Pączki pre-orders, The Counter dry bar, brunch at Bridgewater and more Milwaukee-area food and drink news
Pączki pre-orders begin at Wioletta's
Pączki pre-order has already begun at many Milwaukee area bakeries, and a full list will be available at jsonline.com/life later this week.
But pączki are available daily at Wioletta’s Polish Market, 3955 S. Howell Ave., and to taste their full selection for Fat Tuesday, you have to pre-order by Feb. 9. Pączki will be sold in packs of four or six and priced from $12 to $20. Fourteen flavors are available, from traditional prune or raspberry to creative ones such as tiramisu, raspberry mousse, chocolate-hazelnut, and Oreo cookie.
Online orders must be picked up Feb. 21 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Orders will be taken online or in the store, and pre-payment is required. See Wioletta’s Facebook page for a link to online ordering.
More:'A taste of Poland': Husband and wife from Poland opening Polish market on Milwaukee's south side
The Counter, a dry bar, is open
Catering to the growing interest in zero-proof or low-alcohol drinks, The Counter Day Bar now is stirring and shaking things up in Crossroads Collective on Milwaukee's east side.
The bar mixes complex drinks, making a number of its own ingredients. Customers drink them at any table in the food hall, ordering drinks through the food hall's website if they like.
But they also can reserve the four stools at The Counter for a drink or to book a tasting of three, five or all nine drinks on the menu, at thecounter.resos.com. The first menu is called Myths and Fables, with drinks meant to call to mind Aesop's fables and Greco-Roman myths.
The Counter is open 3 to 9 p.m. daily. Its first day of service was Feb. 1 at the food hall, 2238 N. Farwell Ave., taking the place of Discourse Coffee. The bar and coffee shop are operated by the same partners, and Discourse still has its cafe downtown at 1020 N. Broadway.
More:Discourse Coffee is opening its flagship cafe in downtown Milwaukee on Sunday
February is Phobruary in Silver City
The Silver City neighborhood is holding its annual Phobruary celebration throughout February, featuring pho and other food specials at three restaurants.
Pho, the soup native to Vietnam and common in Laos and Thailand, combines noodles with a choice of thinly sliced beef, chicken, vegetables or shrimp. Diners can add ingredients such as basil, sprouts, cilantro, limes, jalapeño and sauces to the bowl. A $7 regular beef pho bowl will be available for dine-in at these participating restaurants: Thai Bar-B-Que at 3414 W. National Ave., Vientiane Noodle Shop at 3422 W. National Ave., and AsianRican at 3300 W. Lincoln Ave. Additional menu specials are available for takeout. For more information, visit viacdc.org
New brunch begins at Bridgewater Modern Grill
The Bridgewater Modern Grill, 2011 S. First St., now serves brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
The brunch menu by chef Steve Gustafson will offer more than the traditional items of quiche, Belgian waffles and blueberry pancakes, with dishes such as buttermilk-brined chicken and waffles with hot honey, vanilla honey butter and barrel-aged maple syrup; crab cake Benedict topped with béarnaise sauce; avocado toast on sourdough with oak-fired mushrooms, goat cheese and a poached egg; and a smoked salmon board with cream cheese, red onion, caper berries and toasted rye.
Brunch entrées range from $15 to $22; cocktails are $9 to $13 and include Bloody Marys, mimosas and spirit-free craft cocktails. Reservations are recommended at bridgewatermke.com
More:Chef at Bridgewater in Milwaukee's Harbor District is a believer in ingenuity, not ego
Food served at No Studios' Skyline Bar and Lounge
Skyline Bar and Lounge in the Brewery complex now is serving food by Gregory Johnson, the former chef at On the Bayou in Bronzeville.
The glass-enclosed bar, with a view of downtown from its location atop No Studios, 1037 W. McKinley Ave., is open to the public for happy hour Thursdays and Fridays, starting at 5 p.m. The lounge is open to members only.
Reservations can be made at nostudios.com/skyline-lounge. Customers can reserve packages with batch cocktails of four servings, such as a variety of margaritas, for $35; otherwise, the cover charge is $20 for nonmembers. Food is ordered at the bar, not in advance.
More:Nō Studios in Milwaukee is opening a rooftop bar and lounge featuring sake flights and cocktails
Skylight Bar has new caterer
Food and beverage service for the Skylight Bar and Bistro, located at the Broadway Theatre Center at 158 N. Broadway, will now be provided by Noble Catering.
Beginning two hours before matinee and evening performances in the Cabot Theatre of the Broadway Theatre Center, guests may order from a food menu featuring shareable items, including togarashi popcorn ($6), malt vinegar chips and black-garlic onion dip ($10), a cheese and charcuterie board ($24), and desserts, including hazelnut bomboloni ($12) and Belgium chocolate fudge cake ($15). Seating is first come, first served. Noble Catering & Events is a part of F Street Hospitality; for more, fstreethospitality.com.
Always Cheesin' pizza benefits Wisconsin State Fair Foundation
Order the Always Cheesin' pizza from Pizza Man now through March 31 and 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Wisconsin State Fair Foundation, which supports youth programs and agriculture education.
The 12-inch cheese-curd stuffed-crust pan pizza features Clock Shadow Creamery curds and is topped with Wisconsin mozzarella, pepperoni cups, red onion and herb-garlic butter. The price is $25, and it's available for dine-in, pickup and delivery at the Milwaukee and Wauwatosa locations, at 2597 N. Downer Ave. and 11500 W. Burleigh St. Each quarter, the Pizza Man’s “In Dough We Grow” program selects a local charity to benefit with the creation of a special fundraising pizza. For more information, see pizzamanwi.com.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wioletta's paczki, Bridgewater restaurant brunch, Phobruary and more
