Big and Bigger Brady Street
For many months, the owners of Thai-na-mite kept the storefront (932 W. Brady St.) to themselves. Paper-covered windows will do that. Now the covert ways of keeping this in-utero restaurant a secret are gone. Thai-na-mite is open. The menu is a blend of Thai and Japanese cuisines. The dining room includes a 10-seat, L-shaped sushi bar. Fried noodles, curries, and various types of sushi are offered. Hours: Sun-Thurs 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (414-837-6280). My details are basic, but expect more to follow.
Traveling Spoons
Architects gaze at buildings. I gaze at restaurants and mobile purveyors of street food. (And just at food, in general.) Consider the roving taco trucks, Pita Brothers (in their mobile electric vehicle) and the ever-Tweeting Street-za pizza truck. This summer, I’m keeping my eyes peeled for Cold Spoons, the gelato shop that occupies a storefront in Washington Heights (5924 W. Vliet St., 414-727-9457). Co-owner Sandy Murphy has a cool idea for summer – a mobile gelato cart. She and partner Brett Swider are putting on the finishing touches and hope to debut it in a few weeks. The cart will hold up to six flavors (kept cold by dry ice). You may see the Cold Spoons cart in various parts of the West Side, as well as Downtown, the Third Ward, etc. At the shop, you can count on seeing flavors like raspberry, pistachio and mint stracchiatello. My recent discoveries: Thai chile chocolate (a wave of heat that catches you in the throat) and blood orange (like biting into an intense, juicy piece of fruit).
Fresh Air
Just as a fish fry is de rigueur in the restaurant biz, so is the patio. Some new (and soon-to-come) arrivals:
• Ward’s House of Prime (540 E. Mason St., 414-223-0135): Ward’s is sporting a sidewalk patio – a new spot to eat prime rib, lamb chops and seared sea bass. Planters and a few trees set off the 10 tables from the pedestrian area.
• Some of the charm of Crazy Water (839 S. Second St., 414-645-2606) happens when you’re seated in the main room, soaking in the sights and smells from the behind-the-bar cook station. It’s that simple. But I certainly wouldn’t turn down a seat in the new screened-in patio. In reality, the screens aren’t in yet, but soon. Very soon. And the patio isn’t quite open. But soon. Manager Tony Betzhold predicts that by next week, the way will be paved for Crazy “outside” seating. The cozy setting will include 10 tables.
• Balistreri’s Blue Mound Inn (6501 W. Bluemound Rd., 414-258-9881): This is a patio-waiting-to-happen. The pergola-style roof isn’t on, so there’s still a couple weeks of construction left. The Balistreri’s staff hopes to open this enclosed area (seating 40) by mid-June.
Beef Belly
One of my most farcical food experiences was trying to consume the 4-pound burger at Kelly’s Bleachers (5218 W. Bluemound Rd.). The deal is if you finish it (and the accompanying fries) in an hour, you’ll get this $19.95 meal at no charge. (Sadly or perhaps happily, I did not finish it.…) Man, that’s a lot of meat.… Recently, I came across another deal like this. The Big Burger Challenge at Mulligan’s Irish Pub (8933 S. 27th St., Franklin, 414-304-0300). The Mulligan’s burger has three pounds of Black Angus beef – topped with eight slices of cheese and 12 strips of bacon! – and comes with a pound of beer-battered fries. If you can finish it all within 60 minutes, you will not only notpay for it, you’ll get a $50 gift card to Mulligan’s. I’m not sure that’s enough of an incentive.
Cute Cakes!
The cupcake is enjoying its time in the Milwaukee sun (encouraged by the popular Iron Cupcake Milwaukee events). Milwaukee-based Classy Girl Cupcakes operates a bit under the wire. The name for this cupcake caterer “refers to the classy girls making the cupcakes,” co-owner Erica Elia explains. Can’t argue with that. Elia and her soon-to-be sister-in-law Sara Hanson started Classy Girl in fall of 2009. They’ve been busy catering weddings, parties, meetings and reunions ever since. The partners have a classy Web site that shows and describes many of the varieties of cupcakes they offer. The Classy Girl signature – its defining characteristic – is the cheesecake cupcake. And not in just one flavor. They have more than 35 cheesecake cupcake flavors – caramel apple and coconut cream to malted milkshake. Elia and Hanson also make traditional cupcakes, whole cheesecakes and gourmet cupcakes. Now I’m craving cheesecake something awful.…
Power of the Chefs
It’s an intriguing idea: A chef from a local restaurant spends a collaborative evening sharing the kitchen of a different local restaurant, a night of tag-teaming head chefs. It’s called the Guest Chef Series, and it’s happening every Tuesday in June at the Brookfield North Star American Bistro. The guest chef works with North Star head chef Duffy O’Neil to create the menu, which they execute together on the designated night. The first dinner (June 8) features Lagniappe Brasserie’s Andy Tenaglia. He and O’Neil are planning a San Francisco-inspired meal: crab rangoon; five-spice spare ribs; sesame and scallion pancake; Sicilian steak with potato Anna and grilled prosciutto-wrapped asparagus; and a California fruit tart. Line-up for the rest of the series: La Merenda’s Peter Sandroni (June 15); Meritage’s Jan Kelly (June 22); and Roots Restaurant and Cellar’s Paul Zerkel (June 29). Cost: $35. The meal is available 5-9 p.m. (North Star American Bistro, 19115 W. Capitol Dr.) Call 262-754-1515 for a reservation.
Prix Fixe the Week
Today is it – the official kickoff of Downtown Dining Week, a prix-fixe dining draw showcasing 38 restaurants (and their $10 lunch menus and $20 and $30 dinner menus). Click here for menu info and the list of restaurants participating.
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And don’t miss this week’s Shopaholic to learn about new stores and events in the world of local retail.
If you spot any restaurant openings or closings, don’t hesitate to post them on my column, or e-mail me directly: ann.christenson@milwaukeemagazine.com.
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