Hungry for a new restaurant? I thought you’d say yes.
Just got off the phone with Giuseppe Safina, who sounded busy. He should be. He and his brothers and father just opened Safina (785 N. Jefferson St.). If I haven’t been talking about it, I’ve definitely been thinking about it. Giuseppe’s dad, Giovanni, operated a long-running Sicilian restaurant – Giovanni’s – on the corner of Van Buren and Brady.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Inspired by the recipes that defined Giovanni’s, the Safina family created a menu that seems both traditional and modern. Giuseppe, who is running the kitchen with his brother David, are offering some dishes that are nostalgic – like the baked mozzarella, the melanzana fritte (fried eggplant strips), veal cotoletta (breaded cutlet) sandwich and veal rib-eye main course. The menu has changed a little bit from what’s on the web site (the grilled branzino is now swordfish); overall, it presents an equal mix casual and upscale options.
Dishes you might want to flag: Seppe’s patata vastase (herb-roasted potatoes with ’nduja, guanciale and red onion), insalata di mare (calamari, shrimp, octopus), that Strauss 12-ounce veal rib eye, the filet stuffed with provolone and prosciutto di parma, a handmade pasta like the fusilloni with pistachio pesto or the black linguine with seafood. Even the herb-crusted chicken Vesuvio.
I have not been inside the restaurant yet, but it sounds fairly intimate. It’s inside the historic William A. Webber House, a Greek revival-style building that dates to 1858. Between the bar and dining room, there’s seating for about 50. Down the line, they plan to open up the second floor for additional seating.
Hours: Tues-Thurs 4-10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 4-11 p.m.
Reservations are recommended and available on OpenTable starting Thursday, June 22.
