News of the World (Our World)
• Good Harvest Market is anxious to unload. The Third Ward location (346 N. Broadway), which has been open only since late 2008, will be closed by Feb. 20, maybe sooner. When I was there, the health and beauty items were reduced by 40 percent, everything else by 20 percent. The Waukesha mothership store remains open.
• Cupcake-crazed people will have a bakery of their very own – come spring, if all goes well. Milwaukee Cupcake Company, which appeared in a previous Dish on Dining column, signed a lease at 316 N. Milwaukee St. Which is also the building that houses Coquette Cafe.
• I had déjà vu the other day. I was seated at the bar at Thirst and Vine in Shorewood (4330 N. Oakland Ave., 414-763-7340). And aside from the bowl of hard-boiled eggs on ice resting on the bar top, everything else looked familiar. That’s because… this was the old Jean-Pierre’s Cafe, which owners John and Anne Nehring closed in 2008. (At that time, they were calling it JP’s Cafe.) Aside from serving wines by the glass and bottle, Thirst and Vine offers cheese and charcuterie plates, mac and cheese and desserts of the éclair and fruit tart ilk. On Sundays (after 2 p.m.), the wine bar offers a half-price by-the-glass wine deal.
• One of my pizza-obsessed friends is dreaming about the impending opening of CiCi’s Pizza Buffet. (Amazingly, there are more than 650 of these restaurants in the country.) This West Allis joint will occupy 3,550 square feet of real estate on Highway 100 (2927 S. 108th St.). CiCi’s will offer an all-you-can eat buffet of pizza, pasta, salad and dessert. The targeted opening is this spring. Why is my friend dreaming of this first Wisconsin location of a very successful chain? He has loads of kids.
Pho in the Bowl
I love the process of eating pho. Before you stick your chopsticks into the steamy broth, you sprinkle in bean sprouts, cilantro and sliced chiles, and squeeze in some fresh lime juice. Another crazy comfort food for me. Last weekend, a new Vietnamese place opened called Pho 43 (2155 Miller Park Way, 414-383-2425). The first week didn’t necessarily go as planned, and the full menu wasn’t ready. Well, the full monty is available now. That means pho (Vietnamese soup), subs (pork and sausage pâté), wonton soups, pan-fried egg noodles, rice vermicelli noodles (with egg rolls and grilled pork meatballs) and others. The hours, at least for now, are daily 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Fat and Happy
Next week, you’re going to hear about hundreds (thousands, trillions!) of paczki flying out of bakeries for Fat Tuesday (Feb. 16). The day before Ash Wednesday requires people to go gonzo on the food and drink. I’ve got info on a few places in town getting in the Mardi Gras mood. Maxie’s Southern Comfort (6732 W. Fairview Ave., 414-292-3969) is offering a special menu on Feb 15-16. It features Muffaletta with fries ($9.95), coconut voodoo shrimp ($10.95), frog legs with smoked tomatoes and garlic-butter sauce ($12.95), duck gumbo ($12.95) and catfish Courtbouillon ($11.95), to name a few dishes.… At Dream Dance Steak (at Potawatomi Bingo Casino, 1721 W. Canal St.), chef Jason Gorman is cooking up crawfish étouffée on Fat Tuesday. You can have that with a $5 Hurricane.
I am incredibly envious of my intern Rosemary Lane, a Marquette University senior who is headed to New Orleans this weekend for a Frisbee tournament. (As if! Bourbon Street, maybe?) Ever so helpful with making our online dining guide more readable, she clued me in on the doings at Crawdaddy’s (6414 W. Greenfield Ave.) for Mardi Gras. On Tuesday, the West Allis restaurant is offering $3 taps and bottles, specials on Lakefront’s seasonal Big Easy and Abita – beer from a brewery outside New Orleans – and $5 Hurricanes. If you buy the Hurricane glass for $8, you’ll receive $5 refills every Tuesday next month. Crawdaddy’s chef won’t know the food specials till the morning of, but there’ll be live music by Matt Hendrix, prize giveaways, Miller stands and free samples from Horny Goat girls. Bring on the jambalaya. (414-778-2228)
Everything’s Coming Up Roses
Last week, I mentioned some places to celebrate V-Day this weekend. (Click here to see the list of restaurants.) You mean you didn’t call? OK, so maybe it’s not too late. Here are a few more ideas.
Smyth (Iron Horse Hotel, 500 W. Florida St., 414-831-4615): In addition to the regular offerings, a special prix fixe menu. Examples from it: spinach and watercress ravioli, king crab flounder with roasted red pepper and tomato fondue, mustard- and herb-crusted lamb loin with chickpea and porcini ragoût, and chocolate ganache cake. $65 per person, or $95 with wine pairings. Open Feb. 14, 5-11 p.m.
Trocadero (1758 N. Water St., 414-272-0205): The restaurant is temporarily closing after Valentine’s Day weekend, so consider this is your last chance to Troc it up. Dinner specials include grilled flank steak with roasted corn and bacon salsa ($18); three-seed-crusted ahi tuna with pancetta succotash ($15); and roasted butternut squash ravioli in a mango cream sauce ($14). The specials will run Feb. 12-14. Call for hours.
Tess (2499 N. Bartlett Ave., 414-964-8377): The specials, they are romantic. Slow-roasted prime rib with buttermilk blue cheese scalloped potatoes ($26); and grilled mahi mahi with buttered rock shrimp breadcrumbs ($28). Specials available Feb. 13-14. Hours: 5-10 p.m.
If worse comes to worst, check out the Wine and Chocolate Tasting at Thief Wine Shop (Milwaukee Public Market, 400 N. Water St.). You’ll sample a Shiraz, Zinfandel, Port and others, along with chocolates supplied by Kehr’s Candies. 1-4 p.m. Cost: $10. Best of all: no reservations needed.
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 it on my column, or e-mail me directly: ann.christenson@milwaukeemagazine.com.
