Healthy Food for Downtown. Casual, Too.

Freshii, 250 E. Wisconsin Ave. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The long-awaited “health-casual” chain Freshii has finally opened its doors in East Town as of yesterday.

The fast-casual chain serving healthy food options has been delayed for months: it originally planned to open in July, then October, as reported by Urban Milwaukee.

Now, the Toronto-based chain has opened its first Milwaukee location on the ground level of the Two-Fifty building at 250 E. Wisconsin Ave. with a goal to encourage eating healthy food at an affordable price.

Lori Fredrich of OnMilwaukee has more details:

The Freshii menu includes a diverse and completely customizable menu of breakfast items, soups, salads, wraps, bowls, burritos, frozen yogurt, juices, and smoothies…

…for example their Teriyaki Twist, a grain-based bowl with brown rice, edamame, crispy wontons, broccoli, carrots, cucumber, green onions, sesame seeds and teriyaki sauce ($7.29, pictured above) or their Baja burrito featuring quinoa, romaine, avocado, corn, cabbage, green onions, salsa fresca and cilantro lime vinaigrette ($7.39).

The business itself is also dedicated to environmentally friendly practices, such as using mostly recyclable or biodegradable products and limiting energy expenditure.

Freshii was developed in 2005 and now has more than 430 restaurants located in North America, South America and Europe. Tomorrow the moon!

But first Milwaukee. Its new Freshii is open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

Mouth and Muscle Starts Meal Service

The Milwaukee-based startup company Mouth and Muscle has launched a new, unique kind of food service.

The business merges two services for busy urbanites: chef Claire Menck and fitness coach Dan Barmantje have teamed up to offer meal delivery as well as fitness coaching. The meal service component, ToGoMKE, was just recently initiated.

Sari Lesk of the Milwaukee Business Journal has more information:

The meal service focuses on foods prepared fresh weekly, according to a news release. Most of the meals are low in dairy or dairy free. Many are also gluten free and focused on complex carbohydrates and whole grains.

Mouth and Muscle says many of the meals are also appropriate for the ketogenic and paleo diets. Vegan options are available on a weekly basis.

“Increasingly, more of us have specific dietary needs and want to eat as clean and local as possible,” Menck said in the announcement. “That’s been a focus of mine for many years as a chef, and it’s why we source as many ingredients from Milwaukee and southeast Wisconsin as possible.”

The company operates by posting new menus on its website every Friday and accepts orders until the following Monday evening. If an order has already been placed, the company delivers a week’s worth of food on Fridays as well.

The delivery service is available throughout the Milwaukee, Waukesha, and Ozaukee counties.

Another Bar For Walker’s Point

Another week, another new bar planned for Walker’s Point.

The full-service tavern, to be named Sky Bar, was just proposed in a recent business license application with the city. It will be located at 1339 S. 7th St., a two-story building.

Maredithe Meyer of Biz Times has the scoop:

Owner Ruben Albanil-Coyolt has proposed a Nov. 30 opening date, according to a license application recently filed with the city. Albanil-Coyolt was not immediately available for comment.

Sky Bar would serve alcohol and no food, and would feature entertainment such as a pool table, DJ and jukebox.

If approved, the bar would be open daily from either 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. until close.

Onesto Now Offers Brunch

Onesto now serves brunch. Photo courtesy of Hospitality Democracy.

Hospitality Democracy’s Italian restaurant Onesto launched a new brunch menu as of last Saturday.

The restaurant, located at 221 N. Broadway in the Third Ward, will now offer a wide variety of new dishes for its brunch service including a selection of cocktails.

Food items range from simple snacks like croissants or waffles with gelato to savory dishes like grilled ciabatta. As for cocktails, all priced at $10, options like an Italian-style bloody mary and mimosa are offered. Carafes can also be ordered for large groups.

Fredrich and OMC has more details:

Among the starters, guests will find options like cornetti (Italian croissants, plain or chocolate filled, $2.50/$3) with or without cranberry chutney ($1 extra); whipped burrata with fig jam, prosciutto and basil ($12)…

There’s also a short rib benedict featuring ciabatta topped with poached eggs, short ribs and smoked gouda mornay with a side of rosemary potatoes ($16)…

Sweeter options include waffles and gelato, a playful take on the classic featuring tender, almost cakey, oblong waffles dappled with clear caramel, roasted almonds and gelato ($13).

Onesto will offer brunch service Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Harbor House Gets New Chef

Harbor House. Photo by Joey Grihalva.

The seafood restaurant on the lake has announced John Korycki will be the new executive chef.

Harbor House, located at 550 N. Harbor Dr., is operated by Bartolotta Restaurants.

Carol Deptolla of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel offers more on Korycki:

 …he previously worked for restaurant group co-owner Paul Bartolotta at Ristorante Bartolotta in Wauwatosa and Spiaggia in Chicago.

Korycki has worked in restaurants in Illinois, Michigan and Missouri. He’ll be working alongside Bartolotta’s corporate executive chef, Adam Siegel, as he makes updates to the menu.

Harbor House is open Mondays through Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Balzac Makes Gets New Chef, Menu

About two weeks ago, the contemporary wine bar Balzac quietly added 23 new items to its menu with the arrival of a new head chef.

The creation of the new menu was led by new head chef Taylor Bogardus, and it includes a variety of different small plates as well as a new snack section.

Tyler Maas of Milwaukee Record sings about the changes:

Among the newcomers are four new snack items, ranging from Fish N Chips to spiced pumpkin seeds. There are seven updated garden offerings, highlighted by Squash Orzo and Potato Leek Soup. Frog Legs and Steamed Mussels are just two of the five new seafood selections. There are two new flatbread pizzas and five meat selections to round out the updates.

The full menu for Balzac, which is located at 1716 N. Arlington Pl., can be found on their website.