Birch Hosting Guest Chef Series
Months-long series will feature award-winning chefs from across the country creating unique meals.
Site of Birch, 459 E. Pleasant St. Photo by Aliza Baran.
An upcoming dinner series will bring chefs from across the country to one of Milwaukee’s top restaurants.
With participants from Miami, Brooklyn, Austin and the Midwest, the series offers not just a unique dining experience, but also a platform for “emerging culinary voices,” according to Kyle Knall, chef and co-owner of Birch, which will host the collaborative dinners at its Lower East Side location, 459 E. Pleasant St.
“Bringing unique and world-class dining experiences to Milwaukee is something I feel incredibly passionate about and fortunate to be able to do,” Knall said in a statement. “Fusing the distinct culinary approaches of these incredible visiting chefs with robust bounty of the Midwest is a natural extension of what we do at Birch.”
Each dinner will feature a one-night-only menu with input from both visiting chefs and Knall.
Chef Nando Chang will open the series in mid-August with a two-day residency, melding Japanese and Peruvian influences with Birch’s farm-to-table philosophy. Chang’s Miami restaurant, Itamae AO, was awarded a Michelin star in June.
On Aug. 15, the chef will partner with the team at Birch to present a special collaboration menu. The following day, he’ll take over the restaurant’s Chef’s Counter to present a signature AO omakase experience.
Future guest chefs include Milwaukee’s own Adam Pawlak, who will bring his pasta expertise to the restaurant on August 26. Zach Nelson and Clement Besset of Fradei Bistro in Brooklyn are set to follow on September 13. Another Wisconsinite, Joe Papach—chef and co-owner of The Harvey House in Madison—joins the lineup on September 21.
The series continues into fall with a Nov. 4 dinner by Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel and Arjav Ezekiel of Birdie’s in Austin. Matt Vawter, James Beard Award-winning chef and owner of two Breckenridge restaurants—Rootstalk and Radicato—will be featured later this year, along with other notable names, Birch shared in a news release. Dates for those dinners have not yet been announced.
Industry Networking Opportunity
In addition to the guest-driven events, Birch is hosting industry-focused breakfast roundtables, aimed at connecting local talent with veteran chefs.
Chef Knall, along with co-owner Meghan Knall and General Manager and Sommelier Jeff Cleveland, will facilitate the daytime events.
Reservations for upcoming dinners are now available to book online; additional dates will be added throughout the coming months. For more information on upcoming events, visit Birch’s website or Instagram page.
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