http://www.onmilwaukee.com/myOMC/authors/mollysnyder/circa1880.htmlhttp://www.jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/139711893.htmlBy Carol Deptolla of the Journal Sentinel
Feb. 20, 2012 11:23 a.m. |(0) Comments
A restaurant with an ever-changing menu focusing on Wisconsin ingredients is planned for the booming Walker's Point neighborhood.
The restaurant, c. 1880, is going in at 1100 S. 1st St. (the former site of Marchese's Olive Pit, a pizzeria that closed late last year). Named for the age of the Italianate-style building, it's targeted to open to the public in early May.
The owner and chef is Thomas Hauck, who most recently was chef de cuisine at Mason Street Grill. Hauck, who was born in Milwaukee and grew up in Port Washington, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. He spent 1 1/2 years working in France before returning to the states (in something of a rush, he said; there was a small matter of proper documentation) and cooking for four years at Citronelle, French chef Michel Richard's four-star, fine-dining restaurant in Washington, D.C.
C. 1880's menu will be driven by seasonal ingredients, Hauck said, and is meant to showcase the best of Wisconsin. The cooking will combine classical and modern techniques; a dish of veal breast might have carrots in multiple forms, including dehydrated chips and roasted, and make use of the tops as well.
Likewise, dishes will make use of the whole animal; it won't be just popular cuts like lamb racks but also less-used lamb neck. Hauck intends to source the lamb from Crawford Farm near New Glarus, which he calls "the best lamb in America," and draw his seasonal ingredients from Wisconsin farms. "I think if some of those French chefs came here (to Wisconsin), they'd think this was the best place ever," he said.
Hauck said the restaurant would have snacks for the bar area and a dining room menu of eight entrees with prices in the mid-$20s.
The interior will hark to the name, with old photos and maps and vintage farm tools as part of the decor; Hauck said he's going for a relaxed feel, with knowledgeable service. Seating for 50 to 60 is expected.
C. 1880 initially would be open for dinner service Tuesday through Saturday, though Hauck is hoping to eventually offer multicourse lunches once or twice a month on Fridays that would let guests meet the producers and farmers that supply the restaurant.
