Bartolotta’s First in State to Win Award

Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993-Ospitalita Italiana-2023. Photo courtesy of The Bartolotta Restaurants.

In the midst of celebrating its 30th anniversary, Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993 received an unexpected birthday gift: the Marchio Ospitalità Italiana certification of excellence.

The prestigious award was founded in 1997 as a means to honor restaurants that are committed to upholding the spirit and authenticity of Italian cuisine, according to a news release. The Italian-American Chamber of Commerce awards the certification to Italian restaurants across the globe. Ristorante Bartolotta is the first and only establishment in the state to receive the award.

“This is an incredibly proud moment for Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993 and a testament to the dedicated work that our family of employees and Executive Chef Juan Urbieta have done to create a genuine Italian culinary experience,” said Paul Bartolotta, co-founder and owner of The Bartolotta Restaurants, in a statement.

He also thanked the Italian-American Chamber of Commerce and praised the Ristorante Bartolotta team for their dedication to “Italian cooking, culture, and commitment to service.”

The restaurant, located at 7616 W. State St., in Wauwatosa, is known for its handmade pasta. Chef Urbieta leads the kitchen, and is also responsible for restaurant’s popular “Un Viaggio in Italia” menu series, which highlights a regional Italian cuisine.

Urbieta studied under Bartolotta at Chicago’s acclaimed Spiaggia, as well as Chef Valentino Marcattilli San Domenico in Imola, Italy, before joining The Bartolotta Restaurants as a line cook in 1998.

The latest accolade is another feather in Bartolotta’s cap. The chef was previously awarded the Insegna del Ristorante Italiano del Mondo by Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, the President of Italy, in 1997 at the Quirinale Palace in Rome.

Allie Boy’s Adding Second Location on East Side

Allie Boy’s Bagelry & Luncheonette is known as much for its out-the-door lines on Saturdays and Sundays as it is for crispy, chewy, hand-rolled bagels. One of those things is likely to change next year, when the Walker’s Point restaurant expands to a second, much larger location on the Lower East Side.

The new space, 2108 N. Farwell Ave., will serve as the “epicenter” for baking operations, allowing the business to ramp up bagel production to four times its current rate. It will also function as a counter-service restaurant with a communal dining area.

The expansion will grow the physical footprint of Allie Boy’s by 4,600 square feet. The original location, 135 E. National Ave., is 1,300 square feet.

“It’s something we’ve actually been looking for for a couple of years now,” said Ben Nerenhausen, who co-owns Allie Boy’s with Staci Lopez. “We’re excited to be part of the neighborhood.”

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East Side Pub & Grill Offers An Always Changing Menu

When East Side Pub & Grill began preparations to open on N. Prospect Avenue last year, the restaurant — and its eye-popping new paint job — stood out clearly among the other buildings on the street, capturing the attention and curiosity of passersby.

But owners Kyrie Smith and his aunt, Wanda Smith, have kept a low profile since then. So much so, that the restaurant’s mid-summer opening went largely unnoticed by many East Side diners.

Nevertheless, the restaurant, which also offers alcohol and hookah, has been in operation for several months, serving up a rotating menu of chicken, seafood, soul food and more.

The new restaurant opened in the former Seoul Korean Restaurant space, 2178 N. Prospect Ave., between East Side Laundromat and Ace Hardware. Throughout 2022 and early 2023, the Smiths completely gutted and rebuilt the interior of the building, putting in a new kitchen, service counter and seating area. The remodel is still in progress; the final pieces are slowly coming together as the restaurant works to find its footing.

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Upscale Deli Coming To Water Street

A new, upscale deli is preparing to open its doors in the Historic Third Ward next month, offering fresh sandwiches, salads and soups in a laid-back, counter-service environment.

Third Coast Gourmet, 309 N. Water St., will also feature a small country store, sell Boar’s Head meat and cheese by the pound and play host to a multitude of community events including fitness classes and live music performances.

That may seem like an ambitious plan of operation for a budding business, but owner Joena Vitale is confident in her vision. Plus, she’s had plenty of time to think it through.

Vitale, a full-time accountant, was poised to join Milwaukee’s restaurant industry in early 2020, with plans to purchase a local sub chain. But when that didn’t come to fruition, she started from scratch with her own concept. Homemade is always better, anyway.

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Brazilian Cafe Hosting Tasting Event

Just shy of its first anniversary, Sweet Joy Brazilian Cafe is preparing to host its first tasting event, showcasing a number of authentic Brazilian dishes — a rare occasion in the Milwaukee dining scene.

A Taste of Brazilian Colonial Delights will be held at the cafe, 1208 E. Brady St., from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9. Tickets, priced at $30 each, are available for purchase at the cafe through Dec. 5, or until sold out.

The cafe, which typically focuses on sweet treats, pastries and savory snacks, will expand its offerings for the upcoming event, giving attendees an authentic taste of some of Brazil’s most beloved dishes. Marcia Joy, chef and owner of Sweet Joy, will prepare a 10-item menu for the tasting.

To start, attendees will receive tropical-flavored passion fruit juice and quentao for sipping. The warm, mulled cocktail includes spices and fruit.  From there, the menu veers into dessert territory with bolo de milho, a sweet corn cake, followed by bolo de cenoura, a Brazilian carrot cake topped with chocolate ganache. Attendees can also expect chocolate pave, a black-and-white chocolate mousse with a layer of lady finger biscuits, along with Joy’s famous chocolate brigadeiro.

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Strange Town Is Vegan Fare for Everyone

At Strange Town the menu is brief, 100% plant-based, and seasonal. Food occupies approximately one third of the lengthy menu while the rest of the menu lists cocktails, N.A. drinks and an expansive wine list including orange wine.

You read correctly. Orange! It’s actually a pale orange color and made with white wine grapes that were pressed with the skins and stems left on. According to chef and owner Mia LeTendre, the wine is similar in taste to rose but because it’s made in the old world way, it turns orange and not pink.

My companion and I shared a flight, three pours that were served in wine glasses set in a slice of a former wine barrel. As for the wine, it might be an acquired taste for some. My companion thought it was an ideal afternoon sipping wine. We started with Les Tetes, the lightest, followed by Queen of the Sierra Estate Amber, and finished with the fullest, Collecapretta Pigro Delle sobre.

Strange Town fits perfectly into a turn-of-the-century building on Farwell Ave. The restaurant is small, cozy, and very East Side with its black, white and grey tables, walls, and patterned floor. Large green plants add warmth and personality to this charming space where the vegan cuisine will delight even the most dedicated carnivore. In warm weather there is a plant-filled streetside patio and if all the tables are occupied, you can dine at the lovely bar just inside the door.

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Wiener Window Opens Near Fiserv Forum

You’ve heard of Il Cervo, The Trade hotel’s rooftop Italian restaurant, as well as its elegant cocktail lounge, Solomon’s and ground-level gastropub, Craft. But the downtown hotel recently added a new, ultra-casual dining concept to its lineup: the Wiener Window.

True to its title, the walk-up restaurant serves a streamlined menu of grab-and-go hot dogs and brats. Alcoholic beverages including New Glarus Spotted Cow, Jack Daniel’s and Coke, and NUTRL seltzers. Guests can also opt for the “Brat + a Shot” combo, which includes a choice of hot dog or brat along with a shot of Siempre tequila or whiskey for $15.

The restaurant opens during special events at Fiserv Forum, including Milwaukee Bucks games, concerts and the occasional Marquette men’s basketball game, according to a representative of Craft. Typically, the window will open about an hour before the start of an event and stay open for an hour after it ends.

Unlike Fiserv Forum, which claims Johnsonville as its official sausage, the Wiener Window is loyal to Usinger’s. The Milwaukee, German-style sausage and deli meat company, founded in 1880, operates a nearby shop at 1030 N. Martin Luther King Jr Dr. The location is also the site of the company’s original manufacturing plant.

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New Restaurant Coming To King Drive

When you take a seat at Bronzeville Kitchen & Lounge you will find an expansive menu of upscale dishes, curated drink offerings and a bright dining room overlooking King Drive. But there’s more to the soon-to-open restaurant than meets the eye.

Owner and industry veteran Paul Whigham intends for the business, 2053 N. Martin Luther King Jr Dr., to highlight and celebrate the robust history of its namesake neighborhood while prioritizing community, sustainability, ethical sourcing and responsible business practices.

He also plans to feature live music performances, with an emphasis on jazz. “It’s something that I do want the neighbors to be involved in so that they don’t have to go Downtown to enjoy good food and live music,” Whigham told the Licenses Committee on Tuesday.

Whigham, who also operates the nearby Mi Casa Su Cafe, outlined his goals for the establishment in an online statement.

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Sherman Phoenix Launches $2 Million Capital Campaign

Even as Sherman Phoenix prepares to celebrate its fifth anniversary, the small business marketplace is keeping an eye on future growth. In tandem with the milestone, the Sherman Phoenix Foundation has launched its first capital campaign with the goal of raising $2 million by the end of 2024.

Funds from the year-long campaign, dubbed And Still Rising, will allow the foundation to purchase the building, 3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave., and make improvements such as increasing capacity, repaving the parking lot and upgrading building systems.

It will also support long-term initiatives to provide mentorship, training and other resources to small business entrepreneurs, building on the successes of existing marketplace-run programs including the Phoenix Rising Academy and Business Community Network.

Stacia Thompson, executive director of the Sherman Phoenix Foundation, said that the campaign will strengthen the marketplace while priming the business for long-term success.

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New Dessert Shop For South Side

One Wednesday evening in mid-November, several groups of teenagers, families with small children and a handful of young professionals found themselves together in the colorful and brightly-lit La Michoacana Premium, which recently opened in the Historic Mitchell Street neighborhood.

Over the course of a few hours, a steady stream of customers stopped into the storefront to peruse the long glass cases of ice cream flavors and pick out a treat the same temperature as the outside air: cold.

The new snack and dessert shop, 1001 W. Historic Mitchell St., is one of thousands of locations for La Michoacana throughout the U.S. and Mexico. The brand, which was founded in the 1950s and gained massive popularity soon after, has become the subject of plentiful disagreements over the legal use of the La Michoacana name, making it difficult to keep track of just how many of the popular dessert shops have cropped up over time.

Milwaukee alone is home to a handful of locations, mostly sprinkled throughout the South Side. In addition to the stand-alone stops, take a trip to the local taqueria and you’re sure to find a freezer chest full of La Michoacana-branded paletas.

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Takeout Restaurant Coming To Water Street

A new, “urban-style diner” is coming soon to Water Street, with plans to offer quick and casual breakfast and lunch options to those along the bustling downtown thoroughfare.

The upcoming concept, Breakin’ Bread MKE, is the latest from industry veteran Gabriel Garcia; he previously served as executive chef and operating partner at Electric Lime Taqueria, executive sous chef at Merriment Social and head pizzaiolo at Salotto Zarletti, now known as Zarletti Mequon.

After years spent specializing in Italian, American, Mexican and a variety of fusion cuisines, Garcia’s new venture will take him back to basics. On the menu, guests can expect a variety of egg dishes, warm breakfast sandwiches, french toast, pancakes, salads and lunch sandwiches. The restaurant will also serve several variations of loaded french fries.

“It’s just convenient food,” Garcia said. “Something people can grab on the go at lunch or on the way to the office.”

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Bringing Hawaiian Food to Milwaukee

If “eat dessert first” is your mantra, then when you visit Ono Kine Grindz, the triple chocolate cake is a good first choice. This moist rich cake is frosted with chocolate mousse and topped with chocolate ganache. It landed in front of me because our server said, “It just came out of the oven this morning.” How could I resist?

This restaurant at 7215 W. North Ave. is easy to miss if you are not looking for it. An unobtrusive storefront hides a wealth of Hawaiian groceries, jewelry, art, boldly colored Hawaiian shirts, and a tempting list of dine-in and take-out specialties. Because the restaurant is small, they do more take-out, as I observed while waiting to purchase some groceries.

Owners Guy Roeseler and David Lau came to Milwaukee via Hawaii and Seattle. Roeseler told my friend and I that when they decided to bring Hawaiian culture to Milwaukee, they wanted to open more than just a restaurant. This explained the diverse selection of groceries and gift items packed into the front of the restaurant. Beyond the shirts and sauces and up several steps are three communal tables with seating for a couple dozen customers.

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