Local Chef Crowned Sushi Master
Plus: Changes at EsterEv, a new dinner series and a toast to La Piña
Chefs Masaharu Morimoto and Jason Morimoto. Photo courtesy of The Roku Channel.
When Jason Morimoto was selected as a contestant for The Roku Channel’s “Sushi Master” competition, he already shared a key commonality — though no relation — with head judge Masaharu Morimoto. By the season’s end, he had one more: champion.
Chef Jason, executive chef at Screaming Tuna’s Mequon location, beat out seven competitors from across the country in a series of Japanese cooking challenges to claim the title of Sushi Master for the show’s second season — a milestone moment for both his career and the metro Milwaukee dining scene.
“We couldn’t be happier for Chef Jason, truly in awe,” Screaming Tuna Owner Cristian Vega said in a statement. “We can’t wait for what comes next.”
To celebrate the victory, Screaming Tuna will host a series of six weekly watch parties for the show at the Mequon Public Market, beginning April 27. The ticketed events will feature an open bar offering beer, wine, sake, Bittercube cocktails and sodas, along with a buffet of Screaming Tuna favorites and bites inspired by Chef Jason’s creations on the show. Guests can also look forward to special appearances from Chef Jason himself.
Following the final watch party, Chef Jason will lead an omakase dinner series, Weekend At J’s, starting June 6.
Episodes of Morimoto’s Sushi Master are available to stream for free on The Roku app.
City Closes Beans & Barley For Failed Health Inspection, Restaurant Quickly Reopened
A popular East Side restaurant was temporarily closed following an inspection by the Milwaukee Health Department (MHD).
Beans & Barley, 1901 E. North Ave., was shuttered Wednesday after it failed a “routine annual inspection.”
But by Thursday morning, the city had given it the all clear to reopen.
“During the inspection, MHD identified multiple violations, including priority violations, resulting in a score of 44%. Staff issued an immediate Order to Cease Operations,” said MHD in a statement before the follow-up inspection. “Key issues included improper handwashing practices, cold food being held at unsafe temperatures, and expired food items stored beyond their date limits. These types of violations pose potential risks for foodborne illness and must be corrected before the business can reopen.”
Semolina Hosts Sunday Supper With Zia P
When Petra Orlowski became an aunt, she asked to be called Zia P, combining her first initial with the Italian term for auntie. The name stuck among family members — and soon, Milwaukee diners will come to recognize it as well.
It’s fitting, given Orlowski’s Sicilian heritage and authority in the kitchen. After all, she’s perfected the art of scratch-made pasta, can readily list several applications for colatura (Italian fish sauce) and rarely turns down a snifter of digestif.
“Just a little,” said Orlowski, pantomiming a pinky-up sip.
Inspired by fond memories of afternoons at her Grandma Rosie’s house, Orlowski is preparing to host the inaugural Sunday Supper With Zia P, a hybrid cooking class and sit-down meal gathering eight guests for an evening of hands-on preparation — generously interspersed with wine, snacking and conversation.
Former Pfister & Vogel Stable Becoming Event Venue
From “neigh” to “I do.”
A new event venue will fill a former Pfister & Vogel carriage house in Bay View.
Noble Catering & Events is moving forward on its plans to redevelop the 108-year-old complex at the border of the Harbor District and Bay View neighborhoods. It hopes to open the venue in early 2026.
The new venue will be called “Brixton’s Turn,” and will house up to 400 guests in a 6,000-square-foot, one-story portion, while a two-story, 10,000-square-foot eastern portion would include a kitchen, design center, warehouse and administrative offices. The garage and stable doors will remain.
Italian Cocktail Lounge For Bay View
When Greg Huber and Santo Galati set out to revamp the former Bay Street Pub at 338 E. Bay St., they quickly agreed on a concept: a craft cocktail lounge with Italian influence. But as the business partners began to remodel the 124-year-old building, a fitting name was still out of reach.
The answer arrived in the form of a simple description — and a foreign language. Once open, the cocktail lounge will be called Calogeros, a name of Greek origin adopted into Italian, meaning “good elder” or “beautiful in old age.”
Huber and Galati are well-versed in restoring historic properties, having completed a similar transformation at the site of their neighboring business, Santino’s Little Italy.
“We feel like we’re in the business of un-diving bars,” Huber told Urban Milwaukee in February.
Mexican Restaurant Opens in Pritzlaff Building
For Patricia Barrera-Kerhin, gardenias are synonymous with home. The fragrant white flowers were a mainstay in her grandmother’s garden in a small town near Guadalajara, Mexico, and still hold a special place in her heart.
So when it came time to name her restaurant, which serves comforting dishes from her childhood, Las Gardenias was a natural choice.
After more than a year under development, the new restaurant welcomed its first customers in mid-April at 305 N. Plankinton Ave., inside the Pritzlaff Building. Barrera-Kerhin, a 20-year industry veteran, runs the business with her husband, Richard Kerhin, who also owns Aperitivo, a neighboring bar and restaurant.
“The kind of food we wanted to present is basically the ones that I grew up eating — making it the best we can with the flavors I remember,” Barrera-Kerhin told Urban Milwaukee in 2024.
EsterEv Launches A la Carte Menu
One year after opening in Bay View, EsterEv is welcoming spring with a refreshed seasonal menu and two new ways to explore it.
Starting April 30, the restaurant at 2165 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. will break from its prix fixe format, offering an a la carte experience alongside an updated eight-course tasting menu.
The shift, according to owners Dan Van Rite and Dan Jacobs, intends to adapt to diners’ preferences, providing “the freedom to choose the dining experience that feels right.”
“We’re giving guests flexibility without compromising on quality,” Van Rite and Jacobs said in a statement. “The choice to add an a la carte journey allows us to meet diners where they are, whether it’s a special night out or simply a few small plates and wine with friends.”
La Piña Hosts Anniversary Celebration
It’s tough to top a duck rave, but La Piña plans to try, hosting a three-day “tequila extravaganza,” in honor of its second anniversary.
Scheduled for May 1 through 3, the event will feature exclusive tastings, new menu items and live entertainment — a show of appreciation for the community’s continued support.
“This celebration is our way of expressing gratitude to Milwaukee for two incredible years,” said owner Patrick Todd in a statement. “We’re excited to share these special moments with our community.”
Todd opened La Piña at 1801 S. 3rd St. in 2023, pairing an extensive collection of tequilas, mezcals and other agave-based liquors with years of experience, research and genuine passion. The result is a welcoming, approachable drinking experience for beginners and seasoned connoisseurs alike.
Toya’s Offers Homestyle Southern Fare
Latoya James, owner and chef at Toya’s Homestyle Kitchen, promises “Comfort Food, Cooked with Love” on her website and that is exactly what she delivers five days a week in her new restaurant on West Capitol Drive.
When a friend and I came for lunch, James told us she has been in the kitchen since she was 11 and that is where she learned the art of snapping beans and pulling greens from her grandma. That led me to ask, “So, where are the greens? I don’t see them on the menu.”
“Not yet,” she said, “but they will be on the menu on Soul Food Sunday which is coming soon.”
She learned how to cook from her mom and her grandma and credits them for her passion for food and her passion for creating a restaurant where her customers will feel like they are enjoying a meal at home. Just like she wrote on her website: “I serve comfort food so people will come here and relax.”
With New Alderman in Place, Three Milwaukee Businesses Advance After Delays
Three local businesses are one step closer to full operation after the Milwaukee Common Council voted Tuesday to approve their previously delayed licenses.
Prairie Springs on Park, an event space, Sip & Purr, a cat cafe and Purslane, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, are now fully licensed — thanks to a new addition to the council: Alex Brower.
The District 3 alderman was voted into office April 1, filling a five-month vacancy that had left several proposed businesses on hold. He endorsed the aforementioned businesses during a special licenses committee hearing just before the council vote.
Liquor licenses for The Seafood Shack at 2336 N. Farwell Ave., Donnie’s Bar at 1686 N. Van Buren St., Back Street at 2116 N. Farwell Ave are still pending, along with extended hours applications for The Gallery, 2335 N. Murray Ave., following its change of ownership.
Stone Creek Launches Compostable Coffee Pods
Escape Pods have landed at Stone Creek Coffee.
The cafe and roastery debuted a new line of single-use, Keurig-compatible coffee pods on Earth Day, promoting them as not only more flavorful than standard single-serving pods but also more environmentally friendly.
Available in three of Stone Creek’s signature blends, each Escape Pod holds 70% more coffee and comes in a plant-based, commercially compostable shell that fully breaks down at commercial or industrial composting facilities.
New Dunkin’ Planned For Bay View
Dunkin’ is going for a baker’s dozen in Milwaukee.
The popular coffee and doughnut chain, operates 12 locations in the city of Milwaukee, including two airport kiosks. A new addition in Bay View would push the total to 13.
Franchisee Ravi Pandya plans to open a cafe at 3259 S. Chase Ave., located within a multi-tenant retail building that also contains an AT&T store. Dunkin’ would occupy a 1,167-square-foot commercial space on the building’s south end, offering carryout and drive-through services, pending city approval.
A seasoned operator, Pandya has seven Dunkin’ locations throughout the Milwaukee area. He noted this experience in a license application, which was recently submitted to the city alongside an occupancy permit.
Anodyne Union Files For Election After Management Denied Voluntary Recognition
When Anodyne Coffee workers asked their bosses to recognize their union, their bosses said no.
Now, more workers have joined the union and they’re seeking an election.
On Monday, April 14, employees of the local coffee chain requested union recognition from Fairwave Holdings, LLC, the Missouri-based company that purchased Anodyne in 2023. At the time, more than 90% of workers in the proposed 50 person bargaining unit had signed union authorization cards with the Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Organization (MASH).
Two days later, Fairwave responded. President Isaac Hodges sent a letter telling employees that unionization “may not be in the best interest of our team or our culture.” Instead of recognition, Hodges informed workers he and others would fly into town next week to meet with employees.
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