Mother’s Introduces ‘Sad Hour’ in Bay View
Plus: Zocalo’s newest vendor, film festival eats and a brewery auction.
Mother’s, 2900 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Photo taken Oct. 10, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.
It’s happy hour, but hardcore.
Mother’s held its first installment of Sad Hour on April 16, debuting an alternative-style riff on the evening ritual. Taking place daily from 8:30 p.m. to close, Sad Hour pairs food and drink specials with music spanning genres from emo and punk to metal, with theme nights and listening parties expected in the future.
“This is a passion project of mine, and I’m elated to share my love of punk and its relative genres with the community,” chef-owner Vanessa Rose shared in an online post introducing the new addition.
Sad Hour’s angsty energy melds well with the restaurant’s moody decor — enchanted by deep purple paint, glowing green sconces and vintage decor. However, service still adheres to the warm and welcoming energy typical at Mother’s.
The restaurant, 2900 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., specializes in seasonal small plates such as Madiera mushrooms and Berbere-spiced hangar steak. Pastry chef Nick Hoover curates the rotating dessert list. A drink menu includes house cocktails, wine, beer, THC and CBD seltzers and nonalcoholic options.
Restaurant service is the core of Mother’s, though Rose has been clear from the beginning about her goal to expand the business with a community-oriented third space. Sad Hour is one step towards making that broader vision a reality.
Mother’s is open Monday and Thursday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Follow the business on Instagram for information on upcoming events and theme nights.
1840 Brewing Equipment Up For Auction
Hundreds of items from the shuttered 1840 Brewing Company, including business equipment, lawn games and heavy machinery, are available for purchase in an online auction.
Gerlach Companies is overseeing the sale, with bidding set to end May 11. Bidspotter is the hosting platform.
The former Bay View brewery at 342 E. Ward St. closed in June 2025, citing market pressures and a personal health battle. That news came just days after co-owners Kyle and Stephanie Vetter announced plans to cease operations at their West Bend location. Last November, Stephanie died after a battle with cancer.
Items from both sites — 438 in total — are now open for bids. Vehicles, including a 2013 Mercedes cargo van, tap beer trailer and 2013 Toyota forklift, are featured in the online catalog, along with production equipment like stainless steel tanks, bottle fillers and barrel racks. Also listed are business essentials such as cash boxes, point-of-sale materials, storage, furniture, games, decor and cleaning supplies.
New Taco Truck Coming to Zocalo
Chucho’s Red Tacos, beloved for its slow-cooked birria, has become a local favorite at festivals, breweries and sporting events throughout the Milwaukee area. Starting next week, the business will also become a permanent vendor at Zócalo Food Park.
Set to open April 21, the new location will replace anchor vendor Mazorca Tacos as the Mexican food purveyor at the southside hub at 636 S. 6th St.
The menu features its best-selling birria — a slow-cooked meat stew traditionally made with goat marinated in adobo and served with a flavorful consommé — in Chucho’s signature red tacos and quesitacos, along with burritos, ramen, quesadillas and more. The restaurant also offers empanadas, nachos, and sides such as beans and rice.
“We’re foodies here — and I’m including myself,” said owner Thaime Gómez. “I feel lucky to live in a city where there’s so much variety and so many options across cuisines.”
Harold’s Chicken Comes to Milwaukee
Illinois-based Harold’s Chicken plans to enter the Milwaukee market with a location at 5401 N. Lovers Lane Rd.
The northwest side restaurant would be the 47th for Harold’s and the only Wisconsin store. Franchisees have previously attempted expansions in the state, though none have lasted.
Saif Abughoush hopes his venture will be different. The entrepreneur, along with business partner Raed Almastri, has worked with Harold’s for six years.
“We’ve bought a lot of the locations in Chicago, then asked to take it to Milwaukee, and they accepted,” Abughoush told Urban Milwaukee. “This is going to be the first store in a new generation of Harold’s.”
Central Standard Opens at Milwaukee Airport
Lots of businesses celebrate their grand opening with a ribbon cutting. Fewer mark the occasion by cracking open a canned cocktail. Central Standard Tavern did both.
The distillery’s latest outlet, located in Concourse C at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, welcomed a crowd of media members, local representatives and a few luggage-wheeling travelers for a grand opening event Wednesday afternoon.
Owners Pat McQuillan and Evan Hughes were on hand to show off the new addition, saying the expansion aims to grow Central Standard Craft Distillery‘s local footprint while increasing its exposure to residents and visitors alike.
“For people who are not familiar with our brand or Milwaukee, hopefully they see this as a great local product they can enjoy,” McQuillan told Urban Milwaukee. “And when they come back again, hopefully they’ll want to stop at our downtown location or enjoy our beverages here [at the airport].”
Where to Eat and Drink During the Milwaukee Film Festival
The Milwaukee Film Festival returns to screens April 16 — and with it, an opportunity for movie buffs to explore the East Side dining scene.
While the neighborhood has seen several bar and restaurant closures over the past year, plenty of options remain within blocks of both the Oriental Theatre and the Downer Theatre, both sites for the 2026 festival.
That includes ultra-casual spots like Ian’s Pizza, where moviegoers can swing by for a slice served on a paper plate. The shop, located just steps from the Oriental at 2035 E. North Ave., is also open late — until 2:30 a.m. on weekends — making it an ideal stop for a post-show snack.
Also nearby is Ma Fischer’s, an old-school diner serving burgers, sandwiches, pasta and classic breakfast dishes. Once open 24 hours, the restaurant at 2214 N. Farwell Ave. now shuts down daily at 9 p.m.
Gathering Place Acquires Sangria Brand
After nearly nine years of producing beer, Gathering Place Brewing Company is bringing another beverage on board. The business recently acquired Odyssea Sangria, a line of canned, wine-based punch.
Mixologists Daniel Beres, Tripper Duval and Tom Dufek founded the brand in 2022, building on their love of traditional Spanish sangria to reimagine the beverage with new ingredients and creative flavor combinations.
As the passion project picked up steam, its leadership team worked to balance existing obligations — Beres and Duval as co-owners of Lost Whale and Dufek as co-founder of Madison’s Young Blood Beer Company. Duval also operates Holey Mackerel in Greenfield.
When Beres and Duval signed on as partners in the soon-to-open Nakama Japanese restaurant, something had to give.
New Sports Bar In Riverwest Hosting Grand Opening
The owners of Diaspora Sports Bar and Lounge are marking Milwaukee Day with a personal milestone: hosting a grand opening for their new business in Riverwest.
Partners Michael Johnson, Brian Bradford, Michael Shaw, Marvin Bailey and Roberthenry Davis have invited guests to the newly renovated space at 735 E. Center St., formerly home to Company Brewing, for a ribbon-cutting and remarks to kick off an evening of festivities.
The tavern will debut in tandem with 414 Day, celebrated annually on April 14 in reference to the Milwaukee-area ZIP code, as an occasion to show hometown pride.
“It feels only right to open the doors of Diaspora MKE on a day dedicated to the spirit of the city we love,” the owners wrote in an online post.
Wantable Cafe Sets Reopening Date
41Fork Exchange @ Wantable Cafe is set to open at 123 E. Walker St. on April 22, reactivating the Harbor District venue with new food and beverage offerings while maintaining the existing event and co-working areas.
The much-anticipated debut comes as neighbors are “champing at the bit” for the cafe’s reopening, said Kaelyn Cervero, president and owner of parent company 41Fork Hospitality, during a preview Monday.
The cafe, originally launched in 2021 as an amenity for employees of styling company Wantable, later transitioned into a public-facing destination for coffee and casual eats. Steve Glynn, host of the Experience Milwaukee podcast, took over operations in May 2025, but announced plans to close the business later that year. The cafe has been on hiatus since Dec. 31.
New Investment Group Hopes To Reopen Downtown Bar
Where to Find Food and Drink Deals on ‘414 Day’
Local pride is consistently strong among Milwaukeeans — and is especially high this week after the Michelin Guide’s Wednesday announcement that it is reviewing area establishments for inclusion in its new Great Lakes category.
With inspectors already “boots on the ground,” restaurants across the county are putting their best faces forward. Star-rated or not, the culinary scene is already thriving, built on the foundation of local talent and regular patrons.
Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide, put it plainly:
“Let’s never forget that the first customers of the restaurant are the local people,” he said during a press conference announcing the guide. “They are the repeaters. They are the ones coming again and again, and they play a crucial role.”
Allende Cocina Mexicana Is New and Different
In March, Allende Cocina Mexicana moved into the space on S. 1st St. previously occupied by Stack’d Burger Bar. At first glance, you will not know you have entered a Mexican restaurant, so it’s a surprise to find many unique dishes on the menu that exceed the Mexican menu choices usually found locally.
For example, you will see huitlacoche quesadillas, made with corn fungus as it is known in Mexico, or, as the daily special at Allende read, “corn truffles.” Whatever you want to call it, huitlacoche is a small, bite-sized mushroom that grows on corn and has a mild flavor like an oyster mushroom. Seared corn kernels, chopped tomatoes and a mild avocado sauce completed this oversized and hand-formed quesadilla. It was big, messy and totally delicious. It came with a cup of crema and a cup of very fresh, chunky guacamole.
Unlike most quesadillas found locally, this quesadilla was folded in half and required a knife and fork. We learned from our server, Alex, that the tortillas for the quesadillas are grilled in a smear of oil on just one side so they will fold and remain crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, a combination that worked well in our quesadillas. “This is how they do it in Mexico,” he said.
My companions also ordered quesadillas, the flor de calabaza and the grande with pastor. Flor de calabaza are squash blossoms from summer squash, most commonly from zucchini. In this quesadilla that also included mushrooms, onion and tomato, the dominant flavor came from the mushrooms. When a slight grassy flavor from the squash blossoms mixed with the earthy mushrooms, the result was an unusual and tasty filling for this quesadilla.
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