Sven in a Cup
And now, ladies and gentlemen, the date you’ve all been waiting for…. May Day. Or, May 1. Downtown Milwaukee’s java landscape will change forever (forever, I tell you!) when the Downtown Sven’s (624 N. Water St., the former Steamer’s) serves its first Americano. (The date is the promise of owner Steve Goretzko.) The cafe will resemble its Bay View brother (2699 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.), at least in terms of its menu. Espresso drinks, specialty teas, quiche, more than two dozen sandwiches (breakfast and beyond), soups and salads. So if you work anywhere in the vicinity of Water and Wisconsin, you’ll have a new place to grab breakfast and lunch. Seating? For you and 39 of your nearest and dearest. Again, projected opening date: May 1. Hours, to be: Mon-Fri 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Crabby Summer
Lakefront Brewery Palm Garden. Hubbard Park Lodge. Rio West Cantina. The aforementioned are all dining establishments run by Vecchio Entertainment Group. The latest Vecchio news? This July, the company will take a crack at seafood with Twisted Fisherman Crab Shack (in the Menomonee Valley near Potawatomi Bingo Casino). The Twisted plans include a patio and outdoor bar. The roll-out date, for now, is mid-July. More details to follow. Sometime.

Banh Mmm
When he taught English in Korea, Jeff Steckel’s students called him "Jeppa." It stuck. So did the expanded version of that nickname that his girlfriend coined – "Jeppa Joe." Could he have predicted that one day he’d have a mobile food operation called Jeppa Joe’s? Hmm. Prior to the Korea teaching stint, Steckel was a chef at Madison’s Blue Marlin restaurant. After Korea, Steckel traveled around Asia and found himself entranced by the street food. Banh mi? Check. ...  more