Melted plans pop-ups, but they had us at “1971 Dodge Travco.”
The speciality grilled cheese food cart Melted is converting a 1971 Dodge Travco motorhome into a food truck. Owner David Rodriguez says the vintage RV will have a full kitchen complete with a chef’s table, where patrons can get an up-close view of him cooking. In addition to serving the Melted menu during big events, Rodriguez is planning special pop-up dinners: “I’d like to do four-course dinners and take the truck to festivals around the state.” The retrofitting of the RV should be complete by the end of the summer. For the unveiling, Rodriguez wants to host an event at a Madison park and serve “fancy camp food.”
Transitions
The now-closed Bluephies, 2701 Monroe St., is being replaced with two “California-inspired” restaurants to be called Everly and Miko Poke. Caitlin Suemnicht, chief creative officer for Food Fight Restaurant Group, says Everly (which was briefly known as Verdant) will open in the former main dining area this fall and serve “vegetable-forward” cuisine. “Think about how an entrée is composed in a lot of restaurants — a large piece of protein, like a steak, will take up most of the plate, and then there will be a small side dish of vegetables,” writes Suemnicht in an email. “We’d like to flip that.”
Miko Poke will open in the former bar as an order-at-the-counter-style poke restaurant. “Pokē is Hawaiian for ‘to slice or cut’ and refers to a traditional Hawaiian appetizer salad made with raw fish,” says Suemnicht. “Customers will be able to customize their own poke bowl at the counter, choosing their fish, a base of white or brown rice, rice noodles, or mixed greens, and then top it with vegetables, spices and sauces.” Miko Poke is expected to open by mid-summer.
The venerable Ohio Tavern will be turning out tamales and tacos.
The new proprietors of the Ohio Tavern, 224 Ohio Ave., plan to reopen the historic pub in mid-July after installing new floors and a food prep room. Owner Josh Swentzel says he intends to start selling a mix of tacos and tamales. With the bar “right on the bike path, it’s going to be great takeout for the neighborhood,” he says.
Openings
608 Restaurant & Bar, 1738 Fordem Ave., is up and running in its new location (formerly Einstein Bros. Bagels). 608 opened on State Street in 2013 but closed this spring when its lease expired. The new location has taken on more of a sports bar emphasis.
Closings
Northside Family Restaurant, 1201 N. Sherman Ave. The diner-style spot, which opened in 2009, was previously known as the American Family Table Restaurant. A sign on the door thanks customers for their patronage.
Fountain Express, 122 State St. The takeout hot dog and Italian beef joint, an offshoot of the adjacent Fountain bar, has closed only weeks after opening.
AJ Bombers, 201 W. Gorham St. The Milwaukee-based restaurant was known for “bombing” its patrons with peanuts and serving specialty burgers created via feedback on social media. A new location will be opening in Wauwatosa.
