EsterEv Opening Standalone Restaurant In Bay View
Fine-dining concept currently located inside DanDan will get bigger on KK avenue.
Site of future EsterEv, 2165 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Photo taken May 2022 by Jeramey Jannene.
EsterEv, the private fine-dining concept located within DanDan‘s Historic Third Ward restaurant, will soon have a space of its own.
Chefs Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite are planning to open a standalone location for the restaurant at 2165 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., in Bay View, according to a license application. The space was previously home to C-Viche, which closed in October 2023.
The new location will more than double the capacity of EsterEv, with room for up to 40 guests in the main dining room and an additional 10 at the bar. The restaurant seated 20 at its previous location.
“After many years working in the confines of a shared kitchen, the team is excited to have expanded capabilities in a large dedicated space,” the restaurant shared in a news release.
Launched in 2016, EsterEv is named for Jacobs’ and Van Rite’s great-grandmothers, Evelyn and Ester. The concept centers on creativity and conviviality, honoring the adventurous spirits of both women.
EsterEv’s frequently-changing menu is focused on seasonal ingredients and inspired by the exploratory nature of its chefs, both of whom are five-time James Beard semifinalists.
A recent prix fixe menu features seven courses including caviar with salsify, onion and briny kombu; tartare with fragrant harissa; rich oxtail with sunchoke and spinach; and a yule log dessert flavored with chocolate, earl grey and kumquat. The curated menu also includes wine pairings.
Additional dishes, submitted with the license application, include deviled eggs with smoked bluefish pate, hamachi tartare and black truffle soup with foie gras mousse.
At the new location, guests can look forward to familiar favorites including the caviar tater tot, dry-aged duck and more. The restaurant also promises new additions that will “continue to evoke nostalgia and joy as an homage to Jacobs and Van Rite’s great-grandmothers and their shared love for cooking.”
Van Rite and Jacobs noted that the “rebirth” of the restaurant will also signify a change in the menu format, designed to make EsterEv dining more accessible to all.
The upcoming restaurant is expected to open on March 20, according to a license application. Its one-year lease in the space begins on Feb. 1.
Jacobs and Van Rite will each own a 40% share of the business; a minority partner is not listed on the license application. Papa Bear Down LLC is also affiliated with the business.
At this time, city records do not indicate any plans for construction to the 2,400-square-foot restaurant space; however, the owners note that they plan to update the kitchen with new equipment from Fein Brothers.
Immediately north of the future EsterEv space, a new restaurant complex has emerged in the past year. Pramoth Lertsinsongserm, co-owner of the Lower East Side‘s Rice N Roll Bistro, is developing a $2.5 million, two-building restaurant at the site.
One of the buildings is home to Todd I Believe I Can Fry. Expected to open later this month, this restaurant will serve fried foods for takeout. Possible menu items include Korean fried chicken, cheese curds and Japanese takoyaki.
A liquor license for EsterEv is pending before the Milwaukee Common Council. Once open, the restaurant’s proposed hours of operation are Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
This article has been updated to include additional information provided by EsterEv after the time of publication.
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