A restaurant and lounge serving up inventive small plates in a relaxed atmosphere is coming to a historical building at 5526 W. North Ave.
Scene 1 will be "a classy spot to hang out with friends," says owner De Von Dent, former co-owner of Paje Restaurant & Lounge, a restaurant which served up Southern and soul food fare in the Bronzeville neighborhood beginning in 2012.
According to Dent, the menu for Scene 1 is still being developed, but it will include small plate style American fare created by numerous chefs, including Walker Matthews, whose work includes Paje, Centro Cafe and Lazy Susan in Bay View. Desserts will be created by Madornah, a local purveyor specializing in sweet treats and snacks. And a full bar will serve up cocktails, wine and beer.
The space, which was designed with the help of local architect Dijon Bellamy, will contain both tables and custom booths. The vibe will be relaxed, notes Dent, who says the restaurant and lounge will feature Ambient music and potentially live acoustic acts from artists like Evan Christian.
Dent says he is excited to be part of the Uptown neighborhood, the up-and-coming area just east of Wauwatosa.
"The neighborhood is really growing, developing," says Dent. "And we wanted to be a part of that. We also saw that we could bring something new and different to the area, as well as a minority owned restaurant, which there aren’t many of."
Dent says he’d love to have Scene 1 up and running by mid-February if at all possible.
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.
