Zisters in Elm Grove plans heated patio domes
Heated domes for sipping and snacking outdoors are set up for winter at Zisters, the brunch and dinner restaurant in Elm Grove.
The domes’ opening day will be Nov. 15, and reservations are being taken now. Dan Zierath of Zisters parent company ZRG said he expects the igloos to stay open through February, depending on the weather.
Sixty reservations were made the first day the restaurant began taking them, he said.
The domes are like the ones on the rooftop at Cafe Benelux in the Third Ward, which are back this year after a popular first run last winter.
The domes — or igloos, as Zisters calls them — can hold up to eight people. The flat rental fee is $150 for 11⁄2 hours, which includes drinks for eight such as hot chocolate with marshmallows (plain or spiked), two bottles of champagne (with optional orange juice) or red or white wine, or other choices such as Irish coffee, hot toddies or cranberry Mules.
Optional snacks for eight can be ordered with the reservation — Swedish meatballs, Buffalo chicken dip or a s’mores platter for $24, spinach-artichoke dip for $27, caprese salad platter for $28, vegetables and dip for $30, hummus for $32, and chocolate or cheese fondue or a charcuterie and cheese board for $40.
The transparent domes are set up on the patio at the restaurant, 13425 Watertown Plank Road, which is strung with overhead lights and has a gas fireplace.
Zierath said the patio will be decorated for Christmas, as well. “It’s going to look like a winter wonderland,” he said.
The igloos will be open Wednesdays through Sundays, starting at 9 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays and 3 p.m. the other days, and are open through 10 p.m. Reservations can be made at eatzrg.com’s Zisters page.
Contact dining critic Carol Deptolla at carol.deptolla@jrn.com or (414) 224-2841, or through the Journal Sentinel Food & Home page on Facebook. Follow her on Twitter at @mkediner or Instagram at @mke_diner.