Milwaukee Menus Showcase Foraged Feasts
Ramps, morels, fiddlehead ferns and more. Plus: Four new restaurants opening.
aarongunnar, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Milwaukee restaurants have long been known for a dedication to farm-to-table fare, with menus changing seasonally to highlight peak produce — stone fruits for summer, squash in the fall, winter root vegetables for the chillier days.
But spring brings some of the most highly anticipated ingredients, many of which which have fleeting windows of availability.
As a result, some chefs are known to forage for their favorites, later showcasing the fruits (and roots, flowers and fungi) of their labor in hyper-seasonal dishes.
Throughout April and May, the ingredients of the hour are ramps, members of the allium family with a mild, garlicky taste; fiddlehead ferns, a crunchy, coiled veggie with a flavor akin to asparagus; and morel mushrooms, which are notoriously elusive and equally expensive.
Other popular — though less buzzy — spring darlings include asparagus, sumac, sugar snap peas, violets, fava beans, radishes and more. Many of these items have already made their way onto menus in Milwaukee. Here’s where to find them:
Ramps are featured prominently across the menu at Birch, showing up in the restaurant’s fazzoletti, grilled flatbread, ember-roasted walleye, chicken under a brick and charred beef carpaccio, where its flavor mingles with blue cheese and mizuna, a peppery plant native to Japan.
Meanwhile, Amilinda is incorporating ramps into its halibut dish alongside fennel, rhubarb, kumquats and Meyer lemon aioli.
You’ll also find ramps at Bavette La Boucherie, where they’re incorporated into pistou (a sauce similar to pesto) and served alongside seared snapper. The restaurant is also serving a white asparagus starter with morel vinaigrette.
The latest “chef snack” at 1033 also features morels, used as a base for charred Ibérico Secreto. The dish is punched up with white asparagus, fava beans and a ramp-piquillo pepper chimichurri.
Both ramps and morels will make an appearance at the upcoming Rising Stars pop-up dinner, scheduled for April 29 at Amilinda.
Featured chef Jesse Wendell plans to serve smoked nettle dao xiao mian (knife-cut) noodles with ramp shacha (a savory-spicy Chinese condiment), pickled ramps, soy-marinated morels, chili crisp and fried shallots.
Morel, a restaurant in Walker’s Point, is an obvious spot to seek out the popular fungi. The eatery plans to host its annual installment of morel-focused dinners in late May. Morels are also featured on the regular menu, starring in a comforting fricassee that’s served over creamy polenta.
Fiddlehead ferns have gotten a slow start, but will soon be hitting the menu at Honeypie Cafe.
Continue to keep an eye out for springtime ingredients at seasonally-focused restaurants including The Diplomat, Odd Duck, EsterEv, Goodkind, Braise and others.
Third Space Introducing New THC Beverage
Third Space Brewing Company is taking its roster of marijuana-adjacent drinks to new heights.
The craft brewery will soon add a new product to its Head Space collection — a line of THC-infused sparkling waters — but the latest addition will come with double the dose.
The non-alcoholic drink features lemon-lime flavoring, Citra Hops and 10 milligrams of Delta-9 THC — a legal product in Wisconsin derived from cannabis (hemp). It joins the existing, five-milligram version, which is grapefruit flavored and contains El Dorado Hops.
The 10-milligram drink is set to launch this Saturday, April 20, coinciding with 420 Day and a celebratory music festival, High Notes, to be held at the brewery’s Milwaukee taproom, 1505 W. St Paul Ave.
L’incontro Brings Italian Cuisine to East Side
April has been a fruitful month for restaurant openings in Milwaukee, with at least eight new establishments bursting onto the scene in recent weeks.
L’incontro added one more to that total when it opened Wednesday, but it hopes to stand out from the crowd. The new restaurant, 2315 N. Murray Ave., features a menu of Italian dishes with hints of global inspiration. It fills a space most recently occupied by Tavolino.
The early spring debut also coincides perfectly with the window of availability for buzzy ingredients such as ramps, fiddlehead ferns and pea tendrils — all of which were on the table for opening day.
Featured dishes include sisig pizza, a riff on the Filipino dish with longganisa sausage, jalapenos, cherry tomatoes, white sauce and salsa verde — all piled onto a crisp-chewy crust. More traditional pizza varieties, including pepperoni, Margherita, marinara and funghi, are also available.
Third Coast Gourmet Opens in Third Ward
Third Coast Gourmet has dropped anchor on Water Street.
The new deli and sandwich shop, nestled inside the Historic Third Ward‘s Renaissance Building, opened its doors to the public last week.
On the menu, guests can expect an assortment of soups, salads and sandwiches featuring Boar’s Head meats and cheeses exclusively. The counter-service establishment, 309 N. Water St., also serves craft beverages including beer, wine and soda.
The Knick Offers Good Food, Lovely Views
You will not find a better place on Milwaukee’s eastside for people watching or gazing at the lake than a seat on the Knick’s front porch. The restaurant is located on the lower level of the elegant Knickerbocker Hotel which was built in the 1920s to provide residential apartments for the wealthy. Look for the entrance to the restaurant east of the green awning that leads to the hotel. Once inside The Knick, check out the frequent seasonal decorations and the highly unusual multi-colored chandeliers that add a decorative touch to the dining room.
If you come for Sunday brunch, as I did twice recently, you will find the Mary Bloody Mary or the Queen Mary, a fine way to begin your meal. For these bloodies, they use a “Secret Homemade Bloody Mary Mix” with just the right balance of tomato and Tabasco. If you want a fancy drink, order the Queen, a monster bloody topped with Blackened Shrimp, Pepperoncini, Pepper-Jack Cheese, Pickles, and Olives. Both drinks are presented with beer chasers. You can also have a Mimosa or a N/A drink including Ginger Beer, Sprecher Soda, or Blackberry Ginger, Ginger Beer and Blackberry Puree.
After my Sunday Brunches, I left more than a few dishes behind that I anticipate for future visits because everything friends and I ordered was a home run.
The Andouille Sausage Omelette with pepper-jack cheese and pico de gallo was stuffed with so much sausage that its three eggs barely contained the meat. The accompanying potatoes were just-out-of-the-fryer crisp on the outside and creamy inside. In my opinion, they were perfect, if that is a possible achievement for the lowly potato.
Paloma Opens Bay View Restaurant
Over the course of eight months, the commercial space at 2154 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. has transformed from a gray box to a crayon box.
The formerly vacant space at the ground level of KinetiK is now the vibrant and colorful home of Paloma Taco and Tequila, which opened its doors to the public on Wednesday.
It’s the second location for the taqueria; its flagship restaurant has been open in Washington Heights since July 2020.
The new restaurant, designed with help from Three Sixty, is positively saturated in color — from its kaleidoscopic wallpaper and sunshine-colored chairs to its pendant lights suspended from a turquoise-washed ceiling.
Scooter’s Coffee Opens First Milwaukee Location
Scooter’s has officially arrived in Milwaukee. But, unlike the annual swarm of Lime, Bird and Veo scooters, this version isn’t dockless or electric. In fact, it’s not a vehicle at all. It’s a coffee shop.
The drive-thru cafe recently opened a new location at 6023 W. Forest Home Ave. It’s the first Milwaukee shop for the Omaha-based chain, which sells coffee, espresso drinks, smoothies, teas and snacks such as pastries and breakfast sandwiches.
The company is especially known for its signature beverage, Caramelicious, as well as its line of energy drinks, known as Scooot! Energy Infusions.
Local entrepreneurs Davinder and Navdeesh Toor own and operate the Milwaukee cafe.
Brother’s Backyard Barbeque is Closed
Brother’s Backyard Barbeque has closed after just under 18 months in business.
The Silver City barbecue spot shared the news on social media Tuesday.
“It is with mixed emotions that we announce the closure of Brother’s Backyard BBQ,” the post said. “We have been fortunate to serve you delicious meals and create memories over the years. We want to thank each and every one of you for your loyalty and support. Until then, thank you for your understanding and continued patronage.”
The concept has been a presence on the South Side since November 2022, when lifelong friends Christopher Patton and Michael Hester opened the brick-and-mortar location at 3530 W. National Ave.
New Cocktail Lounge Will Celebrate Bay View History
Neat, spirited, straight-up. These words are all cocktail descriptors, but could also apply to Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood.
An upcoming business, 17th Ward Cocktail Lounge, plans to showcase both.
“We’re trying to essentially embrace the history of Bay View,” said Madalynn Park, who will co-own the cocktail lounge, 2160 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., with her mom, Cary.
The mother-daughter team, along with their extended family, are longtime Bay View residents. In fact, Madalynn’s grandparents attended grade school in the neighborhood, she said. Today, most of the family resides on the same block of Kinnickinnic Avenue.
After 54 Years Pizza Man Closes in Milwaukee
After half a century in operation, encompassing two moves and several ownership changes, Pizza Man has served its final slice in Milwaukee.
The restaurant’s Riverwest location, 2060 N. Humboldt Ave., which it has occupied for just under a year, is closed, Pizza Man announced Monday evening. The Wauwatosa restaurant will remain open.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the permanent closure of our restaurant on Humboldt Blvd,” the business wrote in a statement on social media. “We have had the pleasure of serving you for the past year, and we are grateful for your patronage and support.”
The post went on to thank Pizza Man’s former employees, who have dedicated “hard work and commitment” to the restaurant, and assured patrons that the transition will be “as caring as possible” for staff.
Wings Co. Opens on Northwest Side
A new fast food restaurant is now open on Milwaukee’s Northwest Side.
Located at 5401 N. Lovers Lane Rd., Wings Co. sells a variety of fried chicken and chicken wings, plus sandwiches, sides and more for both dine-in and takeout.
The menu features both boneless and traditional chicken wings, available in a wide selection of flavors like Thai Chili, Sriracha, Malaysian Curry and more than 15 others.
To dip, diners can choose from buffalo, ranch, honey mustard and more, with extra customizations including extra-crispy, light sauce and extra-wet also available.
Court Suspends City’s Private Security Requirements
The city’s plan to tighten requirements for private security personnel is on hold — at least temporarily — pending the outcome of a lawsuit.
In March, the Milwaukee Common Council voted unanimously in favor of an ordinance mandating thorough background checks for security guards and personnel. The legislation, led by Alderwoman Andrea Pratt, also required all hired security to be licensed, bonded and insured.
The move came after a gas station guard shot and killed a resident in the Garden Homes neighborhood last summer.
Now, a handful of business owners and security personnel are taking action against the ordinance.
Urbal Tea Temporarily Closes Cafe
The back room at Urbal Tea is a garden graveyard.
Just a few steps beyond the polished, public-facing cafe, a production space is crammed with buckets of tea blends and bags of dried herbs — chamomile, mint, sage, rosemary.
Stainless steel tables hold scales and mixing bowls, while a binder ring of recipes is slung over one of the shelves, its large print clearly legible from across the room.
Customers might be most familiar with the cafe, which faces bustling Oklahoma Avenue. But, as owner Nick Nowaczyk says, “our business is really in the back.”
Thai and Japanese Restaurant Opens in Bay View
Room Service, a new Thai and Japanese restaurant, opened its doors to the public in Bay View Thursday evening. If that title evokes thoughts of silver-domed plates and snacking in slippers, adjust your expectations.
Room Service is striking from first sight to last bite. The newly constructed building, 2159 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., soars with vaulted ceilings and basks in warm lighting. A vast, detailed mural stretches across the north wall, while two contemporary bars — one for sushi, another for alcohol — frame a dining room filled with clusters of dark wood tables and velvety, wraparound chairs.
But the restaurant’s look is only half its appeal.
The expansive menu at Room Service encompasses a wide range of Japanese and Thai dishes, from noodles and dumplings to sashimi and bao.
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