Zócalo Food Park Has New Vendors

Site of Zocalo Food Park, 636 S. 6th St. Photo taken Jan. 15, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.

Zócalo Food Park is getting a spring refresh, welcoming several new vendors and bidding farewell to others ahead of the upcoming busy season.

Longtime seller Scratch Ice Cream announced its departure in January, sharing plans to relocate its trailer to Folklore Mercantile, a general store in Merton.

Isa’s Ice Cream. Photo by Sophie Bolich.

“Zócalo has been such a special part of our journey, and we’re incredibly grateful for the support and memories we’ve made there,” ownership wrote in an online post.

Scratch is expected to remain at its new site through the end of summer.

A familiar dessert vendor, Isa’s Ice Cream, is now present at the food park at 636 S. 6th St. The family-owned business specializes in Mexican-inspired flavors like mango, tamarind, coconut and elote — all handcrafted with fresh fruit.

The company’s sky-blue trailer is already parked at Zócalo, with regular hours — 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday — set to begin this month.

Elsewhere in the park, Nadi Plates is set to debut soon, bringing calzones, personal pizzas and truffle fries to fill a gap in Italian fare left by Hot Box Pizza‘s November 2025 exit.

Nadi Plates has not yet announced its official opening date. The business is also nearing completion at its East Side brick-and-mortar, 2238 N. Farwell Ave., where it will also operate an espresso bar, Il Grande Bambino.

The American-inspired Super Smashed Burgers & Dogs quietly launched at Zócalo in early 2026, but is now marked permanently closed. Led by Anytime Arepa founder Leo Farfan, the concept offered fast food staples like bacon cheeseburgers and hot dogs — some topped with crushed Doritos. As of April 1, Super Smashed remained onsite at the food park.

Additional vendors include SapSap, Las Virellas, Ruby’s Bagels, Modern Maki, Mazorca Tacos, Anytime Arepa and Elevate Coffee.

Find Fresh Oysters at Birch

Inspired by childhood memories with his late father, Chef Kyle Knall continues to host regular seafood nights at his Lower East Side restaurant, Birch.

His popular pop-up, Pepe’s Oyster Bar, draws diners on the second Thursday of each month, offering dishes like steelhead trout tartare, crab tostadas and a selection of fresh oysters in a relaxed atmosphere — often with Knall visible behind the counter, prepping, plating, and garnishing each dish.

Reservations go fast and are already booked for April and May, shucks. A new round will go live in the coming weeks — keep an eye on Birch’s OpenTable for updates.

Korean Restaurant Opens Downtown

Diners lined up for heaping plates of bulgogi, braised tofu and japchae on Friday, celebrating both the end of the workweek and the start of Soban‘s downtown tenure.

Owners Solki Lee and Hyelim Song have expanded their Hales Corners-based business with a second location at 776 N. Milwaukee St., offering scratch-made Korean food in a fast-casual format.

The experience is streamlined, with vats of prepared proteins, sides and sauces moving customers quickly through the line. But Soban sets itself apart from similar chains — the food is made fresh daily from family recipes, and customers are greeted with smiles and shouts of “annyeonghaseyo” as they walk through the door.

“Our core value is hospitality to everybody,” Lee told Urban Milwaukee last November.

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Two Wingstop Restaurants Plan April Openings

Milwaukee could end the month with two new Wingstop locations, bringing the city’s total to six.

Proposed restaurants at 2935 N. Oakland Ave. and 3266 S. 27th St. list April 15 and 17 as target opening dates on their Google Business profiles, respectively, though a company representative said the dates could be pushed to later in the month.

The East Side location would replace a former George Webb restaurant that closed in early 2025, while the southside site was previously occupied by GameStop.

Both locations are expected to serve the chain’s signature chicken wings, available in more than a dozen flavors ranging from “no heat” to “all the heat,” including mango habanero, Louisiana rub and Hawaiian. The menu also includes boneless wings and chicken tenders with a choice of sauces, along with sides such as Cajun fried corn and Louisiana voodoo fries.

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Pete’s Pops Announces Reopening Date

While plenty of brands advertised outlandish April Fools’ items on Wednesday, Pete’s Pops was among the few to follow through, creating a batch of buttermilk ranch-flavored popsicles.

The seasonal business is equally serious about its spring reopening and plans to welcome guests at all five locations Saturday, April 4, with ranch pops on the menu while supplies last.

Now entering its 12th year, Pete’s has grown from a pop-up vendor to a multi-site business, with permanent locations at 3809 W. Vliet St. and 916 E. Russell Ave. in Milwaukee, as well as suburban shops in West Allis, Whitefish Bay and Grafton. The business also has a mobile arm, traveling across the city with its pushcart for appearances at farmers markets, special events and catering gigs.

The ever-changing menu ventures far beyond salad dressing, featuring standbys such as blue moon, salted watermelon and red velvet, along with more adventurous flavors including maple blueberry pancake, pickle lemonade and pineapple jalapeno. Avocado, orange cream and blackberry limeade pops are also regulars on the rotation, which typically highlights seasonal ingredients.

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Third Ward Cafe Cleared to Reopen After Truck Crash

Last Friday, fans of Grace Coffee Company woke to the news that a driver had smashed into the cafe overnight, causing significant damage and forcing a temporary closure.

One week later, bakers and baristas will be back behind the counter. With approval from building inspectors and the Milwaukee Health Department, the cafe is set to reopen April 3 with regular hours, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends.

“We’ve been working tirelessly over the past week to clean up and restore the space for you all,” ownership shared in an online post, asking guests to be patient with ongoing repairs and construction. “Things may look out of place for a while … we apologize for any temporary eyesores as we finish bringing the space fully back to life.”

Photos from the incident show a black pickup truck halfway inside the cafe at 102 N. Water St., having smashed through a large window on the building’s west side. It left a pile of shattered glass, wood fragments, broken furniture and remnants of the window frame in front of the service counter. A La Marzocco espresso machine, which can cost upwards of $20,000 narrowly avoided impact.

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New Bars and Restaurants That Opened in March

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Lisa Kaye Bistro Closes, Seeks New Location

After more than a year of serving scratch-made meals on the Near West Side, Lisa Kaye Bistro has closed its brick-and-mortar restaurant.

Owner Lisa McKay is seeking a new location while continuing her nonprofit work as chairperson of the American Culinary Federation Chef and Child Foundation’s Milwaukee chapter.

McKay confirmed the move in an email to Urban Milwaukee, saying she is “waiting to hear back about the possibility of leasing another space” and plans to continue the business. She did not share an address for the potential new restaurant.

A trip to the former location, 3801 W. Vliet St., revealed an empty interior, though exterior signage is still in place. The restaurant’s last public event was in mid-February.

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Milwaukee Sushi Restaurant Is a James Beard Finalist

Fresh off its first year of service, 1033 Omakase has secured a finalist slot in the 2026 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards.

The high-end sushi spot, 1033 S. 1st St., is among 10 establishments in the Best New Restaurant category and will be Milwaukee’s sole representative at the ceremony — but not Wisconsin’s.

Nominees including Zak Baker of Tosa’s Ca’Lucchenzo, Cultured in Sister Bay, Hastings Cameron of Imaginary Factory in Madison and Sway Brewing & Blending in Baileys Harbor, all made the cut. Vanessa Rose, chef-owner of Mother’s; The Mothership cocktail bar; and Lisa Kirkpatrick and Paul Zerkel of Goodkind—all announced as semifinalists in January—will not move on.

Chef Worawit “Ray” Boonyapituksakul and Cherry Phetleung are the partners behind 1033 Omakase, which has been booked solid since its December 2024 opening. Those who have been lucky enough to snap up a reservation can attest: It’s popular for good reason.

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Soul Food Restaurant For Lisbon Avenue

Nearly a year after Dairyland was rumored for the site, a new soul food restaurant is proposed to open at 7602 W. Lisbon Ave. Plans for Suite 76, billed as a full-service soul food restaurant, are pending Milwaukee Common Council approval.

Co-owners Yaurea and Catherine Alexander would take over the space, offering sit-down dining and bar service on the main floor, with a second bar, pool table and gaming machines on the lower level.

The partners listed prior work with Scene 1 Restaurant & Lounge as experience on the license application.

A proposed menu for Suite 76 centers on meat and seafood, with entrees such as Hennessy lamb chops, fried pork chops and catfish, along with sides including baked macaroni and cheese, candied yams and collard greens. Items such as jumbo lump crab cakes and Cajun corn ribs are in the small plates category, with salads and a variety of desserts also featured.

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Eagle Park Acquires Pre-Mixed Cocktail Brand

Eagle Park Brewing & Distilling continues to expand its presence in the regional market with the purchase of SoulBoxer Cocktail Co., adding pre-mixed cocktails to its existing lineup of beer, spirits and THC beverages.

The move unites two Wisconsin-based businesses and builds on an existing relationship. Before the acquisition, Eagle Park served as SoulBoxer’s co-packing partner, producing and packaging the brand’s cocktails at its Muskego facility.

Founded in 2015 by Jason Neu and Doug MacKenzie, SoulBoxer specializes in bottled cocktail mixes designed to be poured over ice. Its product lineup includes local favorites like brandy and bourbon old-fashioneds, which incorporate fresh ingredients like orange peel and Door County cherries.

Eagle Park plans to grow the selection with a new line of ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktails, including alcoholic, nonalcoholic and THC options. The first three offerings, Brandy Old Fashioned, Bourbon Old Fashioned and Lakehouse Lemonade, will ship to retailers beginning April 2. New products will be sold in 12-ounce four-packs.

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Cosmos Café Is a Hidden Gem

Family-owned Cosmos Café on W. North Avenue is a hidden gem I recently discovered. Hidden is the operative word here: I drove by the restaurant twice before I found it. Inside this small, one-story blue building in Wauwatosa, they serve some of the most authentic Greek food found in the metro area.

Our server-order-taker Tina, assured us that Cosmos is no newcomer. “In fact,” she said, “the restaurant has been on North Avenue for sixteen-and-a-half years.” When you order, you order at the counter because there is no table service, and you will encounter Tina who has a personality and a smile that light up the room.

A good place to start at a Greek restaurant is with the combo platter, and that is what I did. The platter included hummus, spanakopita, falafel, feta, Kalamata olives, pita and tzatziki sauce. The hummus needed a hit of olive oil to bring out its subtle flavor. Three pieces of spanakopita were crisp from several layers of phyllo and included lots of spinach and feta packed in between the layers, and the falafel had a crunchy exterior and a delicious, crumbly filling. Several chunks of feta and briny olives added contrasting flavors, and the pita came in handy as a scooper. You could also order the hummus, the spanakopita or the falafel separately as appetizers.

The Mediterranean salad and the traditional village salad are the same salads, except the Mediterranean salad includes some lettuce. Both are dressed with red wine vinegar and olive oil. My companion ordered salmon with her Mediterranean salad and said it was a complete meal. The salmon was pan-seared and cooked to medium-well. Everything was fresh and tasty, and the feta and olives added authentic Greek flavors to the mix.

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Green Baked Goods Closing Walker’s Point Cafe

Green Baked Goods will exit its Walker’s Point storefront next month as its three-year partnership with Arts @ Large comes to a close.

The brick-and-mortar location’s final day of service is set for April 30. The family-owned business will continue in a different format, with appearances planned this summer at the Jackson Park and Greenfield farmers markets. Customers can also order products through Market Wagon, an online farmers market and delivery service, as well as directly from the business’s website.

Owners Angela and Kevin Green first launched the business in their home kitchen in 2020, later expanding with appearances at local markets and events.

The Walker’s Point location opened at 1100 S. 5th St. in 2023, introducing regular hours and an everyday menu of baked goods, bagels, soup, paninis and mini quiches. The cafe also serves coffee and espresso, smoothies, teas, juices and other non-alcoholic beverages.

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