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| centro cafe’s new bar/lounge. |
More to Love
You may have experienced the Euro deliciousness of Riverwest’s centro cafe (808 E. Center St., 414-455-3751). The cute little Italian storefront restaurant may be more delicious now that its new bar/lounge has opened. This is good news. The room – located behind the dining room and accessible by mounting a small flight of steps – has a bar with 10 stools (plus seating for another 15 people). That means diners now have a place to hang out while waiting for a table in the dining room. But there’s also no reason, necessarily, to wait. If you just feel like drinking and grazing, the bar/lounge has its own antipasto menu, featuring three kinds of bruschetta, grilled calamari and scallops, eggplant rolotini, charcuterie and cheese plates, to name a few ($5-$9). Happy Hour also makes its appearance in the lounge – Monday-Thursday, 5-7 p.m. During HH, you will get $1 discounted rail drinks and by-the-glass wine. Bottles of Riverwest Stein and Spotted Cow can be had for $3.50 each. And if you buy an appetizer, you’ll get a free Milwaukee-brewed beer. The for-now lounge hours: Mon-Thurs 5-11 p.m.; Fri-Sat 5 p.m.-midnight; Sun 5-10 p.m. Also, if you’re on the fence about how to celebrate Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 8), centro is open for lunch (12-4 p.m.) and dinner (4-8 p.m.). Lunch fare will include salads, cold and hot soups, made-to-order frittatas, a steak sandwich, French toast and pastas. Seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Clock Is Ticking
I know you have favorite restaurants. Please do me this favor. If you haven’t submitted your votes for your favorite restaurants in Milwaukee Magazine’s annual Readers’ Choice Dining Awards, do it now! It’s easy and you could win a prize like a $250 giftcard to Mayfair Mall. Click here to vote.
Umami at Mid-day
Retire that ham sandwich for just one day. One day. There is more stylish fare to be had. Not surprisingly, at the Milwaukee Street Asian fusion restaurant Umami Moto. Lunch service is a new thing. It begins on Monday, May 2. How stylish is the food, you ask? On of the two bento boxes includes a curry chicken salad tea sandwich with potato salad, steak asparagus roll, fried duck spring roll and four-piece veggie roll ($10). Other choices: chicken pad thai, a Power Bowl (organic brown rice, sweet potatoes and broccoli in lemongrass sauce with tofu or chicken), shrimp fried rice, Korean tacos, a slider plate and others ($8-$12). Complimentary valet parking. Lunch hours: Mon-Thurs 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Fri 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (718 N. Milwaukee St., 414-727-9333)
Beer Bonanza
Ever hear of Milwaukee Beer Week? Today (Thurs, April 28) is the kickoff. It runs through May 8. If you want to sample beers like there’s no tomorrow, you need to go to Milwaukee’s Taste of Great Brewers at the Harley-Davidson Museum Friday night (April 29, 6 p.m.). More than 50 breweries will be represented. Tickets are $45 at the door. (400 Canal St.) You can also do something more restaurant-y to celebrate the week. Like go to Maxie’s Southern Comfort next Wednesday (May 4) for the Beechwood Beer Dinner. Not a sit-down dinner per se, the event features 14 food samplings (like fried pimento mac ’n cheese) and 11 beer tastings. Cost is $60. Call 414-292-3969 to reserve a spot. (6732 W. Fairview). Find more Beer Week activities here.
Walking and Eating
How much do you know about the history of our culinary scene? The village of Wauwatosa, historic Cedarburg, Old World Third Street. I think two hours of walking, tasting and listening is time well spent. Milwaukee Food Tours offers some disarming ways to explore the city. The tours run about two hours, involve walking upwards of a mile (with frequent breaks to rest, if needed) and are led by certified tourism ambassador Theresa Nemetz. You’re given generous food samples from restaurants on the tour and learn offbeat facts about the specific neighborhood (such as why the term “Polish flat” is used to describe some area homes). Price: $45 per person. Get more specifics here.
Look for more Dish on Dining next week….
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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
