Fundraiser For Wine Shop Damaged By Reckless Driver
Plus: Voyager hosting food and wine festival, Vintage raises funds for lung cancer and Grace Coffee opens in Third Ward.
Heroes For Thelma Carol flyer. Image from Facebook.
The daily routine at Thelma Carol Wine Merchants was unexpectedly altered on Oct. 21 when a car smashed through the north wall of the store overnight, causing devastating damage.
In the weeks since, owners Jerel Hall and Rebecca Button have spent countless hours at the store — bolstered by neighbors who dropped by with pies, gifts and helping hands.
The wine and tobacco shop and bar, 605 W. Virginia St., reopened for retail service on Nov. 3, but there’s still more work to do. That’s where the community comes in.
Great Lakes Distillery, Thelma Carol’s across-the-street neighbor, will partner with Milkweed Collective to host a Sunday Funday fundraiser for the store’s reconstruction efforts.
The event, Heroes for Thelma Carol, will take place on Sunday, Nov. 12 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 616 W. Virginia St., the site of Great Lakes Distillery. It will be held on the patio, rain or shine.
Attendees can expect hot bodega sandwiches (AKA heroes) prepared by chef Cole Ersel of Milkweed Collective, along with punch and bloody marys from Great Lakes.
The event will be cash-only, with 100% of proceeds donated to Thelma Carol.
More information is available online.
Vintage Raising Funds For Lung Cancer Awareness
The latest installment of “Vintage Gives Back” will see the East Side bar supporting the American Lung Association through a partnership with Wisconsin-made Odyssea Sangria.
Throughout the month of November, Vintage will donate $2 from the sale of each ready-to-drink canned sangria to the American Lung Association.
The cause is a special one for several members of the Vintage team. Becky Godfrey, managing partner at the bar, is a lung cancer survivor. She lost her mother to the disease in 2018.
“Our family never anticipated the impact of lung cancer, and having experienced it firsthand, we deeply appreciate organizations like the American Lung Association that are unwavering in their commitment to eradicating lung cancer,” Godfrey said. “Their resources and educational initiatives play a crucial role in promoting lung health across the nation.”
Daniel Beres, co-founder of Odyssea Sangria and co-owner at Bay View‘s Lost Whale, lost his grandmother to lung cancer. “Lung health remains a deeply personal and vital cause for the entire Vintage team and our dedicated partner,” said Beres said in a news release.
Vintage, 2203 N. Prospect Ave., stocks the entire line of Odyssea products, including red, white, rose and the new Wintertide Red Sangria.
Voyager Hosting Food and Wine Festival
Ahead of its inaugural food and wine festival, The End, Voyager is thinking out of the box. Of course, that’s always a good practice when it comes to wine, but in this case, the Bay View bar is aiming to part with the traditional wine-tasting model, which is often viewed as stuffy and boring.
Instead, Voyager is scheming up “a fair of epic proportions” complete with “wine, music and gourmet food.”
The event will be held at Radio Milwaukee, 220 E. Pittsburgh Ave., featuring more than 80 wines sourced from a diverse lineup of local distributors and importers including Vino Veritas, Triglav Wines, L’eft Bank Wine Co., Chromatic Wine Co., Select Sellars, Odin Wine, The Cats Particulars, M.Shiraz and others.
Voyager will also open its satellite wine bar, offering full pours for attendees throughout the day. The bar will also serve small bites of cheese and other gourmet snacks.
Musical performances by Group of Altos, Dark Psychic and King Courteen are slated for the day’s entertainment. Rush Mor Records will also be spinning throughout the event.
Attendees will receive a complimentary Voyager tasting glass and detailed wine notes. For every six bottles purchased, guests will receive a $10 Voyager gift card.
The End is set for Sunday, Dec. 17 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets, $35 each before fees, are available for purchase online.
Marquette Students, Stone Creek Launch Collaborative Coffee Blends
Marquette University‘s student-led Blue & Gold Brewing will launch three, limited-edition coffee blends in partnership with Stone Creek Coffee ahead of the holiday season.
The dark, medium and light roast coffees — Jesuit Joe, Santa’s Revenge and Brew the Difference — will be available for purchase as a boxed set starting later this month.
At least one of the blends will brew up nostalgia for Marquette alumni, who may remember sipping on Jesuit Joe during early-morning classes or late-night study sessions. The blend, originally created by Stone Creek for the university, was served throughout campus starting in 2012.
With notes of dark chocolate, nuts and citrus, Jesuit Joe has been reimagined and fine-tuned for its relaunch.
Lisa’s Pizza is Still For Sale, For $750,000
Back in February, the longtime owners of Lisa’s Pizza, Gary and Teresa Bongiorno, decided to put the restaurant up for sale.
The choice wasn’t an easy one for the couple, who have been involved in the business, 2961 N. Oakland Ave., since its 196o opening. Not just that, they also met while working there, and have celebrated many an anniversary while tossing pizzas for dinner service.
“It’s just so hard,” Gary told Urban Milwaukee in March. “Neither one of us really want to retire.”
But nine months later, the couple, who co-own the restaurant with Gary’s brother, Scott, are going forward with the sale, as evidenced by an online listing for the business and its building.
Three-Story Bar Planned For Water Street
A new bar is looking to level up on Water Street — times three. Elevate, the latest concept from nightclub veteran Tino Bates, is slated to open at 1131 N. Water St., the three-story building that previously housed Novo.
The upcoming cocktail lounge will offer alcoholic beverages and entertainment including DJs and other live music, but no food, according to a license application.
Elevate will also feature three separate bars, a DJ booth and entertainment stage (located on separate levels) and a rooftop deck. Each level of the lounge will include 1,800 square feet of space.
The rest of the details are yet to come, said Bates, who also owns Truth Lounge and Allure MKE. “The plans are super new, so we don’t have a lot of those formalities set up as of yet,” he told Urban Milwaukee.
New Steakhouse Opening Near 76th and Brown Deer
Many sit-down restaurants follow a tried-and-true regimen: greet, seat, eat, repeat. But Upscale Galleria will do things differently.
The upcoming steakhouse, set to open next month at 6800 W. Brown Deer Rd., plans to offer its guests a “tailored and customized” experience, according to owner Ebony Walker.
Whether that entails specially-made dishes, pre-ordering for immediate service or a bouquet of flowers placed just before arrival, the restaurant will strive to meet the individual needs of each guest, Walker said.
“We’re super excited about it,” she said of the ultra-personalized service.
Tropical Rooftop Bar To Become Winter Wonderland
Hotel Metro‘s tropical rooftop escape is soon to transform into a winter wonderland. PufferFish, located atop the downtown hotel, 411 E. Mason St., will be one of 50 bars across the country to host a Sippin’ Santa pop-up this holiday season.
Come Nov. 24, the tiki bar — which started as a pop-up itself — will introduce a new menu of specialty cocktails, served in festive glassware and topped off with whimsical garnishes.
Guests can cozy up at the indoor bar, dubbed the FishTank, or brave the open air on the rooftop patio, said PufferFish owner JC Cunningham, noting that outdoor heaters will keep the chill off of the outdoor space.
Sippin’ Santa will operate in tandem with Miracle, another holiday pop-up now entering its fourth season at Tin Widow, 703 S. 2nd St.
Ramen Pop-Up Coming to Uncle Wolfie’s
Restaurateurs Wolfgang and Whitney Schaefer are on the cusp of opening their long-awaited downtown concept, The Wolf on Broadway. But alongside the buzz-worthy new addition, the couple have been quietly working on a seperate project, which is set to make its debut this weekend.
Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern — typically a brunch joint — will host a series of nighttime ramen and cocktail pop-ups throughout November and December. In the new year, the moonlight program will get its own regular hours at Uncle Wolfie’s, 234 E. Vine St.
The idea echoes Justin Carlisle‘s Red Light Ramen, a once-secret restaurant that popped up after-hours at the chef’s fine dining establishment, Ardent. The concept later relocated to its own space next door, before it closed for good in July.
Elijah Loebbaka, a former employee at Ardent, will serve as executive chef for the new pop-up, dubbed Nite Wolf. The ramen aficionado and industry veteran has also worked Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro, Birch, Merriment Social, Morel, Pizza Man, Third Coast Provisions and Uncle Wolfie’s.
New Bars and Restaurants That Opened in October
Mochidon
A new doughnut shop opened at Paper Table in late October, bringing unique dessert options to the downtown food hall.
Mochidon, 733 N. Milwaukee St., sells mochi doughnuts, cookies and drinks such as boba tea.
It’s the first mochi doughnut purveyor to open in the city of Milwaukee, but joins a growing list of the Japanese-inspired bakeries popping up in the area.
Council Votes To Close HEX Night Club
The Milwaukee Common Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to close HEX Night Club. But the move was largely a formality; the nightclub was already closed following a tumultuous year.
The club, 715 S. 5th St., was the site of two drive-by shootings and the subject of numerous complaints from neighbors in Walker’s Point. A final blow came in July, when building owner Larry Pachefsky moved to evict HEX. The same month, the Milwaukee Police Department declared the premises a nuisance property.
On Oct. 17, the Licenses Committee recommended nonrenewal for the business’s liquor license, citing owner Eric Whitelaw‘s failure to appear at two consecutive renewal hearings. Whitelaw also did not file an objection in advance of the Oct. 31 meeting of the full Common Council, and was not present to testify on behalf of the business.
The nightclub held a sold-out “Last Call” event on Sept. 24, offering patrons a final night of drinks, dancing and hookah to close out its nearly four-year run in the neighborhood.
Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market Opens Saturday
The Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market will return this weekend, kicking off its 15th season with a full slate of new and returning vendors, plus an expanded space featuring hot food, seating and community activities.
The MWFM will occur each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning Nov. 4 and continuing through April 13. That includes the weekends after Thanksgiving, before Christmas and before New Year’s Eve.
The market’s launch will also coincide with the opening of Milwaukee Food Journeys, a collaborative art exhibit that explores themes of food access, food justice and the ways in which Milwaukeeans engage with Wisconsin’s food system.
The exhibit, featuring artists from Latinas Unidas en las Artes (LUNA) and TRUE Skool, will remain through the end of the MWFM season.
New Dining Options Coming To Crossroads Collective
Dining options have dwindled in recent months at Crossroads Collective, but the food hall will soon reverse the trend with the addition of three new concepts.
Ready to Roll, a mobile eggroll purveyor, shared plans earlier this month to join the lineup. Mex Avenue, Temple Goddess and Adonis Burger Co. followed in short order.
Wauwatosa-based Mex Avenue aims to open its second location later this fall at the food hall, 2238 N. Farwell Ave. The family-owned Mexican restaurant is led by Melissa Escobar.
Mex Avenue’s current menu features tortilla-based entrees including tacos, burritos, enchiladas, chimichangas, tostadas, flautas amd quesadillas. Most entree items are also available a la carte.
The Outsider Is Hosting A Dia De Los Muertos Celebration
Community members, organizations and businesses throughout Milwaukee are preparing for Día de los Muertos, which takes place this week on Nov. 1 and 2. Ofrendas are assembled and draped in cempasúchil, sugar skulls are decorated and hundreds of loaves of pan de muerto are baked and ready.
When celebrations commence later this week, Kimpton Journeyman Hotel will join in, serving specialty cocktails and sweets at The Outsider on Thursday, Nov. 2.
The event, held in partnership with Nosotros Tequila, will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the rooftop bar, located on the ninth floor of the hotel, 310 E. Chicago St.
Attendees can expect on-theme cocktails and complimentary mezcal and tequila tastings from Nosotros, a small-batch brand produced in Mexico. Sweet treats including churros and conchas will be served throughout the event, while DJ Soppa provides entertainment.
New Coffee Shop Opens in Third Ward
Though it was a weekend of late nights for many Milwaukeeans, a small crowd of coffee enthusiasts braved the predawn chill on Saturday for a first look at Grace Coffee Company, which opened Oct. 28 in the Historic Third Ward.
The early birds were rewarded with hot beverages, housemade pastries and a choice spot to settle in at the cafe, 102 N. Water St. — the first Milwaukee location for Carlos Falcon‘s Madison-based chain.
Grace Coffee operates eight cafes throughout the Madison area — each with a unique aesthetic.
The Milwaukee location is no different. In the roughly 11 months since Falcon revealed plans to expand, the cafe space, previously the site of a short-lived Associated Bank branch, has been completely transformed. The former bare-bones interior now contains a black-and-white marble bar, warm lighting and jade green walls dripping with florals painted by muralist Julie Vornholt. Distressed wood pergolas add visual interest overhead, while velveteen-upholstered chairs and booths invite guests to stay a while.
Bay View Community Center Unveils Commercial Kitchen
Bay View Community Center (BVCC) unveiled its renovated space this month to high praise from city officials, who toured the center’s expanded food pantry and new commercial kitchen.
“The Bay View Community Center has long been an asset to those not just in the 14th District, but everyone across the city,” said Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic in a statement. “Food insecurity knows no boundaries, and with the renovations unveiled [Monday], they will be able to continue to grow their reach and expand their service offerings to support local families and combat this issue.”
The completion of the six-month-long, $730,000 project is a positive development for a growing number of community members who rely on the center’s food distribution services. But it’s also a boon for culinary startups and mobile food businesses, many of which have struggled to find commercial kitchen space in the area — especially after a destructive fire at Oak Creek’s Common Cookhouse in 2022.
Zocalo Tavern Closing For Renovations, Meat & Co. Exits
The Tavern at Zocalo Food Park will go dark for nearly two weeks for renovations and internal changes, Zocalo leadership announced in a press release earlier this week.
The tavern space, 636 S. 6th St., will be closed from Oct. 30 until Nov. 9, returning to service with a new look and refreshed menu.
And while the tavern’s closure is temporary, Meat & Co.‘s is not. The restaurant, serving burgers, sandwiches and flavor-packed sides, will have its final day of service at the food park on Sunday, Oct. 29.
During the coming weeks, Zocalo’s six remaining vendors will continue service as usual, while the beverage program temporarily relocates to a satellite bar at The Shop.
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