THIS STORY IS FROM OUR BEST RESTAURANTS 2024 FEATURE. READ MORE HERE.
In Brady Street foodie history, there was no more vibrant time than the 1990s to the early aughts. Mimma’s dismantled the stereotypes of Italian cuisine, and “ethnic” dining was redefined by the Mexican moles at Cempazuchi and Indian fusion innovations that brightened Dancing Ganesha. One by one, these places closed, replaced by businesses that changed the dynamic of the street to more of a nightlife focus. Here’s a little snapshot of each restaurant:
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Mimma’s
1989-2017 | 1307 E. BRADY ST.
At her eponymous restaurant, Mimma Megna captured the dishes from her Sicilian background and drew folks from the suburbs to a street that slowly developed into a dining mecca. “She wasn’t a trained chef, but she was very talented,” says daughter Maria Megna. “One thing that drove my mother crazy was red sauce and mozzarella. We didn’t eat like that.” Over the years, Mimma’s moved in a regional Italian direction, expanded and helped prove to other prospective business owners that you could flourish on this once-seedy street. Today, the “Mother of Brady Street” is not loving retirement, says her daughter. The business “was her. It was her heart. It wasn’t just a restaurant,” says Maria. The space is now the home of Dorsia, from the owners of Jo-Cat’s Pub, which used to fill with customers waiting for a table to open up at Mimma’s.
Dancing Ganesha
1997-2007 | 1692 N. VAN BUREN ST.
Like Mimma Megna, owner Usha Bedi wasn’t a trained chef, but she knew food, and her cooking was unlike other, formulaic Indian restaurants. Usha refused to use a tandoor oven. “We decided we were going to do Indian food differently – the way it existed in our culture – along with the art and the music and the energy,” says Usha’s daughter Ami, who, in her early 20s when it opened, shaped its warm, inclusive service. That vision of India has not been replicated. “It was just a different time, a very creative time in the dining scene in Milwaukee,” says Usha.
Cempazuchi
1999-2017 | 1205 E. BRADY ST.
With a mission of showcasing a different side of Mexican cooking, “we wanted people to understand more about the culture,” says co-founder Bryce Clark. “Everyone was doing Tex-Mex. We knew there was a lot more.” Decorated with colorful murals, rugs and pottery the owners brought from Oaxaca, Cempazuchi also delivered unique moles, margaritas that didn’t come from a mix and salsas that weren’t just a banal sidekick to fried tortilla chips. “I had two guys who worked for 18 years in the kitchen. That spoke to its consistency,” says Clark.
