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.
As you can tell from the headline, Ann and I have decided to tackle the truly big questions as we triumphantly return for our first podcast of 2024. We very briefly dealt with “Is a hot dog a sandwich” in a previous episode (no), so that leaves one very fitting query for Dry January and one regarding a food trend that has gained steam in recent years.
We actually start the podcast with a second helping about brunch service at The Wolf on Broadway, which our fill-in foodie and web editor Brett told you about briefly in last week’s roundup. But Ann and I couldn’t let this one go by without sharing a few of our own thoughts about one of the city’s newest restaurants.
Another Milwaukee newbie: Agency, the hybrid bar from the folks at Discourse that operates out of the previously coffee-focused company’s location at 1020 N. Broadway. The radical concept came around just in time for Dry January, offering a menu split right down the middle, with every single item available in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions. You can find more about the mocktails exclusively in the pages of Milwaukee Magazine, but Ann and I also take some time in this episode to let you know what we think about what Agency is serving up.
Also exclusively in the magazine is a food trend some people find a bit jarring: pickle pizza (like pickle jar … it’s a stretch). Not since the pineapple has an ingredient divided opinion so fiercely, which is why Ann felt compelled to officially weigh in and commit her thoughts to paper about Alphonso’s version of the pickle pie. All of those thoughts are only in the magazine, although you can hear us chat about the briny topping when you hit that “Listen” button at the top of the page.
Here’s what else found its way into the conversation:
- Tapas restaurant Cavas has temporarily closed while chef/owner Ana Docta bounces back from shoulder surgery, and the place will get a nice refresh before reopening in February.
- A mix of authenticity and creativity is on the menu at Mex Avenue, which opened at Crossroads Collective yesterday.
- Lupi & Iris has three intriguing dinners lined up for January — one featuring mocktails, one with black truffles and one billed as a casual Sunday supper.
Ann and I are happy to be back with you in 2024, and we appreciate you sticking with us while we recharged our batteries over the holidays. Enjoy the full episode here or wherever you listen to podcasts, and consider sharing us with a food-loving friend. Thanks.
