Land Ho

As it has done over the years with structures such as Lake Park Pavilion, The Bartolotta Restaurants is taking over a historic space – this time a 1902 structure on Nagawicka Lake in Delafield (1807 Nagawicka Rd.) – to create a new restaurant concept. That’s The Commodore, slated to open in early 2024. The property once housed a hotel and resort, but it’s better known as the former location – for close to four decades – of Weissgerber’s Seven Seas restaurant. Bartolotta has its sights on more than fine dining here. It will also host and cater special events, weddings, reunions and so on. In tribute to Lake Country history, the multi-level space will feature suites like the Grand Heritage Room, whose bar design is inspired by a 1920s boat that used to operate on the lake. A boating theme is also reflected in the venue’s name, which honors the yacht clubs of the 1920s. The Bartolotta Restaurants is also not alone in this project. They’ve partnered with David Herro and Jay Franke, who co-own another reimagined space, event venue The George (429 W. National Ave.).

Board Games

The butcher side of the Third Ward’s Bavette (217 N. Broadway) feeds the menu with meat pâtés, mousses and rilletes – offerings that can also be experienced at home via the restaurant’s Charcuterie Club, a monthly box of cheeses, meats, wine and accompaniments. Pay by the month ($65-$90) or for a 3-, 6-, or 12-month subscription ($210-$756).

Stretched Thin

West Allis’s new smashburger-slinging Archie’s Flat Top (6922 W. Becher St.) is all about “doing one thing and doing it well,” says co-owner Miles Patzer. The grill menu is literally four burgers (one veggie), plus fries and onion rings. The beef and cheese come from its sister businesses, Becher Meats and West Allis Cheese & Sausage. But Archie’s – named partly as an homage to the old comic strip – doesn’t really just do one thing. They’ve got beer! American craft, “the basics” and imports. They’ve got ice cream! Archie’s shares space with local maker Scratch, known for a luscious salted-caramel waffle cone flavor. As for ambiance, they’re leaning into that whole retro vibe, including pinball machines and vinyl records. “There are plenty of burger and ice cream shops around the area. We tried to make this not an in-and-out restaurant but a destination to hang out,” says Patzer.

While on sabbatical from teaching college English, New Berlin native Matthew Batt picked up a serving job at a high-end Minneapolis restaurant to help pay the bills. It turned out to be one of the best jobs he’s ever had. That experience forms the foundation for The Last Supper Club: A Waiter’s Requiem (University of Minnesota Press), his love letter to the industry that became an “analgesic to the austere world of academia,” Batt says. He also folds in anecdotes from serving jobs past, like MKE’s Miss Katie’s Diner and the late Heaven City, a one-time mob hangout in Mukwonago. The Marquette alum has a book signing on Nov. 9 at Boswell Book Co. with his former creative writing teacher, local novelist C.J. Hribal.