In my line of work, I've seen hundreds of bars, restaurants, small businesses and boutiques open and close.
Of course, I generally don't enjoy reporting on the closure of an independent Milwaukee-based business and it's always extra sad when a restaurant that you know should have made it fails. In this case, I'm referring to LaDolce Vita, the small Moroccan cafe that opened in spring 2009 in a former Cousin's Sub's near the intersection of Farwell and Brady.
Perhaps it was the economy, or maybe it was its quite presence in an otherwise boisterous neighborhood? Either way, the food was top notch, at least when I ate there soon after it opened.
Owner Tarik El Bahmi was born and raised in Casablanca and was passionate about bringing the tastes of his homeland to his new home here in Milwaukee. He even incorporated some of his family's recipes into his menu. Here is an interview I did with him soon after he opened La Dolce Vita.
It's sad to see Milwaukee lose a little hidden gem like this.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
