Company Brewing Offers Soft Drinks Pop-Up For Dry February
Plus: Asian street food in Bay View, a 2nd Gordo's Bubble Waffles and James Beard honors.
Magic Mushroom cocktail. Photo by Chris Geick.
Dry January is down to the dregs, but a local brewery wants to extend the sober movement into February.
Company Brewing is soon to launch its month-long pop-up, SOFT DRINKS, featuring a lineup of non-alcoholic and low alcohol cocktails made with adaptogens, Bittercube bitters, Disco Inferno and Heirloom Liqueurs.
The event, held in partnership with 1-800-Cocktails and Heirloom Liqueurs, kicked off on Jan. 27 and will continue for one month at the Riverwest brewery, 735 E. Center St.
Featured drinks include Magic Mushrooms, a zero-proof blend of lion’s mane, cordyceps, cacao, nutmeg, white grape juice, burnt sugar syrup and chipotle cacao bitters — all garnished with miniature chocolate mushrooms.
El Diablo, another N/A option, features non-alcoholic tequila, panax ginseng, lime juice, black currant, ginger beer, Disco Inferno and Bittercube’s bolivar bitters.
There’s also a selection of low-alcohol cocktails, including Low Pro Sprotini, a riff on the trending espresso martini. The drink, weighing in at 5.74% ABV, includes espresso martini liqueur, nitro cold brew, sea salt and chipotle cacao bitters.
A full menu is available to view online.
A number of ingredients featured in the pop-up — cacao, panax ginseng, cordyceps, guarana — can be categorized as adaptogens. The substances include a wide variety of roots, mushrooms and other plant products used in herbal medicine. Many are marketed as a natural way to address stress, anxiety, fatigue and other issues.
Company Brewing will continue to offer its traditional selection of beer and food for the duration of the pop-up.
The brewery is open Monday through Thursday from noon until 10 p.m., Friday from noon until 2 a.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Todd I Believe I Can Fry Opens in Bay View
Todd I Believe I Can Fry opened its doors in Bay View on Monday, bringing a new option for quick and casual meals to the neighborhood.
Despite less-than-ideal weather conditions, the takeout-focused restaurant, 2159 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., enjoyed steady business throughout its first week, with owner Paphitchaya Liotrakun flitting between the counter and the kitchen to take and fulfill orders.
Though far from the only fast-casual restaurant in the area, Todd I Believe I Can Fry offers a unique menu of Asian-style street foods, from snacks like gyoza and ika geso (fried squid) to meal-sized orders of wings and other specialties.
In addition to chicken wings, available with a choice of seven different sauces, the restaurant sells chicken tenders and karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken).
New Owners Open G. Groppi Food Market
Brothers Ryan and Casey Foltz picked up the keys to G. Groppi Food Market on Monday, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the historic grocery store and bar.
Opened in 1913, the market, 1441 E. Russell Ave., has remained a staple of the Bay View neighborhood for more than a century — first under the ownership of the Groppi family and later under John and Anne Nehring, who purchased the business in 2003.
Through the years, Groppi’s has expanded with a deli, fresh meat market, on-site bar and more. But all the while, the market has maintained its original character. The Foltz brothers plan to continue that tradition.
“It’s a grocery store that definitely has a neighborhood feel to it,” Casey said. “If you’re a regular customer, the employees know your name and have probably interacted with you outside of the store.”
New Sushi Restaurant Planned For Downtown
Awi Sushi is headed to Milwaukee. The Colorado-based chain plans to open its fourth location at 755 N. Water St., taking over a portion of the building’s first floor.
Franchisee Cheraty Par will operate the downtown restaurant, serving a diverse selection of sushi rolls and other Japanese dishes for dine-in and takeout.
Founded by Roland Biak Nun Awi in 2017, the sushi restaurant has since grown to include three locations: two in Colorado Springs and one in Madison.
Awi Sushi is known for its extensive menu, which features more than 70 different rolls. A selection of regular rolls includes simple options with one to four fillings, including the spicy salmon roll with salmon, cucumber and spicy mayo, as well as a a classic California roll with crab meat, avocado and cucumber.
Hangoverz Relocating, Replacement Planned
Hangoverz has been a fixture of Greenfield Avenue for more than 15 years, its jaunty blade sign serving as a beacon — or a warning — to passing cars. But not for much longer.
The business left its longtime location at 3121 W. Greenfield Ave. earlier this month, with plans to reopen several blocks south, at 2539 W. Mitchell St., as soon as the City of Milwaukee approves its license transfer.
And though the move may seem abrupt to outside observers, it has been developing since 2021, when Esmeralda Navarrete Gonzalez purchased the building for $182,500. Her husband, Jose Cortes, planned to open his own tavern, Adelita’s Bar, in the Hangoverz space. He applied for a license in August 2023, which is still pending before the Milwaukee Common Council.
But the couple found themselves at odds with Hangoverz owner Tina M. Minto, who claimed her lease extended until 2026, while Cortes maintained that it was month-to-month.
6 Milwaukee Chefs Earn James Beard Nominations
The James Beard Foundation on Wednesday morning announced the semifinalists for the 2024 James Beard Awards. Six Milwaukee chefs, including some perennial favorites, secured nominations.
Of the program’s 22 categories, Milwaukee made the strongest showing in the chef division. Gregory León, owner and executive chef at Amilinda, is one of 20 nominees for Outstanding Chef. Ross Bachhuber and Samuel Ek of Odd Duck, Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite of EsterEv and Kyle Knall of Birch all received nominations for Best Chef: Midwest.
The latest nomination is León’s third from the foundation, but his first in a national category. He was nominated for Best Chef: Midwest in 2022 and 2023. The longtime chef has helmed Amilinda, 315 E. Wisconsin Ave., since launching the concept as a pop-up in 2013. Before that, León gathered inspiration and experience while working as a chef in restaurants across the world, including in Madrid and San Francisco.
Bachhuber and Ek, Odd Duck’s co-owner and executive chef, respectively, represent the restaurant for its second James Beard nomination. The cozy Walker’s Point eatery, 939 S. 2nd St., claimed a semifinalist slot in 2022 for Outstanding Restaurant. Opened in 2012, the restaurant is known for its ever-changing menu of globally-inspired small plates.
New Dessert Shop and Cafe For Marquette
The Marquette University dining scene took a major hit last spring when three on-campus restaurants closed in the span of one month. But the future looks sweet.
Gordo’s Bubble Waffles will expand with a second location at Marquette. The upcoming dessert shop and cafe is slated to open at 1633 W. Wells St., inside the former The Dogg Haus.
Cousins Mohammed Otallah, Omar Daher, Suhib Badwan and Bilal Hussein opened the first location for Gordo’s at 2301 S. Howell Ave. in July 2022. The business, selling bubble waffles, ice cream and shakes, was an immediate hit.
“Everybody’s been liking it, and everybody has been asking where the next location is going to be,” said Daher, who noted that the owners were very interested in serving college students.
New Tavern Proposed For Roosevelt Grove
An upcoming business will bring harmony to the North Side. That is, if it lives up to its name. Yakee Banks plans to open a new tavern, Harmony Cafe, at 4736 W. Fond du Lac Ave, in the city’s Roosevelt Grove neighborhood.
The new business will offer alcoholic beverages and a variety of entertainment. It will also serve baked flatbreads and sell cigarettes, according to a license application.
Harmony Cafe will be Banks’ first venture as a tavern owner, though he’s has had experience in the industry, having helped out at his parents’ pool hall during his younger years.
In addition to serving food and drink, the tavern plans to host bands and instrumental musicians. On days without live music, guests can queue up their favorite songs on the jukebox.
New Pizzeria For Fond du Lac Avenue
The Lincoln Creek neighborhood, located on Milwaukee’s North Side, is home to a number of successful restaurants. Now, a new entrepreneur wants a slice of the pie.
Niesha Sinclair plans to open Hers Pizza & Cocktailz at 6046 W. Fond du Lac Ave., according to a license application. But that title is only half true — at least for now.
While the upcoming restaurant will indeed serve pizza, Sinclair has no plans to offer cocktails and did not apply for a liquor license. Billed as a “pizza parlour,” the restaurant will nonetheless serve a variety of non-alcoholic beverages, which could include coffee.
Hers Pizza & Cocktailz is planned for a multi-tenant building located just west of the heavily-trafficked intersection of W. Fond du Lac Avenue and N. 60th Street. The building includes four retail stalls.
New Restaurant Opening At Bay View’s White House
A new, art-inspired restaurant will soon bring a burst of color to Bay View‘s The White House. SAGE, a fine dining establishment, plans to open next month, offering modern American cuisine and a vibrant cocktail program inside the historic venue, 2900 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
The upcoming restaurant, led by Allison Meinhardt, will serve brunch, lunch and dinner with an emphasis on shareable dishes and dramatic plating, according to a news release. Chef Alexander Stewart will oversee kitchen operations, crafting a seasonal menu that incorporates herbs and produce grown on-site.
Featured dishes will include Forbidden Salmon, or baked salmon served with black forbidden rice, ginger oil, chive oil and spinach. Pancake, a playful small plate, features fennel and potato pancakes served atop a raspberry and goat cheese sauce.
Along with its food menu, the restaurant plans to offer a selection of traditional and non-alcoholic cocktails, as well as wine and local beer.
New Tavern Planned For Five Points
An upcoming bar and restaurant will get top scores for visibility — the business is located at the intersection of five major roads on Milwaukee’s North Side.
Yuhl Patterson II plans to open Yari’s at 3501 N. 6th St., at the Five Points intersection, according to a licence application. The upcoming business would replace House of Soul Lounge, which operated for less than two years at the address.
Patterson, has experience as a bartender and supervisor, he noted in the license application. Most recently, he worked as a bartender for concessionaire Levy.
Yari’s will offer an assortment of alcoholic beverages as well as pizzas. The business is also requesting a cigarette and tobacco license. Approximately 80% of revenue is expected to come from alcohol sales, with the remaining 20% from food sales.
Brunch Returns to Lake Park Bistro
Brunch is back at Lake Park Bistro after a multi-year hiatus. The reintroduction comes with an all-new lineup of indulgent dishes curated by Executive Chef Amanda Langler, who took the lead at the restaurant in November.
The restaurant, 3133 E. Newberry Blvd., recently debuted its three-course, customizable brunch menu, allowing guests to strike their preferred balance between sweet and savory, with prices based on entree choice.
To start, guests can choose from premiere plats including cocktail de crevette (shrimp cocktail served with lemon and Marie Rose cocktail sauce), soupe à l’oignon (French onion soup served with baguette and Gruyere cheese), a fresh fruit and yogurt parfait, soupe du jour and two fresh salad options.
Entrees, or plats principaux, include a traditional French-style omelette with creamed leeks, sauteed mushrooms, Gruyere cheese and herbs; eggs benedict (add smoked salmon for an extra charge); pan-seared salmon with haricots verts, parsley butter potatoes and beurre blanc; Brioche French toast with pear butter, maple syrup and bacon; grilled bavette steak with sunny eggs and hollandaise and the restaurant’s signature salade Lyonnaise.
Barbiere’s Offers Good Italian Comfort Food
You know you are in a restaurant where comfort food is on the menu as soon as your eyes adjust to the dimly lit dining room in this small Italian restaurant on W. Bluemound Rd. When you come for lunch or dinner you will discover it is also the home of the “Snack.”
The original Barbiere’s Italian Inn opened in 1963 at 106th and Bluemound where Sal Barbiere served his basic Italian dinners made with the best ingredients and a lot of love. Ten years later he moved the restaurant to 5844 W. Bluemound Rd., and that is where friends and I enjoyed two delicious lunches in December.
It is easy to miss Barbiere’s from Bluemound with its bland brick façade, but, come inside and you step into a dining room with a distinctive retro atmosphere: Dark wood, arched doorways, stucco walls, beamed ceilings, and red Naugahyde benches in the booths took friends and I back to the 60s and the anticipation of some classic Italian fare.
We were not disappointed. I will start with the Garlic Bread which was extraordinary and in our combined opinions, perhaps the best garlic bread in Milwaukee. Here is the reason why: It has heft, so when you pick it up you might say as my companion did, “I think it’s going to be like eating a brick.” Instead, it was light, buttery, and had just enough garlic. When we asked our server about the bread she said, “We make all the bread here and that’s why it’s light and fluffy in the middle.” We also learned that they use the same dough for the pizza, a favorite with many of the regulars, our server said.
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