Wolf on Broadway Announces Rebrand
Plus: Pizza Shuttle joins 3rd Street Market Hall, city suspends Qdoba and The Seafood Shack plans East Side location.
Menu items from Uncle Wolfie’s Dinner Diner (formerly Wolf on Broadway). Photo taken April 21, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.
Once billed as a “little sister” to Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern, the Wolf on Broadway is now closer to a twin.
The restaurant on Thursday revealed a new name — Uncle Wolfie’s Dinner Diner — and revamped menu at its cozy space, 600 N. Broadway, in the Historic Third Ward.
The move was an unexpected one from the seven-month-old restaurant, which announced the upcoming change on social media in early June.
Along with its new name, the restaurant added a host of new dishes to its menu — many of which will be familiar to fans of Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern. That includes the Big McAllister burger, The BELTCH breakfast sandwich and hand-cut fries, along with a handful of cocktails.
Despite the rebrand, Executive Chef Kristen Schwab plans to continue her tradition of Indonesian-influenced cooking; fan-favorite dishes like beef hot pockets and Irma’s chicken sandwich are here to stay, the restaurant promises.
Going forward, Uncle Wolfie’s Dinner Diner will be walk-in only; previous reservations will be honored.
Opened in November 2023, the restaurant is the newest addition to Wolfgang Schaefer and Whitney McAllister‘s portfolio of businesses. The married couple also operate Orange and Blue Co., a lifestyle shop, and Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern, which moonlights as Nite Wolf, a ramen pop-up.
Uncle Wolfie’s Dinner Diner is open Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
State Fair Announces 2024 Sporkies and Drinkies Finalists
Cream puffs may be a time-honored tradition at the Wisconsin State Fair, but the pastries are just one among hundreds of fried, frosted and filled foods available to fairgoers each year.
The annual Sporkies and Drinkies competition showcases the most innovative of these items, with participants constantly pushing the boundaries of what can be deep-fried, bacon-wrapped or sandwiched inside a doughnut — and sometimes all three at once.
The food-and-beverage competition this year received 37 entries for food and 20 for non-alcoholic beverages. The Wisconsin State Fair on Wednesday announced eight finalists in each category.
Contenders on the food side include the Cool Ranch Doritos pickle, featuring a spiral-cut dill pickle that’s encrusted with Cool Ranch Doritos, deep fried and served with a side of ranch dressing.
RNC Hispanic Outreach Center Being Replaced By Mexican Ice Cream Shop
Mateo Grajales dreams of ice cream.
From the time he was a little boy, the entrepreneur and dessert enthusiast has yearned to open his own shop, bringing frozen treats and other snacks to the community.
He got a small taste of that previously, operating an ice cream counter in Guatemala for a handful of years before relocating to the U.S. After months of effort — and one false start — Grajales is poised to fulfill his longtime goal this summer.
“Since I was six, seven years old, that was something I always wanted to do,” he said. “And it’s something that’s becoming a reality now.”
Fish and Chicken Restaurant Planned For 27th Street
A new fast food restaurant is slated to open on the Near West Side, replacing the former MooSa’s, which closed in the spring of 2023.
The upcoming business, Milwaukee Fish & Chicken, would occupy a 1,848-square-foot restaurant space at 405 N. 27th St., adjacent to the BP gas station and near Interstate 94.
Co-owners Amandeep Dhaliwal and Bhinderpal Singh said they hope to open the restaurant this summer, with plans to serve quick meals for carryout only.
Menu items could include burgers, chicken sandwiches, fried fish and other entrees, along with sides such as french fries and desserts like ice cream and shakes.
Can City Close Infinity Lounge?
It’s the end of the road for Infinity Lounge. At least if the city gets its way.
The Milwaukee Common Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to close the troubled nightclub, 4001 W. Fond du Lac Ave., which has operated since 2022.
The decision follows a tumultuous year for the nightclub, which was the site of two shootings, a battery cutting (battery using a blade) and more than 20 other incidents since its last renewal, according to a police report.
Even so, the business, led by Mario Spencer, has no plans to go quietly.
New Cafe Opens in East Town
Earlier this year, the owners of Bear & Bean set out to “serve the good land,” as their slogan states. And though the new cafe’s customer base is currently concentrated in East Town, its reach is growing every day.
Since opening in April, the coffee shop and counter-service restaurant, 731 N. Jackson St., has been serving breakfast and lunch items, pastries and a wide variety of beverages — including Valentine coffee — to nearby office workers and passersby.
It’s been a slow build, said co-owner Emily Mayeshiba, who noted that she expects to see business pick up as the cafe continues to settle in; exterior signage and sidewalk furniture are both in the works.
Mayeshiba operates the cafe with partners Matt Edwards, Aimee Brashier, Brent Brashier and Pat Niebling. The group collectively brings decades of industry experience to the new venture, having each worked at various restaurants throughout the city before uniting at DOC’s Commerce Smokehouse.
The Seafood Shack Plans Second Location
The Seafood Shack is casting a line on Milwaukee’s East Side, with plans to open a new location at 2336 N. Farwell Ave., the former site of Louie’s Char Dogs & Butter Burgers.
The upcoming restaurant would be the third for owner Tyseria Griffin, who also operates The Seafood Shack at 2703 S. Chicago Ave. in South Milwaukee. A previous location at 2500 N. Mayfair Rd. in Wauwatosa closed in March.
Like its sibling locations, the new restaurant plans to offer a variety of fried seafood items such as salmon, catfish, perch and shrimp, along with a handful of salads, burgers and sandwiches. The menu could also include sides like garlic bread, french fries and mozzarella sticks.
Although the South Milwaukee restaurant is known for its alcoholic drinks, including a rainbow of “fish bowl” cocktails and spiked slushies, the new restaurant has no plans to serve alcohol, Griffin stated on the license application.
City Suspends Brady Street Qdoba
The Milwaukee Licenses Committee had some sharp remarks for Ron Stokes, president and COO of Roaring Fork Restaurant Group, at its latest meeting.
The cause? A customer at the group’s Qdoba restaurant on Brady Street claims they found a razor blade in their food.
The incident, which took place on Nov. 1, 2023, cost the establishment 10 days of business, thanks to a suspension handed down by the Milwaukee Common Council on Tuesday.
Stokes, whose entity is one of the largest operators of Qdoba franchises in the country, addressed the council before the final decision.
Pizza Shuttle Opening Downtown Slice Shop, Food Cart
After nearly 40 years in operation on Milwaukee’s East Side, Pizza Shuttle is planning to expand its footprint — and menu — with a second location at 3rd Street Market Hall.
The new growth is part of a multi-tiered plan that also includes a health-focused sibling brand and a mobile food cart.
The project, led by Kirby Clark and Phil Wilder, is already well underway; Pizza Shuttle Slice Shop is expected to open later this month at the food hall, 275 W. Wisconsin Ave.
It replaces Paper Plane Pizza, which closed in late May.
Downtown Business Owners Urge City to Relocate RNC Protest Zone
The City of Milwaukee on Friday rejected an effort to ban firearms in the security perimeter around the Republican National Convention.
A failed proposal, led by Alderman Robert Bauman, would have seen the city attempt to override state law and prohibit the weapons in the convention’s “soft zone,” which will encompass much of Westown and include the expected free speech zone at Pere Marquette Park.
And though Bauman found little support among fellow city officials, several downtown bar and restaurant owners shared the alderman’s concerns about what they see as a potential tinderbox just steps away from their businesses.
“I understand and appreciate the alderman’s concern and I agree with him,” said Gino Fazzari, chef and owner of Calderone Club and San Giorgio Pizzeria Napoletana, who noted that the location of the likely demonstration area, or free speech zone, at Pere Marquette Park, gives him pause.
2024 Guide to Farmers Markets in Milwaukee
Each year, Milwaukeeans are called to make the most of summer and early fall with a flurry of outdoor activities —open air concerts, beach days, dinners on scenic patios — but there’s not much that can beat a day of meandering through the farmers market, coffee in hand, stocking up on fresh food and other treasures.
The city boasts a wealth of seasonal markets, catering to both weekend wanderers and those seeking a mid-week re-stock. No matter your needs, the following list has you covered with a wide selection of must-visit markets for 2024.
Brady Street Farmers Market
Fresh produce, crafts, prepared foods and more will be available at the Brady Street Farmers Market, which is slated to return to the Lower East Side this summer.
The market will take place on Sundays June 23 and 30; July 7 and 14 and Aug. 4 and 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. An exact location for the market has not yet been publicly announced.
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