Long-time Milwaukee caterers John and Corey Oakland are heading south this winter with the opening of their new Red Onion Café, a downtown Racine restaurant specializing in breakfast and lunch. And at only 40 minutes from downtown Milwaukee, they are hoping the café can be a draw for diners from all over Southeastern Wisconsin.
It's a family affair for the Oakland family, who are opening the restaurant after 13 years in the catering business. John is executive chef for both the restaurant and the catering company. His son, Corey, will operate the café on a day-to-day basis. John's other son, Joe, and his wife, Diane, are also involved in running the new eatery.
The Café (240 Main St.), is open 7 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and Corey says its climate ranges from quick and casual to slightly more upscale.
"Our goal is to be casual, yet comfortable," says Corey. "We want to cater to the business crowd looking for a quick soup and sandwich. But we also want to offer people a quality sit-down with a good selection of entrees."
With 20 years of executive chef experience, John says opening the café was the next logical step.
"Living in the Milwaukee area and having a catering business that serves both Milwaukee and Racine, we decided to consolidate the company into one kitchen," says John. "It made sense to open the restaurant, too, which has always been a dream for us."
Corey says their quick and casual menu includes their red onion chowder, the café's signature soup. Deli-style sandwiches, both hot and cold, and specialty salads round out the lunch menu. For diners who are looking for entrées, the café will feature pastas, seafood and rotating daily specials.
"The experience will be different for both types of customers. But it's important to us that both styles of food are prepared with the same attention to detail," says Corey.
Corey is betting the café will be a nice addition to Racine's growing Main St., and it could even be a draw for Milwaukeeans looking for something a little different.
{INSERT_RELATED}"We're excited to be going into a rejuvenated downtown that is definitely on the upswing," says Corey. "There's plenty of new housing and shops, and we think the café will fit right in to their neighborhood."
John and Corey began building the café more than two years ago. Working with their neighbors, Flowers and Company, the end result is an elegant yet open feel that Corey thinks customers will notice.
"We converted a pipe organ, built around 1900, into our full-service espresso bar," says Corey. "It's a fun design element. It contrasts well with the flooring, which was built using simple plywood converted into a unique pattern."
The Red Onion Café is also home to the Oaklands' catering business, Catering By Chef John, which means the building's upstairs space may be rented while the restaurant is open for business via Flowers and Company. He says that both spaces will continue to be available for private parties and corporate functions.
Red Onion Café is located in downtown Racine at 240 Main St. For more information, call (262) 637-4122.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
