Camino Owner Expands With West Allis Wine Bar
Plus: New Hmong restaurant, Burmese food for Bay View, latest James Beard nominees.
Site of Caulfield’s Wine Bar, 7413 W. Greenfield Ave. Photo taken Jan. 22, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.
Caulfield’s Wine Bar is approaching its one-month anniversary in West Allis, having introducing its chef-driven menu and curated wine list in late December.
With its elegant dining room and polished bar — complete with a gliding ladder for hard-to-reach bottles — Caulfield’s is a departure from its craft beer-focused sibling, Camino. Nevertheless, owner Casey Rataczak sees the wine bar as a perfect addition to the neighborhood — a way to “usher in the new” while honoring “that West Allis grit.”
“It’s something a little different for the area, a new experience,” he said.
Located at 7413 W. Greenfield Ave. in the former Benno’s Genuine Bar & Grill, Caulfield’s offers an assortment of global wines, available by the glass or bottle. There are also flights, featuring three-ounce pours of four different wines. The broad selection aims to highlight small producers, presenting wines in a way that’s “inviting and enjoyable” to all, Rataczak says.
His knowledge of wine dates back to his early career, when he worked at places like Hi Hat Lounge—during its martini bar days, he clarified—and Trocadero. At the latter, Rataczak was tasked with “a massive wine list,” learning on the job through reading, tasting and conversing with salespeople.
“I was completely immersed in not just wine, but French wine, Old World designations, things like that,” he said.
In addition to its dedicated wine menu, Caulfield’s offers a separate selection of craft cocktails, non-alcoholic options and a variety of canned, bottled and draft beers, as well as a food program presented by chef Vinny Cornils.
Cornils, previously of Easy Tyger and The Original, looks o offer both comfort and creativity with dishes like steamed mussels with pancetta and cream, herb-garnished butternut squash flatbread and wild boar ragout with hand-cut pasta.
Additional highlights include bar snacks such as duck fat potato wedges and small plates like fried brussels sprouts, salads and duck cordon bleu egg rolls. The restaurant also offers entrees including sauteed whitefish, steak, a classic burger and the Sloppy Bo, a wild boar sloppy joe.
Rataczak, who balks at words like “elevated” and “upscale,” said Caulfield’s is simply “an exploration of wine and food.”
In addition to its full-time menu, the restaurant offers daily specials and happy hour deals. A collection of paintings from Eli Rosenblatt, reportedly inspired by his time as a tavern owner in Taiwan, add intrigue to the space.
Rataczak also owns Camino locations in Walker’s Point, opened in 2015, and West Allis, opened in 2020.
Planning a visit? See the Caulfield’s website for daily specials.
The business is open Monday through Thursday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Caulfield’s is also adding Saturday and Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Photos
Shuttered Bay View Brewery Selling Equipment in Auction
Looking to launch a new brewery?
Enlightened Brewing Company, which closed its doors earlier this month after a 10-year run, is selling its equipment and fixtures.
A 15-barrel Quality Tank Systems brewing system might be the main draw for those looking to grow their operation, but plenty of other items are available.
The 55-foot-long curved bar? It could be yours. A delivery van? It’s there. Four bottles of hard liquor? Also available. There are even a few cases and kegs of beer.
Bay View Restaurant Sets Opening Date
Every new business could use a bit of extra luck, and Nyo Nyo Lin isn’t leaving anything to chance when it comes to her restaurant, Ni Burmese.
Before its official opening on Jan. 25, the restaurant will hold a private ceremony featuring a traditional monk’s blessing. The practice, common in Burmese culture, is intended to usher in prosperity and good fortune.
The Southeast Asian restaurant, 2140 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., draws inspiration from generational recipes once featured at her family’s restaurants in Myanmar. Lin’s mother, Ni Ni, will lead the restaurant’s kitchen, with experience stretching back to her teenage years in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), where she learned to cook alongside her own mother.
Highlights include mohinga, a fish soup made with rice noodles and garnished with boiled eggs, crispy fritters and fresh cilantro. The soup, Myanmar’s national dish, is typically eaten as a filling breakfast. The menu also features fragrant coconut chicken soup and khan oh, bean vermicelli soup with pork or chicken, as well as appetizers like samosas, Burmese tempura and fried pork rolls.
Teen Lounge Planned For Hampton Avenue
It’s a rare day that Sharron Hart’s home isn’t full of kids. The mother of three often plays host to her 10, 15 and 17-year-old friends, especially since activities for youth outside the house are limited.
“They can’t go anywhere anymore,” she said, noting that malls and even certain restaurants require parental supervision. “They just really need a place to go and be off the street.”
Hart is now working to make that a reality, with plans to open Teen-n-Out, a youth-specific lounge, at 1950 W. Hampton Ave.
Hart said she envisions the business as a lounge solely for teens, offering a safe space to hang out with friends, eat, listen to music and play games. In addition to daily activities, Hart said she plans to host weekly events including karaoke and open mics, as well as monthly workshops for technical skills like barbering, hairstyling and contracting.
Tasting Event Pairs Aspiring Chefs with Industry Mentors
PEARLS for Teen Girls is partnering with several local chefs for a unique twist on the traditional pairing dinner—one that brings together industry veterans and young women interested in the culinary arts.
The experience aims to inspire teen girls while offering them first-hand insight into the triumphs and challenges of working in a commercial kitchen.
The initiative will culminate in a Jan. 23, tasting event, Cheers to PEARLS Who Cook, which will be held at Kinship Cafe, 2153 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
“The goal was to organize something a little different,” said Caitlin Cullen, PEARLS board member and director of Kinship Community Food Center. “There’s a bunch of young women in the PEARLS program who are really interested in culinary arts. It’s one thing to watch Food Network, but to be in an actual commercial kitchen, there’s a different vibe to it.”
Southside Bar and Restaurant Receives 60-Day Suspension
La Caleta Restaurant & Bar is a standout on Muskego Avenue, its green awning and LED-framed signage drawing attention along the busy street. For the next two months, however, the business will go dark, the result of a suspension handed down by the Milwaukee Common Council.
On Tuesday, council members voted to suspend the business’s license for 60 days, citing a refusal to cooperate with law enforcement and failure to check IDs. The decision follows a Jan. 7 license renewal hearing, during which committee members raised concerns over an 11-item police report detailing four instances of battery and other license violations.
“We have countless troubling instances in the police report,” said Alderwoman JoCasta Zamarripa, who expressed particular concern about a May 2 incident in which a victim was beaten unconscious in the business’s restroom.
In a statement to police, the victim reported that employees kicked everyone out after learning of the assault and added that the owner was angry at the victim for calling the police. When officers arrived, the business reportedly turned off all its lights, lowered the blinds and refused to open the door.
6 Milwaukee Chefs, 2 Bars Earn James Beard Nominations
It’s an honor — though no longer a surprise — when Milwaukee restaurants earn a spot among the highly anticipated James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists.
Recognition for the city’s cocktail scene, however, is relatively new.
The James Beard Foundation on Wednesday morning announced the semifinalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards. Six Milwaukee chefs, including some perennial favorites, secured nominations — along with two cocktail bars.
Milwaukee made the strongest showing in the chef division. Gregory León, owner and executive chef at Amilinda, is one of 20 nominees for Outstanding Chef. The category recognizes individuals who set “high culinary standards” and a “positive example for other food professionals.”
City Closes Southside Bar, a ‘Drug Trafficking Hub’
Ten arrests, eight firearms and more than 9,000 grams of drugs are all tied to El Infierno, a southside tavern now described as “a drug trafficking hub” and the focal point of an ongoing investigation by the Milwaukee Police Department. That includes more than 1,000 grams each of cocaine, methamphetamine and THC.
On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Common Council voted to permanently close the tavern, 2000 W. Mitchell St. The decision followed a Jan. 7 hearing with the Licenses Committee, which included testimony from MPD.
“As you can imagine, I am dismayed at what I’m hearing,” said Licenses Committee Chair JoCasta Zamarripa, whose aldermanic district includes the tavern. The alderwoman also expressed frustration in licensee Antonio Martinez, who declined to comment during the hearing, citing a lack of representation.
“You have known about this for six months,” she said, noting that Martinez had requested the hearing be postponed multiple times due to international travel. “Why aren’t you prepared, and why didn’t you retain an attorney? You knew what you were facing.”
Hmong Restaurant Joining Phongsavan Asian Market
A new, quick-service restaurant specializing in pho, stuffed wings, pork belly, and other Southeast Asian favorites is coming to Milwaukee’s Northwest Side.
Xiong Pao Lor, a first-time restaurateur, plans to open Maider Kitchen Restaurant at 6318 N. 76th St., inside Phongsavan Market.
Lor named the restaurant in honor of his mother, whose passion for cooking inspired the business. “I’ve always loved food, and my mom loves to cook,” he said, adding that some of the featured dishes at Maider Kitchen will be based on generational recipes.
The proposed menu offers a blend of Asian cuisines, featuring pho from Vietnam, Hmong sausage and Singapore-style noodles. Additional entrees include fried pork belly, fried chicken, seasonal fish, sweet braised pork, pork belly stew with boiled vegetables and red curry with pork.
Niche Book Bar Opens in Bronzeville
The end of 2024 marked the beginning of a new chapter for Bronzeville, which welcomed the long-awaited Niche Book Bar.
Cetonia Weston opened the bookstore at 1937 N. Martin Luther King Jr Dr., establishing a brick-and-mortar home for the mobile business she founded in 2020.
The shop is the culmination of nearly four years of work for Weston, who faced numerous setbacks while struggling to find reliable contractors.
“That was the challenge right there,” said Weston, noting it significantly delayed the store’s opening.
Cheba Hut Takes on Cannabis Prisoners
Cheba Hut is all-in on its marijuana theme, serving “toasted” sandwiches, cotton-mouth cures and other munchies — all accompanied by a complimentary joint carrier, if you’re lucky.
While the brand leans into its quirky branding — complete with plentiful puns — it also uses its platform to champion meaningful change.
On Jan. 22, more than 75 Cheba Hut locations nationwide—including Milwaukee joints at 2202 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. and 2907 N. Oakland Ave.—will participate in the fourth annual SmokeOut InJustice Day.
For every salad and sandwich purchased that day, $2 will be donated to the nonprofit Last Prisoner Project (LPP). The proceeds will support LPP’s mission to free individuals incarcerated on nonviolent cannabis charges through legal advocacy, public education, and legislative action.
Don’t Pass Up Hooligan’s Restaurant
It was a photo of a hot dog wrapped in bacon, deep-fried, and covered with melted cheese, that led me to Hooligan’s Super Bar.
That indulgent hot dog, known as the Frankenweenie, turned out to be everything I had hoped for and more. In addition to its combination of fat and more fat, it was served on a New England-style bun with a large opening that left room for the 1/4 lb. hot dog. The bun was grilled on both sides which added to the flavor of every crisp cheesy bacony bite. The chef finished it with a drizzle of house-made BBQ sauce. You can also order this one-quarter pound hot dog with chili, The Big Ol’ Chili Dog, or the Jalapeno Dog with pepper jack and jalapeno relish.
My companion went mainstream with the Rachel, a reuben made with oven-roasted turkey instead of corned beef. The rye bread was grilled and the turkey slices were thick and tender. The potato salad side was a creamy dish of sliced potatoes and the blue cheese coleslaw, another side, had just enough blue cheese to make it interesting without overwhelming the rest of the slaw. Other sides included fries, waffle fries, tater tots, a side salad and a bag of k kettle chips.
We learned from our server, Tess, that Hooligan’s has been a Milwaukee staple since 1936 and that makes it older than most of its customers. Tess was a server in 2020 when a fire broke out in the kitchen in November. She also told us that owner Mark Buesing has worked at Hooligan’s for most of his adult life, which probably means he washed dishes, served, cleaned up, cooked and did all the other miscellaneous tasks that go on behind the scenes of a well-run restaurant. Thanks to Buesing and the former owners, Hooligan’s is more than an East Side bar, it is an excellent restaurant that also happens to be a bar.
Pop Up Brings Back Menu Items From Cult Favorite Restaurant
South Water Snacks may be the only Milwaukee culinary concept that doubles as a pharmacy.
With menu items ranging from queso-drenched fries to something called Dumpster Brownies, the pop-up promises to deliver on indulgence and, perhaps, a bit of indigestion.
The solution? Put meds on the menu. Miniature bags of Lactaid (for lactose intolerance) and Tums (antacid relief) are available for $1 each.
These over-the-counter offerings are just one example of owner Mitch Ciohon‘s good-humored approach to the business, which also features a list of “rules” advising customers: no reservations, no plates, no pickled radish, no questions.
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