{image1}Concert news, new chefs in the area, movie theater news, Starbucks and ComedySportz scoop and more "in-the-know" news; it's all here in the June edition of the OMC Milwaukee Buzz.
RIPPLES TO MOSAIC
Milwaukee's favorite midget, Steve Vento, didn't last long with his recent bar Ripples on Water, 530 N. Water St. But the space is being rebuilt (a garage door was just installed) and new owners plan to open a bar/club temporarily called "Mosaic."
HOFFMAN ABANDONS MALL TICKET PROJECT
Don Hoffman's Half Price Tickets booth inside The Shops of Grand Avenue closed Friday, June 18 and, apparently, has no plans to re-open.
BRADY STREET GETS CHEESY
Brady Street hatches a brand new event in Milwaukee. It's called the Brady Street Artisan Food Festival and it is scheduled for Sunday, July 25. Co-sponsored by the Brady Street Business Improvement District and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, the concept grew out of a request from WMMB to the BID to provide a venue or outlet to sell the extra product from the American Cheese Society conference the week before. Last year, that event was in San Francisco, this year it's in Milwaukee! The Brady Street Artisan Food Festival will be another free festival with two band stages, a beer tent, a wine area and many vendor tents. Put it on your summer festival calendar.
LOLLAPALOOZA CANCELS
Even with what has been touted as the best line-up since its inception in 1991, with such eclectic and respected artists as Morrissey, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, and The Flaming Lips, among others, and a pretty competitive ticket price, the Lollapalooza 2004 tour has been canceled. On June 22, tour organizers and concert promoters, faced with several million dollars of losses, made the very tough decision to pull the tour. No Milwaukee dates were scheduled.
MORE WIFI NOW AT STARBUCKS
Starbucks has WiFi access flowing at most of its locations around the country. As of late June, Milwaukee area locations have been without the "hook-up." But, beginning June 30 most Milwaukee area Starbucks locations became ready for your wireless surfing, working and drinking pleasure. Tall Frappuccino and one laptop, please.
ODD COUPLE EXTENDED
The Odd Couple, starring John McGivern and Chris Tarjan at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, has been extended through Sunday, August 15. Call (414) 273-7206 for tickets.
CAFE FABRIKA TO BRING SERBIAN CUISINE TO WALKER'S POINT
Cafe Fabrika, 240 E. Pittsburgh, will open this summer in Walker's Point inside the Most bar (see exclusive OMC story from June 28) . Expect Serbian cuisine and "coastal adriatic flavors."
J-BIRD BOUTIQUE
The Historic Third Ward is quickly becoming the city's "fashion district" and we hear that another new women's shop called J-Bird Boutique has signed a lease to open in the Mandel Group's Gaslight Lofts development on Menomonee Street.
GROOM MOVES
Groom for men has moved temporarily to 230 W. Wells St. They continue to look for new space since having to vacate their location inside the soon-to-be redeveloped Wisconsin Hotel.
MILWAUKEE COUNTY BRAGS
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is leading a tourism campaign on his Harley to promote Milwaukee County. He'll leave on June 27 and cross Wisconsin into St. Paul/Minneapolis and back down through the state to northern Illinois. He and his staff will give away tickets to Milwaukee stuff like Summerfest and promote all that is great about Milwaukee.
PABST CITY TO GET 16 SCREENS
The developers of Pabst City have begun initial utility work and said that a new 16-screen movie complex will be another one of the downtown project's tenants.
EAST SIDE BUZZ
Lava opened on June 19 and big changes are coming to the 500,000-square-foot Kenilworth Building, 1925 E. Kenilworth Place, as it will "split" into two separate buildings and add a third building to the south that will contain 36 condominiums. Retail, offices, student housing and more will be added. Project completion is set for November 2006.
PIANO BLUE
Here's some Pewaukee buzz. Watch for an upscale, two-story piano and jazz club, bar and restaurant to open in the next 6-8 months on Pewaukee Lake. It will be called Piano Blue. Watch OMC for more details.
MOCEANS OPEN
Moceans, 747 N. Broadway, held several VIP opening events June 17-20. It's Johnny V's new seafood spot at the former Grenadier's. Gary George, Tim Sheehy, Vince Bobot and a cast of hundreds helped Johnny V christen the new place on June 18.
KERSEY, PORTER AT THE "CLUB"
New assistant Milwaukee Bucks coach, Jerome Kersey joined Bucks head coach Terry Porter for a "welcome to Milwaukee" dinner on July 2 at the Calderone Club, across from the Hyatt downtown.
WORLD COMEDYSPORTZ TITLE ON THE LINE
Twenty ComedySportz teams from three countries will gather in Milwaukee August 4-7 at the new ComedySportz location, 420 S. 1st St., for the first "ComedySportz World Championship." Call (414) 272-8888 for tickets. ComedySportz founder Dick Chudnow says, "The Euro teams add a new dimension to the show's humor. Plus, they talk real funny!"
NIKE TOWN?
The City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Recycles have announced the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program in partnership with Nike and the National Recycling Coalition. This program will expand current recycling initiatives and encourage waste reduction and diversion. The goal of the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program is to collect 5,000 or more pairs of used athletic shoes that will be recycled and processed into Nike Grind. This recycled sports surface material will be used to resurface and beautify a Milwaukee Public School tot lot/playground. Drop your used athletic shoes at running events, community festivals, local corporations, City Hall rotunda and the two City of Milwaukee Self-Help Centers. Call (414) 286-2329.
TRIPLE M AND THE PABST
The Pabst Theater has begun a partnership with Triple M 105.5 in Madison. Triple M has been bringing great music to the Madison scene for years and now listeners of Triple M will get to hear all of the latest inside information about The Pabst Theater and its shows. OnMilwaukee.com also has a partnership with the Pabst Theater.
CONGRATS, MILWAUKEE AND UPAF!
Led by a celebratory horn fanfare, the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF) announced its 2004 campaign total of $9,851,920, meeting its $9.85 million goal. The announcement was made at the organization's 2004 Campaign Finale at the United Community Center on June 21. This year's campaign was led by co-chairs Christine Rodriguez, vice president of state and community relations of Rockwell Automation, and Ed Zore, president and CEO of Northwestern Mutual. The campaign goal of $9.85 million was announced in February.
MORE DONUTS AND ICE CREAM NOW
The fifth All-Day Café (Baskin Robbins, Dunkin' Donuts and Togo's) in southeast Wisconsin, has opened at 8111 W. Brown Deer Road.
BREWERS AND BUCKS BUZZ
No major buzz on the pending sale of the Brewers, other than some names that the Journal Sentinel reported from Chicago and Michigan who might want to buy the Crew, but we hear there are a few groups forming that may be interested in the Bucks. Stay tuned.
GALLERY 218 TO THE WARD
Gallery 218 has relocated at 207 E. Buffalo St., suite 218, in the Historic Third Ward. A grand re-opening will take place on Gallery night Friday, July 23, from 6 to 10 p.m. Gallery 218, an alternative gallery space and project of the Walker's Point Artists Association, Inc., is run by volunteer artists. The gallery features contemporary art by emerging and underrepresented artists, as well as other cultural events. The gallery space is celebrating its 14th anniversary this year and also is seeking 10 more members.
CRÈME
Crème is a new bath and body boutique at 5589 N. Diversey Blvd. in Whitefish Bay. Mother and daughter partners Pam Percy and Katie Segel will use their new store to sell upscale skin care products from France, Italy, England, Israel, Ireland, South America, Australia and the United States for women and men.
ALVERNO RANKS
Alverno College is nationally recognized by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in two out of 12 key programs in its 2004 publication, "Taking Responsibility for the Quality of the Baccalaureate Degree." AAC&U is the leading national association committed to advancing and improving liberal education for all students. The organization evaluated Alverno College as advanced leaders in the areas of Teacher Education Portfolio Assessment and Nursing Senior Assessment.
CAFÉ BRUCKE
Café Brucke, 2101 N. Prospect Ave., is now open.
MAM WINS
"Industrial Strength Design: How Brooks Stevens Shaped Your World," organized and exhibited by the Milwaukee Art Museum last summer, was honored the Award of Excellence by the American Association of Museums' 16th Annual Excellence in Exhibition Competition. This extremely prestigious national award recognizes both the concept and design of museum exhibitions. Glenn Adamson, exhibition curator, and exhibition designer Lou Storey traveled to New Orleans to accept the award Friday, May 7. The Milwaukee Art Museum was the only art museum among the five recipients; other winners include the Henry Ford Museum and the Museum of Natural History in New York. Twenty-two museums entered the competition.
STICKS 'N STONES HIRES NEW CHEF
J. Britton Unkerfer is the new chef at Sticks 'N Stones in Brookfield. He grew up in his family's restaurant Nelsen's Hall in Door County and won two AAA four-diamond awards as chef of Christies in the Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton. He's worked all over the country and also helped open Door County's first private club, Horseshoe Bay Golf Club.
PFISTER SNAGS NEW CHEF, TOO
Baasim B. Zafar has been named executive chef of The Pfister Hotel. He's a European-trained chef and a native of London. He's worked in various chef positions at Four Seasons Hotels in Houston and London and three independent restaurants. Most recently, Zafar was executive sous chef at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago.
MORE CHEF BUZZ
The new chef at Eve is Darin Wisniewski. He's worked at Steven Wade's Café and Osteria del Mondo and calls his new menu "modern American cuisine with classical techniques and fusion influences."
KERN CENTER DEDICATION
MSOE dedicates its $31 million Kern Center Oct. 29 and 30 with alumni celebrations, tours, etc.
WELCOME KAREN
The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music has appointed Karen Deschere to the position of President and CEO of the organization. The appointment, ratified by the Board of Trustees at a meeting on June 17, completes a nation-wide search process that began last October, when Joyce Altman, who had led the Conservatory for 10 years, retired from the post. Ms. Deschere will be leaving the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, where she has been serving as Executive Director of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and Executive Director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. She has been with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association since 1998.
GROCERIES TO PHOTOS
The new owners of an historic Walker's Point property know what it takes to rehabilitate a building that may be almost 130 years old. The one-time grocery store on South Fifth Street just south of Mineral had been in "sad condition," according to new owner Scott Patrick. Patrick recalls that while the building was structurally sound, it was actually the double lot that sold him and his wife on the property. "Where else in the city could one find a commercial building for their small business that included a yard large enough for a garage and enclosed courtyard and garden?" The couple purchased the property from the Walker's Point Development Corp. in 1999, and rehabilitated it using a combination of historic tax credits, an $86,000 loan from MEDC (Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation), additional financing from Tri City National Bank and a $10,000 façade grant from the City of Milwaukee. Check it out at 1036 S. Fifth St., Scott Patrick Photography.
MILWAUKEE IS No. 11 (or No. 23) FOR SINGLES
Forbes.com new list of "Best Cities for Singles" has Milwaukee at 23. Readers of the magazine rank Milwaukee No. 11, ahead of Denver, Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle! Up two spots from last year! Read it now,
here.
UCLA LOVES MKE AND MAM
Log on to UCLA Cultural Development Survey and the top photo is one of our Milwaukee Art Museum. It's a survey that is being distributed to departments and agencies nationwide to find out how Cultural Affairs Departments, Convention and Visitors Bureaus, and other municipal agencies develop and promote cultural activities and facilities in American cities. See it here:
sppsr.ucla.edu/its/cultural/.
OUTLET GOING OUT OF BUSINESS
The Outlet furniture store, next to the Spice House on Old World Third Street in downtown, is going out of business (still?! -ed.).
OLD NAVY NOW OPEN
The Shops of Grand Avenue held a ribbon cutting ceremony to welcome its newest tenant, Old Navy, on Thursday, July 1 at 8:45 a.m., Old Navy is now open for your shopping pleasure.
YESTERDAY'S HEROES TODAY'S HOAGIES
The now-closed Yesterday's Heroes, 34th and Vliet, will become a Subway.
YARN SHOP SOON
Loop Yarn Shop, 2900 S. Delaware Ave., is opening soon in Bay View.
CLOCK STEAK HOUSE COME BACK
Butch will call his new steakhouse in the old Aladdin's space at 108 W. Wells St., Butch's Clock Steakhouse. Years ago, it was the site of the old Clock Steak House. Meanwhile, as reported earlier at OMC, Aladdin's has moved to 202 W. Wisconsin Ave.
KING DRIVE BUZZ
The Buzz hears rumors of a few new bars/clubs opening soon on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. And, we learned that Deja Vu consignment store, at 1743 N. King Drive is moving to Wauwatosa.
