FoodCrush OnMilwaukee

Around the country, restaurants led by Native chefs are reimagining what “American” food means. In doing so, they are also reclaiming an important culinary culture that has been long buried and inaccessible, even to Native people. In the Midwest, that includes folks like Sean Sherman, founder of The Sioux Chef, Owamni and the Indigenous Food Lab in Minneapolis. But it also includes up-and-comers like Bryce Stevenson, a native of Red Cliff, Wisconsin who also happens to have deep ties to Milwaukee.
This week, we’re sitting down with Stevenson, who candidly shares his personal story, from growing up on a reservation in Northern Wisconsin to beginning his journey to reconnect with his Native roots. Along the way, he shares his food story, from his motivation to enter the restaurant industry to the experiences that led him to pursue a better understanding of indigenous foodways. Stevenson also paints a picture of what guests can expect at his first restaurant, Miijim, which will open this spring on Madeline Island, a sacred cultural hub for the Ojibwe.

What goes into building a restaurant? This week we’re sitting down with hospitality veteran Rob Levin, co-owner of 2A Wine Merchants and the forthcoming 1033 restaurant to find out more about the inspiration behind the 14-seat restaurant.

During our chat, Levin shares his vision for 1033, the thinking behind the design of the restaurant and the elements of the restaurant’s menu, created by Chef Justin Carlisle of Ardent. We also delve deeply into the topic of hospitality, answering questions like: What goes into providing a great experience for guests? What elements make a restaurant memorable? And why it’s a good thing if your restaurant isn’t right for everyone.

It was 2016 when Samantha Mitchell took the initiative to plan her first events under the moniker SamanthaStarr Events. At the time, the public relations and marketing graduate was working full time for a local nonprofit and pursuing her passion for events planning on the side. Six years later, Mitchell is taking an entrepreneurial leap and leaving the comfort of her day job to pursue her events company full time. 

We sat down with Mitchell to chat about her entrepreneurial journey, the wins and losses she’s experienced along the way and the specific skills that have helped her to pay the bills. Along the way, she shares insights into the events she’s created, from MKE Fest to Battle of the Chefs, the little details that have made her business a success and the grand plans she has for the future.

Indian fare has long been seen as complex and time-consuming. And certainly, there are many dishes that require special techniques, a laundry list of spices and more time than your average American home cook might wish to spend cooking. Fortunately, there are easy ways to create simple, fresh Indian dishes that are also big on taste.

This week, we're talking to Chef Ruta Kahate, owner of Ruta's restaurant and author of "6 Spices, 60 Dishes," a brand new cookbook which showcases myriad options for remarkable Indian fare that can be easily pulled together, even on a busy weeknight. During the podcast, Kahate shares all the details about her new book, the inspiration behind it and the recipes which make the most of Indian flavors with accessible ingredients, efficient techniques and six versatile spices.

Recent years have brought forth a shift in the culture surrounding bars, cocktails and attitudes toward drinking (and not drinking). And it has created an increased interest in low-proof and no-proof cocktail options.
This week on the podcast, we’re talking with Zoe Lomenzo of The Counter Day Bar, a beverage destination that specializes in zero proof offerings. Not unlike its sister business, Discourse, The Counter Day Bar aspires to break the usual molds and exceed expectations for no-proof cocktails.
During our conversation, we chat about Lomenzo’s career and her personal experience moving from a traditional bar environment to a no-proof venue. Along the way, she offers us a peek inside the creative minds of the folks behind the new Day Bar, the philosophies that guide their work and the experience guests can expect when they visit.

From its vintage library aesthetic to the selection of wine, spirits and tobacco on the shelves, there’s nothing ordinary about Thelma Carol Wine Merchants, one of the newest retail shops in the Cream City.

This week we’re sitting down with proprietors Rebecca Button and Jerel Hall to chat about their journey to wine, the inspiration behind their shop and their perspectives on the ever-evolving world of wine. Along the way, we chat about natural wine, the work being done at American Wine Project and the philosophies Button and Hall employ to make trying new wines fun and accessible.