This Bites

Milwaukee lands five James Beard Award finalists, MKE Wine Weekend returns, Nite Owl fires up for season 78, Rare Steakhouse closes and Eagle Park acquires SoulBoxer.

We talk about good food on the podcast pretty much every week, but every once in a while we get the chance to combine that with a good cause — as in the case of our first bit of chit-chat for this episode.

For the seventh time, Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite of EsterEv/DanDan fame will throw their Dim Sum Give Sum event, which raises money for the Kennedy’s Disease Association. Jacobs was diagnosed with the neuromuscular disorder a decade ago, and he’s been a highly visible advocate through his standing in Milwaukee’s culinary community and high-profile appearances like Top Chef: Wisconsin and Tournament of Champions VII.

This year’s installment runs from noon to 3 p.m. April 19 at the Italian Community Center and will feature 35 chefs from across the country, including several of Jacobs’ Top Chef compatriots. Dim Sum Give Sum has raised more than $120,000 since its inception, and you can help add to that by grabbing a ticket to the 2026 event.

Elsewhere in this episode:

On this week’s delicious deep dive, Tarik and Ann start at Agency’s theatrical Filipino pop-up Sinta, which has become a permanent part of the James Beard-nominated bar’s offerings at 817 N. Marshall St. Chefs Zach and Katrina Panoski are serving up a creative collection of small plates and snacks ranging from "celestial" eggplant dip to crab lumpia topped with Pop Rocks.

Then, Ann shares her guide to finding exceptional seafood in the city, plus a scoop on the upcoming Freshwater Food and Wine Festival. She also gives us a peek at her recent interviews with two of Milwaukee’s top chefs: Dan Jacobs, who discussed the high-stakes "randomizer" wheel on Food Network’s Tournament of Champions; and Adam Pawlak, who shared his philosophy on culinary consistency and his new 15-pound wiener dog, Alfredo.

Ready for an episode you’re sure to love? Because it’s Valentine’s Day? Get it?

Hallmark holiday jokes aside, we do think you’re going to enjoy this one because it starts with something just about all of us can get behind: chocolate. More specifically, we’re talking about Indulgence Chocolatiers (one of Radio Milwaukee’s neighbors in Walker’s Point) and its Valentine-inspired truffle collection. The adorable and lovingly crafted box is a pretty much perfect gift for the holiday, whether you’re planning to hand it to the object of your affection or just treat yourself.

Ann took on the arduous task of trying all six truffles and shared a few thoughts on each in her Milwaukee Magazine article. While you’re checking out the mag’s website, pop over to Ann’s story on the return of Phobruary in Milwaukee’s Silver City neighborhood. It’s a month-long nod to the Vietnamese soup and a chance to support the hardworking restaurants on our south side.

You’ll also hear about the grand opening of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern spot Aya and — at the very heart of this episode — a special interview with two people who just celebrated a grand opening of their own: Meghan and Kyle Knall.

The talented duo behind Birch and the brand-new French brasserie Cassis share their sweet origin story that took them from Alabama to Brooklyn to Milwaukee, as well as why they decided to bring a taste of Paris to the Third Ward. With their help, we dive into the new menu — from classic steak frites to the social-media-famous ravioli dauphine — and chat about their Southern roots, the quest for the perfect sweet tea, and a potential future barbecue project.

A diverse food scene is an interesting food scene. Without it, we’d all be stuck in some dystopian future where every restaurant is a Taco Bell.

Luckily, Milwaukee is worlds away from that scenario because of how global our city’s flavors are. In this episode, we touch on two recent examples that bring tastes from two distinctly different regions to Milwaukee.

First up is a name familiar to the area’s food lovers: SapSap. Chef Alex Hanesakda’s excellent food truck has been just one of the reasons to brave the cold at Zócalo Food Park since it nestled into a parking spot earlier this year. As of last week, you don’t need to worry about the weather because SapSap has a new location at the 3rd Street Market Hall.

Just like the Zócalo version (which will continue cooking), SapSap’s stall in the former Grand Avenue Mall will serve Chef Alex’s signature Lao-American offerings, including his Mama’s Eggrolls and brisket fried rice. According to Ann’s always-informed reporting, the new location will also expand its menu to include a few more Southeast Asian options.

Our second globally flavored news item spins the globe to Germany’s take on a street food that originated in Turkey: döner kebab. Ray and Elma Ramic opened a fast-food joint of the same name in Hartford back in 2023, sending curious eaters up I-43 to wolf down the gyro’s European cousin. They shortened the commute by opening a second Döner Kebab at 138 E. Capitol Dr., and Ann stopped by as part of her most recent Dining Tidbits.

Also in this episode, you’ll hear us flap our wings (or mouths) about:

This week’s flavorful updates start with some exciting Puerto Rican news: the Bad Piggy food truck is officially moving into a brick-and-mortar location on South Howell Avenue late this February! 

Known for staples like mofongo and the “La Combi Completa” — a massive platter featuring roasted pork, garlic tostones, and sweet plantains — the previously food-truck-only establishment will be able to expand its offerings in the new space, which will include a full bar. Unifying the entire experience: a communal atmosphere that owner Roberto Silva Lopez hopes will bring together guests from many cultures around Puerto Rican food and drink.

From Howell Avenue we go to South KK in Bay View, where Mother’s has quickly established itself as a standout new restaurant (with a James Beard-approved chef/owner) in Milwaukee’s food scene. For her recent review, Ann got the chance to sample a unique menu featuring Madeira mushrooms and an unforgettable queso birria lasagna, which quickly won her over. 

We wrap things up by bouncing over to the Third Ward and the refreshing vibe that Honeybee Sage has brought to its new home, complete with a cheerful yellow theme and craft mocktails. Then it’s a quick hop to Walker’s Point for a preview of Radio Milwaukee’s newest neighbor: Allende Cocina Mexicana, a family-run gem in the making that’s slated to open just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Our weekly round up food news includes the usual “good news, bad news” of openings and closings, but let's start with something that’ll warm the heart (and the stomach) during these chilly times.

Soup is a classic example of a dish that can satisfy a lot of different purposes and flavor profiles. It can be savory, spicy, sweet, hot, cold, spoon-fed, sipped, slurped — it’s versatile, is the point. It’s also tailor-made for this part of the calendar, fueling your inner furnace to help you push through the colder months.

Ann clearly had that timeliness in mind when she published her list of the best soups in Milwaukee, which adopts a worldly perspective by focusing on soups from around the globe. She highlighted seven bowl-worthy options, four of which we talked about in this episode:

You can find the full list of seven, including descriptions and Ann’s mini-reviews, over at Milwaukee Magazine. That’s also where you’ll find a couple of the other news items we covered in this episode:

It's a "good news, bad news" kind of episode, and we start by ripping off the Band-Aid to talk about the difficult spot Milwaukee restaurants are in currently. 

Within just a few days, city institutions Beans & Barley and The National both announced plans to close, and several others have publicly pleaded for support as the traditionally slower winter months loom. We do our small part in the podcast by sharing a few important ways you can support the local ecosystem --- from gift cards to positive online reviews to simply visiting more often.

On the more positive side of things, Ann dives into Milwaukee's recent "bakery boom," which afforded her the opportunity to sample delightful treats from recently opened spots like Poppy, Matilda and Midwest Sad. She also leans into her Wisconsin native-ness by revealing the secret to a perfect relish tray (hint: it involves a surprising grilled fruit).

Finally, you'll hear about the holiday happenings coming up in Milwaukee, including “Noël à Paris” from Charles E. Fromage, a Charles Dickens-themed dinner at the Grain Exchange and a pair of events at Lupi & Iris with pretty distinct tones: a Charlie Brown Christmas and a Laurent-Perrier champagne dinner.

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This Bites is sponsored by Whiskey Brown Whiskey-Spiked Cookies.

Amid the recent sad news about one East Side institution, we’re starting this episode on a much happier note from right up the street, as Von Trier continues its steady pace on the corner of Farwell and North avenues.

As Ann pointed out in her Milwaukee Magazine tidbit, we didn’t have much to worry about when the nearly 50-year-old establishment changed hands earlier this year — primarily because those hands belonged to the city’s unofficial preserver of cocktail lounges, John Dye. The man has a demonstrated respect for history, and Von Trier’s first few months under his watch reflect that approach.

You can get Ann’s full report (plus a healthy amount of sausage conversation) in the full podcast, which also sees us chatting about:

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This Bites is sponsored by Whiskey Brown Whiskey-Spiked Cookies.