It's time for Dining Month, presented by Deer District and its spooky Halloween-themed alter ego, Fear District. Throughout the month of October, we'll be serving up fun and fascinating content about all things food. The signature dish, however, is our 2019 Best of Dining poll, who's winners we will dish out all month long. Get hungry, Milwaukee! 

The Lowlands Group announced today that it plans to keep Café Bavaria open through the holiday season.

The group had previously announced plans to close in November; however, an outpouring of requests from guests prompted them to decide to keep the cafe open through the end of the year.

"The Village of Wauwatosa is a magical place during the holiday season," noted Dan Herwig, director of brand and marketing at Lowlands Group in a release about the change. "We realized that while we’re transitioning our concept, we have the opportunity to stay open a bit longer for guests who are looking for a place to gather with friends and family, and those who may want to experience Café Bavaria one last time with some Schweinshaxe and a toast with a boot."

Café Bavaria will maintain regular hours through the end of the year with the last day of service on New Year's Day, when the restaurant will host a brunch blowout with special send-off surprises for guests. 

A Café Bavaria auction

"One of the most surprising things we’ve been asked is what we’re going to do with all of the decor at Café Bavaria," says Herwig. "As a response, we’ve just started planning a simple auction shortly after we close so that people will have a chance to take a piece of Bavaria home with them."

Those interested in additional information about the auction are encouraged to sign up for the Lowlands newsletter at lowlandsgroup.com/lowlander.

The Buckatobon

Despite the change in plans, The Buckatabon is still on track for an opening in early 2020. 

And, if you've been wondering about the meaning behind the name (which is pronounced buck-a-tobbin), your curiosity needn't remain.

"The other thing we have been asked repeatedly since the initial announcement is where the name for the new concept, ‘Buckatabon’ comes from," said Herwig. "It’s named after a pair of lakes north of Eagle River that we have a strong connection with. That, and we wanted to continue our long tradition of naming our places with weird, hard-to-pronounce names like Benelux and Centraal."

As for renovations leading up to the opening, Herwig says the major changes are scheduled for January.

"We’re in the throes of finalizing the design of the new space right now, and we think people are going to be really surprised by the planned transformation," says Herwig. "We’re not simply applying a ‘Northwoods pastiche’ to the place, rather we’re trying to fully capture what it is that truly makes a unique Wisconsin dining experience – and then apply our approach to it. It’s not just the space, it's the menus, the service model, the staff, everything."

Ultimately, the group is targeting a February opening for The Buckatabon.