Each week on This Bites, dining critic Ann Christenson from Milwaukee Magazine and Radio Milwaukee’s resident foodie Tarik Moody dig into the city’s culinary and restaurant culture to help you find new spots, old favorites and the best ingestibles around Milwaukee.
It’s always great when a new neighbor moves in. OK, maybe not always. How about this: It’s always great when a new neighbor moves in who has her own cookbook on Indian cuisine and big plans to bring that cuisine right by your work.
I’m lucky enough to be in that situation because Ruta Kahate, who operated her namesake cafe at Crossroads Collective for the last couple years, decided to go full restaurant just a couple blocks from Radio Milwaukee in Walker’s Point.
Simply called Ruta’s, the new space at 207 W. Freshwater Way — right next to Purple Door Ice Cream — will continue to offer the healthful Indian dishes Kahate delivered at Crossroads. But it’ll also give her the chance to expand the menu and include more regional options, drinks and salads.
That’s where Ann and I start this week’s episode before moving on to other culinary things going on around Milwaukee:
- Hmong restaurant Nkauj Yi will open in the 5XEN Super Asian Market on North 76th Street “as soon as possible.”
- The Bartolotta Restaurants will celebrate three decades serving the Milwaukee area at several of their locations throughout 2023.
- La Piña will bring high-quality tequila and mezcal to the former Triskele’s on South 3rd Street.
- RuYi has brought back The Sushi Bar at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino with a new chef and a new menu.
We occasionally venture outside Milwaukee to close out the pod, and this time we go to Chicago — sort of — to discuss Hulu series The Bear and its recipe for Family Meal Spaghetti. We’re happy to keep cooking up episodes and would appreciate it if you’d subscribe or review This Bites wherever you listen to us (including those buttons at the top of the page). Thanks.
