Openings, Closings, Expansions et al
• As mentioned in an earlier column, Dream Dance has changed its name to Dream Dance Steak. After closing for several days to make the transition, DDS reopens this Tuesday (June 9). Chef Jason Gorman is still doing New Wisconsin cuisine, featuring regional ingredients. There’s simply more emphasis on “plates” – small, big, shared. One example of a shared plate: charred steak and potato “soft tacos” ($12). A small plate: a Caesar salad or buttermilk fried clam chowder ($8 each). A big plate: giant shrimp scampi with baby spinach and garlic butter ($42). The new restaurant name comes into play on this part of the menu: Australian kangaroo tenderloin ($28); red deer venison chop ($40); 12-ounce, dry-aged Prime New York strip ($38); 10-ounce American Kobe flat-iron steak ($35). Hours are the same: Tues-Thurs 5-9 p.m.; Fri-Sat 5-10 p.m. (1721 W. Canal St., 414-847-7883)
• On Wednesday night, Dave Sobelman stood outside his new Sobelmans Tallgrass Grill (1952 N. Farwell Ave., 414-273-4727). He was keeping count of the day’s tally of folks coming in to order a burger made with grass-fed beef. I was one of those people (couldn’t tell you which number I was, though). Of the one-third-pound Fresco burger smothered with chipotle jack cheese and avocado, I can say I was definitely eating a leaner burger devoid of grease. Grass-fed beef comes from cattle not reared on antibiotics or hormones. Because the cows have a better diet, the meat is leaner and arguably better for you. The second Sobelmans menu is simple, the crux of it centering on the grass-fed burger – the basic on up to specialties like the Bacon Blue. (Specialties average $6.50-$7, fries included.) You can download the menu at milwaukeeshealthiestburgers.com.
• You asked. I’m answering. Tommasino Italia in West Allis (7335 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis) is indeed a casualty of hard economic times. Owner Tom Doyle (best known as proprietor of the late Doyle’s Milwaukee Inn) confirmed Tommasino’s closing. “My inability to attract enough patrons on a regular basis made it impossible for me to sustain the business,” he responded in an e-mail. Sad days we are in.
• Chris Greene, co-owner of Germantown’s La Chimenea Mexican restaurant, is shooting for number two sometime this summer. Rhythm ’n Brews, to open in the former Saukville home of Bublitz’s Foster Street Pub and Restaurant (150 S. Foster St.), is a business Greene will share with partner John Sladsky. It’ll be a restaurant serving $8-$20 lunch and dinner items and a venue for live entertainment. I hear that will include dueling pianos, comedy acts, live bands and trivia night.
• Mere days from now, Wisconsin Cheese Mart (215 W. Highland Ave.) will get more cheesy. The shop, in the business of cheese since 1938, is opening a cheese bar. Better put, an expansion to the existing space will make the marriage of beer, wine and cheese possible. The bar will include a dining area with seating for 140 people. The menu? Cheese plates, cheese sandwiches and salads. The expansion should be complete by the second weekend in June, which by my calculations is June 13-14.
• Developer Elan Peltz, whose Brady Street building won a Mayor’s Design Award for 2009, is thinking food. The 1893 Wiskocil Building (932 E. Brady St.) was once a bakery and grocery store and will now be a Thai/sushi restaurant. More on that once I’ve reached the women behind this Asian enterprise.
Zee French Pancake
Driving down Brady Street last weekend, I spotted my favorite street vendor from last summer: Satellite Crêpes. The business, run by Dirk and Janeen Werderich, specializes in crêpes with a conscience. The Werderiches use two kinds of batter – an organic buckwheat and an organic vegan garbanzo bean (egg- and gluten-free). Versions ($3-$6) range from mozzarella, prosciutto and fresh herbs to Nutella, banana and whipped cream. Dirk says they’ve been out Thursday through Saturday since the last Gallery Night. Look for the duo’s rad-looking cart on Brady and other locations I hope to mention in a future column.
Manna From Brookfield
This is totally last minute but if you’re free on Sunday, Brookfield’s Cafe Manna is holding its first cooking class (3815 N. Brookfield Rd.). Chef Joslyn Killey will demo her mushroom-stuffed tofu with Marsala cream sauce, celeriac whipped potatoes and grilled asparagus. Informal is the tone of the class, and chef Killey will not only answer questions from students and offer samples, she will bring folks into the kitchen to look around. Cost is $20 at the door. June 7, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Call 262-790-2340 to reserve a spot.
Let There Be Lager
Feeling a little, well, empty? How about some New Glarus “Totally Naked” cheddar fondue with grilled Usinger’s Polish sausage and caraway crostini? That sounds good enough to eat. It’s one of the courses at Triskele’s beer dinner on June 22. Owners JoLinda Klopp and Lynn Winter are pairing a five-course menu with beer from several Midwestern breweries. Beer is not only the featured beverage; it’s used in the cuisine. For instance, the Prince Edward Island mussels are in Water Buffalo Bison Blonde lager broth with fresh shallots and fried parsley. The same lager is also the featured beverage. If you need more info before you decide to commit, perhaps the grilled beef short ribs with Founder’s Dirty Bastard Scotch ale, tomato glaze and smoky blue cheese-potato croquette will help. Cost is an affordable $35 per person. June 22, 6 p.m. Call to get in: 414-837-5950. (1801 S. Third St.)
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 spot any restaurants openings or closings out there, don’t hesitate to post it on my column, or e-mail me directly: ann.christenson@milwaukeemagazine.com
