The Wolf on Broadway adds ‘cute and craveable’ flavor to downtown Milwaukee
The thing about little sisters is that, while they’re bound to be partly shaped by the influences of the siblings that came before them, they’re almost always hard-pressed to carve out an identity all their own.
At least that’s the case for me, a little sister, myself. And it’s something I’m sure The Wolf on Broadway, 600 N. Broadway, which opened in downtown Milwaukee last November, can identify with, too.
The Wolf is the kid sister of Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern, 234 E. Vine St, the ever-bustling breakfast joint in Brewers Hill. They’re both owned by the husband-wife team of Wolfgang Schaefer and Whitney McAllister, who’ve crafted each space with distinct personalities as well as squint-and-you'll-see-it similarities that make the pair a yin-yang of dining experiences.
Uncle Wolfie’s is part corner tavern, part diner, with barstool chitchat, stick-to-your-ribs breakfast bites and earthy Bloody Marys.
The Wolf is plenty approachable, too, but a little more polished, accessorized and well-traveled. It trades the beermosas for glasses of sparkly Sauv Blanc Pet Nat, swaps the biscuits and gravy for duck fried farro, and the fork-and-knife clatter for smooth ‘90s R&B jams slinking across the sultry dining room.
Of course, there is room for both siblings, and they’d be welcome in either place. And that’s the aim for The Wolf, a day-to-night extension of everything we love about her Brewers Hill brother, but with a touch more refinement.
She takes a pretty great picture, too.
West Coast cool in a light-filled space
If you eat with your eyes first, you’ll want to gorge on The Wolf before even looking at the menu. It’s a small but stunning space, with breezy SoCal vibes punctuated by earth tones, potted plants and warm wooden accents.
Designed by Three Sixty with heavy input from McAllister, the space tucks in design touches reminiscent of Uncle Wolfie’s — like the same wooden swivel barstools and similar antique-style light fixtures along the bar and hanging over the booths — but its vibe is a little more bright and bubbly than its sibling.
During the day, natural light streams through the small dining room from its floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a sun-washed scene made for picture-perfect brunches. At night, it transforms into a soulful, moody cove with dim lights that twinkle off the stained glass in the restaurant’s centerpiece partition.
Like a lot of little sisters, The Wolf has a bit of a dual personality.
American comfort with Indonesian-inspired flair
That bleeds into the restaurant’s dinner menu, a short-but-sweet curation from Executive Chef Kristen Schwab and Chef de Cuisine Val Bartram. It's filled with playful and elevated takes on everything from a whimsical, Whopper-esque cheeseburger ($20) to delicate beef tartare served with pickled grapes and feta cheese ($16).
Elements like fresh herbs, lemongrass, pickled shallots and rice powder float through the selection of dishes, creating cohesion that ties together a varied assortment of new American dishes infused with Asian flavors inspired by Schwab’s part-Indonesian heritage.
You find that creative blend in dishes like a vibrant Gado Gado Cobb Salad ($19). It’s an Indonesian staple, a gorgeous mix of snappy veggies like green beans, daikon radish, corn, cucumber and tomato served with an ambrosial peanut-curry dressing I would’ve sopped up with bread had it been there. The salad is finished with toasted coconut flakes, a perfectly cooked jammy-yolk egg and frilly rice cracker wisps for extra crunch. It takes a lot for me to get wistful about a salad, but this is one I can’t wait to come back to.
I’ll revisit some stellar sandwiches, too. I get a kick out of Irma’s Chicken Sandwich ($20), made with a hearty ground chicken patty infused with lemongrass paste and rice powder and dressed up with lime leaf aioli and pickled chili.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but it kind of reminds me of an amped-flavor, fancy fast-food chicken sandwich,” I told Schwab after trying it at one of The Wolf’s pop-up menu previews over the summer.
“You got it!” she said. “That’s exactly what I was going for.”
It’s those clever and gutsy takes that make me appreciate The Wolf’s fun, but not-so-fancy-free menu so much. The Chili Crisp Fish Sandwich gives drive-thru vibes topped with American cheese, but the house-made dill pickles, mustard-greens tartar sauce and mildly spicy chili crisp that coats the flaky whitefish give it just the right touch of elevation that justifies its $20 price tag.
There’s more fun to be had on The Wolf’s knockout snacks menu, too. They’re more small plates than snacks, substantial enough to build a meal from or order a few to share with friends.
If you do, start with the Rendang Puff ($16), the dish I’ve raved about most to folks when I mention my visits to The Wolf. Rendang is a signature Indonesian dish of beef cheeks slow braised in coconut milk and warm spices until unctuous and juicy. Schwab’s version takes that fragrant, shredded meat and wraps it in a crispy-chewy pancake served with a side of house-made Sambal chili sauce that lends a little brightness to the ultra-rich puff. Think of it like a cross between an oversized dumpling and meaty, fancy Hot Pocket — you know, if you could feasibly picture yourself craving a Hot Pocket.
I'll come back for the Buttered Chicken Wings ($16), too, skewered and slathered in a velvety, sienna-tinged butter chicken sauce, squiggled with yogurt and sprinkled with cilantro. The sauce makes them a little messy, but also so delish I didn’t mind the extra napkin dabs.
On the lighter side, the chunky Shrimp Ceviche ($18) and Crisp Cabbage Cups ($12) filled with charred cauliflower and aromatic herbs are both super fresh ways to kick off a meal. I’m bowled over by the vibrancy of the veggies in the dead of winter — a testament to The Wolf’s careful sourcing of quality ingredients.
That’s a lot of love for a pared-down menu, but The Wolf earns it — mostly. I was underwhelmed by both the Garlic Indo-Mie ($26) egg noodles with wild mushrooms and the Duck Fried Farro ($30) topped with egg and served with crispy shrimp chips. They sounded incredible on the menu but both were bogged down by a salt-bomb soy sauce that screamed over the rest of the ingredients.
Those both appear on the main entree menu, which share the space with three others: the seasonal beef tartare, a beautiful flank steak over charred cabbage and freshened up with sweet corn puree; and a mighty fine pork chop, grilled and served sliced and shingled over a light Sulawesi coconut cream sauce with rich and roasty potatoes your fork slides right through. I like most of the mains, but I’ll spend most of my time with the sandwiches, salads and starters on my next visit.
One spot I won’t skip over is dessert.
There are two mainstays. One is the Instagram-ready Ube Cheesecake ($10), a violet-hued puck of silky, sweet cheesecake filling topped with caramelized banana slices with a drift of brown-butter streusel on the side. The other is a deconstructed vanilla sponge cake ($10), chopped into bite-sized pieces and served with lemon chamomile jam, Macadamia nut, thinly sliced apples and fig.
Don’t make me choose a favorite.
You'll find rotating dessert specials, too, like fruit tarts made with fresh persimmon ribbons or the tahini semifreddo, an ice cream dish with thick chocolate ganache and marmalade topped with a ruffled cookie-like crown that's so fun to crack into with the back of a spoon.
The desserts are just enough to satisfy a sweet tooth but light enough so you won’t have trouble scooting out of your seat when it’s time to go. Plus, they’re just so darn clever and lovely to look at.
Much of the food at The Wolf is. Dishes are garnished with tweezer-like precision with fresh herbs, edible flowers and crisp veggies that rival the beauty of the space itself. There’s so much care behind each dish served, a thoughtfulness you can see in the presentation and taste in the unique flavors that are the foundation of each dish.
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The takeaway
On The Wolf’s online menu, a banner with the phrase “cute and craveable” scrolls across the top of the screen. If that’s what The Wolf is going for, they’ve nailed it. The food is as picture-worthy as the contemporary-cool decor, the fusion-style menu is as playful as it is palatable, and there are plenty of inspired dishes you won’t find anywhere else in the area.
The Wolf may have garnered hype on the heels of her big brother, but she’s taking strides to carve a niche all her own.
Of note: The Wolf introduced weekend brunch in early January, and while I haven’t had a chance to try the brunch menu, I’ve been longing for a sun-soaked afternoon spent in that dreamy space since it opened. While the casual side of me is always down for a laid-back morning at Uncle Wolfie’s, if I’m donning my hip little sister hat some Sunday, The Wolf is where I’ll be.
What to know about the Wolf on Broadway
600 N. Broadway
(414) 935-2076
Fare: New American with Asian influences
Atmosphere: Contemporary-casual with a hip and vibrant buzz
Hours: Dinner: 3 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Monday and Thursday; 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Brunch: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Prices: Snacks, $12 to $18; salads, $16 to $19; sandwiches, $20; entrees, $16 to $32; desserts, $10
Dietary considerations: Most dishes can be prepared gluten-free, many can be prepared vegetarian or vegan
Parking: Street parking; paid surface lot across the street
Wheelchair access: Accessible through side door; enter at Kinn Guesthouse main entrance to the left of The Wolf’s main entry.
Reservations: Recommended; walk-ins welcome
Noise level: Vibrant but not overwhelming
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 rseis@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @rachelbernhard or on Instagram at @rach.eats.mke.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The Wolf on Broadway adds cute, craveable flavor to downtown Milwaukee
