fire again now. Witness some highlights from the winter: Low Country BBQ shrimp with crisp creamed grit cakes and pimento sauce; chicken-fried rabbit with (of course) mashed carrots, lemon confit and dandelion sprouts; and banana- dusted mahi mahi with collard-taro hash, pineapple sauce and cacao nibs. Ray- mond is also making subtle touch-ups to the dining rooms to brighten them up.

Entrées $18-$30. (1818 N. Hubbard St., 414-374-8480)

BACCHUS TESS

Mitchell Wakefield, manning the bar at the restaurant he’s owned since 2002, keeps the tone friendly and low-key. It’s a chilly late-winter night, and the image on the flat-screen TV above the bar is of a crackling wood fire. It’s strangely comforting. Te well-tailored gentle- men seated nearby are totally engrossed in their bowl of steamed mussels with coconut milk-chipotle broth. Tey sop up every drop with bread. In 2008, Wake- field sold his long-running Downtown bar Te Harp, and has since concentrated on Tess. And Tess, named for ex-partner Joe Volpe’s grandmother, is all the better for Wakefield’s presence. It’s the sort of restaurant that doesn’t warrant a swagger, new haircut or spare dollars for the valet. Chef Leslie Johnson turns tenacity and brio into menu items. Some of her best: San Francisco cioppino with chile flake- spiked marinara; and pan-seared beef tenderloin with truffled mushrooms and red wine sauce. Entrées $17-$29. (2499

N. Bartlett Ave., 414-964-8377)

ROOTS RESTAURANT & CELLAR

Tis winter, John Raymond planted 1,200 peppers in his basement. “You must have one heckuva large basement,” I offered in a March phone colloquy. Raymond is 6-year-old Roots’ sole owner, after amicably parting ways with Cedarburg farmer Joe Schmidt. But Raymond says he’s farming more than ever on his own, expecting quite a spread of berries and such at the Roots garden, and sourcing from upwards of 30 farms. When the recession hit, Raymond says the staff pulled back a bit. But they – including executive chef Paul Zerkel and his spouse, chef de cuisine Lisa Kirkpatrick – are on

Stack'd photo by John Cizmas

If this place were a clothing designer, it would be Giorgio Armani. Bacchus brings to mind an old-guard, conservatively attired clientele. Te Cudahy Tower setting is certainly a contributor to that. But don’t judge a book, I remind myself. Proprietor Joe Bartolotta has found the pulse of Twitter- ing Gen Y-ers. In early 2010, mixologists Nick Kosevich and Ira Koplowitz – channeling a contemporary and classic approach to cocktails – took over the Bacchus bar, with a plan to inject some hip to the vibe. Order a Captain Truman (brandy, Domaine de Canton and sparkling wine) and you won’t be disappointed. Fold in cool music, tinker with the lights, extend the hours on weekends, crank out a small-plate menu ($4-$17), and they will come. Tat’s the theory. Tese are not seismic changes, but I like what I’m seeing. Take a restaurant with the solid cuisine art of executive chef Adam Siegel and the panache-y service of the tag-team staff. And voilà: progress.

Entrées $24-$45. (925 E. Wells St., 414- 765-1166)

RIVERSITE

“I would rather have opened a restaurant without tables than without Tomas around,” says Riversite bar manager- cum-owner Corey Schultz of head chef Tom Peschong. Schultz took over the lease more than a year ago. Peschong, two decades invested in the kitchen, has abso- lutely not run out of steam. Te planned course is to follow full steam ahead, with some minor adjustments (hipper music) along the way. On Tuesday nights, the

❙ continued on page 60

Bun Times

Tight times bringeth still more burger joints. Not that we’re complaining. Here are the best newcomers:

Stack’d Burger Bar:

The variety of burgers is what distin- guishes this well-endowed eatery, filling out the former home of The Social. Build-yer-own (with grass- fed beef, chicken, bison, salmon, etc.) or order one of their busty behemoths: The Hot Mess, The Hangover Stack. Pay special attention to the “burgers of the month.” Think Ruffles and baked beans on a burger. $6-$13. (170 S. First St., 414-273- 7800)

aJ BomBerS:

Co-owner Joe Sorge

(Water Buffalo, Swig) was quoted in the Wall

Street Journal in February

about his use of social media

to draw folks to this Downtown bar. One can see the appeal. Peanuts ap- pear to fall from the sky. Actually, it’s the steel “torpedo” system on tracks rigged around the room. Choose your burger delight – the signature Bomber (a basic burger and a stuffed mush- room) or a Barrie, with bacon and peanut butter. $4-$12. (1247 N. Water St., 414-221-9999)

NorthpoiNt cuStard:

In the summer of ’09, Bartolotta Restaurant Group took over the management of this seasonal lakefront shack. Nothing fancy; just fast-food burgers and fries, malts and sundaes. But done right. Set to reopen for the season on May 15. (2272 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr., foot of St. Mary’s Hill, 414-727-4886)

SoBelmaN’S tallgraSS

grill: The cooking process for a beef patty made from grass-fed cattle is crucial. The meat is leaner; cooked too long and you’ve got a dry patty. But my burgers have been tender, with the more assertive, “clean” flavor of naturally raised beef. Co-owner Dave Sobelman moved his buns into a modern, stainless steel East Side joint once called Patty Burger. Not the same working-class Valley vibe of his first location. This place also offers delivery – a bonus. $5.50-$7. (1952 N. Farwell Ave., 414-273-4727) n

» milwaukeemagazine.com May 2010 | Milwaukee Magazine | 53

And don’t forget the

2010 READERS’ CHOICE

dining survey. It’s quick and fun. Your votes in categories includ- ing favorite steakhouse, top Italian, best brunch and more could change the world – er, at least the final results. If you’d rather go online, find the survey at milwaukeemagazine.com/ readerschoice. All results will be published in our August issue. Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11