Milwaukee restaurateur, Kristyn Eitel, is preparing to debut Margaux Brasserie – a boldly modern French concept – at the Corners of Brookfield with a public opening on June 1.
The restaurant, which follows her acquisition of local hospitality brands BelAir Cantina and Fuel Café, will be her first original concept, inspired by her travels to Europe and the lively, energy-filled brasseries she encountered in Paris.
“As we prepare to open Margaux, I find myself reflecting on my 30+ career in the hospitality industry and I couldn’t be more excited to open these doors and welcome our first guests,” she says.
“I’m proud of what this experience has evolved into; the creative and collaborative processes have proven to be rewarding and the result is something very special. Margaux will be a place where you’ll fall in love with dining out all over again.”
French wines, inspired dishes
To execute the concept, Eitel has intentionally built a team of leaders and professionals who bring both expertise and passion to their roles. That includes Joshua Steiner, a certified sommelier and industry veteran who has built a reputation for exceptional hospitality and award-winning wine programs throughout his 20-year career.
Steiner has curated a wine program that not only compliments the restaurant’s offerings but provides options for wine lovers both novice and experienced which are enjoyable both on their own or accompanied by food.
“Our glass pour program is predominantly French,” Steiner notes, With additional varietals coming from American wineries located in California and Oregon. I’m excited for our guests to have fun with wine, especially with numerous Champagne and Sparkling Wine options that they can sip on morning, noon or night.”
The bubbles will make a fantastic pairing for Margaux’s freshly shucked Pacific Kumamoto oysters served on the half-shell with cocktail verte and cucumber clementine mignonette.
It’s a fresh, summery preparation created by Executive Chef Nick Aprahamian, a Milwaukee native whose passion for food and cooking began at an early age and was nurtured by both his father, proprietor of the former Red Rock Café, and his cousin, James Beard Award-winning Chef Justin Aprahamian of Sanford.
A graduate of Waukesha County Technical College’s Culinary Management Program, Aprahamian gleaned experience locally before pursuing work at Las Vegas restaurants, including Frankie’s Uptown and Chef Bradley Ogden’s Marché Bacchus, more recently taking on the role of Chef de Cuisine at Mr. B’s – A Bartolotta Steakhouse.
Under his guidance, diners can expect a modern menu that takes its cues from classical French dishes and techniques, offering diners starters like Escargot (wine-braised Burgundy snails tossed with Parisian butter, cloaked in buttery puff pastry and enhanced with Madeira mushroom sauce.
Duck Turnovers showcase duck confit, braised lentils and cherry apricot gastrique; and Truffled Goat Cheese Gougeres feature airy savory choux dough filled with truffled goat cheese and topped with burnt honey butter and pistachios.
Meanwhile, Margaux’s Steak Frites Sando features NY Strip on brioche toast with sauce fayot (bearnaise infused with demic glacé) and crispy fried potatoes.
On the sweet side, guests can indulge in Fifteen Layer Crepe Cake showcasing thin French crepes layered with sweet cream claçage and topped with strawberry compote flavored with lavender and mint.
The full menu will be available online at margauxbrasserie.com closer to the restaurant’s opening.
Robert Gould, CEO of the Corners of Brookfield, who has gotten to know Eitel through her work establishing (and expanding) the BelAir Cantina location at Corners, says he is looking forward to Margaux’s debut.
“Kristyn has a unique understanding of the market and is always fun to work with,” notes Gould. “Her attention to style and detail on this project, has been remarkable. French fair is very ‘now’, with several restaurants opening in Chicago in the last couple of years. And that sense of sophistication underlines our growing reputation as a suburban hub.”
Guests can follow Margaux on Facebook and Instagram for updates, sneak peeks and profiles of the individuals who assisted in creating the restaurant.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
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 every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, 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.
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