The Wolf on Broadway Hosts Pop-Up
Plus: Potawatomi adding 7 eateries, new Jamaican restaurant opens and big changes for food trucks.
The Wolf on Broadway logo.
The Wolf on Broadway will offer diners a preliminary taste of its upcoming menu with a pop-up at sibling restaurant Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern.
The highly-anticipated restaurant, a project of husband-and-wife team Wolfgang and Whitney Schaefer, recently wrapped up construction at its downtown space, 602-606 N. Broadway, and applied for licensing earlier this month.
Once open, the upscale restaurant will anchor the Kinn Guesthouse hotel, which opened last year.
The latest pop-up service is set for Tuesday, May 23 at Uncle Wolfie’s, the Brewers Hill brunch hotspot at 234 E. Vine St.
Attendees can expect to sample a handful of dishes including appetizers, handhelds and desserts, all of which incorporate Asian-inspired flavors and playful ingredients — such as the white cheddar cheese whiz that accompanies Spam crunch, which combines pepper relish, black garlic aioli, fried shallot, scallion and smoked trout roe atop the Oh You Fancy Fries.
Gado Gado Wedge Salad, an Indonesian riff on the classic, blue cheese dressing-laden dish, packs in flavor with lemongrass peanut drizzle, shrimp chip crunch, fried garlic and toasted coconut.
A fragrant chicken sandwich and rendang-inspired burger round out the savory options, while coconut rose panna cotta and lemon lime bar with lime leaf whipped cream provide a sweet finish.
Vegetarian and gluten-free entrees will also be available.
The pop-up will run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations, available online, are already sold out. Guests are still welcome to join the waitlist, or try for a seat at the bar, which will be first come first serve.
La China Nightclub Proposed for Walker’s Point
A new nightclub could be headed to the Walker’s Point neighborhood, with plans to open “as soon as possible” near the intersection of 7th Street and Greenfield Avenue.
Carmen Armendariz recently submitted a license application for La China, at 1339 S. 7th St., where she intends to offer alcohol, food and entertainment.
Armendariz brings six years of experience to the new venture, having previously worked at bars owned by her family members. The businesses, including La Copa de Oro and El Gallo de Oro, have been closed for several years.
The proposal marks Armendariz’s second attempt to open the establishment. She initially planned La China for 2691 S. 6th St., intending to replace the long-standing La Pasadita Bar, but the Licenses Committee denied her application during an October 2022 hearing, citing a history of gun violence at the establishment.
Potawatomi Launching Seven Quick-Service Eateries
A new dining experience at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino is poised to expand the property’s offerings with seven additional restaurant concepts — two of which opened earlier this week.
Burger Co. and Project Pizza Co., were the first vendors to launch at The Potawatomi Marketplace, a food court-style operation emphasizing quick-service options and grab-and-go snacks.
Burger Co. features a classic American lineup of made-to-order burgers, cheese curds, milkshakes and hand-cut fries, while Project Pizza Co. specializes in Neapolitan-style pies made with hand-stretched dough, as well as Caesar salad.
The new concepts opened May 15 at the casino, 1721 W. Canal St., and are soon to be joined by several others, offering a variety of globally-inspired cuisine.
Inside The Trade Hotel
Milwaukee’s newest hotel will welcome its first guests Thursday night.
The Trade, a 207-room, full-service hotel, is officially open in the Deer District neighborhood at the north end of Downtown.
“Tonight, when guests arrive, they are going to experience something that is truly Milwaukee,” said Andy Inman, vice president of hotel owner and operator North Central Group (NCG), during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday morning.
Part of the Marriott Autograph Collection, the four-star hotel is named for the gritty people and industries that built Milwaukee said Inman. Its design features a substantial amount of metal and masonry, as well as industrial imagery throughout. A large staircase in the lobby is designed to look like the Hoan Bridge and Cream City-brick accent walls are included near the elevators on every floor.
Riverwalk Restaurant Reopens Next Week With Unusual Fish Fry
After several false starts, the heat index is finally on an upward trajectory in Milwaukee.
And with the climb in temperature, businesses across the city are beginning to ramp up outdoor operations in anticipation of patio season.
The Starling‘s Pier Garden is no exception. The riverfront patio pop-up — a take on the beer garden — is preparing to enter its second season, which will officially kick off on Tuesday, May 23.
But come May 26, the Pier Garden, 102 N. Water St., will add in an unexpected twist.
New Bar Proposed For South Side
A new, tropical-themed bar is preparing to open at 2000 S. 13th St., the latest in a series of clubs and restaurants that have operated at the southside address.
Maritza Pica Fuentes, with help from her family members, plans to open Punta Cana, a laid-back and welcoming establishment inspired by the white, sandy beaches and turquoise waters of Punta Cana, a popular tourist destination located on the eastern side of the Dominican Republic.
The goal, Pica Fuentes told Urban Milwaukee, is to bring something new and different to the neighborhood, and to provide a warm and tropical environment where visitors can feel relaxed and put their minds at ease, adding that she hopes the bar will feel like an extension of customers’ own homes.
The bar at Punta Cana would offer a variety of beers and cocktails. The business has no plans at this time to offer food. The bar also applied for a public entertainment license, with plans to feature a wide variety of acts including live musicians, bands, comedy acts, dancing and karaoke, though the majority of entertainment will be focused on music.
Palomino Resumes Food Service
Palomino recently announced plans to reopen its kitchen, restoring burgers, tots and that famous chicken sandwich to patrons of the Bay View bar, 2491 S. Superior St.
Food service had been paused — with exceptions for a handful of special events — for nearly a year, following Palomino’s temporary closure of nearly two months last summer.
The kitchen officially made its comeback on Thursday, May 18, starting with a selection of “fan favorites,” according to a post from the company.
For now, Palomino is sticking to a limited menu of burgers, veggie burgers and tater tots, as well as its signature hot chicken sandwich, also available vegan-style.
A variety of homemade pies, crafted on-site at the adjacent Honeypie Bakeshop, as well as “cold beer and hot whisky” will also be abundant, as the establishment celebrates its full return to service.
The Return of Food Truck Fest
MKE Food Truck Fest will be rolling back into town this summer, following two consecutive years of sold-out events.
The festival, sponsored by Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. and OnMilwaukee, will take place at Henry Maier Festival Park, 200 N. Harbor Dr., on Saturday, July 22.
More than 20 food trucks are slated to participate in this year’s fest, which will also feature mobile karaoke, music, lawn games and a new, Super VIP ticket option.
The varied lineup of vendors will appease a wide range of palates with offerings including tacos, pizza, cheese curds, funnel cakes, popsicles and other frozen treats, as well as vegan fare, gluten-free options and an assortment of global cuisines.
Food Trucks Face New Restrictions
Calling it “pro-food truck and pro-community,” Common Council members JoCasta Zamarripa and Jonathan Brostoff have crafted a proposal to overhaul the city’s food truck regulations that received its first public review Tuesday.
The proposal includes major changes for how and when food trucks operate Downtown, near Burnham Park, on W. Lincoln Ave. and near restaurants.
Feedback on the proposal, accrued over nearly two hours of debate and public testimony before the Licenses Committee on Tuesday, was mostly positive. But at least two operators, one leading a coalition of 17 taco trucks, have concerns with specific aspects of the proposal, and an outside group is threatening legal action.
Zamarripa and Brostoff said something needs to be done given the growing number of issues from bad operators and an expanding number of food trucks.
Cocina Filipina Will Boost City’s Filipino Food Scene
Billy Bush discovered a love for Filipino food while working for Meat on the Street. Throughout her three years as food truck manager for the business, she familiarized herself with adobo, pancit, lumpia and other traditional dishes. When Meat on the Street abruptly closed last month, Bush said she was determined to “pick up the torch” for Filipino food in the city.
In partnership with fellow industry veteran, Marilupe Moreno, Bush plans to launch Cocina Filipina, a new food truck offering authentic Filipino cuisine and fusion dishes. The mobile operation is expected to hit the streets of Milwaukee this summer.
“Cocina Filipina was created to continue offering a diverse menu of authentic dishes that showcase the bold, savory flavors of Filipino cooking,” Bush and Moreno said in a statement. “Our hope is to keep the tradition alive for generations to come.”
Moreno, in addition to her new role as co-owner of Cocina Filipina, is the owner of Modern Maki, a sushi-based food truck stationed at Zocalo Food Park.
Dream Lab Closing for Relocation
Five years after opening in Walker’s Point, Dream Lab is preparing to move into its dream space. The cafe closed after service on Friday, May 19, and plans to reopen in late June or early July at 738 S. 3rd St. — just down the street from its current address.
“It was the perfect opportunity, with perfect timing, in a perfect building,” said owner Shawn DeKay, a medical courier-turned full-time artist-turned entrepreneur who opened Dream Lab, 327 W. National Ave., in 2018.
Dream Lab will relocate to a standalone building that features a backyard for outdoor seating and windows that open — amenities that are lacking in the business’s current space, according to DeKay.
“Although I love the place we’re in and it served us well over the past five years, we’re missing some things,” he said, adding that the new building “has so much potential” that he is eager to bring to life.
Aladdin’s All Aboard Cafe Closes
After 14 years of serving hungry travelers at the Milwaukee Intermodal complex, Aladdin’s All Aboard Cafe is leaving the station. The cafe’s final day in service was Tuesday, May 16.
The closure comes after a year of deliberation, said owner Azmi Alaeddin. “It was a very, very tough decision,” he said. “I had to struggle with it for over a year.”
The cafe has faced staffing shortages since the COVID-19 pandemic — a prevalent challenge for numerous small businesses throughout the city, but especially at All Aboard, due to what Alaeddin called “a hostile environment.”
“There is a lot of people with very bad attitudes,” said Alaeddin, who explained that crime and violence in the surrounding area often spills over to inside the station.
Jerk 76 Jamaican Opens on Far Northwest Side
Jerk 76 Jamaican Restaurant, a new establishment serving authentic Jamaican cuisine and alcoholic beverages, celebrated its grand opening last week on Milwaukee’s far northwest side.
First-time restaurant owner and native Jamaican Damian Duncan received an enthusiastic neighborhood response — and a full dining room — for the official opening on May 5.
“It’s been going pretty good,” Duncan said, reflecting on his first week in business. “There’s definitely been a lot of people.”
Located at 6309 N. 76th St., the counter-service eatery offers several varieties of heavily-spiced jerked meats, curry chicken, brown stew chicken, jerk egg rolls and gumbo.
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