Some Like It New
I don’t know how cool Molly Cool’s is, but it is now open – as of 11 a.m. today. The Third Street seafood tavern is owned by a Minneapolis chain. I wish I could give you more info. They promised to e-mail the menu to me, and I’m still waiting for it. (1110 N. Old World Third St., 414-831-8862)… In last week’s column, I mentioned seeing a sign for Taco de Bajo outside Broadway Cafe. The story is that the taco joint is part is the cafe operation, and if you walk inside the 241 N. Broadway building and go down the steps, you’ll see the cafe on the left, as usual, and the taco restaurant on the right. There’s seating at tables topped with yellow cloths and bottled picante sauce. The menu features chicken tortilla soup ($3.50-$5.50), nachos ($5.75-$9.25), three kinds of tortas ($7.95-$8.95), chicken mole enchiladas ($7.95), quesadillas ($5.75-$9.25), huevos rancheros ($6.50) and grapefruit and jicama salad ($7.95).
The Week to Eat
Haven’t eaten out in a long time because it’s, well, expensive? I understand. In just a few more weeks, Downtown Dining Week (May 28th-June 4th) will give you on a temporary pocketbook reprieve. If you’ve done DDW in previous years, you probably know the drill. A slew of Downtown Milwaukee restaurants offer fixed-price meals for lunch and dinner – $10 for a three-course lunch, $20 for a three-course dinner. This year, the list of participating restaurants has grown to 40. Among the new recruits: Bistro 333 (the new restaurant at the Hyatt Hotel),Charro Restaurante, Rustico, Tulip and Umami Moto. So, say you decide to go to Tulip for lunch (360 E. Erie St., Third Ward). Your $10, three-course meal could be crispy phyllo cheese rolls, vegetable-stuffed eggplant and baklava. If you pick Umami Moto for dinner, you’d be eating gazpacho or pork pot stickers, then ginger-glazed salmon with udon noodles or short ribs with cheddar grits and braised cabbage. For dessert, it’s red velvet cake or chocolate brioche with toasted almond ice cream. For the full list of restaurants and their menus, go to www.milwaukeedowntown.com.
Chaise Lounge
As I’m writing this, I’m thinking of a sunny, 75-degree day and a glass of crisp white wine on a handsome restaurant patio. A girl can dream. Modern technology has made it possible to dine on Trocadero’s patio when the weather ain’t so hot. And when the weather really is hot… man, that is a nice patio. But let’s talk food. The newest nightly special to join Trocadero’s roster is Bohemian Tuesdays. That is a slam dunk of specials – $6 Bohemian (absinthe-laced) mojitos, select 2-for-1 bottled beer and free Tarot card readings on the terrace from 7 to 10 p.m. (weather-dependent). Kevin Sloan, who ran The Social and presently works as the culinary director for Troc’s parent company (Diablo Rojos), has fine-tuned the menu, adding nightly specials like pan-seared shrimp with grilled asparagus and blue cheese risotto, and crispy soft-shell crab with homemade potato hash. The regular menu’s new items include an oven-roasted, bone-in chicken breast with fennel-infused tomato sauce ($14.95), and grilled summer vegetables with Israeli couscous, green gazpacho nage and house-made naan ($13.95). 1758 N. Water St., 414-272-0205.
Crustworthy
Brian Zarletti gave his name to two restaurants – Cafe Zarletti in South Milwaukee and Zarletti on the corner of Milwaukee and Mason streets right here in the city. Rustico, Brian’s Third Ward pizzeria, didn’t get his name, but it’s definitely got his Italian touch. During Happy Hour (weekdays, 4-6 p.m.), besides the $3 cocktails and $5 martinis, Zarletti’s crew brings out a different free eat, like crostini with tapenade, a pizza or bowl of pasta. At Sunday brunch (10 a.m.-3 p.m.), there’s an American element to the menu (steak and eggs, breakfast sandwich) and an Italian component – a breakfast pizza (with an egg in the center), breakfast calzone, eggs Benedict Italiano and frittata classico ($6.95-$12.95). Rustico has recently started live music during brunch. This week, it’s Marc Ballini performing from 1 to 3 p.m. (223 N. Water St., 414-223-9933).
If you’ve listened to me dish with Jane and Kidd on 99.1 WMYX-FM, now you can listen to our food chats anytime right here.
Don’t miss this week’s Shopaholic to learn about a few 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 it on my column, or e-mail me directly: ann.christenson@milwaukeemagazine.com
