Bryant’s Opens Tom & Jerry Room
Plus: Biggby Coffee opens, two food trucks move to Bay View and goodbye Satchmo's.
Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge. Photo by Michael Horne.
With stomachs full of Thanksgiving leftovers, Milwaukeeans are turning their attention to the upcoming holiday season, and Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge is helping set the mood with the opening of its Tom & Jerry Room, a festive experience dedicated to the Christmas-time classic cocktail.
The annual pop-up, located in the upper-level Velvet Lounge, kicked off Nov. 29 and continues each Thursday, Friday and Saturday in December — plus Sunday, Dec. 22 and Monday, Dec. 23.
The namesake cocktail is the perfect accompaniment to a cold winter night, incorporating Korbel brandy and Bacardí Añejo Cuatro, along with eggs, vanilla, powdered sugar, butter and warming spices. Bryant’s blend is scratch-made nightly using a traditional family recipe.
To access the pop-up, guests should order their Tom & Jerry from a server, then make their way to the upstairs pop-up, where they’re free to sip while surrounded by cozy, themed decor.
The opening of Tom & Jerry Room follows on the heels of another Bryant’s tradition: the cocktail bar’s Holiday Punch Release Party, which was held Nov. 27, on Thanksgiving Eve.
In addition to tasting this year’s spiked punch, guests had access to a special tasting experience, Bryant’s history lesson and “Holiday Punch Talk,” and were sent home with commemorative punch glasses designed by Pete Klockau of the Black Lagoon Room.
Bryant’s, located at 1579 S. 9th St., is open Tuesday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. The Tom & Jerry Room will operate with abbreviated hours.
New Restaurant Planned For Lincoln Warehouse
Three breweries, one bakery, a distillery and, soon, a restaurant. A new proposal aims to add Jalisco’s Cantina to the diverse lineup of tenants at Lincoln Warehouse.
The concept already has deep roots in Milwaukee, as founder Miguel Herrera spent nearly two decades with his family’s restaurant before branching out on his own, he stated in a license application.
Jalisco’s would function as a full-service restaurant and bar, filling the vacant space at 2018 S. 1st St. that was most recently occupied by MOR Bakery & Cafe.
A proposed menu for the business features classic Mexican dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, tacos, burritos and menudo — a rich and spicy tripe soup widely known to cure a nasty resaca, or hangover.
Cocaine, Chickens Lead to Closing Southside Tavern
Firearms, cocaine, pepper spray and chickens—this unconventional combination led to the closure of El Cielo Bar by the City of Milwaukee.
On Tuesday, the matter came to a final, unanimous vote before the Common Council, which declined to renew the tavern’s license, effectively shuttering the business.
The decision followed a License Committee meeting earlier this month, which uncovered several points of concern at the establishment, 1226 W. National Ave., as well as in an upper-level residential unit occupied by owner Ruben Albanil-Coyolt.
During the 40-minute hearing on Nov. 12, committee members expressed apprehension over a “concerning” 18-item police report for the bar, which outlined incidents involving illicit drugs, gunplay and physical altercations, as noted by Alderwoman JoCasta Zamarripa.
A New Kind of Bar Shuffle
Several southside bars are caught up in a months-long game of musical chairs. But instead of a melody, their moves are dictated by the decisions of the Milwaukee Licenses Committee, which oversees approvals, renewals and transfers of licenses.
The shuffle began in early 2024 when Hangoverz vacated its longtime location at 3121 W. Greenfield Ave. with plans to reopen a half mile or so southeast, at 2539 W. Mitchell St.
That shift traces back to 2021, when Esmeralda Navarrete Gonzalez purchased the Greenfield Avenue property for $182,500. Her husband, Jose Cortes, is now working to open a new business, Rain 24, in the vacant tavern space.
Cortes told Urban Milwaukee in January that his tavern aims to serve as a welcoming place for community members to gather and converse while enjoying drinks and background music.
Snack Shop Planned For Downtown
A new Milwaukee snack shop will showcase the kind of over-the-top creations generally reserved for the privacy of late nights in our own kitchens. Mini pancakes with unlimited toppings, jumbo pretzels with cheese sauce and a comically large 10-scoop ice cream sundae are all on the menu at Jr’s Treats, which is set to open by the end of 2024.
When Nerilyn Cruz-Colon first launched the business, it was meant to be a side hobby—bringing in a little extra cash and spreading joy to friends and family through one of her favorite pastimes.
But as demand grew, so did Jr’s Treats. Now, at just 24 years old, Cruz-Colon is gearing up to open her first brick-and-mortar storefront in the heart of Downtown, at 624 N. Water St.
While the business’s location is changing, its name—honoring Cruz-Colon’s son—and its core mission will stay the same.
5 Festive Food Events For Thanksgiving Week
While many home cooks take pride in pulling off a laborious feast for Thanksgiving, others are more than happy to leave the preparations to the professionals.
Ash Hearth & Bar is for the latter group. The Iron Horse Hotel‘s in-house restaurant, 500 W. Florida St., along with dozens of others across the Milwaukee area, will open to guests on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, serving dishes such as hay-smoked pork belly, hearth-cooked lamb shoulder, wood-fired radicchio and pumpkin pie in a jar.
Paired with a house cocktail or a glass of wine, the fine dining experience may just make up for the lack of leftovers.
Reservations are filling quickly, though several spots remain for a mid-afternoon meal.
Two Food Trucks Land Residencies in Bay View
Two Milwaukee food trucks are migrating south for the winter — but not to a warmer climate. Instead, Dooby Dogs and Pallino Burger are heading to Bay View bars for seasonal residencies.
Dooby Dogs, which got its start at Boone & Crockett, is now stationed at The Mothership, 2301 S. Logan Ave., where it serves an extra-napkin-necessitating menu of loaded hot dogs, corn dogs, seasoned fries and house chili.
Mitch Ciohon, chef and owner of the food truck, named each of his menu items after The Grateful Dead, with options including The Pig Pen (beans, queso, tomato relish, sour cream, cotija cheese, scallions, crispy onions) The Brent (lettuce, beans, barbecue sauce, ranch, scallions, crispy onions) and The Mickey (arugula, corn salad, avocado Tabasco sauce, cotija cheese, radishes, crispy onions). Vegan sausages are available as a substitute for meat in any menu item.
The truck, which features a hotdog-shaped neon “open” sign, is situated to the west of the Mothership building, in the space formerly occupied by Maya Ophelia’s, another Boone & Crockett alum. That food truck had a plant-based concept that debuted in 2018 and operated at The Mothership for about a year before closing last June.
Biggby Coffee Sets Red Arrow Grand Opening Date
A new coffee shop is set to open at Red Arrow Park just in time for ice skating season. Biggby Coffee, which overlooks the park’s “Slice of Ice” rink, will serve its first official customers on Monday, Nov. 25 with a slate of specials to mark the long-awaited launch.
The business, run by franchisees Curtis Grace and Keith Washington, replaces Starbucks at 920 N. Water St. The previous cafe operated for nearly 20 years before its November 2023 closure.
With more than 400 locations in 13 states, Biggby offers a variety of coffee and espresso beverages, along with blended drinks, teas and boba. A food menu for the counter-service establishment includes waffle breakfast sandwiches, baked goods, bagels and packaged snacks.
Guests can expect discounts on food and drinks during Biggby’s first week in business, with a handful of lucky customers winning free coffee for the rest of the year.
New Southside Restaurant Will Serve International Cuisine
A new fast-food restaurant is set to open on Milwaukee’s South Side, but it’s not Popeyes, McDonald’s or Burger King.
Al-Baik, 1017 W. Historic Mitchell St., plans to serve burgers and fries alongside Indian, Pakistani, Somali and Mexican dishes—all with a focus on fresh and nutritious options.
Co-owners Niaz Hussain and Muhammad Anwar, who operate two restaurants in Chicago, said they identified a need for quick, healthy food in the Milwaukee market and hope customers will appreciate the concept’s made-to-order format and minimally processed ingredients.
“We cook it right in front of you – whatever you want to eat – and it’s all healthy,” Hussain told Urban Milwaukee in an interview, noting that a diabetes diagnosis motivated him to emphasize nutritious options. “I want to feed everybody healthy food,” he said.
Judy’s Cantina Offers Tasty Mexican Fare
Judy’s Cantina, formerly located at 2207 E. North Ave., recently moved into the space vacated by Simple Café, the former breakfast and lunch restaurant at 2124 N. Farwell. If you are curious about the name of the cantina, there is a Judy, Judith Figueroa, who co-owns the restaurant with Kevin Lopez, who also happens to be her son. Both Figueroa and Lopez worked at Jalisco Mexican Restaurant, a longtime favorite that pre-dated Judy’s at the North Ave. location.
You will notice that there are many dishes on the menu not commonly seen at local Mexican restaurants. Judy’s offers the usual tacos, burritos, tostados, and enchiladas, but there are also specialties, and that is where the menu gets interesting.
For example, Lomo De Puerco En Salsa Verde, pork loin with green salsa, was a plate filled with thinly sliced and fork-tender pork that was topped with a spicy salsa. The salsa left the kind of warm heat that lasted after the last bite and left a happy memory of a delicious dish.
Another Special, Tampiquena De Pollo is a classic Mexican entree. If you order this chicken dish, you will not leave the table hungry. The plate included sliced chicken breast hiding underneath cilantro, including the stems, spicy green salsa, sauteed onions, an enchilada, a dish of freshly made guacamole, shredded lettuce, and the usual rice and beans. Like the pork loin, the chicken was fork-tender.
Satchmo’s to Close in December
Satchmo’s, a Bay View sports bar, will close its doors in December after just under a year in business. The space at 182 E. Lincoln Ave. will soon be leased to a new operator, a representative confirmed Tuesday.
“We’re excited to see what comes of it,” the representative told Urban Milwaukee.
The incoming operators, according to a license application, are industry veterans Julio Maldonado and Andres Garcia, owners of Catrina Cafe and Revival. The partners would introduce a brand-new concept for the Bay View space, with plans to open Brown & Gibbs Sports Bar.
The new business leans into its sports theme with a proposed menu of “stadium food” including street tacos, burritos, loaded fries, wings, street corn, quesadillas and pizza. The bar would also offer a full range of alcoholic beverages and a variety of entertainment, according to the application, which requests permission for bands, comedy acts, DJs and games such as darts, pool and pinball.
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