It’s an unfortunate week for Italian franchises, it seems. Yesterday we reported that Buca di Beppo on Van Buren had closed. And today, we’ve confirmed that Rosati’s at 2238 N. Farwell Ave., is also shuttered.
The news was first reported to us last night by OnMilwaukee writer Dave Begel, who reported that he drove past and found the restaurant dark during a nightly Uber drive. A posting last night from Milwaukee Record corroborated the report.
Upon further investigation this morning, we found the restaurant dark and empty, with equipment being boxed and unloaded.
The location, a prime spot on Farwell, has been a bit of a rotating door of late. The long-time home of Oriental Drugs has since been home to a convenience store, Twisted Fork and Replay Sports Bar. But none of the more recent tenants have stuck. Rosati’s, which opened in November 2015, was open for little more than a year.
It begs the question: What type of business would thrive on the busy East Side corner?
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 each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, 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.
