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Cafe Benelux takes off
The Lowlands Group is riding high.
Its new Historic Third Ward restaurant, Cafe Benelux, is proving to be the customer magnet many expected when the operators of Trocadero, Cafe Hollander and Cafe Centraal took over the space formerly occupied by the Good Harvest Market. The building is kitty-corner from the Milwaukee Public Market.
Benelux opened June 9 and set a single day sales record for any Lowlands restaurant last Friday. It then exceeded that figure on Saturday, according to group marketing director Kristin Godfrey.
"We're experiencing a very strong business rush for lunch, and then people keep coming throughout the day to dinner. We have a significant happy hour volume, higher than our other restaurants," Godfrey reports.
The cafe opens for breakfast at 7 on weekdays and 8 on weekends, making it the only full service restaurant operating at that time of day in the Third Ward. Godfrey says morning business has not been as robust as lunch and dinner, but it is building as people discover a new breakfast venue.
In the style of grand European cafes, Benelux's kitchen is open to midnight every day.
Lowlands invested heavily in remodeling and improving the single story structure that had been a Commission Row tavern for much of its existence. The roof was reenforced and a wide central staircase installed to create an open-air second-story deck that seats 120.
About 160 persons can be accommodated on the first floor that includes a bar seating 25. Sidewalk tables for about 110 were added this week.
The new cafe's floor is recycled from a Wausau school gym, and the table tops were bowling alley lanes in a previous life in Iowa. "The floor was laid, sanded and refinished," Godfrey says.
Benelux's look is irresistibly appealing, with bright table umbrellas on its roof and potted plants suspended from an overhang on the Broadway side of the building. The restaurant's menu is similar in style with its Lowlands siblings but also features items exclusive to it.
Sweet and savory pannenkoeken, a large thin pancake that is standard fare in The Netherlands, falls into that category. Priced from $8.95 to $10.95, the toppings vary from asparagus, fried eggs, pancetta, parmesan and Belgian beer cheese sauce in a pannenkoeken called The Brussels, to banana, chocolate sauce, Nutella, hazelnuts and bourbon cream in a variety dubbed The Brugse.
Mussels prepared six different ways are $12.95 a pound, and $18.95 for two pounds. Curry cauliflower ($8.95), which includes roasted cashews, green apples, cilantro, caramel sauce and sea salt, is an intriguing appetizer.
Half-pound burgers, which come with frittes, can be made of beef, bison, turkey or black beans. They range from $9.95 to $12.95, depending on the fixings. The Derailleur includes onions prepared three different ways -- pickled, crispy and caramelized -- with garlic aioli and Boursin cheese.
The menu's most expensive item is a 6-ounce beef filet with asparagus, braised onions, mushroom ragout and blue cheese for $20.95. Frittes come with it. Four desserts, all $6.95, include banana fritters with a white chocolate curry sauce and spiced pecans.
Benelux's bar mixes four different bloody marys ($7-$9) and four different mimosas ($6.50-$7.50). The Stinking Rose bloody consists of garlic-infused vodka, a house-made mix, a garlic beef stick and several shrimp. The Beer Mosa is a blend of Belgian wheat beer and orange juice.
Speaking of beer, Benelux has 30 on tap and about 160 in the bottle. The draughts include three new brews being made exclusively for the Lowlands restaurants by the Van Steenberge Brewery in Ertvelde, Belgium. The special offerings are a Belgian white, a Belgian dark dubbel and a complex golden colored beer with an alcohol content of 9%.
Benelux includes a market that sells about 40 chilled beers and European and domestic specialty groceries, from the Dutch stroopwafel cookie to California olive oil. A grab and go selection of prepared foods is gradually being brought up to full speed. Baseball caps, T-shirts, glassware and kitchen accessories are also on sale.
The cafe is affiliated with the Milwaukee Public Market, and customers can have tickets from the market's parking lot validated at the restaurant.
Talkbacks
54301 | July 12, 2011 at 2:19 p.m. (report)
PLEASE...try to get your servers and the kitchen to live up to what u expect your reputation to be. Cafe Centraal is great, but after that????
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jarasoul | July 7, 2011 at 7:13 p.m. (report)
Ah, we went to this little place, even after reading the reviews at onmil. So we went in with low expectations. And we were not disappointed when our low expectations were met. The rooftop was lovely, but then the wind gusted to 25mph and blew over the weak umbrellas, taking the whole table with it. The Food was average, which to say it was edible. My wife ordered a mimosa, which was subsequently forgotten until the server was reminded late in the meal. We also ordered two side sauces available at every lowlands restaurants; siracha mayo and citrus aioli. Those were also forgotten, and when she went to get them, and brought back the mayo and ranch. But to her credit, it looked like aioli. To be honest, we will probably go back, all the servers can't be that bad, plus we are gluttons for punishment, and we love a good patio.
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KLL | July 5, 2011 at 3:17 p.m. (report)
One, the wait staff is in need of some definite customer service training which I am hopeful has been reflected in their tips. Managers need to support the employees and realize their business will only benefit if the staff is experienced or, at least, commited to providing the upmost customer service to the customers. Word spreads as fast in MKE as establishments close due to poor business standards. Step up Cafe Benelux! With improved customer service, you seem to have brought a much needed venue to the area.
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rkerhin | July 2, 2011 at 2:02 p.m. (report)
The view from the rooftop is really quite nice. We had a good time, actually, once we were seated. Our server wasn't very well trained but enthusiastic, and we enjoyed each other's company. We didn't eat, so I cannot comment on their food. They were fairly expensive, but I didn't pay so who cares? My only criticism based on my experience is that whoever seated us was visibly annoyed that we wanted a table with a beautiful view instead of the crappy table in corner. She even slammed a chair into the table we wanted to express her anger!
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lavachequilit | July 1, 2011 at 2:05 p.m. (report)
I make it a point to steer MKE visitors away from the Diablos restaurants. They've got good ideas, but the food and service are far too uneven to make it worth the risk. Super annoying. Great branding can only get you so far -- how about competent, experienced staff and consistently good food?
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