Everything is Coming
You’ve been wondering, as have I, about the status of Tutto, the restaurant-to-be from the former owner of the late Giovanni’s Restaurant. The business is close to debuting (1033 N. Old World Third St.). The five partners in this business – Giovanni Safina, his sons Sal, David and Joey; and Donato Salvo – hired Sharon Celek to design the interior. (With her former partner Maria Cieslik, Celek worked on the interiors of Third Ward’s Lela boutique and The Social.) Tutto is on the ground floor of a multi-level building the partners bought more than two years ago. The surfaces inside the bar/restaurant are going to make it pop – tile, wood and stainless steel (in the open kitchen). The “Las Vegas atmosphere” is “very comfortable,” Salvo tells me. Tutto (“Everything in Italian) will serve lunch on weekdays, and dinner every night. I happen to know what you could be eating once all is said and done – small plates like crispy calamari with marinara sauce, bambino burgers with Parmesan herb fries and insalata di mare (a celery/red onion salad with four types of seafood), $8-$13. There are burgers, sandwiches (Sicilian steak, grilled Portobello, grilled cheese) and salads, $8-$13. If there’s more to come on the menu, they’re not telling me. We may be hearing the opening bells around the 20th of November.
Cookie Slaves
Midwest Airlines cookies… You’re not the only one who loves them. So certain Sendik’s stores are carrying the cookie dough in their frozen foods department. It’s totally new, and of course cookie mania has taken hold. I called the Tosa and Whitefish Bay Sendik’s (four of the six locations carrying the dough) to find out how much the dough retails for ($8.99). Both locations had sold out of it immediately. The Tosa store expects another shipment on Saturday, and the Whitefish Bay store had apparently placed an “emergency” order for more dough. This makes me want them even more.
Irish Speaking
In late August in this column, I blogged about Brocach, the Irish pub/restaurant destined to open in the former digs of the Five & Ten tavern (1850 N. Water St.). Things are moving, and the end of November is the current D-Day guestimate. To refresh your memory, Brocach (the Gaelic word for “badger den”) has another location in Madison that serves everything from Guinness Irish stew and bangers & mash to Irish stout steak and grilled chicken with colcannon mashed potatoes. More to come when I have it.
Wine Time
Do you Beaujolais Nouveau? Many people love this wine – made for the purpose of immediate consumption. And Beaujolais Nouveau time is always the third Thursday of November. That’s when the wine starts taking flight out of France to land on the shelves of a wine shop near you. If you’re more serious about BN than the average wine drinker, you might to celebrate the occasion with others of your ilk. Alliance Française de Milwaukee has a dinner planned for Thursday, Nov. 15 (6-9 p.m.) at the Eisner Museum of Advertising and Design (208 N. Water St.). Larry’s Market will supply the hors d’oeuvres. Guy Poitras, the Alliance’s wine expert, will be the sommelier. And the songstress of the evening: Robin Pluer, known for her renditions of Edith Piaf songs. Cost: $35. Call 414-964-3855 for reservations. And Pierre Briere of Elliot’s Bistro is holding three Beaujolais Nouveau dinners (Nov. 15, 16 and 17). The prix fixe meals are three courses ($29.50, plus $15 for the wine). 2321 N. Murray Ave., 414-273-1488. Call for reservations. And if you just want to be around other enthusiastic revelers, check out Trocadero (1758 N. Water St., 414-272-0205). They’ll be popping corks starting at 6:30 p.m. on the 15th.
Restaurant Help
We’re always thinking about you. Seriously. We’ve added a couple of features to our Web site to make the restaurant search process more helpful. Now our restaurant listings include a map that pinpoints where the restaurant is located. And to get your opinion out to the masses, you can post a user review of each restaurant in our database.
Can’t get enough dining? I chat about restaurants every week with Jane Matenaer and Kidd O’Shea on “The Mix.” Listen between 8 and 9 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8. That’s 99.1 WMYX-FM.
Also check out Colleen Heather Rogan’s weekly Shopping column and our Events Editor Evan Solochek’s picks for the best events in arts and entertainment in This Weekend.
