Ward Changes
Next door to the old Private Gardener in the Third Ward, there was briefly a cocktail lounge called The Penthouse (184 N. Broadway). It’s gone now, and the folks who opened it are in the process of transforming the space into Three Brothers Soup, Sandwich and Salad Shop. Co-owner Dona Myers says the switch will tap into the need for healthy, quality food in the Ward. The finished product will include a salad bar, made-to-order sandwiches, featured soups and baked potatoes, plus ice cream and various sweets. Three Brothers (no relation to the Serbian restaurant in Bay View) will likely open early in the morning for breakfasty-type foods (bagels, muffins, pastries) and Alterra coffee. It’ll have seating indoors (in an “eclectic, ’50s diner”-inspired interior, says Myers) and out, and offer carryout, too. Myers says they also plan to deliver to locations in the Third Ward. Targeted opening: mid-June.
The Departed
I hate being the bearer of bad news. Earlier this week, Ardor Pub & Grill, a smoke-free establishment on Broadway, officially called it quits (607 N.). Open close to five years, the restaurant – inside lower-lower digs once occupied by Benjamin Briggs and prior to that, John Hawks – focused on simple fare like burgers, wraps, hot sammies and a fish fry.
Crawfish Crazy
This is a Weber weekend. Nothing says summer like glowing charcoal piled at the bottom of a Weber grill. But maybe you’re looking for something a little different this Memorial Day weekend. Just as it did last year, crawfish – or, crayfish, if you prefer – will be starring in a crustacean fest this weekend (Saturday, specifically) at Bayou. The East Side Cajun restaurant’s Crawfish Boil will feature 200 pounds of the tiny crustaceans. While you’re going to work on the food, the band George Stancell & the Wonderful Ones will perform (3-7 p.m.). May 24, noon to midnight. (2060 N. Humboldt Ave., 414-431-1511).
A Week to Eat
Next Thursday kicks off Downtown Dining Week. This weeklong event gives locals an incentive to dine out more than (perhaps) they usually do. How so? During that week (May 29-June 5), 30 Downtown restaurants will offer a three-course prix fixe menu for lunch ($10) and dinner ($20). You don’t need to sign up to take part in it, but it’s wise to call for reservations before you go. The complete list of restaurants is on the Web site for Milwaukee Downtown Bid 21 (Web address pasted below). Can’t wait to know what’s on it? Both Butch’s Steak House locations, Coquette Cafe, Eagan’s on Water, Karl Ratzsch’s, Libiamo, Osteria del Mondo, Swig, Third Ward Caffe, Yanni’s and others. Milwaukee Downtown’s site will let you download a PDF of the lunch and dinner menus at each participating restaurant:
http://www.milwaukeedowntown.com/categories/12-diningweek
Another Plug
This paragraph here is going to go buh-bye very soon. The minutes are ticking away. Don’t let your opportunity to complete the Readers’ Choice Dining Awards ballot go buh-bye, too. If you haven’t tackled the survey, please take a few minutes to do that. One way is to send in the ballot found in the May issue of Milwaukee Magazine. Another way – easier and faster – is to fill out our online access survey and hit submit. Please do us the favor of completing the survey, whether it’s the online or print version! Surveys submitted through our Web site will also be eligible for a prize in our random drawing. Note that we will accept only one survey per person. (I promise you, we’ll be able to sniff out duplicates online, so don’t try it. We have the technology….) Click on the link below to access the survey. And please vote!
http://www.milwaukeemagazine.com/readerschoice/
Can’t get enough dining? I chat about restaurants every week with Jane Matenaer and Kidd O’Shea on “The Mix.” Listen between 8 and 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 29. That’s 99.1 WMYX-FM.
Also check out critic Paul Kosidowki’s picks for the best events in arts and entertainment in Culture Club.
