High Stakes by Bartolotta steakhouse (1030 N. Water St.) opened September 17. The European-inspired steakhouse includes the Peacock Lounge, a nightlife destination offering cocktails and small bites for before or after dinner socializing, or for a drink during a night out on the town.
WELA, a modern Thai restaurant, opened at 217 N. Broadway, in the former Bavette La Boucherie space. WELA is owned and operated by Nini Trick and Kim Kongsin, of Thai-namite, along with Bigsun Phonimdaeng and Somchock Sansawas.
James Beard Award winning chef Adam Siegel, and his wife/business partner Daria Aitken-Siegel, opened Il Ponte at 814 E. Mason St., on the first floor of the Northwestern Mutual North Building. The new restaurant features dishes inspired by the Italian American restaurants of New York.
Mid-century-inspired restaurant and sports parlor The Vig Milwaukee opened at 909 E. Michigan St. Located on The Couture tower’s second floor, the restaurant features brunch, dinner and dessert menus with classic and out-of-the-box bites and entrees, and craft cocktails, along with live music, DJs and a sports viewing area.
The Vig has two locations Chicago.
Fatima and Hanish Kumar, owners of Saffron and Aya, are planning a new dining concept for the former The Cheel space, 105 S. Main St. in Thiensville. Few details about the concept were known at press time.
The Cheel, which opened in 2014 and specialized in Nepalese cuisine, temporarily closed after a fire badly damaged the building. The restaurant was restored and reopened in 2023 and then closed permanently in 2024.
This and That
The MICHELIN Guide’s inaugural MICHELIN Guide American Great Lakes Ceremony, during which outstanding culinary talent will be recognized by the prestigious organization, takes place April 21, 2027, at the Michigan Central cultural hub in Detroit.
For the past several months, MICHELIN inspectors dined at restaurants in Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati to determine restaurants that will receive a MICHELIN star, or stars, among a three-star rating, or a “recommended” or “selected” distinction.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater has forged a new partnership with 41Fork Hospitality to manage the theater’s private event and hospitality program in the Associated Bank Theater Center. According to the September 8 press release, 41Fork Hospitality “will provide comprehensive hospitality management and consulting services, supporting event operations, client experiences, and the continued growth of Milwaukee Rep’s private event business. The partnership strengthens the theater’s ability to deliver exceptional, high‑touch experiences within the nationally recognized cultural landmark.”
The Blind Horse Winery’s Cedarburg location (W63N674 Washington Ave., Cedarburg) will host Harvest Fest on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 4 to 8 p.m. The event includes wine, live music, food, and grape stomping opportunities. Specialty drinks included mulled wine and signature wine slushies. New this year are wine-themed old-style carnival games and an all-you-care-to-enjoy chef station $55). The designated wine of the 2026 Harvest Fest is The Blind Horse Zinfandel.
The Argo (334 E. Silver Spring Dr., Whitefish Bay) is revamping its restaurant menu, with chefs Bailey Troyer and Isaac Bahn leading the new culinary program. The new menu will keep classics such as burgers and fish fry, and feature new options such as cheddar-scallion focaccia, K-Town Philly, galbi-marinated steak frites and kimchi carbonara.
Downtown hospitality pioneer Robert C. “R.C.” Schmidt Jr. died Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at the age of 76. Schmidt opened R.C.’s, on Milwaukee’s East Side, in 1974. That business operated for 44 years. In 1987, R.C. opened Water Street Brewery, Milwaukee’s first brewpub, which combined beer brewed onsite with a full-service restaurant. Water Street Brewery later expanded to Delafield, Grafton and Oak Creek. Schmidt would go on to add more popular Milwaukee restaurants to his portfolio including Louise’s Trattoria, Rudy’s Mexican Restaurant, Brew City BBQ, The Harp Irish Pub, Oakland Trattoria, The Black Rose Irish Pub and Vagabond.
Closings
Mara’s Grill (3441 N. 84th St.) closed Sept. 19. The Mexican and Guatemalan restaurant operated for more than a decade.
Ni Burmese (2140 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.) closed. The restaurant, which served authentic Burmese dishes, operated for less than two years in the KinetiK building.
Lowcountry seafood restaurant (1114 N. Water St.) unexpectedly closed Aug. 30. The Chicago-based restaurant chain was known for southern-inspired fish boils.
Dining and Cooking