New waterfront restaurant coming to Milwaukee’s Third Ward could be open by patio season

A new waterfront restaurant could be open in Milwaukee’s Third Ward just in time for patio season this spring.

Chef-owner Ramses Alvarez said his restaurant, located at 509 E. Erie St. with frontage along the Milwaukee River, will take over the space previously occupied by Riverfront Pizzeria, which closed Feb. 15 after 20 years of business. The new restaurant could open as soon as April 1.

“It’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” he said.

Alvarez will open the restaurant with partner Shannon Rowell. Previously, the pair operated Brew’d Burger Shop and Dia Bom in the Crossroads Collective food hall until they left the space last September.

Dia Bom, an Asian-Latin fusion concept, was intended to be Ramses’ first standalone restaurant. He had originally planned to open it earlier this year in the Lincoln Warehouse at 2018 S. 1st St.

But when the opportunity arose to open a restaurant in a significantly larger space with an ideal location, Alvarez said he knew he had to pause his plans for Dia Bom to focus on this new concept.

According to Alvarez, the new restaurant does not have a name yet.

“This opportunity opened up so quickly, so we're still working on finding the right name,” Alvarez said. But because of the restaurant’s prime location along the Milwaukee River, the future name will likely have a nod to the water.

It could also reference the concept of cooking with fire, which the restaurant will rely heavily on when preparing dishes. The space comes with a large wood-burning Italian oven, and Alvarez said most of the new dishes will incorporate wood-fired cooking whenever possible.

A welcoming menu with Mediterranean influences

Alvarez said his goal is to create a menu that’s welcoming to all types of diners, from families coming in with kids to couples stopping in for a more intimate date night. Pastas, seafood and dry-aged burgers could all appear on the menu. Alvarez said he’s prioritizing the use of fresh, local ingredients.

Pizzas will be a big part of the menu, too, but Alvarez, who’s trained in French cooking, said other dishes will be influenced by the cuisine of the Mediterranean coast, including France, Italy, Spain and Portugal.

“Of course, being from Mexico, I’ll include some Latin dishes on the menu, as well,” he said. The menu will be inspired by travels and his heritage, along with a few American classics thrown in for good measure.

The restaurant will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to midnight on weekends, with a special brunch menu available Saturdays and Sundays.

Aside from a fresh coat of paint, hanging art pieces and minor decor updates, the space shouldn’t need much of an overhaul, design-wise.

“There’s all this beautiful brick and wood inside. We want it to feel warm and inviting in the winter and show off how beautiful it is in Milwaukee’s beautiful summer and spring,” Alvarez said.

The space has a capacity for 300 people, with more than 6,000 square feet inside and 274 square feet on its riverfront patio.

“The patio has beautiful views and is right on the water” Alvarez said. “We really want to build up the patio and make it feel special.”

Boaters are invited to tie up in the restaurant’s two boat slips, open to those who want to pop in for a bite while out on the water.

The restaurant’s bar program will feature specialty cocktails made to reflect its waterfront location. Alvarez said he may look for inspiration from his longtime friend JC Cunningham, owner of downtown tropical cocktail bar Pufferfish, in developing the bar menu. Beer, both local and domestic, and wine will also be available from the bar.

Quick breakfast and a high-end restaurant concept could be added

The restaurant has a private dining room, which Alvarez said can be reserved for private dinners when the restaurant opens, but down the line, he’d like to use the space for a more high-end restaurant-within-a-restaurant concept serving multiple courses, which would have a different name and menu from the larger restaurant.

This would allow Alvarez an opportunity to showcase the different cooking techniques he’s picked up after more than 20 years of working in Milwaukee kitchens and the five years he’s spent working as a private chef.

The restaurant could eventually open to customers in the mornings, as well, with fresh-baked bread and pastries, simple breakfast items and coffee to offer a quick breakfast option in the neighborhood.

But for now, Alvarez is excited to open the restaurant just as it is. It’s been a lifelong goal to open a restaurant he can call his own.

“This is really a dream come true,” Alvarez said. “As a private chef, I had the time to be creative and develop my cooking techniques, but I never really had the opportunity to put them to use in a full restaurant. I never had the chance to put my heart and soul into my own restaurant, and that's what I'll have now.”

“Milwaukee, get ready,” he said. “I’m ready to serve you.”

Rachel Bernhard joined the Journal Sentinel as dining critic in June 2023. She’s been busy exploring the Milwaukee area food scene to share her favorite finds with readers along the way. Like all Journal Sentinel reporters, she buys all meals, accepts no gifts and is independent of all establishments she covers.

What should she cover next? Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @rachelbernhard or on Instagram at @rach.eats.mke.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New waterfront restaurant coming to Milwaukee’s Third Ward