As of late summer 2013, Cafe One24 is closed.
The northeast corner of Brookfield, where it meets the northwest corner of Tosa, at 124th and Capitol, has become a shopping destination.
What it's never been is a dining destination. Sure, there are plenty of places to eat, with Joey's Seafood and Grill at the top of a hill built on the likes of Culver's, Chipotle and QDoba.
Sarah Dusseau, owner of Fit Food Trainer in Menomonee Falls, brings her passion for healthy eating to the neighborhood's first upscale dining restaurant, Cafe One24, which Dusseau opened this month at 3705 N. 124th St., across the hall from a Culver's and next door to a Chipotle.
The restaurant is an oasis of organic ingredients and gourmet dishes in an area dominated by fast food.
Entering the space, one is immediately taken aback that a low, almost strip mall-style building can be transformed into a space so warm and welcoming.
The east wall has been covered in Lannon stone and the south wall is an olive green. Like her food, Dusseau's restaurant space is clean, basic and inviting.
Although she plans to build up to serving lunch, at the moment Dusseau and her staff are focusing on dinner.
Her first menu is dominated by local ingredients from Wisconsin Grass Fed Beef Cooperative, Empire Fish, Sweetwater Organics, Cybros Sprouted Bakehouse and Growing Power.
On the menu – which clearly denotes vegetarian and gluten free options – expect to see apps like a Wisconsin cheese plate, sweet potato and wild mushroom flatbreads, crostini, mussels and more.
There is a range of sandwiches that run from $8 (portobello) to $12 (pulled chicken sliders), salads and soups from $7 (cafe salad, chili, soup of the day) to $14 (seared flank stead salad).
Entrees include seared scallops with mango and corn salsa and Nueske's bacon with Sweetwater Organics microgreens ($25), butternut squash ravioli with sage and goat cheese pan sauce ($13), a fresh fish of the day from nearby Empire Fish and others.
We visited on Cafe One24's first official weekend and were pleased to find nary a glitch in the system, from kitchen to table. We were greeted immediately and warmly and though the restaurant was already doing a brisk business we were seated right away.
A simple table, with a bright white dressing, a tealight and a single yellow rose in a white porcelain vase created an elegant and intimate atmosphere.
Our server was attentive, cheery and ready to offer recommendations.
We focused mainly on the seafood dishes in Dusseau's repertoire.
As an appetizer I had a dozen Prince Edward Island mussels ($11) in white wine with tarragon and fennel that was served with deliciously crisp toasted sprouted grain crostini. A blackened tilapia po boy ($11) followed. A sprouted grain hoagie roll was layered with asian slaw, a red pepper yogurt and a tender piece of sustainably farmed tilapia.
My companion choose the seared scallops ($23) and was extremely satisfied. Garnished with Sweetwater Organics microgreens, the scallops were accompanied by a sweet mango and grilled corn salsa and bits of Nueske's bacon that melted in the mouth and added a subtle smokiness to the dish.
The dessert menu was a little slim, but we ordered chocolate covered strawberries ($5.50) and finished our meal content and satisfied.
Cafe One24 also has an interesting beer and wine list and I tried my first Left Hand Milk Stout, which our server described as almost a chocolate milk beer. That was kind of true, but in a good way. The stout was milky thick with a nice tan head and had definite chocolate and coffee overtones.
Only open for dinner for now, Cafe One24 is open Tuesday through Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and closes at 10 p.m. except on Friday and Saturday when it's open until 11.
Cafe One24 is priced considerably higher than other eateries in its neighborhood but that's comparing apples and oranges. Cafe One24 is a good example of the adage that sometimes you get what you pay for.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
