofit on Tuesday named Solana Patterson-Ramos as its first executive director.
Patterson-Ramos brings more that 15 years of experience in community outreach to the new role, with a particular focus on youth, LGBTQIA+, and civic engagement in diverse communities. She also has a personal connection to the MFC mission.
“As someone directly impacted by food insecurity, I understand the intersectionality of age, race, gender, and socio-economic factors on the ability to consistently access nutritional meals,” she said in a statement. “When we approach food through a lens of equity, we better understand the need for deliberate action to build and connect service systems. I am grateful to the Milwaukee Food Council’s Board of Directors for the opportunity to serve in this new role.”
Patterson-Ramos was most recently a legislative aide for Senator Lena Taylor and served as Director of Community Outreach for MKE Black. She has also served on the boards of multiple local and national organizations including the ACLU Milwaukee Chapter, NAACP Milwaukee Branch, and the United States Student Association.
Huge New Sports Bar For Third Ward
A brand new sports bar offering elevated pub fare, craft beverages and interactive entertainment is now open in the Historic Third Ward neighborhood.
George Prassas, Yiannis Konstantinou and George Karkalis quietly opened District Fore earlier this week at 233 E. Chicago St. The trio also own neighboring Sweet Diner.
Mike Kischer is operations manager for the business.
The extensive, 9,000-square-foot space is designed with game day in mind, featuring two TV walls for easy viewing and a variety of bar, table and lounge seating to accommodate large groups. The family-friendly bar’s website notes that its atmosphere was inspired by “the feeling of togetherness.”
New Mediterranean Place for Downtown
A new operator plans to take over Gyro MKE, a Mediterranean restaurant near the Marquette University campus. Fady Qetairi would open a new place called Fil Fil at 700 W. Wisconsin Ave., but with a similar menu including gyro sandwiches, shawarma, rice, fries and soup.
Fil Fil would be the first Milwaukee restaurant for Qetain, who recently moved to the city to be closer to family. He previously operated a JJ Fish & Chicken in Chicago.
Qetain said he has already signed a lease for the building, and is working through the necessary licensing and inspections. After that, he said, the restaurant will be ready to launch.
Despite the new ownership, changes to the current establishment will be minimal — aside from the new name.
Cool Cat Cookies Opens Inside Kind Oasis
The Farwell Ave. shop Kind Oasis is introducing a new kind of edible — but the medicinal properties of this product aren’t related to hemp.
“Hot and fresh” cookies from Cool Cat Cookies, a new bakeshop housed within the eastside business, are now available. And though they pair well with hemp-infused products from Kind Oasis, the treats are free of cannabinoids, so everyone can partake.
The bakeshop quietly opened in February with five flavors: chocolate chip crush, chocolate chip crush with walnuts, oatmeal pecan cranberry dream, the doodle and peanut butter choco delight.
The cookies are made from scratch on-site, and don’t contain any preservatives, said Bob Kashou, co-owner of Kind Oasis and Cool Cat.
Bars and Restaurants That Opened in February
Jackson’s Soul Food Redefined
First-time restaurateur Jacquelynn Jackson is putting her own twist on traditional soul food at Jackson’s Soul Food Redefined. The restaurant began its soft opening at 4519 W. Center St in February.
Though the restaurant mostly caters to takeout orders, the 1000-square-foot space can accommodate up to eight guests for dine-in.
Ninja Sushi
The long-awaited Ninja MKE Japanese Steakhouse opened in early February. The restaurant offers three distinct dining experiences rolled into a single, three-level building.
Locust Street Festival Returns June 11
Riverwest‘s Locust Street Festival is set to return in full force this summer, following several years of cancellations.
Come June 11, several blocks of E. Locust Street — from N. Holton to N. Humboldt — will be closed to traffic and open to food, drink and merchandise vendors, live music and other special events.
The Beer Run will also make a triumphant return. Registered participants will receive a t-shirt and the equivalent of one full beer, doled out across four stops along a 1.8-mile loop.
The festival was last held in 2019; events in 2020 and 2021 were canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The festival almost made its comeback last summer, but was canceled less than a month before the event date.
Ruby’s Bagels Moving To Oklahoma Ave.
Ruby’s Bagels is poised for big growth and a new home. The food truck-based business would buy a vacant, city-owned building for use as a cafe and bakery.
Led by Daniela “Ruby” Varela, the business launched in 2019 and has lived a nomadic existence. Most recently, it’s operated out of a food truck at Zocalo Food Park and a rented commercial kitchen in a church.
The new space, located at 1107 W. Oklahoma Ave., will unify the baking and cafe operations, while providing space for seven-day-a-week operation and growth.
Varela told the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee Tuesday morning she’s long dreamed of a permanent home. It would offer a place to enjoy Varela’s “great and addicting” bagels fresh out of the oven while also enjoying a coffee.
First Chick-fil-A In a City Neighborhood Planned
A new location for Chick-fil-A is in the works on the South Side.
It’s the first location in a city neighborhood for the company, which has a stand in Fiserv Forum and operates a number of suburban locations including restaurants in Brookfield, Glendale, Greendale, Oak Creek, Menomonee Falls and West Allis.
Milwaukee’s Chick-fil-A is proposed to open at 2701 W. Morgan Ave., the current site of Zebb’s Family Restaurant.
“We are always evaluating potential new locations in the hopes of serving existing and new customers great food with remarkable service,” Chick-fil-A, Inc. said in a statement. “We would very much like to have more restaurants in the Milwaukee area, but we have no new locations to confirm at this time.”
El Cabrito Is The Real Thing
If you walk into a packed restaurant at lunchtime and overhear everyone speaking Spanish, you can bet the food will be good. Taqueria El Cabrito is a spacious restaurant with two rooms, many tables, and more than a dozen booths. You’ll see families, locals grabbing a quick lunch, and very few gringos, like my companion and me.
As soon as we found the one free booth, a server arrived with a basket of thick flavorful chips and a dish of something spicy, more like a rich salsa than the typical pico de gallo. We could have dipped those chips and called it a light lunch, but there was the menu, an extensive multi-page tome that listed all the dishes we love from south of the border. After three lunches in this delightful taqueria, I can unconditionally recommend everything friends and I ordered.
And that includes something not on the regular menu, Champurrado. This was special, a drink served in a Styrofoam cup to keep it hot. It’s Mexican hot chocolate and it’s so much more than an ordinary hot chocolate. In addition to the main ingredient, the drink combined milk, cinnamon, vanilla, sugar, and to thicken it, corn flour. You won’t want to think about the calorie count in that 16 oz cup of thick cinnamon-flavored chocolate, just empty the cup and savor every delicious sip.
If you want a burrito gigante, look no further than the Burrito Suizo, a humongous flour tortilla filled with your meat of choice, cheese, and Mexican crema. From a list of 11 meat choices, including tongue, fried pork skins, and tripe, I ordered the traditional pork loin, or Loma. It was exceptionally tender, similar to pulled pork, and there was plenty of it, so much that I had decided to take half of it home, until I ate the whole thing.
Heirloom Food Truck Will Replace Lazy Susan in Bay View
Lazy Susan is heading into the final weeks of service leading up to its April 8 closing date. But as the Bay View restaurant, 2378 S. Howell Ave., exits, a familiar face is stepping up to the seasonally-prepared plate.
Heirloom MKE, a food truck, is planning to open its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Lazy Susan space.
Jess Ignatiev and her husband, Pete, launched the “farm-to-truck” business in September 2020. Prior to that, the couple were on the verge of opening a restaurant in Walker’s Point. That is, until COVID-19 threw a wrench in those plans.
Amid the uncertainty of the early pandemic, the couple put a pin in their longtime dream. But soon after, Ignatiev floated the idea of purchasing a food truck. At the time, Pete was working as executive chef for a fine-dining supper club. “He thought I was crazy,” she said. “And I was like, ‘okay, well, I’m going to start looking.’ And I did.”
New Upscale Restaurant Planned Near Northridge Lake
A new restaurant proposed for a strip mall near Northridge Lake plans to bring an upscale dining experience featuring a diverse, all-organic menu to one of Milwaukee’s northernmost neighborhoods.
The restaurant, Upscale Galleria, would also serve as an event space and site for serving and bartending classes, as well as a hub for community improvement initiatives.
It’s slated to open at 6800 W. Brown Deer Rd., inside a retail building that also houses Perkinz Boyz on Tha Grill, a soul food restaurant, as well as several other businesses.
Heading up the multi-faceted project is Ebony Walker, whose entrepreneurial spark ignited at age 8 when she got her first job helping out at her mom’s resale store. Since then, her career has included working in a leadership position at a childcare center and in human resources for a nonprofit.
Bartolotta Restaurants Celebrates 30 years
For nearly three decades, The Bartolotta Restaurants have been the backdrop for countless milestone moments; patrons have cheered on proposals, enjoyed birthday dinners, toasted new graduates and celebrated baby showers, among other occasions.
On the 30th anniversary of its founding, the restaurant and catering brand will turn the tables on its guests, kicking off a yearlong celebration — featuring special menus and events — in honor of its own “three decades of growth and success.”
“Thinking about how far we have come in 30 years, the restaurants that we’ve opened, the incredible talent that we’ve nurtured and made part of our family, I’m both incredibly proud and humbled,” Paul Bartolotta, co-founder and owner of The Bartolotta Restaurants, said in a statement.
Bartolotta and his late brother, Joe, opened their first restaurant on March 23, 1993 in Wauwatosa, near their childhood home. They called it Ristorante Bartolotta, as an homage to their Italian heritage.
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