People Who Need People’s
February 8, 2011 was a disastrous day in downtown Waukesha. Early that morning, several engine and ladder trucks responded to a fire that wreaked enough havoc on the bar/restaurant People’s Park that it was forced to close. Within days of the fire, co-owner Dan Taylor vowed to rebuild. Soon the plans for a new People’s Park emerged. When it reopened a few weeks ago – in the same Civil War-era building (337 W. Main St., Waukesha) – it showed the owners’ commitment to bringing business to downtown Waukesha. The ground level, I hear, is very similar to what it was. Behind the bar hangs a wall sculpture made of figures familiar and strange, collectible and not. Some of the original sculpture was destroyed in the fire. Like the restaurant itself, the sculpture was rebuilt. The second floor has a bar and additional table seating. This summer, People’s Park will have something new – rooftop seating. But before you dream about patio weather, you should think about the food. The PP menu is the same. It’s composed of starters like pot stickers, wings and crab spring rolls; a few salads; and a whole lot of sandwiches (beef tenderloin, chipotle grilled chicken, four half-pound burgers), $5.95-$10.95. They have a couple of steaks, too – au poivre and “black and blue” ($14.95 each). Another detail you want: weekend brunch (Sat-Sun, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.). Items include crème brûlée French toast and classic eggs Benedict. Food-service hours: Sun-Thurs 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Fri-Sat 10:30 a.m.-1 a.m. (262-522-6868)
North Shore No More
The cause of this restaurant closure is a bit unusual. Shortly before Christmas, the village of Thiensville shut down the building that housed Mendini’s on Main (105 S. Main St.) – as well as three apartments – because there were concerns about the building’s safety. “Significant life safety code violations,” said Thiensville Fire Chief Brian Reiels, according to a recent story in the Ozaukee News Graphic. The code violations included “excessive combustibles,” according to the article. The restaurant – previously, Allegro Martini Bar – served Italian-ish food. Its length of life was little more than a year.
Pavlova, Not Plaster
If you’ve had schaum torte, you know the mouth feel of it. My mom’s torte shell was like plaster of Paris. But this dessert – meringue shell topped with a fruit sauce – can be an enjoyable chewing experience. I’ve never eaten it where the texture is more of a pavlova – crusty, with a creamy middle. That’s what chef Sandy D’Amato says is the proper schaum torte texture. Perhaps you will want to put Sanford Restaurant’s version to the test. It is the dessert course in the restaurant’s new Exploration Menu, Sanford Supper Club (four courses, offered Mon-Fri, $49). Other courses: “Plated Susan” (dill herring with rye croutons, smoked trout with caraway beets, pickled shrimp with celery root remoulade); grilled Belgian endive and frisee with crispy chicken livers; and scalded lobster and peppercorn-crusted pork shoulder with kohlrabi potatoes. (1547 N. Jackson St., 414-276-9608)
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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
