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Summer weather is officially here. That means it’s time for alfresco dinners and delicious drinks enjoyed on local restaurant patios.
It's also time to check out one of the newest – and most beautiful – outdoor spaces in the city at 1700 Pull Up, located just minutes from Downtown at 1848 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
The patio itself isn’t new. But it’s been expanded to include 11 tables with seating for up to 22 guests along with ten more bar stool style seats in the covered "G-rage". There are also patio heaters to ensure that the outdoor space can remain useable well into October.
Chef and Owner Rosetta Bond has also added planters filled with roses and hydrangea and a mint garden that supplies fresh mint for the restaurant’s popular mojitos, which you'll want to pair up with any number of delicious items including housemade burgers, oxtails or fried chicken on Sundays or delicious smoked turkey legs stuffed with housemade mac & cheese and yams on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
But the patio has also become a full-on art installation thanks to the work of local artist Zena Perez-Smith (@BigZ_daArtist), who has spent the past five weeks transforming the courtyard patio into an upbeat space filled with color, stories and inspiration.
Perez-Smith, who also works as a bartender and server at 1700 Pull Up, says that the idea for reimagining the patio came about earlier this summer when she walked up to Bond and asked “So what are we doing about the patio?”
“I don’t have the creativity that Zena does,” says Bond. “I just saw a patio. But she saw a blank canvas, and when she told me what she wanted to do, I was all for it. I believe in people being in the right place at the right time, and in this case, she was here at the right time. And what she has created for the restaurant is dope.”
Perez-Smith says that the inspiration for the work displayed on the patio was derived from many different places. But the look and feel was inspired by her daughter, Janelly Perez, who said: “It would be really cool if it was like a comic book back there.”
From there, Perez-Smith says she began pulling the design together in her mind. “This is the first time I’ve created something that’s not just a single piece of art,” she says, pointing to the woman holding up 1700 Pull-Up-branded binoculars that’s painted on the back wall of “The G-rage” outdoor bar.
“It all started with her,” says Perez-Smith. “She’s visually telling you that she’s looking into the restaurant. And if you stand in the back of the restaurant, she’s the first thing you see if you look straight onto the patio.”
The remainder of the art showcases a cast of female characters pictured alongside paintings of food and the 1700 Pull Up logo.
“It’s inspired by our customers, by Rosetta, by friends of hers and by the people who work here,” Perez-Smith says. “We made it a point to showcase the logo, and since Ro is such a go getter and a powerful woman, we wanted to be sure to capture ALL the girl power energy back there.”
If you’re a friend or family member of Bond or Perez-Smith, you might notice little details like the fact that the woman with the pink hair has a tattoo above her eyebrow (just like Perez-Smith) or that the woman depicted with green hair is wearing an earring like the one Perez-Smith’s sister wears.
Maybe you’d even see the resemblance between the blue-haired character who is depicted with freckles like Bond’s cousin, NeNe… or find the character with the gold tooth.
“Everybody in my family has gold teeth, so when I saw the gold tooth, I was like, she nailed it,” Bond says with a grin.
Art saved her
For Perez-Smith, the patio project was more than just a patio make-over. It was an opportunity to exercise her creative muscles, express herself and share her passion for art.
These days, it’s also a way for her to reconnect and work through lingering grief following the death of her husband and notable local artist and photographer Robb Smith. In 2018, the couple launched a business they named Art Saved Me.
“His part of the story was that he put down his gun and picked up a paintbrush… it took him out of a dark place in life,” Perez-Smith says. “For me, art has always been a place of healing. It’s therapy. It’s my time for prayer, my time to connect with others.”
In April of 2019, they established R&Z Urban Art Gallery in Walker's Point, a place they envisioned as – not only a place to showcase art – but a place for the community to come and create it. When Smith was killed in an act of gun violence in late 2020, Perez-Smith says that the motto “Art Saved Me” took on a new meaning.
“Art had saved me during my post-partum depression,” she says. “And when I lost him I knew that art was my way to continue to connect with him, to keep his memory alive. I’ve been blessed. Even if I never sold a piece of art, art has given me a way to express myself and work through so many things. We all carry something, and we all need outlets. Art is healing for me.”
Perez-Smith’s daughter, Janelly, says that her mother has shown her the power of art.
“When my dad was alive, the studio was a place filled with life,” she recalls. “There was always glitter everywhere; it was a different world. Art was his way of showing who he was. When my mom lost my dad, it took a piece of her away. But it also added a piece to her life – her passion grew. When she creates something, she’s not only trying to paint a picture, but tell people a story through art. All the characters have meaning and they all have heart.”
Perez-Smith nods, as her eyes well up with bittersweet tears.
“I’m grateful to Ro for the opportunity, for trusting me and letting me follow through with this,” she says. “Just her giving me the platform means more than I think she realizes.”
1700 Pull Up is open Tuesdays from noon to 8 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays from noon to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. (closed Monday and Wednesday).
Follow them on Instagram for menu updates and specials.
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 each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, 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.
