High-End Hiatus
Roasted duck breast paired with apple cinnamon puree and ruby port glaze; veal scaloppini with wilted spinach and house-made gnocchi. You have a few more days to take in the flavors of Osteria del Mondo before it leaves the Knickerbocker Hotel. Not for good, mind you. But co-owner/executive chef Marc Bianchini is keeping mum on both where and when Osteria will reopen. This evening (Thursday, June 30) and tomorrow night are the last regular nights of operation. Open 5-10 p.m. tonight and 5-11 p.m. on Friday. On Sunday, the Bianchinis are throwing an informal Big Bang Party. It features an all-you-can-eat buffet ($29 for adults; $10 for kids), live music and limited valet parking. There are still spots available but they’re going fast, I hear. Call now to make a reservation: 414-291-3770. (1028 E. Juneau Ave.)
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| Pabellón (flank steak with rice, beans and plantains) at Café Plaza Venezuela. |
Caracas Bound
The smiling owner of Café Plaza Venezuela walks out of the kitchen holding my carryout container. With this, she says – referring to the flank steak, fried sweet plantains and black beans and rice inside – “You will eat like we do.” Leomaris Montes is giving locals a taste of her homeland in this new counter-service cafe next door to Ward’s House of Prime. Outside, at red umbrella-topped tables, diners bite into pepitos (chicken or flank steak inside a French roll) and arepas (cornflour cakes filled with ham and cheese, chorizo, steak, etc.). The cafe, open for breakfast and lunch, offers various egg dishes in the morning, including Spanish tortilla. Empanadas, tequeños (Venezuelan mozzarella sticks) and chocolate-filled croissants are some of the snacks offered all day. Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Sat 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (530 E. Mason St., 414-220-5120)
Frozen Feast
A lot of people are feeling the frozen yogurt love this time of year. A little update on the froyo place opening on the East Side’s Brady Street. Owner Omer Ulu is shooting to open Berry Me (1320 E. Brady St.) on Friday, July 1. The local weather people are predicting a high of 90 degrees that day. A froyo run may be in order.…
Jersey Pizza
A week ago, I was eating white pizza on Long Beach Island, New Jersey. That Jersey ’za is a lactose treat – an icing-like layer of ricotta, mozzarella and romano cheeses on a crisp, medium-thin crust. Creamy and garlicky. In Milwaukee, I haven’t found anything quite like that white Jersey pie. When I see white, I see “Alfredo.” Take Ian’s Pizza (2035 E. North Ave., 414-727-9200). The Madison-based pizza company isn’t afraid to mix pasta with pizza – i.e., chicken penne Alfredo and sausage penne Alfredo. Also following the white thread is Ian’s pizza of the week – white chicken chili. Find the pizza, perhaps, of your dreams during these business hours: Mon-Sat 11 a.m.-bar time; Sun 11 a.m.-midnight.
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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
