Here’s why everyone should be eating chilaquiles.
In the world of brunches, chilaquiles are a secret weapon. First made, the history books say, by Mexico’s Aztec people, the dish was named for two things – chiles and tortillas. Chilaquiles – which feature torn pieces of corn tortilla fried and cooked in red or green salsa – really took off on American brunch menus in the last 15 years or so. Put an egg on them, and it’s easy to see why. When Axolotl Café (3001 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.) opened for breakfast and brunch last fall, it immediately started getting attention for its chilaquiles. Deserved!
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Though they’ve been sautéed in salsa (tomatillo green is my pick), the chips are still delicately crisp, and the dish feels rich and complete with poached eggs and Axolotl’s very good beef birria. I also love the molletes – an open-face sandwich on a bolillo roll, smashed with black beans and melted manchego cheese, meat if you want it (it’s good without!), and pico de gallo.
Axolotl’s operators Gerardo Jimenez and Jorge Trejo came from the serving side of restaurants – Jimenez worked for many years at El Beso, and Trejo at Honey Berry Café. It’s nice to see this space (the long-ago home of Pastiche Bistro) festive and busy.
As the earth wakes up, rhubarb eagerly emerges from its winter slumber. The pink, celery-like stalks (the only edible part of this, botanically speaking, vegetable) are a tart favorite in pies, jams and sauces.
Brute Pizza’s claim to fame is a slow-rise, naturally fermented sourdough crust. The dough uses a wild (not commercial) yeast that needs to be regularly fed with flour and water. And to prevent the starter from growing unmanageably, some of it is removed before it’s fed – what’s known as the discard. But you don’t want to actually discard the discard.
It can be used to make, among other things, crackers – which got Brute co-owner Jackie Woods thinking about cracker-style pizza crust. And voila, Brute added a thin-crust option to its Neapolitan/New York-style main crust. The cracker is wafer-thin, with a subtle, pleasing sourdough tang, and available for any of the styled-topping pies Brute offers.
I particularly endorse The 414 Pizza, with fennel sausage, roasted cremini mushrooms and yellow onions. Woods has grown fond of his toddler-aged sourdough starter, naming it Aunt May after the Spider-Man character. “I gotta feed her today and get her set up for the week,” Woods says of his routine. 316 N. Milwaukee St.
Mitchell Street has two new Pakistani restaurants – Mehfil Grill (1017 W. Historic Mitchell St.) and Karachi, which took over for the 20-year-old Anmol Pakistani eatery at 711 W. Mitchell St. • Rare Steakhouse (833 E. Michigan St,) closed unceremoniously in March; the building’s owner has filed suit against the restaurant and its owner for breaking its lease. • The popular banh mi spot Xankia (222 W. Wells St.) has taken over the adjacent storefront, adding a bar, a small stage and instant nightlife. • Nadi Plates, an Italian-themed food truck, has joined Zócalo Food Park (636 S. Sixth St.) and is working to open a brick-and-mortar in the former Crossroads Collective food hall (2238 N. Farwell Ave.). • In February, Allende Cocina Mexicana replaced Stack’d Burger Bar (160 S. First St.). • Steny’s North Shore, a new Mequon location of the longtime Walker’s Point sports bar, has opened in the 24-year former home of Libby Montana (5616 W. Donges Bay Rd.).
