Brisa Do Mar Is Very Mediterranean

Brisa Do Mar. Photo by Cari Taylor-Carlson.

Brisa Do Mar opened on May 1 this year and just in time for summer al fresco meals on its riverside deck in the Historic Third Ward on Erie Street. This is a prime location on the river and chef Ramses Alvarez has taken full advantage of the view by placing many awning-shaded tables close to the river where diners can enjoy a steady parade of pleasure boats.

Diners also have an unobstructed view of the Historic Milwaukee Swing Bridge, which was constructed in 1915. It operated like an 800-ton turntable and in its heyday, the bridge carried up to 100 trains a day, or one every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day. On top of the bridge, a bridge keeper’s house was the place where a railroad employee watched for trains and managed its controls.

The first thing you see when you arrive at Brisa do Mar is the name of the restaurant in large letters on the brick exterior and the word “Mediterrano.” That designation, according to my conversation with Alvarez, opened possibilities for a variety of cuisines associated with the region including specialties from Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Northern Africa, and many more countries located in the Mediterranean Basin.

Because he inherited two pizza ovens from the former tenant Riverfront Pizza, Alvarez features pizza on the lengthy menu. My companion’s Funghi Con Formaggio, local mushrooms, fontina, and roasted garlic cream sauce, was a classic Napolitana style from the wood burning oven. Our server described the crust as “fluffy” and that turned out to be an accurate description. The mushroom and cheese filling sunk into the dough which was lightly charred and quite tasty. If you favor Napolitana pizza, you know it is as much about the dough and the crust as it is about the filling. Other choices from the wood burning oven include Pesto Chicken, a Margherita, Da Brisa, which has shrimp, kalamata olives, and soppressata, and La Vert, with pesto fontina, zucchini, hazelnuts, and edible flowers.

If you order a Brique Pizza, it will have a thin crust unlike the puffy pizza from the wood burning oven. Brique Pizza choices include Di Parma with prosciutto, Carnivore with sausage, pepperoni, bacon, Canadian bacon and BBQ Chicken, and Bianco with garlic, romano, mozzarella, and ricotta.

Other Italian entrees include Pappardelle Pork Ragout, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Bucatini Alla Genovese with pistachio pesto and ricotta, and my companion’s Alfredo Alla Scrofa with Rotisserie Chicken. My friend thought the chef had added a step in the recipe and roasted the rotisserie chicken to give it additional flavor. Otherwise, it was a basic alfredo, creamy, rich, and topped with parmesan.

Another Italian entrée from the Sandwiches was my Focaccia Rossa with tomato sauce, parmesan, capicola, and arugula that added a fresh peppery note. The capicola dominated the other flavors. The focaccia appeared to come from the wood burning oven and looked and tasted like a Napolitana pizza. It was a flatbread, not a sandwich.

My companions and I also ordered from the other side of the menu where there were choices from more Mediterranean countries such as the Eggplant Chips served with Harissa sauce and lemon slices. The eggplant was sliced lengthwise to make it look like giant potato chips, then, it was sauteed, and instead of the usual breading, the chips were served plain with quartered lemons. They were unique: they tasted like eggplant, not deep-fried breading; and they quickly disappeared.

For the Turkish Chickpea Salad, the chef roasted the chickpeas and combined them with quinoa, tomatoes, and cucumbers. A simple, lemon-flavored dressing gave the salad a tart kick and parsley and mint added a fresh note to this healthful salad.

There were more roasted chickpeas on the Mezze Platter in the hummus, a delicious hummus my companion rated A plus. Also on the platter, whipped feta added a gentle spicy heat, and Tabbouleh, mainly chopped tomatoes, was a tart contrast to the creamy whipped feta. Grilled naan seasoned with Za’atar finished the plate.

The Wood Roasted Pork, a Snackie, was as close to pork belly as was possible without being pork belly. It was crunchy and fatty pork loin at its best. The chef served it on curry sauce made with roasted and pureed apples. A colorful tuile looked like an inedible addition, but to our surprise was a tasty, crisp morsel.

There was more Za’atar on the Moonish Turkish Flatbread which was topped with feta and Kalamata olives. The flatbread came from the wood burning oven and closely resembled the Napolitana pizza, but unlike the pizza, the Za’atar, slightly lemony, sweet, tangy, and salty, gave the flatbread a more classic mediterranean flavor profile.

Brisa do Mar translates to sea breeze which suggests fresh, refreshing, slightly salty, and always a pleasure. That sums up my shared meals on the riverside deck at this new restaurant in the Third Ward.

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The Rundown

• Location: 509 E. Erie St.
• Phone: 414-231-9574
• Hours: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mon, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tue-Sun
• Neighborhood: Historic Third Ward
• Website: https://brisadomarmke.com
• UM Rating: stars (average of Yelp, Trip Advisor and Zomato)