Ichiban, 2336 N. Farwell Ave., closed quietly on Saturday night. Lydia Chicoine opened the Japanese restaurant in 1998 and recently decided it was time to move on.
What’s next for the space is not yet determined, according to John Sidoff, who owns the shopping center where Ichiban was located.
"Her lease had run out and she had decided to just close up after a successful run. We decided to purchase the business assets as well as the name. We will first try to re-sell the restaurant as-is; we have talked to several parties interested in running a sushi restaurant," says Sidoff.
"We will also entertain offers from other food service operators with different concepts, as long as they do not compete with our existing tenants."
As a long-time diner at Ichiban, I am sorry to see Ichiban go. Chicoine’s commitment to fresh fish was one of the reasons I found the food exemplary and I always enjoyed the atmosphere. I had the pleasure of writing about Chicoine – coincidentally exactly one year ago today – and through the process learned about her interesting life.
"I’m not sure what’s next for me, but it will be an adventure," she says.
Chicoine decided not to have a drawn-out farewell and instead treated diners who showed up on Saturday night to the last of her fish and wine.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
