Entering La Merenda, 125 E. National Ave., reminds me of the movie “Pleasantville,” where upon entering a gray and somewhat lifeless part of Milwaukee, you walk into a brightly lit full-color panorama of reds and oranges, comfortable, vibrant pillowed couches and small mismatched tables deftly lighted by glass block windows. La Merenda has the type of bright, happy interior that immediately elevates your mood, and the tapas here are unique and satisfying.
A dinner visit to La Merenda was quelled only by a too-dry piece of Guinness Car Bomb chocolate cake ($5.50) and the extraordinary loudness of the space. The noise makes dining here unrelaxing, but like the décor, La Merenda is definitely fun, and the reasonable prices make it easy to sample multiple options without overspending.
Our dinner began with som tum salad ($5.50), a Thai compilation of shredded carrots, jicama and papaya that was refreshing and delicious. We followed with the artisanal cheese plate (United States, $7) and cured meat plate (Europe, $7.25), tostones (Colombia, $5.75), lumpia Shanghai (China, $4.50), savory crepes (France, $8), empanadas de pollo (Colombia, $5), and jerk-seasoned lamb chops (Jamaica, $9).
All the selections were good, but we liked some better than others. The tostones -- fried plantain chips with salsa verde and guacamole -- were outstanding, the crepes -- stuffed with mushroom ragout -- and empanadas (with a cornmeal crust) were not our favorites.
I appreciated both the portion sizes and the pricing. La Merenda beckons for you to bring in dining companions and order everything on the menu (there are just over 20 items), which would allow you to sample everything easily and pick and choose your favorites for later visits.
Lunch was an interesting proposition at La Merenda, too, because the sandwiches are served in half portions, which allow you to essentially have two or more different sandwiches for one lunch. Again, dining here is fun.
The soup of the day on our visit was ajiaco ($3.50), a Colombian potato and chicken soup flavored with guasco or oregano to give it an herby, aromatic flavor, with a drizzle of sour cream.
Our sandwich selections were a turkey and Asiago cheese melt on sourdough with a spicy aioli ($2.75) and an excellent mini meatball sandwich ($2.25) that was our favorite. Chicken salad ($2.75) came on toast with red onions, Kalamata olives, and lemon pepper seasoning and was a little too salty for my taste. Croque monsieur was good, but the béchamel and cheese were a little bland -- a little requested Dijon mustard made it excellent.
Other sandwich options include a grilled cheese with avocado and onions ($2.75) and a La Merenda club ($2.75). Lunches also offer a smaller version of the hot and cold tapas menu for your sampling pleasure.
Service here is friendly, the mood upbeat and the atmosphere fun and lively, making La Merenda a great stop for light-hearted, devil-may-care dining; if you need a little color in your life, put this restaurant on your short list of places to visit, and go with friends so you can sample more fun, ethnic offerings.
Amy L. Schubert is a 15-year veteran of the hospitality industry and has worked in every aspect of bar and restaurant operations. A graduate of Marquette University (B.A.-Writing Intensive English, 1997) and UW-Milwaukee (M.A.-Rhetoric, Composition, and Professional Writing, 2001), Amy still occasionally moonlights as a guest bartender and she mixes a mean martini.
The restaurant business seems to be in Amy’s blood, and she prides herself in researching and experimenting with culinary combinations and cooking techniques in her own kitchen as well as in friends’ restaurants. Both she and her husband, Scott, are avid cooks and “wine heads,” and love to entertain friends, family and neighbors as frequently as possible.
Amy and Scott live with their boys, Alex and Nick, in Bay View, where they are all very active in the community. Amy finds great pleasure in sharing her knowledge and passions for food and writing in her contributions to OnMilwaukee.com.
