Cole Ersel officially settled in as executive chef for Wolf Peach, 1818 N. Hubbard St., this past week. And he's rolled out a few changes to the dinner menu that reflect his personal approach while remaining true to the Wolf Peach concept.
"All the new items are plates that I would personally order and eat, which I feel is a good reflection of my style," he says. "I feel the new food is pretty intriguing and unique while maintaining our standard of simple and rustic."
In addition to menu staples, including wood-fired pizza, diners will now be able to enjoy duck confit crepinettes with pickled cherry, kale and charred onion puree $16), grilled duck breast with Brussels sprouts, pickled celery and sweet potato puree ($24), or crispy chicken leg with tapenade and feta spread served with wood-fired naan ($17).
Gluten-free options include honey-smoked Arctic char with figs and lemon crème fraiche ($13) and pan fried goetta (a German sausage) with quail eggs ($12).
Vegan options include roasted mushroom bruschetta with brussels sprout kraut and truffle oil ($9) and quinoa with mizuna, candied celery root granola, blood orange and toasted garlic puree ($8).
"The new menu rolled out on Friday and I was really pleased with how everything turned out," Ersel says.
"Front of house did an awesome job pushing the dishes this weekend and the diners are really enjoying them. I think it's a great start to my new role as executive chef and I am extremely excited and ready to continue to push the envelope here at Wolf Peach."
Cole says that a moderate number of additional menu changes are forthcoming, including a revamp to the dessert and brunch menus.
Ersel, who started out as a line cook at Roots in 2012, was most recently in charge of butchering and charcuterie at Wolf Peach. And, in keeping with his passion, he says that as he moves forward, he expects to expand the menu to include a wider range of cuts from whole animals.
Ersel took over when former chef Dan Jacobs took a new position at Odd Duck in Bay View.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
