Raw Bars Are Booming in Milwaukee
Plus: two new restaurants, two new bars coming, Lopez bakery closing and Movida expanding.
Oysters at Vault. Photo taken Aug. 28, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.
Though generally viewed as a coastal treat, oysters are nonetheless popular among Milwaukeeans, whose appetite for the saltwater snack has spurred a wave of new, seafood-focused restaurants in the city.
Several surfaced in 2023, including Downtown’s Vault and 1033 in Walker’s Point. Another, Shuckers Crab Shack & Oyster Bar, is expected to open soon at 3rd Street Market Hall.
The new additions join city stalwarts such as Maxie’s, Harbor House, Third Coast Provisions and St. Paul Fish Company at Milwaukee Public Market. Eldr + Rime, located in Wauwatosa, also offers a raw bar featuring oysters on the half shell and other chilled seafood.
Oyster-slurping certainly isn’t new to the city; however, the past year saw a marked increase in restaurants featuring raw bars.
1033, opened in May, features oysters, caviar, shrimp, lobster and blue prawns from its raw bar menu. Seafood is flown in fresh daily and served with accoutrements including a dropper bottle of mignonette.
Vault, located within the Associated Bank River Center, serves a rotating variety of oysters. Guests can scope out their selections right at the bar and watch as chefs masterfully shuck each one before serving it up plain or “dirty,” with creme fraiche, minced shallot and a dollop of caviar.
Further, a handful of wine bars across the city regularly host oyster happy hours, offering drink deals and discounted oysters. Keep an eye out for those on social media.
Mex Avenue Opening at Crossroads Collective
A soon-to-open restaurant will bring authentic Mexican cuisine to Crossroads Collective, 2238 N. Farwell Ave. Mex Avenue plans to make its debut on Thursday, Jan. 11 in the vendor stall that previously housed Dia Bom, the food hall announced Thursday.
Mex Avenue will serve traditional Mexican dishes including tacos, enchiladas, burritos and flautas — all influenced by owner Melissa Escobar‘s heritage.
“Even in the smallest details, such as our Mexico-based graphic designer, I make decisions in my life and for Mex Avenue that keep me true to my roots,” Escobar said in a statement.
A second-generation Mexican American, Escobar also said she is inspired by her father and grandmother and her own visits to Mexico.
Howl At The Moon Is Closed, For Real This Time
Howl at the Moon will not reopen its Milwaukee location, the bar announced earlier this week. It lasted less than a year at 1103 N. Martin Luther King Jr Dr. The latest closure marks the second time the chain has faltered in the city.
News of the official closure came on Jan. 2, nearly a full year after the downtown bar abruptly closed for “updates and construction.”
At first, the bar said it planned to reopen, even offering a text service for patrons to receive updates on its progress. But after several months passed without a sign of interior changes, customers began to suspect that the bar had closed for good. There were also no permits filed for alterations to the space.
“We want to thank each and every one of you who supported us expanding to Milwaukee, however sadly, our doors will not be reopening,” ownership wrote in the online post. “We appreciate your support and we hope to Howl with you again.”
Lopez Bakery Sets Closing Date
The past several months have served as both a victory lap and a farewell tour for Lopez Bakery & Restaurant, which celebrated its 50th anniversary while simultaneously preparing for its impending closure.
With the holidays — and tamale season — officially finished, the bakery, 1100 W. Historic Mitchell St., announced its plans to close for good after service on Sunday, Jan. 14.
“We are grateful and thankful for all who supported us,” owners Jorge and Cindy Lopez wrote in a Dec. 29 social media post.
The married couple are second-generation owners of the long-standing bakery, having inherited the business and a trove of family recipes from Jorge’s parents. And though its fans will mourn the loss of the historic business, they can take comfort in knowing that the Lopez’s recipes will live on at another southside establishment.
New Bars and Restaurants That Opened in December
The Milwaukee dining scene closed out an exciting year of growth with several new restaurant openings at the very end of 2023. In total, 10 establishments, including a new steakhouse, two plant-based concepts and a Latin-inspired cocktail lounge, opened in December.
Happy Dough Lucky
Happy Dough Lucky made its long-awaited debut in Bay View on Dec. 21. The doughnut shop, 2691 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., offers coffee and miniature doughnuts, plus playful decor and a variety of arcade games.
Carbon Steak
A new, upscale steakhouse made its debut downtown in early December. Carbon Steak, 725 N. Milwaukee St., welcomed its first guests on Dec. 8, serving a menu of USDA prime cuts, seafood towers and more, along with a selection of craft cocktails.
Space Time Coffee To Close Indefinitely
When Adam Sterr launched his micro-roastery in 2020, he called the business Space Time Coffee, honoring both Einstein‘s theory of relativity and his own enthusiasm for all things science fiction.
The operation grew quickly from selling at markets to operating pop-ups and, ultimately, a brick-and-mortar cafe within a downtown hotel.
But after several unlucky breaks, the company is running low on both of its namesakes, as well as money. As a result, Space Time will begin an indefinite hiatus at the end of the month.
“I’ve tried to find a way to make it work,” Sterr told Urban Milwaukee, noting that the impending closure has been creeping up for a while. “I didn’t want to say anything until I had explored every avenue and corner because, you know, it’s sad. We’ve built this community, and I don’t want to be the one who ends up letting the community down.”
New Cocktail Lounge For Bay View
At Pink Agave, guests don’t wear rose-tinted glasses, they drink from them. The new cocktail lounge at 2242 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. began its soft opening in mid-December, serving a fully-fuschia lineup of alcoholic beverages — with decor to match.
The new business is a project of Evalise Navarro and Juan Rodriguez. The couple, both industry veterans, each bring unique strengths to the new business.
Navarro, a longtime bartender, has worked at a variety of local taverns — including a guest gig at Pink Agave’s predecessor, Blind Tiger. She told Urban Milwaukee that she’s always felt at home in the industry, and decided to pursue opening her own business in early 2023.
When Navarro learned of Blind Tiger’s imminent closure, she began laying the groundwork to launch her own concept in the space.
New Bar Planned For Punch Bowl Social Space
A new concept from Bars & Recreation is coming to Deer District in 2024, the group announced Wednesday.
The New Fashioned, offering food and drink, immersive entertainment and shopping, is slated to replace the former Punch Bowl Social, 1122 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave., which shuttered in 2023.
The upcoming bar and restaurant will occupy a whopping 24,000 square feet across two stories in the building, which is located directly across from Fiserv Forum. Under Punch Bowl’s ownership, the space contained a 360-degree bar, eight bowling lanes, three karaoke rooms, billiards, ping pong and other games — plus TVs throughout.
In a news release, the group said it plans to transform the space and partner with a local restaurateur to curate a menu of local favorites. A retail marketplace will feature a variety of Milwaukee souvenirs, the business’s website suggests.
City Names Vendor For New Downtown Park
After a nearly nine-month search, the City of Milwaukee has found a “uniquely Milwaukee” food and beverage vendor to operate at Vel R. Phillips Plaza. Nomad Coffee Bar will fill a 2,900-square-foot cafe space at the new downtown park. It’s slated to open inside in a new, glassy building near W. Wisconsin Ave. and N. 5th St., with the goal to further activate and draw more visitors to the plaza.
The cafe is expected to open later in 2024, according to a news release, and will offer all-day food and drink, alcoholic beverages and kid-friendly options.
That should be no problem for owner Mike Eitel, who operates a number of local bars and restaurants under Caravan Hospitality Group, including the flagship Nomad Coffee Bar on Brady Street, as well as SportClub, Barrel Burrito Company and the recently-opened Experts Only, an apres-ski bar.
The plaza, honoring civil rights pioneer Vel Phillips, is situated along W. Wisconsin Ave. between N. 5th Street and N. Vel R. Phillips Avenue. It’s planned to open in time for the July 2024 Republican National Convention.
Silk Exotic on Silver Spring is Closed
As of Jan. 1, the northwest side location for Silk Exotic gentleman’s club is permanently clothed — er, closed. The gentleman’s club, 11400 W. Silver Spring Rd., capped off two decades of NSFW entertainment with a New Year’s Eve bash before shuttering for good on Monday.
News of the closure came via social media. “Thank you for the last 20 years of adult fun,” ownership wrote in an online post. “It’s been a wild ride, and we appreciate everyone who walked through our doors.”
Silk’s existing locations in downtown Milwaukee (730 N. Martin Luther King Jr Dr. and 144 E. Juneau Ave.) and in Middleton will remain in operation.
Opened in the early 2000s, Silk Exotic was a pioneer of sorts for the city’s club scene, boasting an enormous wrap-around stage, neon lighting and other accoutrements meant to emulate the glamour of a Las Vegas-style club.
New Dunkin’ Coming to Far Northwest Side
Dunkin’ will open a new location on the Northwest Side early next year, according to a series of permits recently filed with the City of Milwaukee. The upcoming restaurant, 5430 N. Lovers Lane Rd., is the chain’s third location proposed for the city in less than a year. Vishal Vaghani is behind all three.
The prolific franchisee operates two existing Dunkin’ locations and is in the process of opening two more. The latest addition to his portfolio, expected to open in February, will occupy 1,915 square feet within a larger building near W. Silver Spring Drive that also contains a Domino’s Pizza shop.
Dunkin’, which officially shortened its name from Dunkin Donuts in 2019, sells doughnuts and doughnut holes, as well as breakfast items including egg sandwiches and wraps, hash browns, stuffed bagel bites and muffins.
The chain has also become known for its coffee drinks, including hot and iced coffee and espresso, and teas. Dunkin’s signature frozen drinks include the Coolatta, frozen chocolate and frozen matcha latte.
Movida’s Major Expansion
Construction work on a major expansion of Movida at Hotel Madrid is nearing completion.
The Walker’s Point restaurant, 600 S. 6th St., is receiving a two-story, eastern addition that includes a second-story rooftop patio, private event space, additional dining space and an expanded kitchen.
The expansion, which will open in early 2024, will help the Spanish tapas restaurant, bar and event venue bolster its chances of securing a windfall during the July Republican National Convention. It’s a fact not lost on owner Stand Eat Drink Hospitality Group, which is promoting convention-specific leasing options on the Movida website.
The website touts that the expansion will offer “seating for 500 guests, two kitchens, two bars, three dining rooms, and a second floor rooftop patio” across a 12,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor complex.
New Restaurant Slated For High Turnover Southside Space
Sunshine Cafe, a breakfast and brunch spot in the Clarke Square neighborhood, is closed. But the building, 831 S. Cesar E. Chavez Dr., may soon house a new restaurant.
Desiré Calderón opened Sunshine Cafe in November 2022, serving American-style dishes such as eggs, bacon, pancakes and breakfast sandwiches. The goal, she told Urban Milwaukee at the time, was to emulate the feel of a classic diner — similar to Silver Dollar Cafe, a previous occupant of the building.
Sunshine Cafe continued to operate throughout most of 2023, but abruptly went social media silent in August. Additionally, the business’s phone number has been disconnected and a recent trip to the address revealed that its signage has been removed from the building.
In its place, industry veteran Hermogenes Correa Miramontes is preparing to open Carnitas Mi Pueblo. Like its predecessor, the new restaurant would focus only on food, with no plans to serve alcohol.
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