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.
We’re going to mix it up a little bit for this episode recap because, like a great restaurant, it’s a good idea to keep things as fresh as possible for your customers. In our case, it means taking things slightly out of order and a little more “quick hit” style.
Like a lot of things around Milwaukee this past week, the Republican National Convention drove at least part of our conversation — in particular, the apparent non-impact felt by some businesses in the city. According to estimates, the event was expected to bring 50,000 visitors to Milwaukee and an economic boost of $200 million. If that latter number comes to fruition, however, it won’t be because of restaurant visits.
As Ann points out in her Milwaukee Magazine article, eateries like Buckley’s saw a sizable dip in reservations with the RNC in town, while Birch owner/chef Kyle Knall said, “My hope is Friday and Saturday pick up” – after the convention wraps up Thursday night — and “save the week.”
Something that’s likely to drive business for one venerable Milwaukee restaurant is the Secret Garden Party Dinner planned by The Pasta Tree for July 25. The four-course meal will be as outdoor as the name suggests, with fresh summer dishes prepped by the host restaurant’s Chef Suzzette Metcalfe and guest chef AJ Dixon, formerly of Lazy Susan. You can see the menu they have planned on the Facebook event page.
Dixon will be part of another special dinner, this one happening July 28 to support Bay View Emergency Food Pantry. “Pig & A Brew” will happen at The Exchange — the beer garden at Zillman Park — with Dixon and five other chefs serving a six-course meal featuring items like pork tostada, charred pork belly, and a pulled pork and Serrano ham sandwich (I’m sensing a theme here). If you’re looking to enjoy some good food for a good cause, reservations are available here.
Fittingly, we’ll end with dessert and the Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop that opened in the Third Ward earlier this week. It is, in fact, the only one in the state serving up the famous Vermont-based ice creamers’ inventively named varieties. I counted 40 flavors and varieties (original, oat milk and almond milk) on the current menu, which also includes sundaes, shakes, slushes and doggie desserts.
The Scoop Shop is only a couple blocks from Radio Milwaukee HQ, so I should probably cut it off here and do some scouting. Thanks for listening, reading and leaving us reviews anywhere and everywhere you find us.
