What’s Going On
• Dream Dance, as you may already have learned, is making changes – significant changes – beginning next month. As of June 9th, the restaurant will go by the name Dream Dance Steak. What that means is the menu will have a greater emphasis on, yeah, beef. Michael Tsuchihashi, Potawatomi Bingo Casino’s food and beverage director, says the transformation will play up the restaurant’s strengths. On the new menu, you’ll also see a greater emphasis on small plates. Now if you’re not a steak eater, that doesn’t mean you’ll be out in the cold. The menu will still have game, seafood and what have you. Once they get closer to the change, I’ll be able to talk menu specifics. (1721 W. Canal St. 414-847-7883)
• Dave Sobelman, whose Sobelmans Pub & Grill makes many burger-lovin’ hearts flutter, also released big news this week. He’s working on another business (Sobelmans Tallgrass Grill), intending to open it in the shuttered Patty Burger space (1952 N. Farwell Ave.). The new business will showcase Tallgrass beef, which comes from grass-fed cattle. Sobelman told me he’s going to load these hormone-free patties up with fresh produce (not canned) and higher-quality cheeses. Will that inch the prices up more than the $5.50 mushroom and Swiss burger at Sobelmans on 19th and St. Paul? Just a tad, he says. And along with cost, there’s the issue of texture. Tallgrass beef being a natural, lower-fat product, you have to make sure it doesn’t dry out when it’s cooked. Sobelman says he’s going to work on some tricks to keep the burgers tender and juicy.
• The finishing touches are on Honeypie in Bay View, and the kitchen is officially doing its thing (2643 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.). To jog your memory, Honey Pie’s parents are also the folks behind the East Side’s Comet Cafe. The restaurant’s mantra is “wholesome,” from-scratch food, locally sourced where possible. I have seen photos, and the interior – imagine a comfy old Wisconsin lodge, but with a modern, hipster-ish feel – is damn cute. The restaurant opens at 10 a.m. daily.
Thinking Warm
It’s summer at the Intercontinental Milwaukee Hotel (corner of Kilbourn and Water). The restaurant Kil@wat has just rolled out its summer menu. There’s a three-pronged approach to it – lighter food, locally grown ingredients and “affordable” prices. New items appear to be mostly appetizers – sole fingers with green herb aioli ($9), chicken skewers with Peruvian aji amarillo sauce ($7) and spicy tuna tartare tacos ($11). Conceivably, you could order a couple of them and maybe a salad (example: sunflower sprouts with toasted sunflower seeds, goat cheese, cucumber and strawberry-balsamic dressing, $10) and not need to order a heavy entrée like the 8-ounce steer filet ($39). Reservations: 414-291-4793.
Fish Face
Love your fried fish, but want to shake up the location a little bit? The restaurant inside the Brown Deer Park Golf Pavilion is serving its first fish fry tomorrow night, 4-8 p.m. They’re not taking reservations – yet. You just walk in. For $9.25, you get breaded or baked fish, fries or parsley-buttered potatoes, rye bread and a piece of cake. The price for kids 12 and under: $4.75. The golf course address is 7625 N. Range Line Rd., but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to call for directions to the restaurant: 414-352-8220.
Rule of Three
Bistro 333 is the new restaurant at the remodeled Hyatt Regency (333 W. Kilbourn Ave.). For more on that, click here. If you’re checking out the fresh hotel decor and just want a drink, there’s the new Bar 333. New bar, new promotion. And it’s a play on the number “3.” On Thursdays, the special is $3 rail cocktails, $3 beers and $3 sliders. They’re offered between 3:33 p.m. and 7:06 p.m., which is three hours and 33 minutes. I know there’s a pun I could use here, but I’ll refrain.
Buns, Buns and More Buns
You might have noticed the new signage on the lakefront. Bartolotta Restaurant Group had a soft opening on May 21st for their Northpoint Burgers and Custard restaurant (Lincoln Memorial Drive, at St. Mary’s Hill). The official opening is next Thursday, May 28th, which is also National Hamburger Day. Northpoint will celebrate the occasion with a free burger for the first 250 people who show up. That’s starting at noon. FYI: The menu is a lot more than burgers. There’s Johnsonville brats, Nathan’s hot dogs, Vienna Italian beef and fried perch sandwiches. Tater Tots, fried cheese curds and frozen custard. Beer and wine, too.
Don’t miss this week’s Shopaholic to learn about hip, upcoming fashion soirées and the city’s best deals on great design.
If you see any new restaurants out there, don’t hesitate to post them in the Comments section of my column, or e-mail me directly: ann.christenson@milwaukeemagazine.com
