Midwest Sad Opening East Town Location
Nostalgic bakery and cafe will welcome customers on May 1.
Bakery from Midwest Sad. Photo courtesy of Sam Sandrin.
A new bakery and cafe is set to open next week in East Town. Its name, Midwest Sad, has elicited confusion from a number of folks, many of whom question how anyone could be sad while eating cookies and candy.
But it’s Sam Sandrin‘s party, and she’ll cry if she wants to.
“Midwest Sad captures the blend of cozy Midwestern tastes with the deeper emotions often felt in the region,” said Sandrin, the chef and baker behind the business. “It’s about how food brings back memories of home and belonging, even against the backdrop of the Midwest’s sometimes gloomy landscape.”
She added that the sense of warmth — literal and metaphorical — often associated with Midwestern cuisine resonates throughout our communities.
“We gather around meals, supporting one another and finding comfort in the dishes we know so well. In the end, Midwest Sad tells a story of how food and community can lift us up, even when things feel a bit somber.”
On May 1, after nearly a year of making customers feel at home through nostalgic snacks and desserts, Midwest Sad will get a home of its own. The concept is set to open its first brick-and-mortar location at 770 N. Jefferson St.
Sandrin describes Midwest Sad as an homage to the sorts of things you might find on a Wisconsin grandmother’s dinner table — butterscotch blondies, savory monkey breads and “salads” containing more cheese than vegetables — though the chef adds her own shine to each item.
On opening day, guests can expect a sampling of sweet and savory offerings including brownies, lemon-lime bars, almond matcha cookies, rock candy, macarons, cake slices, monkey bread, potato salad, broccoli-cauliflower salad and pantry items such as caramel sauce and simple syrup.
All those and more are available a la carte for preorder and pickup between noon and 8 p.m. on May 1. Orders can be placed online. The location will also offer counter service for carryout orders.
Even before launching Midwest Sad, Sandrin was a familiar face in the Milwaukee food scene; she previously co-owned Strega at 3rd Street Market Hall and is currently part of the culinary team at Pomona Cider Company.
Last summer, Sandrin took the leap and launched Midwest Sad as a solo venture. The business initially operated as a pop-up, appearing at local markets and special events, but later began selling its products at Hot Dish Pantry, a southside restaurant focused on Midwestern comfort foods.
Sandrin said she’ll continue the partnership with Hot Dish Pantry following the opening of Midwest Sad’s downtown location. The business is also set to appear at an upcoming Makers Market, which will be held at Amilinda.
The market, co-organized by Sandrin and Alicia McQuade, will take place on Sunday, May 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 315 E. Wisconsin Ave. Additional vendors will include Frankie Baked, Semolina MKE and Big White Yeti Candle Co.
The new location for Midwest Sad will occupy a downtown building that also houses Shah Jee’s Pakistani restaurant and contains commissary kitchen businesses including Tots on the Street, Pizza Ortolana and others.
The carryout counter is located in the basement of the building. Customers should enter through the front doors, descend the stairs and go to the right.
For future updates, follow Midwest Sad on Instagram.
Photos
Existing members must be signed in to see the interactive map. Sign in.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
What is ‘sad’ is the unfortunate choice of the name. Poor branding. Not a compelling reason to visit, but hopefully the food choices will overcome this and word of mouth will help.