Rooftop Rendezvous
Shorewood’s The Garden Room gets better as you go up. And up. The rehabbed 1890 building (once a carriage repair shop) has a garden, greenhouse and patio on the roof. Quite the spot for summer dining. The source of that dining originates three floors down, in the kitchen of Anaba Tea Room. Inspired by a recent trip to Vietnam (uh, jealous?), chef Gregg DesRosier has made some intriguing changes to the dinner menu. Small plates are now the dominant component and they include: duck laab, a BLT spring roll, Vietnamese taco, duck sausage flatbread, pork belly steamed bun, and a Wagyu beef hot dog with miso mustard and banana ketchup ($3-$10). Anaba is still running a few noodle bowls and rice dishes, like Korean BBQ chicken, ginger-garlic scallion noodles, green curry chowder and lobster in sake béchamel sauce ($8-$16). DesRosier is not finished with summer yet. He’ll tweak some of the menu and make additions like the kimchi burger. Sit indoors if you will, or take my advice and get a table on the flora-laden rooftop. Hours: Tues: lunch and tea service 11 a.m.-3 p.m., limited menu 3-5 p.m.; Wed-Sat: lunch and tea service 11 a.m.-3 p.m., limited menu 3-5 p.m., dinner 5-9 p.m.; Sun lunch/brunch & tea service 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (2107 E. Capitol Dr., 414-963-9510)
Crazy Times
The summer is roller-blading by. Which is why I’m going to get as much mileage as possible from summer menu changes!… In Walker’s Point the neighborhood of the moment, Crazy Water keeps the regulars happy with its trademark dishes (Crazy shrimp with jalapeno corn muffins, for one). Owner Peggy Magister, however, caught the summer bug and recently debute these items. Hmm, sounds tasty. Examples: broccolini, burrata and pine nuts in warm anchovy butter; Wagyu hanger steak with sweet corn risotto, chipotle compound butter and fried leeks; braised veal shoulder in banana leaf with mission fig mole, butternut squash puree and cippolini onions; and mushroom-dusted halibut with mascarpone-cauliflower puree and sauteed wild mushrooms. (839 S. Second St., 414-645-2606)
Dinner for Elephants
What’s going on in that building just north of The Pasta Tree (1503 N. Farwell Ave.)? Some action, to be sure. Lany Nanthasane, whose parents own EE-Sane Thai Restaurant (1806 N. Farwell), is on to a new venture. Like EE-Sane, the under-development Elephant Café (1507 N. Farwell Ave.) will be a family operation. The name comes from the fact that elephants represent her family’s homeland. The cuisine will be Southeast Asian; Nanthasane will share more as she gets closer to the opening. No word yet on the opening date.
Look for Dish on Dining on Tuesdays and Thursdays!
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If you spot a restaurant opening or closing, post it on the comments section of my column, or e-mail me directly: ann.christenson@milwaukeemagazine.com
