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.
Did you know there’s a Milwaukee-style bagel? Honestly, if you would’ve posed that question to me six weeks ago, my answer — even as someone highly hooked into the city’s food scene — would’ve been “no.” Fortunately, Radio Milwaukee exists to tackle pressing matters like this, which is why one of our writers went into the wild to discuss it with two of the area’s foremost bagel makers.
One of those carb crafters leads off this episode of the podcast: Allie Boy’s Bagelry & Luncheonette, which opened its second location last week.
Owners Staci Lopez and Ben Nerenhausen had been humming along with their lone storefront at 135 E. National Ave. that opened — in a brutal bit of timing — in March of 2020. After navigating the pandemic, they announced last November that another Allie Boy’s would set up shop at 2100 N. Farwell Ave., near Good City Brewing’s East Side spot. Almost nine months later, the second location finally opened last Thursday with a limited menu and a few bagel varieties you can’t get at their sister store.
Anyone who loves Allie Boy’s wares will be happy to know the Farwell Avenue space will make it possible for the owners to invest in some bigger equipment. And bigger equipment means more bagels.
Speaking of “more,” there’s another news item that deserves some serious attention due to the ambition on display. Flavors of Africa & Diaspora: Best Chefs Wisconsin is an event recently announced by Ubuntu MKE, Wisconsin's first cross-cultural incubator lab for building an inclusive food community.
This gala and competition set for Nov. 10 at the Milwaukee Athletic Club isn’t your average culinary-themed get-together. Yes, there’s a tasting experience featuring modern takes on African cuisine prepped by local chefs. There’s even a competition with “nationally renowned celebrity judges.” The really interesting part of the event, though, is what happens before.
The Ubuntu Perspectives Residency will invite 40 chefs, restaurateurs, bartenders and other food folks to an eight-week learning experience that includes roundtable discussions, field trips and site visits. They’ll cover everything from food literacy to cultural sensitivity in a program that culminates with the competition at the Flavors of Africa event.
All in all, it’s a very cool-sounding experience you can learn more about (and get tickets for) by visiting the event page on Ubuntu MKE’s website.
Let’s wrap things up with a couple quick-hitters:
- If you’ve been out and about in the area, you’ve probably come across the Yummy Bones food truck. Their barbecue based out of Port Washington will soon find a home at Crossroads Collective, where they’ll take over the stall currently occupied by Ready to Roll.
- Dan Jacobs has never shied away from tackling big issues. Now, our favorite Top Chef is using the higher profile he built on the show to bring attention to the climate’s impact on the food industry.
We wouldn’t mind building a little higher profile ourselves and could use your help. Option 1: Go to the place where you listen to podcasts and leave a review (preferably a nice one). Option 2: Share us with a friend or family member who likes to know what’s happening in Milwaukee, food-wise. Either one works for us. Thanks.
