Gordo’s Debuts Refreshed Interior
Plus: 3 restaurants close and 7 Wisconsin chefs featured at farm feast.
Site of Gordo’s Bubble Waffles interior. Photo taken Aug. 16, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.
Gordo’s Bubble Waffles is back to business in Bay View, following a brief hiatus in early August.
The dessert shop, 2301 S. Howell Ave., returns with its popular ice cream sundaes, mini pancakes and bubble waffles, but also a fresh look, thanks to a series of interior updates.
On one wall, a newly painted Snickers bar shreds on a skateboard amid a shower of colorful sprinkles. The cartoon mural also includes an ice cream cone, basketball-playing strawberry and a yellow M&M. The new characters join an existing bubble waffle cone, stack of pancakes and long-limbed bubble waffle on the adjacent wall.
Gordo’s also revamped its digital menu boards, streamlining the screens and matching the theme to the rest of the restaurant. New furniture and other subtle touches complete the space.
The dessert shop’s menu remains unchanged.
Gordo’s also operates a location near the Marquette University campus. The Bay View business is open daily from 2 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Photos
Casera Cafe & Bakery Opens in Harbor District
Opening a new business amid the Wisconsin State Fair — a notoriously slow time for Milwaukee-area restaurants — is a delicate maneuver. But Casera Cafe & Bakery decided to whisk it.
Despite a quiet start, one employee noted that Casera has since seen a steady stream of customers as word of the new spot spread throughout the neighborhood. The bakery officially opened its doors at 2067 S. 1st St., the border of the Harbor District and Bay View, on Aug. 1.
The cafe was in full form Thursday, as a diverse group of patrons — families, friend groups, remote workers — sipped, snacked and took shelter from the rainy elements.
Casera, a sister establishment to Sugar & Flour Bakery Cafe in Greendale, is owned by George and Karen Herrera, who began work on the business in October 2023. It occupies a 4,200-square-foot retail space at the southeast edge of the River One (or R1VER) campus, below the Tribute Apartments.
‘World’s Largest Coffee Break’ Returns Aug. 20
The Historic Third Ward Association will dole out mugs for the masses at the “World’s Largest Coffee Break” on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
The annual tradition has been jumpstarting Downtown Employee Appreciation Week, organized by Milwaukee Downtown BID #21, since 2006.
This year’s event will take place from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Catalano Square, with vendors including Anodyne Coffee Roasters, Colectivo Coffee, Dunkin’, MARN Art + Culture Hub, Starbucks Coffee, Sweetly Baked and Valentine Coffee.
The World’s Largest Coffee Break — maybe a slight exaggeration — draws hundreds of downtown workers to the Historic Third Ward park, 147 N. Broadway, offering an opportunity to slow down, make new connections and enjoy a cup of joe alfresco.
Events Will Explore African Culture and Cuisine
Across 54 countries, eight climatic zones and thousands of distinct ethnic groups, Africa is united in one universal language: flavor.
From aromatic jollof rice and spicy stews to staples such as injera and fufu, the continent’s cuisine is nearly unmatched in its diversity, inviting deeper exploration that’s not often available in the Milwaukee area.
An upcoming series of hand-on workshops aims to change that, uniting local chefs and educators for eight events covering traditional recipes, food deserts, farming history and more.
The immersive sessions, including roundtable discussions, field trips, and site visits, will help participants discover how African immigrants and refugees have shaped modern American cuisine.
Guadalajara Offers Simple, Authentic Mexican Fare
Milwaukee is home to more Latino restaurants than you could explore in a year, or even a lifetime, if you are inclined to visit some of them more than once. On my top list, for example, is Guadalajara Restaurant, a gem I recently discovered in Walker’s Point. We were not looking for Mexican food, but when friends and I noticed a small inconspicuous restaurant at the corner of S. 10th Street and W. Walker Streets, we decided to pop in and check it out. Sometimes the restaurants with the least curb appeal turn out to be the ones where delicious food replaces first impressions based on outside appearances.
Once inside this small restaurant, it was obvious that Guadalajara had had another life as a classy corner bar. An elegant art deco bar with a large mirror in the center told us this place had a history. But nowadays the owners use the bar as a staging platform for baskets of chips, red and green salsa, and meals coming from the kitchen located directly to the rear. Guadalajara appeared busy every time I visited, and this use of the bar kept things moving rapidly from kitchen to customer. Of course, there were no stools, with the exception of one lone seat at the far end, where a lucky customer had a bird’s eye view of the restaurant.
Guadalajara does an efficient carry-out business which explained the woman with a large pot of red salsa filling small plastic containers for take-out meals. We also noticed more than enough servers dressed in black and ready to deliver your food the minute it departed the kitchen.
Lulu Cafe Is Still a Winner
Before Bay View became a dining destination, there was LuLu Cafe & Bar, a few steps off S. Kinnickinnic Avenue on S. Howell Avenue. You might say the owners were pioneers in a neighborhood yet to be redeveloped and with few restaurants. That was back in 2001, when Lulu opened with a small dining area, mainly counter seating, and a couple of tables.
Now they use the original space for takeout and special parties as they expanded into a much larger room with a full bar and multiple tables. They have a dedicated cadre of diners that date back to 2001, and that includes me.
One thing has remained the same and let us hope they never cease making are the gigantic house chips and the crunchy Asian slaw. When you order from the sandwich menu, Burgers, Pitas, Melts, and Baguettes, your sandwich comes with chips or slaw or a little of both. That “little of both” is relative because even in a split, the portions are generous. You will want to add the blue cheese dip, a mild accompaniment to the chips because you can, and they charge a mere $.50 for this dipping sauce.
When you order a pita, and there are several choices, be prepared for a pita stretched to its limits with a filling guaranteed to please. The Roasted Vegetable Pita, for example, has an entire vegetable garden roasted to perfection and served with a refreshing cucumber sauce. If you are willing to forgo the chips and slaw, you can have the roasted veggies in a salad with spring greens and tossed with red wine vinaigrette.
New Restaurant For Vliet Street
For years, Lisa Kaye Catering has been an award-winning choice for birthdays, weddings and other special events. Soon, a new location will make the company’s offerings accessible whenever a craving strikes.
Chef-owner Lisa McKay is bringing her talents to the Near West Side, with plans to open a new bistro at the former site of Triciclo Peru.
The process is already well underway, with workers installing signage for Lisa Kaye Bistro at 3801 W. Vliet St. in late July.
McKay, who stars in her own online cooking show, confirmed that the location will operate as a brick-and-mortar restaurant, but was not available for further comment.
Vivent Health Partners With Area Restaurants For HIV Care
When addressing a challenge as significant as the HIV epidemic, sometimes the best approach is one step at a time — or in the case of Dining Out for Life, one bite at a time.
More than a dozen Milwaukee area restaurants are set to participate in the second annual dining event, which raises funds for the food pantry at Vivent Health.
The organization is one of the country’s leading HIV care providers, offering assistance to nearly 4,000 Milwaukeeans who live with the virus, while also providing resources and support to their loved ones.
Its Milwaukee clinic, 1311 N. 6th St., provides “the latest HIV treatments” while also focusing on holistic services such as insurance support, case management and access to healthy food.
Shawarma Restaurant Planned For Brewery District
You’ve heard of Shawarma King and Shawarma Palace. Now, get ready for Mr. Shawarma.
The new restaurant may not have a royal title, but its menu promises to measure up, said owner Amjad Amali, who plans to open the counter-service eatery at the Eleven25 food court at 1125 N. 9th St.
Amali brings years of experience to the new venture, having worked at numerous restaurants throughout Milwaukee; Mr. Shawarma will be his first foray into ownership.
Equipped with plenty of industry knowledge, Amali said he felt prepared for the next step. “I have experience and I want to own my own business,” he said. “I don’t want to work for anybody, I just want to take care of my business.”
Riverwest’s Kitchen Kings Is Closed
The late-night dining scene in Riverwest shrunk by one with the recent closure of Kitchen Kings, a takeout-only restaurant serving burgers, chicken wings, cheese fries and other casual eats.
The business, a project of Waleed Kamal Mohamady, opened at 1000 E. Locust St. in October 2023, joining the nearby Lush Popcorn, in a much-celebrated reinvigoration of the neighborhood thoroughfare.
In recent weeks, however, Kitchen Kings was marked permanently closed. A Monday afternoon call to the restaurant went unanswered.
Kitchen Kings was a solo venture for Mohamady, though he brought plenty of experience to the role as a co-founder of Milwaukee-based fast food chain Mad Chicken. The fast-growing company operates 21 restaurants across the country, including three locations in Milwaukee.
Seafood-Focused Mexican Restaurant Closes
Restaurant Jerez quietly closed its doors in late 2023 after a year-long run in the Harbor District.
A recent visit to the family-owned Mexican eatery, 828 S. 1st St., revealed locked doors and a pile of unread mail in the building’s vestibule — a contrast to the once-colorful and inviting restaurant space.
The short-lived business was a longtime dream for Platon Peña Delgado and his wife, Martha Acosta Ramirez, who launched Restaurant Jerez with help from their children at the end of 2022.
Though initially billed as a restaurant, the business pivoted during its early months to favor bar operations, offering a handful of amusement machines and TVs for sports viewing.
East Side’s Merge Has Closed
Merge was a trendy addition to the East Side when it opened in 2018, offering creative cocktails and some of the city’s most authentic Korean street food — all against a backdrop of colorful, street art-inspired decor.
Located at 1932 E. Kenilworth Pl., the bar and restaurant quickly garnered a loyal neighborhood following and successfully navigated the COVID-19 pandemic; however, it has since faded from the scene.
Customers report that Merge operated with irregular hours throughout the spring and summer. Recently, a handwritten note was posted on the restaurant’s front door, announcing its closure.
Building owner Ben Checota confirmed last week that owners Karandeep and Karamdeep Randhawa vacated the building in the final days of July.
Glorioso Family Reflects on 78 Years of Business
It’s the end of an era on Brady Street — at least behind the scenes.
After Urban Milwaukee broke the news Tuesday that Glorioso’s Italian Market would be sold, the Glorioso family offered its first comments.
Representatives on both sides of the sale assure customers that nothing will change. Not the name, not the recipes and certainly not the cult-favorite Human Torch sandwich.
“It is important to us to keep the feel and rich history of Glorioso’s and pass it to the next generation,” said owner Salvatore “Teddy” Glorioso, in a statement.
7 Wisconsin Chefs Featured at Fondy Farm Feast
Last August, on a cloudless Wisconsin evening, the sun set on the 12th annual Fondy Farm Feast. Martha Davis Kipcak hopes the 2024 dinner on Aug. 18 will be equally picturesque.
“It would be a lot to ask to do it again, but that’s what I’m asking for,” said Davis Kipcak, vice president of the board of directors for Fondy.
The outdoor meal, held under a gleaming white tent at Fondy Farm in Mequon, gathers farmers, donors, and Fondy supporters for a meal prepared by acclaimed local chefs, serving as both a nexus for community connection and the organization’s largest fundraising push of the year.
“We are a small and lean nonprofit that lifts a lot,” Davis Kipcak said of Fondy, which aims to increase access to healthy, local food and economic opportunity throughout the Milwaukee area.
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.
Now Serving
-
Central Waters Celebrates 3rd Anniversary
Aug 11th, 2024 by Sophie Bolich
-
Milwaukee Food Truck Serving The Chicago Bears, Training Camp Fans
Aug 4th, 2024 by Sophie Bolich
-
Taichi Bubble Tea Opens on East Side
Jul 28th, 2024 by Sophie Bolich
