A certain street corner in downtown Waukesha is occupied by a trio of foodie rapscallions. Their brand of mischief-making offers a respite from the more expected direction of Latin American cuisine – i.e., tacos, burritos, etc. Following in the footsteps of their mobile kitchen Trouble Makers Cocina, Travieso (Spanish for mischievous) brings in elements of Asian and Italian cuisines and even the American supper club, showing how good a restaurant can be when the chef is having fun in the kitchen.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
The partners – led in the Travieso kitchen by the ever-creative Martin Magaña – had a vision about how their dining areas inside the Clarke Hotel would look, too. Aesthetically, they created two moods – a low-lit bar perfect for nibbling appetizers and sipping happy hour margs, and a spirited but sparse dining room with lots of windows, chairs in different colors and shapes and an overall lack of pretension. The menu – which merges Latin with Italian, Asian and American (Saturday night prime rib served with chorizo oil au jus, in 8-24 ounces $29-$62) – isn’t pretentious either, but it is ambitious.
Chef Magaña, who was the executive chef at Milwaukee’s Tess for 12 years, comes off as soft-spoken and modest – in contrast to his bold, extroverted menu. He’s all about making an entrance, layering sauces, condiments and garnishes. A great place to start is the beef birria masa azul chocoyotes, which are half-moon-shaped blue corn dumplings filled with tender, super savory meat ($3 each). Imagine a rich shredded beef stew, the sauce with undertones earthy, spicy and pungent – that’s the flavor explosion in your mouth. These appetizer dumplings are two bites of bliss topped with pickled onions, crumbled cotija cheese, cilantro slaw and ancho chipotle aioli. Magaña’s take on Mexican street corn is extravagant and delicious, too ($12), topped with cotija cheese, cilantro aioli, cured egg yolk shavings, pickled onions and a romesco sauce made with guajillo and shishito peppers. He also goes a little over-the-top with his fried brussels sprouts ($14) – adding feta and cotija cheeses and chorizo garlic aioli – and yet it’s not too much.
Magaña has hit after hit among the mains, too. First, the Tajin-dusted grilled chicken breast with Italian risotto and Mexican street corn ($18). The perfectly tender breast has just a sliver of heat from the Tajin seasoning (chiles, lime and sea salt) – a mild counterpoint to the risotto, which is creamy but at the same time al dente, salty, tart and almost nutty. Just as good is the blackened salmon ($38) over black garlic risotto, the fish capped with a thick tomato escabeche (like a slightly pungent tomato paste). The puerco (pork, $22) is an elegant, succulent version of Puerto Rican roast pork and mofongo (garlic fried plantains), lighter than expected even with the fried pork rinds and rich slow-cooked shoulder meat. And probably the most surprising combination of ingredients – seared scallops ($39) with crispy pork belly and salty-sour carrot-brussels sprouts kimchi – meshes really well. The Latin and Korean flavors are remarkably compatible.
The imaginative Magaña is just scratching the surface of what he can do. If that means getting deeper into “trouble,” I’m all for it, and I hope downtown Waukesha is, too.
Travieso Latin Fusion
314 W. MAIN ST., WAUKESHA | 262-899-2520
Hours: D Tues-Sat. Brunch Sat -Sun.
Prices: Main courses $18-$62
Service: Attentive, welcoming
Reservations: Suggested but walk-ins also welcome
