Side Dish: National chef plans Bowls.
The chef-owner of the National restaurant in Walker’s Point plans to open a second restaurant, this one on booming Freshwater Way, that would serve healthful, quick meals in bowls, from breakfast to early dinner.
Nell Benton is opening Bowls in spring at 207 W. Freshwater Way in partnership with Andy Larson. Larson owns Float Milwaukee, a flotation-tank business at 211 Freshwater Way; their new counter-service restaurant would be in the storefront between Float and Purple Door Ice Cream at Freshwater and S. 2nd St., in the Freshwater Fix building.
The area, home to Global Water Center offices, is undergoing continued growth, with new apartment buildings and the Reed Street Yards business park nearby.
At Bowls, a menu of six to eight breakfast items and 12 to 15 lunch and dinner dishes would include both hot and cold fare, such as acai bowls, tuna poke, farro with Mediterranean flavors and quinoa with miso.
Benton said she intends for the restaurant to use seasonal foods and organic ingredients when possible. Prices would run about $8 to $14.
The restaurant would be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Breakfast items would be available beyond morning; “I’m a firm believer” in all-day breakfast, Benton said. Her other restaurant, the National, 839 W. National Ave., serves breakfast and lunch.
Customers at Bowls can take their food to go or dine at one of the 30 or so seats. The restaurant also will have a walk-up window for takeout orders, Benton said, and it will offer delivery.
Inside, the design will be clean-lined with earth tones, and the restaurant will have a living wall of herbs and other plants.
Benton said the idea for the restaurant came about after Larson told her about bowl dishes he’d had while traveling. It appealed to her.
“It’s very difficult to find quick, healthy food options,” she said.
La Masa adds weekend brunch
La Masa Empanada Bar, 1300 E. Brady St., now is serving brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.
Some of the breakfasty plates the restaurant is serving are the La Masa Benny ($12), sunny-sideup eggs and hollandaise over two ham and cheese empanadas; Carnitas Doughstada ($12), carnitas on deep-fried dough crisps with two over-easy eggs, pickled onion and salsa verde; and the Benote ($12), white corn and hominy cakes, chorizo patties, two poached eggs and chile cheese sauce.
The restaurant also serves its lineup of empanadas during brunch, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
New chef in place at Bumstead Provisions
Bumstead Provisions, the restaurant, bar and deli that opened at 2671 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. in late September, has a new chef, and an updated menu is due soon.
Greg Gannaway previ-
ously was sous chef at the Bay View restaurant; he replaces David Vang, Bumstead Provisions owners Mike Bodow, Devin Eichler and David Eichler announced this week.
Gannaway previously worked at Tripoli Country Club, the Iron Horse Hotel and Bacchus.
The new chef plans to use more ingredients from local producers and introduce more seasonal dishes.
He’s adding some dishes of his own design to the menu throughout January, including brûléed bone marrow; pork-skin nachos; venison tartare with juniper berry aioli; fried chicken biscuit, with Nashville-style hot chicken in Waffle Crisp cereal coating; hot smoked salmon dip; and a ham, turkey and Muenster cheese sandwich that’s baked on the hefty Milwaukee Pretzel Co. pretzel the restaurant serves.
Gannaway plans to make patés and cured meats for Bumstead, as well.