Something New
Yes, Downtown Milwaukee is getting another restaurant, one with a presence in cities like Phoenix and St. Paul, Minnesota. Kincaid’s may be open by March 2008, local developer Rob Ruvin tells me. Kincaid’s is taking over the Riverfront Plaza location of the late Third Street Pier (1110 N. Old World Third St.). I’ve just scanned the St. Paul menu, where the entrée prices run $15-$34. On the lower end, that’s a prime rib French dip. On the high end, Bering Sea red king crab legs. In between, there’s bacon-wrapped Kobe beef meatloaf ($17), lobster mac and cheese ($23), ginger-orange glazed Muscovy duck ($23) and back-back ribs with Hawaiian barbecue sauce ($17). I’ll keep you posted on this place.
Something Changing
One of my friends teases me about going out to dinner sometimes as early as 5:30 p.m. Maybe I deserve the abuse…. (Actually, no I don’t deserve it. I can’t stand going to bed on a full stomach.) Be that as it may, there’s another reason you might be interested in getting your dinner in before the latest episode of “Ugly Betty.” That is the early-bird dinner deal. And Yanni’s early-bird deal is inspired by the summer’s popular Downtown Dining Week (540 E. Mason St., 414-847-9264). On weeknights only (Mon-Fri), Yanni’s offers a special $20 three-course dinner menu. Your first course is a choice of house salad or soup du jour. For the entrée, you can have macadamia-crusted salmon, filet mignon over an herb potato cake or linguine with bacon-wrapped shrimp or chicken. For dessert: ice cream or sherbet. Yanni’s also has a $9.99 three-course lunch deal. This is a ways off, but come January, there will be a two-week period when the restaurant closes for remodeling. The plans are to bring a jazz element to the lounge, so the redesign will bring in couches, lounge chairs and such. The tentative plans are for smaller-piece bands earlier in the week, and full acts on Thursdays through Saturdays.
All About Cheese
Bonjour. My high school (and college) French is rusting away, but I can still say “J’aime le fromage” (“I love cheese”) with a reasonably decent accent. Fortunately, the Alliance Francaise of Milwaukee (1800 E. Capitol Dr.) has taken pity on people like me. The Cheese Tasting Evening on Oct. 5 is conducted in English. Steve Ehlers and Patty Peterson, of Larry’s Brown Deer Market, will offer eight to 10 cheeses from Europe and North America. They’ll have a single-herd Spanish Manchego and Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese from Dodgeville, WI (a hard, cow’s milk cheese produced using centuries-old French techniques). You’ll taste these beauties with the most agreeable companion – a glass of wine. Oct. 5, 7-9 p.m. Cost: $50. And speaking of Larry’s Market, Friday afternoon is still D-day for firing up for the grill. What that means for you is that between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., you can pick up lunch cooked outside on the barbie. Teriyaki tenderloin, orange basil mahi mahi, jerk chicken, Angus burger and others ($3.25-$5.95). Steve Ehlers, who runs Larry’s, told me the grill will still be in action through October. (8737 N. Deerwood Dr., 800-236-1307)
Friday Night Slam
My mother used to say, “Don’t slam your food. It’s not good for your tummy.” Okay, she never really said that. Slamming, you see, has applications. For instance, the WMSE Food Slam on Oct. 5 at the Eisner Museum (208 N. Water St.). A fundraiser for the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s radio station 91.7FM, Food Slam is a food-tasting event with 28 restaurants joining in. They include Beans and Barley, Good Life (Caribbean food),Kil@wat (the Intercontinental Hotel’s restaurant), La Merenda (tapas),Maxie’s Southern Comfort, McBob’s Pub & Grill, Sabor Brazilian Churrascaria, Sala da Pranzo, St. Paul Fish Company and The Wicked Hop. Both floors of the Eisner Museum will be getting a workout, with the food vendors setting up on the second floor. WMSE also will have a cash bar, a DJ spinning tunes and a silent auction of more than 100 items. Proceeds benefit WMSE. Friday, Oct. 5, 6-10 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance (through October 4) and $30 at the door. Buy them online at www.wmse.org.
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, October 4. That’s 99.1 WMYX-FM.
And check out our Events Editor Evan Solochek’s picks for the best events in arts and entertainment on This Weekend.
