Drag Shows Will Honor This is It
Plus: Ballpark eats, a new Korean restaurant and the return of MobCraft.
Yufie performs at This is It in January, 2025. Photo by Sophie Bolich.
This is It may have closed its doors in East Town, but its queens aren’t finished yet. Drag performers from the former bar will star in a number of upcoming local shows, including an official farewell party at The Cooperage.
Gather Them
Billed as the “official TITs Closing Party & Benefit Show,” Gather Them will take place on Friday, March 28, at 822 S. Water St. from 5 p.m. to midnight. The 18+ event will feature a reunion mixer, bingo, a drag show, and other activities.
The main event—a drag show—will begin at 8 p.m., showcasing performances by Risk E Bismuth, Iconika Strange, Melee the Queen, Supernova, Aubrey Del Mar, Ayesha Voodoo, Roxy Toxin, Jaclyn Jill, Lola Rome, Posie, Yufie, Baylee IJ Davenport and Princess Janelza, with music by DJ Femme Noir and Police Create Hippies.
The event is free to attend, though donations are encouraged, with all proceeds benefiting former This is It show hosts. A full schedule for the evening is available online.
Eat
House of Bridges is hosting a drag event of its own in the wake of the closure. Eat, an evening of dinner and drag, is coming to 311 E. Wisconsin Ave., on March 29; an earlier installment was held March 22.
For $80, guests can enjoy live performances from queens including Supernova, Princess Janelza, Lola Rome, Brooklyn and Aubrey Del Mar, along with three plates from an a la carte menu by Mother’s.
The event is $40 to attend without food, but the menu—featuring dishes like smoked gouda mac and cheese, chili crisp fried chicken and smoked eggplant pâté—is not to be missed.
The venue will offer a cash bar, and guests are encouraged to bring cash to tip the queens. Tickets are available online, with a percentage of sales directly benefiting performers. More information is available via the event flyer.
The Serve
Susie Starlet will take the stage at Cactus Club, 2496 S. Wentworth Ave., on March 26 for a special edition of The Serve, held in honor of This is It.
The show will feature nine hosts from the former bar: Ayesha Voodoo, Baylee IJ Davenport, Princess Janelza, Roxy Toxin, Jaclyn Jill, Risk E. Bismuth, Posie, Yufie and Entity. Another queen, Blythe, will be collecting tips.
Tip Your Queens
Jazz Gallery, 926 E. Center St., will host a benefit for This is It entertainers on April 11. The event will feature a sliding scale for entry ($10 to $20 suggested) and include a raffle and drag show.
“This isn’t just a fundraiser—it’s a statement that drag and queer performance deserve to be valued beyond nightlife,” the business shared in an online post. “By hosting this at Jazz Gallery, we’re creating a third space where queer artistry is celebrated for its cultural impact, not just tolerated as entertainment.”
In addition, multiple GoFundMe campaigns have been launched to support This is It performers. One, run by the employees themselves, is no longer accepting donations, while another is being overseen by Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts.
This is It co-owner George Schneider also launched his own fundraiser to help recover funds to file for bankruptcy, but closed donations after surpassing his $7,000 goal.
Brewers Unveil New Food Options For 2025
Battered-up, beer-buttered and bunned—new menu additions at American Family Field are sure to be a hit.
The Milwaukee Brewers, along with food service company Delaware North, have revealed a roster of specialty foods for the 2025 MLB season, including flavorful fried chicken, a fleet of new food trucks and a Mexican-inspired take on a ballpark favorite.
Hungry fans can look forward to sandwiches like chicken cordon brew, featuring fried chicken breast, shaved ham, swiss cheese, beer butter onions and brown mustard on a potato bun; and Maxie’s spicy southern, with fried chicken breast, hot sauce, pickles and comeback sauce on a potato bun. These items will be available in sections 112, 118, 123 and 226.
New hot dog selections are outside the box—and bun—like the enchilada dog, which features a salsa roja-dipped corn tortilla, melted cheese, sour cream, onion and cilantro, and the bases loaded potato dog, topped with cheddar cheese, bacon strips, sour cream, tater tots and green onions. Find these in sections 110 and 208.
New Owners Plan to Reopen MobCraft
Three months after closing its doors in Walker’s Point, MobCraft Beer is on track to reopen under new ownership.
Sarah and Michael Halstead have applied for a license to resume production and taproom operations at the brewery, 505 S. 5th St.
A MobCraft alum, Sarah previously worked as the brewery’s director of finance and HR between 2019 and 2023. According to her LinkedIn profile, she later transitioned to a role as bookkeeper for a private equity firm.
The Halsteads plan to continue MobCraft as a brewpub, offering beer and other alcoholic beverages, plus sandwiches, pizza and bar snacks. They’ll also keep the name — and sound system — from the previous business.
New Restaurant Would Replace Bar City Shut Down
Nearly nine months after the City of Milwaukee shut down its previous tenant, the building at 4923 W. Villard Ave. could soon house a new business.
Alexis McKinney plans to open Bistro 4923 in the building, serving casual eats and cocktails, according to a license application. Billed as a full-service restaurant, Bistro 4923 would also offer hookah and live entertainment.
McKinney will be sole owner of the new business, which aims to open in mid-May. She brings past experience from managing a lounge in New Orleans, according to the license application.
The proposed menu features chicken wings, available naked or breaded, with sauce options like Buffalo mild, Buffalo hot, garlic parmesan, barbecue, lemon pepper, sweet heat and honey garlic. It also includes chicken nuggets, tenders, burgers and pizza. Seafood options like shrimp and catfish would also be available, along with daily specials such as Taco Tuesdays and Turkey Leg Saturdays.
Large Wedding Venue Operator Abruptly Shutters, Leaving Questions, Debt, Frustration
A number of engaged couples were left blindsided earlier this week when Black Swan Enterprises abruptly closed down, shuttering three event spaces — and canceling upcoming bookings — in the process.
The company, led by Stephen and Peter Sheperd, previously operated venues including Black Swan MKE —a first-floor, riverfront space in the Renaissance on Water building at 301 N. Water St.—as well as Plant No. 4 and the Bianco Room, both in the Phoenix Building at 219 N. Milwaukee St. A fourth venue, Eagle’s Crest, was also planned for the Eagleknit office building in Walker’s Point. The firm, as of 2021, was also seeking to develop a building from the ground up in the Historic Third Ward.
Online court records reveal that Black Swan was evicted from its Milwaukee Street location in December. However, many couples have said they only found out about the closure in recent days.
Veronica Brend, owner of Veronica Rose Planning, coordinated a wedding at Plant No. 4 on Dec. 14, over a week after the eviction was granted. But she said the owners weren’t forthcoming about the order. “You would have had no idea there was going to be an eviction notice on the door.”
Korean Food For 3rd Street Market Hall
Ivan and Oscar Rubio Gutierrez, owners of Ikigai Izakaya food truck at Zocalo, are set to debut a new Korean-focused concept, In-Yun, at 3rd Street Market Hall this spring.
The expansion will bring dishes like kalbi, bibimbap, bulgogi and japchae to a hawker stall at the market, replacing WOK Downtown MKE, which is set to close in the coming weeks.
The Rubio brothers opened Ikigai in May 2024, leveraging years of culinary and entrepreneurial experience for the venture. And while their current menu emphasizes pan-Asian dishes, their culinary roots trace back to Mexico, where their mother has operated a restaurant since 1989.
“She was our teacher,” Ivan said, noting that he and Oscar began working in the family restaurant as kids. “[Oscar] learned the chef side from her, and I focused on administration.”
Caterer Finds Permanent Home at Sherman Phoenix
When LaTanya Perine brought her catering company, Just4U, to Sherman Phoenix Marketplace, it was intended to be a one-day gig. But one day turned into two, then three, and soon her unofficial residency stretched across several months.
Now, she’s making it permanent, with plans to open full-time within the business hub at 3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave. The new restaurant, set to open next month, will specialize in comfort foods, including a variety of vegan offerings.
A passionate home cook, Perine learned the craft from her grandmother.
“She cooked, every day, at least a five- to seven-course meal for the family,” Perine said. “When I was younger, while living with my grandparents, I learned how to cook — I learned the love language that was cooking.”
Sports Bar Surrenders License After Shooting
Bar 107 Sports Bar and Grill has permanently closed following a fatal shooting that occurred near the establishment over the weekend.
The closure comes after pressure from area Alderwoman Larresa Taylor, which prompted the bar at 8775 N. 107th St. to surrender its license. “Bar 107 is now closed permanently,” Taylor confirmed in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
The shooting took place around 1:40 a.m. on Sunday, March 16, on the 8700 block of N. Granville Rd., according to a statement from the Milwaukee Police Department.
Brenisha Butcher, a 33-year-old woman, was pronounced dead at the scene, while her sister, 30-year-old Brittany Butcher was transported to the hospital with non-fatal gunshot wounds.
Third Ward Dessert Shop Will Close
With colorful treats, calming infusions and a pastel-pink food trailer, Amanda Buhrman permanently changed the dessert game in Milwaukee.
After nearly four years at the helm of Sweetly Baked, Buhrman announced on Tuesday that the Historic Third Ward dessert shop will soon close. However, the business plans to go out on a sweet note, maintaining regular hours until its final service on April 11.
Launched as a pop-up in 2021, Sweetly Baked quickly gained traction with its homemade desserts, including macarons, cookies and brownies. After early success, Buhrman expanded the business with a food trailer for catering and special events. In April 2024, she opened a brick-and-mortar location at 207 E. Buffalo St.
All operations will cease next month, according to Buhrman, who attributed the closure to economic instability and heightened financial challenges in her social media announcement.
Culinary Fundraiser at Pfister Hotel Honors Jacques Pepin
It’s not every day that a world-renowned chef turns 90, but Jacques Pépin will mark the occasion 90 times in 2025.
Known for his cooking shows, bestselling books, and time as personal chef to French President Charles de Gaulle, Pépin will reach the milestone on Dec. 18. The celebration, however, will last all year.
The 90/90 Dinner Series—a nationwide fundraising campaign featuring 90 ticketed events—will honor Pépin while supporting the Jacques Pépin Foundation, which provides culinary education for individuals facing employment barriers. One of those events will take place in Milwaukee.
“Through job training in food service for people facing employment barriers nationwide, and improved health and food literacy for all, the gifts collected during this campaign will make a lasting change for the better,” organizers wrote in a news release.
The Story of Tricklebee Cafe
Pay what you can, give what you’ve got and pull up a chair; there’s room for all at Tricklebee Cafe.
Opened in November 2016, the community-focused restaurant at 4414 W. North Ave. is nearing its ninth anniversary. Given its unique, choose-your-own price format, Tricklebee’s success has come as a surprise to many — even Executive Director Christie Melby-Gibbons.
“It’s kind of baffling. I think everyone is a little baffled every year that we made it again,” she said.
Even without listed prices, most customers contribute something—even just a handful of change. And if cash is tight, the old adage rings true: time is money.
Alderwoman Vows to ‘Investigate’ Bar 107
Following a fatal shooting at North 107th Street and North Granville Road, Alderwoman Larresa Taylor pledged to investigate the nearby Bar 107 Sports Bar and Grill, accusing the business of “irresponsibility and a disregard for the public” in a statement released Monday.
The shooting occurred around 1:40 a.m. Sunday, March 16, according to a release from the Milwaukee Police Department. One 33-year-old victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while another 30-year-old victim was transported to the hospital with non-fatal gunshot wounds.
Co-owner Alpesh Patel told Urban Milwaukee on Monday that he was not on-site during the incident, having left the bar, 8775 N. 107th St., around midnight. However, he believes the shooting occurred at a nearby gas station.
“From what I’ve heard, I think it was a crossfire situation,” Patel said, adding that he is working to confirm the details of the incident. “I’m still gathering all the information from my bartenders and security, and am still trying to review the cameras and stuff like that.”
Movida Offers Lovely $25 Brunch
You will not find a better price for brunch than the $25.00 Classic Pink Breakfast at Movida at Hotel Madrid. Consider what you get for that price: The Pink Breakfast includes a Starter, a Main, Dessert, Coffee, and a drink. If you order each of these items separately, the total would come to $46.00.
They serve this weekend brunch in a second-floor dining room which we accessed from a side door on Bruce Street. This was not the Movida I remembered from my last visit when we had a meal in a rather dimly lit dining room in the front of the building. That room still functions as a dining room, but is not where they now serve the Pink Brunch.
The building now known as Hotel Madrid was built in 1910, and has recently undergone major renovations according to an Urban Milwaukee article by Jeramey Jeanine. I nosed around and found a bar/restaurant, the original restaurant, and a second kitchen on the first floor. When you include the private dining room on the second floor, the dining room where we had brunch, and a dining room on the first floor underneath where we had brunch, the number of restaurants in the hotel totals five. There are also two patios, one at street level and one on the roof. Hotel Madrid, incidentally, has never actually been a hotel, according to our server.
Movida is mainly known for upscale Spanish cuisine which they serve after 4:00 p.m. On the menu you will find a selection of Tapas, Tostas, Bowls, and of course Paella and Churros con Chocolate. You will also see Paella and Churros on the brunch menu that leans to more classic breakfast entrees than to Spanish specialties.
30 Chefs Unite For ‘Dim Sum Give Some’ Fundraiser
A single siu mai won’t fill you up—after all, it’s just one dumpling. But when it’s part of a larger dim sum spread, small bites add up—just like charity, where each contribution builds towards something greater.
Chefs Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite announced Monday the return of Dim Sum Give Some, a charitable dining event featuring an all-star lineup of chefs to benefit the Kennedy’s Disease Association (KDA).
Jacobs and Van Rite, co-owners of DanDan and EsterEv, held the inaugural fundraiser in 2017. This year’s event, sponsored by OpenTable, will take place April 13 at noon to 3 p.m. at Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., featuring small-plate dishes from participating chefs.
Along with a host of Milwaukee-based chefs, Jacobs, a “Top Chef” alum, has recruited nearly every contestant from his season for the fundraiser.
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Notably missing from the names of the initiators, hosts, participants, and donors to the fundraisers for This Is It’s show hosts/performers/legal fund is that of “Trixie Mattel/Brian Michael Firkus.” I haven’t seen her appear or be interviewed in any of the coverage about the bar’s demise.
That’s awfully quiet for someone who’s build a $10 million life in the public eye.
I wonder if there’s is anything wrong. Maybe she’s suffered a health scare. Or a blow to the ego…
I guess things are probably just warmer out in LA.