2Mesa to have soft opening this weekend
2Mesa Mexican Eatery, the all-day Mexican restaurant by chef Michael Feker and his wife, Maricela, officially opens March 29 on the west side, but it will begin a soft opening with limited seating starting Sunday.
The restaurant is at 4110 W. Martin Drive, at W. Highland Blvd. It’s blocks away from HarleyDavidson headquarters and the Miller Brewing plant and offices.
In the mornings the restaurant will have fresh juices, espresso drinks and cafe con leche and serve breakfast dishes through the lunch hour, Michael Feker said. It also will have pastries including conchas.
The lunch menu will include tortas, tacos and plate lunches that can be served quickly; they’re aimed to appeal to nearby workers who might have 20 minutes or so to eat lunch, Feker said.
2Mesa will have a full bar and happy hour.
During the soft opening, only a few seatings will be accepted every half-hour as the restaurant comes up to speed, Feker said.
Kitchen hours will be 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Brunch will be served Saturdays and Sunday.
Reservations will be taken for parties of six or more only. The restaurant’s telephone number will be (414) 808-1954.
The website, 2mesa.com, is scheduled to go live March 29; the restaurant also is on Facebook.
Oscar’s Winner’s Circle
For the second location of popular south side burger bar Oscar’s Pub & Grill, the owners are do- ing something different.
The menu won’t be exactly like the original when Oscar’s Winner’s Circle debuts at 11 a.m. Monday at 3800 W. Burnham Ave. with mariachi music and 40 taps for craft beers.
Oscar Castañeda, who operates the taverns with his wife, Elisabeth Stoeger, said the menu on Burnham still will feature burgers, but toppings will be entirely different. They’ll incorporate Mexican flavors, as in the chicharrón burger, topped with crisp fried pork rinds, and a burger alhambra with melted Chihuahua cheese and fresh avocado slices.
Tuesday’s special will be a Mexican plate, such as enchiladas, and fish fry will be served on Fridays, with this location serving potato pancakes.
Oscar’s Winner’s Circle will have a children’s menu, with items such as grilled cheese, quesadilla and chicken tenders.
Prices will be in the same range at the new location, with most of the half-pound Angus burgers around $6 to $7, which includes housecut fries.
A patio will be installed on the west side of the building in the coming months, and Castañeda would like to serve his favorite, tacos al pastor, out there in summer. The meat would be cut from a trompo cooked on a vertical rotisserie and, if everything goes as planned, served on house-made tortillas.
Oscar’s will have a full bar, and the beers mainly will be on draft; a few beers will be served in bottles, such as Miller and Miller Lite. Beers on tap will include Milwaukee and state brews from Enlightened, Eagle Park, Westallion, New Glarus and others, as well as beer from neighboring states, such as Pipeworks in Chicago
The tavern at 38th and Burnham for years was known as the Winner’s Circle; Castañeda kept the name but remodeled the interior. It has seats for 54 customers.
The kitchen will be open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Oscar’s will serve breakfast on the weekends, but burgers will be available in the mornings, too.
The original Oscar’s opened in March 2011 at 1712 W. Pierce St.
FreshFin Poke grows
FreshFin Poke, the counter-service restaurant serving variations on the raw Hawaiian fish dish, will be heading to Madison for its fourth location, while it expands its hours in the Third Ward.
Founder Nate Arkush said the Third Ward store, which opened in November at 316 N. Milwaukee St., will add dinner hours and the full menu starting April 1, and it will be open every day.
Hours will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Third Ward.
Meanwhile, Arkush said he will open a FreshFin Poke in The James, newer downtown apartments for University of Wisconsin students, at 432 W. Gorham St. in Madison.
The Madison restaurant could open in July; at 2,000 square feet, it will be about the size of the FreshFin Poke due to open in late May or early June at the Corners in Brookfield, 20111 W. Blue Mound Road.
FreshFin’s first restaurant opened in January 2017 at 1806 E. North Ave.
Look for restaurant reviews in the Wednesday Food section and more dining news in the daily Business section. Contact Carol Deptolla at (414) 224-2841, carol.deptolla@jrn.com or on Twitter, @mkediner.