Italiano at the Casino
A restaurant opening is my favorite Dish on Dining topic. And to break up the supper clubs and comfort food mentioned in past weeks, we’ve got a little Italian. Potawatomi Bingo Casino (1721 W. Canal St.) plans to open Wild Earth Cucina around the end of this summer (September). The theme is traditional Italian, including “reinvented classics with a twist.” Along with the chicken carbonara shown in the above photo, the menu will feature spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna and Italian sausage sliders. Italian wines and beers will be stocked at the bar. And the cucina will also offer house-made Limoncello and Italian sodas. Cucina chef Audrey Vandenburgh will give Wild Earth a plug this Saturday at Festa Italiana. Vandenburgh (late of the table tennis establishment SPin Milwaukee) is doing a cooking demo at 1 p.m. at La Cucina on the festival grounds.
The Claw
King, Dungeness, blue. Crab lovers know their way around a crustacean. Good news this is, then, for shellfish fans that Russ Davis (whose Vecchio Entertainment Group is papa to Lakefront Brewery Palm Garden and Rio West Cantina) has planted himself deeply in crab territory. With his latest, soon-to-open Twisted Fisherman Crab Shack (1200 W. Canal St., just east of Potawatomi Bingo Casino), Davis is the contractor, designer and (along with his longtime cooks) menu developer. Seafood won’t be the only source of fuel here. The menu will include salads, barbecued ribs, a T-bone steak, burger and Milwaukee brat. The converted one-time gas station with “a shack feel,” as Davis puts it, won’t have nearly as much seating inside as out – 60 seats versus 220 on the patio (which will be tricked out with a special detail that I cannot reveal here). While the bar might be open this weekend, Davis is still toying with a firm opening date for the restaurant. Once I have it, you will, too.
Look for Dish on Dining on Tuesdays and Thursdays!
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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
