Even if you're paying close attention, it's sometimes difficult to keep up with the latest in food news here in Milwaukee. So here's a taste of what's new and notable – including news about Five Star Nachos, Maxie’s new food cart, the new summer menu at Stack’d Burger Bar and the reopening of the Intercontinental patio.

Five Star Nacho is newest food truck on the block

Nichole Gonzalez, a graduate of MATC culinary school, worked for a number of Milwaukee area restaurants including Carnivore, Charro, Crawdaddy’s, and most recently the Iron Horse Hotel, before hatching her plan to launch Five Star Nacho, the newest food truck in Milwaukee.

"What we do is take nachos to a whole new level," Gonzalez says. "I want to introduce good quality ingredients and turn them into a nacho while also bringing in things like duck, venison and lamb."

And really, who doesn’t love nachos?

Gonzalez admits that was her thinking when she contemplated what type of truck to offer the Milwaukee food scene.

"It was something my kids love and I loved, too. As I was thinking of a concept for the truck I realized that you can go anywhere in the city and get a burger or a sandwich… but no one was making nachos so there wasn't any competition. It is a open market for something different. Plus it was something that I can do well."

Five Star nachos, which are $5.00 or $6.75 with a choice of rice, come with roasted garlic pork, marinated ground beef, spicy grilled chicken, or grilled vegetables and a variety of toppings including lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, slaw, and Fivestar cream, a cross between sour cream and creme fraiche augmented with a bit of citrus.  Gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options are available upon request.

Gonzalez will also feature a daily nacho "fix" such as the "Jamaican sunset" featuring plantain chips topped with jerk grilled chicken, slaw, jalapeno-pineapple salsa and cilantro sour cream or the "Big Ouzo" with pita chips, ground lamb, black olives, red onions, tomatoes, feta cheese and tzatziki cream. Any nachos can also be made into a taco.

During the month of June, Five Star Nacho plans be trolling Schlitz Park on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., River Rhythms at Pier Marquette Park from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays at the Courthouse from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Fridays at Red Arrow Park. In August, it will make an appearance at the Jewish Community Center's Masterpiece in Veteran Park.

Maxie’s food cart serving lunch
You no longer need to wait until dinner time to get your fill of Carolina pulled pork, BBQ Memphis smoked chicken, jambalaya, white Cheddar mac n' cheese, salads, cornbread and more.

This summer, they’ll be offering quick take-away or self-seat lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays from their new food cart, located in the parking lot just east of the  brick and mortar restaurant at 6732 Fairview Ave.

Daily specials will include catfish po' boys, BBQ beef brisket sandwiches and shrimp and grits. Prices range from $6 -10. Get the full menu at Maxies.com.

And that’s not all. Maxie’s will also be serving breakfast and lunch from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays at the Wauwatosa Farmer’s Market. Choose from fried eggs with grits and tasso gravy, pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw, seasonal pancakes and cornbread with orange honey butter.

Summer menu launches at Stack’d
Stack’d Burger bar is ready for summer with a brand new summer menu that is eclectic and inventive, with a uniquely Milwaukee flair.

New items include deep-fried Bolzano salami chips, served with beer mustard, white bean and artichoke dip, served with warm pitas and fresh vegetables, and new fresh items like strawberry salad with herbs, fried brie and balsamic vinaigrette.

They’ll also be featuring a new burger option called the "Bliss Burger" featuring grass-fed beef topped with morel butter and brie, and served on a pretzel roll. Pair that with a house-made margarita with 100 percent blue agave and agave syrup, and you’ve got a summer meal made to order.

Intercontinental reopens patio
The Intercontinental hotel has reopened "The Patio," an outdoor space along Water Street, which features lounge seating, food and beverage service, and live music.

The Patio, which will be open daily from 11:30 a.m. until midnight, has been expanded this year to seat 65, and will feature comfortable lounge seating. It will serve Kil@wat’s menu from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., and from  2 p.m.-midnight, it will serve food from CLEAR Bar & Lounge, offering everything from laftbread to jumbo lump crab cakes. Patio diners can order from the full bar menu, including beer, wine, and signature cocktails.

The Patio also will feature performances by local musicians from 5 to 7:30 p.m. each Saturday. The full line-up of performances follows:

June 8: Xeno
June 15: Bill and LJ
June 22: Eric Diamond – A tribute to Neil Diamond
June 29: Waiting on Walski
July 6: Annette Marie
July 13: Dirty Boogie
July 20: Michael Sean
July 27: V-Squared
Aug. 3: Kevin Patrick
Aug. 10: Katie Mack & the Moan
Aug. 17: Matthew Haeffel
Aug. 24: Gabriel v2
Aug. 31: Blonde on Blonde