State of Fusion
An inventive hybrid restaurant concept is breaking out of the food hall mold.
Dia Bom is Portuguese for good day. Owner/chef Ramses Alvarez was ready to pull the plug and say good night to the Latin-Asian fusion spot he operated for less than two years at Crossroads Collective – but for a chance visit to MOR Bakery at Lincoln Warehouse. Alvarez, who left Crossroads in October, learned of MOR’s plans to vacate its Lincoln space at the end of this year and says the location, with its wide windows and river view, made him think he might have found his next restaurant. That caught him off-guard. “I was just planning to close and be done with restaurants and just do private dinners,” he says. But he and partner Shannon Putz went for it and now are hoping to open Dia Bom at the Bay View makers space (2018 S. First St.) in early 2024. diabomfood.com
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Favorite New Year’s Eve Cocktail
“A traditional champagne cocktail with bitters, a sugar cube and a lemon twist. It’s a cocktail that can be made anywhere at any time with limited ingredients, and it is one of those drinks that is greater than the sum of its parts.”
– John Dye, owner of Bryant’s, At Random and The Jazz Estate
Power of Pastries
Croissants and coffee are headed for a little Fox Point shopping mall.
One of the hardest-working bakery popups has got to be Matilda, whose pastries are at Andiamo Coffee & Tea and Milwaukee Art Museum, to name just a few spots. 2024 promises to be big for this bakehouse, owned by mother-daughter team Julie Howard and Allie Fisher. They hope to open Matilda’s brick-and-mortar (6874 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Fox Point) in mid-February. Co-owner/pastry chef Allie says the vibe will be “communal and family oriented,” and the space will have seating and an entertainment room that could be used for classes or special events. You’ll find entremets (little cakes), fresh fruit tarts and of course treats that have developed a following, like the Supreme croissant and Big Bottom oatmeal bar. There may be new things up Matilda’s sleeve, too, like quiche or a breakfast sandwich. So who is Matilda? It’s the pet name Allie’s grandpa uses for her.
Marta’s Tamales, serving a selection of Mexican and Guatemalan tamales, was expected to open at 551 W. Becher St. in late November. • You’ve got just this month to order a grasshopper and relish tray at the pop-up Gene’s Supper Club inside Barnacle Bud’s (1955 S. Hilbert St.). • Maker of mini doughnuts Happy Dough Lucky has moved from a Mequon Public Market stall to the former site of Hue restaurant (2689-2691 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.) • After finally coming back following a devastating fire last summer, Tavolino, the critically praised Italian joint (2315 N. Murray Ave.), has permanently closed at that space. Landlord Mike Vitucci said at press time: “We’re just at the talking stage of what new venture” will replace it.
