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Taichi Bubble Tea location, 2028 E. North Ave. Photo taken by Sophie Bolich on July 26, 2024.
For the first time in nearly two years, the lights are on at 2028 E. North Ave.
National bubble tea and ramen chain Tai Chi Bubble Tea has opened on the Eastside, the latest in a host of concepts to open in a storefront next door to Hacienda Taproom & Kitchen, which recently rebranded as Triple Taproom & Kitchen, adding offerings from Sheboygan-based 3 Sheeps Brewing Company.
The Rochester, New York-based cafe sells dozens of bubble teas, including fruit teas, milk teas, and hot teas, as well as specialty items like dalgona coffee and blended drinks. Some menu items offer alternative milks, such as soy, almond, and oat milk, but they’re not required. Employees say the powdered milk tea base is dairy-free, despite the name.
Choose from a variety of ramen including miso ramen, tonkotsu ramen, vegetarian ramen and spicy ramen.
The interior is bright and airy, a departure from the previous tenant’s stark, dreary décor, and there are a few tables next to the cafe’s front counter, as well as some seating in a quieter loft section of the building.
Thai Chi Bubble Tea is open daily from 11am to 9:30pm.
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Mexican, Indian, Italian and Chinese fusion restaurant proposed for Northwest Side
The owner of Indian Village Restaurant plans to use nearly 30 years of industry experience to launch an ambitious new project on Milwaukee’s northwest side.
Apeksa Patel and her husband, Vijay, are preparing to open IVR Bar, a fusion-style restaurant, at 10950 W. Good Hope Rd. With 7,730 square feet of space and a large outdoor patio, the location formerly housed Point Burger Bar.
Apexa said its IVR (International Variety Restaurant) is choice-focused and caters to diners looking for Mexican, Indian, Italian, Chinese cuisine or a combination of two or more.
“We’re going to give people a lot of options,” she said. “We have a really good cauliflower gobi manchurian, we have a really good butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, we’re going to do some really good enchiladas.”
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Introducing Discourse’s newest cocktail concept, “The Green Room”
During the day, the aroma of espresso fills the air at Discourse as baristas brew handcrafted coffee and tea.
Like most cafes, with its high-top tables, comfy couches and caffeinated beverages, it’s the ideal spot for a midday meeting, a first date, a lazy afternoon, or anything in between.
Earlier this summer, Discourse opened the new The Green Room at its Radio Milwaukee location (158 S. Barclay St.), allowing guests to start or end their evening with cocktails.
The moonlit joint will open on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights with a menu of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, beer and wine, and “special” menu items include a shot of Fernet with a “real high-five” and the unusual Mum’s Spaghetti, a mix of Aperol split with Miller High Life and served in a custom bottle, with garlic breadsticks.
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New Custard MKE website is a treat for dessert fans
“Flavor forecasting” can make or break a trip to Custard Stand — mint chip, black forest torte, strawberry cheesecake — but figuring out what’s on the menu for the day at each of the dozens of locations in Milwaukee County alone can be an unnecessarily tedious task.
Enter: Noah Huotari.
Huotari, an IT professional and dairy detective, tackles what he calls a “first-world problem”: tracking down the flavors of the day at places like Kopp’s, Gilles Frozen Custard and Bubba’s.
His website, Custard MKE, lists 18 locations throughout the Milwaukee area, with more to be added soon.
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Chef’s Dinner at Bay View Beer Garden
The Exchange is inviting guests to put some pork on their forks at an upcoming pig-themed beer dinner.
On Sunday, July 28, the newly opened beer garden will collaborate with six area chefs to host a “Pig & a Brew” pairing dinner at Bayview’s Zillman Park (2168 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.).
This ticketed event will be held in a large event tent in the park with a portion of the proceeds going to the Bay View Community Centre (BVCC) emergency food pantry.
AJ Dixon, a longtime BVCC volunteer and former chef-owner of Lazy Susan, will prepare the first bite, which will be the appetizer of the six-course meal: She plans to serve a Midwestern-style amuse-bouche: deviled eggs with pimento cheese and prosciutto.
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Three Sheep are coming to Hacienda’s North Avenue Taproom
Three operates out of the Hacienda’s North Avenue Taproom and recently welcomed 3 Sheeps as its third co-brewer.
Sheboygan-based 3 Sheeps Brewing Company has long featured in local conversations about craft beer, but until recently it didn’t have a brick-and-mortar location in Milwaukee.
But as of early July, the brewery began operating 10 tap lines at 2018 E. North Ave., a space it shares with Door County Brewing Co. and Hacienda Beer Co. Hacienda also operates a restaurant in the building.
“We’ve been really good friends with Door County Brewing Company and Hacienda Beer Company for a long time, so we decided to take that friendship to the next level and move in together,” 3 Sheeps founder Grant Pauley said in a video message to customers. “In this crazy world we’re living in right now, we thought coming together in one space and having a variety of options, a lot of great beer selections, was just something that was really fun for us and a way to share ourselves with the Milwaukee community.”
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Pat’s Rib Place to close Public Market
After operating Pat’s Rib Place for 15 years, husband and wife team Alisha and Ty Hayes are preparing to transition from restaurant to retail.
At the end of this month, the couple will close their stand at the Milwaukee Public Market, 400 N. Water St., where they’ve attracted a cult following for their selection of smoked meats, side dishes and homemade barbecue sauces.
The latter will be Hayes’ main focus going forward, according to a news release from the market, with new vendor David Allan Allan’s Smokehouse set to replace the barbecue joint.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received from our customers and the market community,” Alisha said in a statement. “We couldn’t be more proud of the impact we’ve made on the local barbecue restaurant industry, and are excited to focus on expanding our retail line to bring our barbecue sauces to even more customers.”
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Barron’s new co-CEO to step down
Heidi Dalibor, co-CEO and founder of New Barons Brewing Cooperative (NBBC), announced her resignation on Monday after eight years at the helm of the company.
“Serving New Barons has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” she wrote in a heartfelt message to member-owners. “It has been an honor to work with such a dedicated community and I am deeply grateful for the trust and support they have shown in me throughout my tenure.”
Dalibor said the difficult decision was based on the scope of work available at NBBC and payment limitations.
“I’ve been willing to make sacrifices in the name of the cooperative, but it’s proven to be unsustainable.”
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Oprah visits Milwaukee Public Market
Milwaukee Public Market had a light crowd last week, but made up for it with star power.
Oprah Winfrey visited Thursday to support her niece and nephew, Alisha and Ty Hayes, who run Pat’s Rib Place.
Winfrey, a television host and producer, is best known for her eponymous talk show, which aired for 25 seasons from 1986 to 2011. She is also a notable philanthropist, having founded the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation, which has donated millions of dollars to efforts to improve access to education.
Pat’s Rib Place joined the public market as a vendor in 2021, but it’s been in business for much longer. The Hayes started their soul food business in 2009. The restaurant’s Waukesha location closed in 2023 after 14 years in business.
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Hamburger Mary’s to close, relocate
Hamburger Mary’s, which has been operating in the Walker’s Point neighborhood for about eight years, is preparing to expand its Burgers, Bloodies and Beauty to a new location.
The restaurant, known for its drag performances, will close its doors at 730 S. 5th St. after closing on Sunday, July 28.
Co-owners Ashley and Brandon Wright told Urban Milwaukee they plan to reopen in a new location, though at this point the brothers have not yet decided on an exact location.
“This is bittersweet,” Brandon said in a statement. “We are sad to announce that Hamburger Mary’s will be closing, but we are excited about the possibilities that the new location will bring.”
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