Lauren Zastrow
In the shakshuka, eggs poached in a thick, sweetish tomato sauce are balanced by salty feta cheese.
It’s hard to imagine a more welcoming scene — a light-filled cafe, the smell of fresh coffee, the sound of live jazz. The Winnebago is finally up and running, bringing food, music and community to a once-sleepy corner of the Atwood neighborhood.
When brothers Jake and John DeHaven bought the former Sons of Norway Lodge in 2018, they wanted to create a space that honored their mother, a multimedia artist who passed away in 2014 after a battle with cancer. Their plan was ambitious — a combined music venue, community gathering space and full-service restaurant offering breakfast, lunch and dinner.
For more than a year, their team has worked to transform the old building. The first-time restaurateurs ended up doing much of the build-out themselves, which took longer to complete than initially projected. But the result is well worth the wait. The space is beautiful and functional, and the renovation showcases many of the building’s original details, like the colorful tile floor and exposed wooden ceiling beams (which had previously been hidden by a drop ceiling). Artwork, including quilts sewn by the DeHavens’ mother, add to the charm.
The Winnebago’s menu (currently it’s open for breakfast and lunch) is among the most vegetarian-friendly in town, with many options for vegans, too. Executive chef Charlie Kocezela is an alumnus of Forequarter and Slow Food UW. The cafe also offers excellent housemade baked goods (the raspberry tart is particularly tasty) and grab-and-go sandwiches. Diners can order at the counter in the cafe, and there’s table service in the bar area.
With a focus on local, seasonal ingredients, Kocezela has created a classic cafe menu with a healthy, vegetable-centric twist. It’s largely successful, though the flavors of some dishes still need to be refined. The Winnebago does a nice take on shakshuka, the Mediterranean and Arabic dish of eggs poached in a thick tomato sauce. Salty feta cheese complements the sweetness of the tomato, and a sizable hunk of toasted sourdough is the perfect vehicle for dipping. The dish manages to be both comforting and light, but it needs salt (and possibly garlic). Can I request a spicy version?
Fresh buttermilk biscuits are a highlight — crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Try them on their own with jam. They’re also part of several entrees. The breakfast sandwich (actually two mini sandwiches!) comes filled with scrambled eggs, bacon, spinach and cheddar cheese. Garnishes of pickles and sweet barbeque sauce add a welcome hit of acid for brightness.
Vegetarian biscuits and gravy is a great idea, but the oyster mushroom sauce that tops the dish is a bit too thin, and there isn’t enough of it. The addition of a runny-yolked egg adds some richness. Red cabbage slaw on the side adds beautiful color and crunch, but would benefit from more vinegar.
For lunch, there’s a tofu Caesar salad garnished with gorgeous slices of purple radish, croutons, crisped rice and dressing flavored with miso instead of anchovy. An oyster mushroom melt was delicious, sort of like a deluxe grilled cheese with caramelized onions and spinach, served on excellent sourdough bread. The sandwich wasn’t very melty, though; a few more minutes on the grill and it would have been perfect. Yet another vegetarian lunch option is a barbecue sandwich based on tempeh, not beef.
Dinner at The Winnebago will roll out later this month. But the bar is open, offering a good variety of taps and some excellent house cocktails (try the Old Fashioned and the Curcumin Elixir). And on Wednesday nights, they’ve been hosting “date night” dinners featuring Elemeno, a pop-up from Winnebago sous chef Lauralyn Rosenberger and Mason Purtell. The duo specializes in hand-pulled noodles, served with broth and vegetables purchased that same day from local farmers. For $35, you’ll get a shared starter, two noodle bowls and a shared dessert.
On my visit, they served perfectly cooked noodles in turmeric tomato broth with roasted turnips and fried garlic, plus an incredible salad with sweet potato puree, emmer berries (a nutty grain) and maple vinaigrette. But the best part was a dense, sweet olive oil cake flavored with spicy chilis, honey-like caramel sauce and garnished with fancy popcorn.
As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also live jazz on Wednesdays. The cafe has hosted some of the best players in town, and there’s no cover. (Disclosure: I co-host a music series that has booked shows at The Winnebago.)
In many ways, the folks behind The Winnebago have outdone themselves. Other details are still a little rough around the edges. Once everything comes together, this has the potential to be a neighborhood-defining space for years to come.
The Winnebago
2262 Winnebago St.; 608-640-4380; thewinnebago.com
7 am-2 pm Tues.-Fri.; 8 am-2 pm Sat.-Sun.; $3-$14
