This Bites

Our latest trip around the area’s culinary scene includes something old (but great), something new in Bronzeville, a look back at an adorable eatery and … rice? Let’s get into it:

In this episode's serving of the latest Milwaukee food news and festival highlights:

After their summer break, Tarik and Ann are back just in time for September — and our favorite Milwaukee Magazine writer’s "Frugal Foodie" roundup, which proves you don't need to break the bank to eat like royalty.

We start the penny-pintching at the time-warm experience of Ted’s Ice Cream & Restaurant in Wauwatosa, where ordering a morning milkshake is a local tradition. With dessert already out of the way, we look for incredible family feasts under $25, including a whole citrus-marinated grilled chicken from El Tsunami, savory filled bread rolls at Bread House and some of the biggest egg rolls you’ve ever seen at Hong Anh Palace.

Next, the duo previews two major September restaurant openings: High Stakes (opening Sept. 17) and its gorgeous Peacock Lounge, where the very handsome caricature of a certain This Bites host graces the walls. They also spotlight Il Ponte (opening Sept. 15), a New York-style Italian spot serving elevated, comforting red-sauce dishes and handmade pastas inspired by family recipes.

So we’ve done dessert. We’ve done the main course. Let’s wrap things up with a cocktail and the highly anticipated seasonal return of one of the city's best savory offerings: the addictive tomato martini.

We find ourselves in the midst of navigating the highs and lows of Milwaukee’s food scene, and unfortunately this episode starts down a valley with the recent announcement that Mother’s has permanently closed.

The Bay View spot hadn’t even been open for a full year, but it was quite an almost-12-months considering owner Vanessa Rose was named a James Beard Award semifinalist in the category of Emerging Chef. Mother’s also landed a spot on the Journal Sentinel’s 2025 list of best new restaurants.

But Rose told Journal Sentinel dining critic Rachel Bernhard that economic realities and a customer flow that “sputtered out” led her to make the difficult decision. As usual, however, it wasn’t all bad news around the area’s culinary scene:

This episode starts at the tail end of Halal Restaurant Week, which runs for a couple more days as it helps bring awareness to the options around Milwaukee that meet Islamic dietary guidelines while also inviting non-Muslim customers to try halal dining and encouraging restaurants to have halal choices on their menus year-round.

What makes this a unique cultural food event is how it cuts across cuisine. Restaurants like Mr. B’s Steakhouse, Smoke Shack and Allende Cocina Mexicana are all participating this year, along with eight others that represent a nice cross-section of Milwaukee dining. You can get more info over at Eat Halal Milwaukee while you listen to the other tidbits that snuck into this episode:

A little char on certain foods can add some nice flavor complexity to a dish. On this episode, we’ve got the podcast version of that, with two char-related news items right at the top.

Because we like to start with the positive, our first chat is about Uncle Wolfie’s next pop-up dining event happening this Saturday: Chard Soul, a Southern soul food and barbecue experience from the mind of chef Travis Anderson. The former executive chef of West Bend supper club Timmer’s Resort, Anderson isn’t messing around with a menu as loaded as your plate should be if you manage to score a seat.

In more mixed news, Milwaukee diners found out that their last chance to dine at Char’d has come and gone, as the modern Korean restaurant in the Third Ward shut down last Saturday. Not all is lost, however, because the owners are pivoting to a new concept: the curiously punctuated bb.q Chicken, a worldwide chain that will open its first Wisconsin location in July.

Moving on to non-flame-related items, there’s a new takeout-focused buffet coming to 76th Street near Capitol Drive that will put Hmong dishes front and center, with Thai and Lao cuisine mixed in as well. Asian H Express will take over the former Jackie’s Cafe space at 3902 N. 76th St., with co-owner Sam Vang telling Urban Milwaukee that the focus will be on variety so “people can come and pick whatever they want.”

Resilience is a non-negotiable in the restaurant business. If you’re not ready to rebound from a setback — even a literally devastating one — you probably won’t last long. We’ve got two examples of that bounceback-ability in this episode, starting with a new home that rose from the ashes of disaster.

One of the ways you can tell a city’s food scene is worth its (ahem) salt is how easily you can order a dish that takes you someplace far away. Milwaukee has grown into a hallmark for culturally diverse cuisine, evidence of which is all over this episode.

It starts with a chat about the return of Milwaukee Asian Restaurant Week and continues with exciting news about the city's first Nigerian restaurant, the Korean-cuisine future of the closed National Cafe and a new Italian cocktail lounge in Bay View. We also offer our thoughts on the controversial food-truck ordinance that aims to limit their operation in certain parts of Milwaukee.

On this episode, Tarik and Ann dive deep into the rich culinary landscape of Milwaukee, and the biggest dive of all is fueled by the Italian-themed takeover of Milwaukee Magazine.

Ann gives us a glimpse of what’s in the pages of the April 2026 issue by sharing the fascinating history of Italian immigration in the Third Ward and Brady Street, explaining how food in those areas evolved from "red sauce" traditions to modern fine dining. She also offers tips on how to master the art of the Italian snack (or stuzzichini) and the joy of starting a cookbook club with friends.

That’s the main course of this episode, but the appetizer at the top is a crispy conversation about the long-awaited arrival of Chicago’s legendary Harold’s Chicken to Milwaukee’s northwest side. Tarik gives a primer on the cultural importance of their famous mild sauce and deep-fried gizzards — a soul food experience Ann is eager to explore further.

Finally, the duo covers the latest local news, including Chucho’s Red Tacos becoming a permanent fixture at Zócalo Food Park and the bittersweet development that Ruta’s Fresh Indian Fare is closing in Walker's Point.

On this episode, our food-loving duo kicks things off with the return of Tables Across Borders, a heartwarming dinner series at Amilinda and Tricklebee Cafe that highlights the talents of refugee and immigrant chefs from communities such as Ethiopia, Eritrea, Syria and Burma.

Next, they dive into the newly debuted chef counter at EsterEv, offering an intimate six-seat tasting menu that brings back those beloved "old school" vibes. Ann also shares her rave review of the new French bistro Cassis in the Third Ward. From the satisfying escargot to the succulent trout and that "best-ever" beef-fattened kale, find out why this spot was definitely worth the wait.

The biggest news of the week? The Michelin Guide is officially coming to the Great Lakes region, and Milwaukee is on the list! Tarik and Ann break down the "101" on stars versus Bib Gourmands, the costs involved, and what this prestigious recognition might mean for local diners and chefs.

Finally, get a sneak peek at Dos Islas Caribbean Kitchen, a tiny new spot heading to the Story Hill neighborhood with a focus on Latin and Caribbean flavors.