In the October 2007, a tiny, 65-seat bar and restaurant just south of Walker's Point completed the metamorphosis from what was once Nina's Horsefeathers, a tiny pub and fish fry joint, to casual, upbeat Triskele's, 1801 S. 3rd St., with a shiny new hood and a famed Milwaukee chef, JoLinda Klopp, behind the bar.
Klopp, the highly celebrated former head chef at the River Lane Inn, and her partner, Lynn Winter, mirror the restaurant's namesake Celtic symbol and its reflection of the sacredness of the number three throughout their menu, which is divided into three sections: appetizers, soups/salads and entrees, and serves three main themes from which to choose: meats, seafood and vegetarian.
Triskele's is casual and comfortable, and as a newcomer, joins the ranks of a few remaining restaurants where diners can watch the chef prepare their dinner in a completely open kitchen behind the bar. Diners can sit squarely at the bar and watch Klopp cook, grab a cocktail table at the front or slide into a cozy booth or four-top in the side dining area, where the kitchen is still easily in view.
In its early months, Triskele's shows real promise and creativity, and the food here will undoubtedly shine as Klopp finds her stride as a new restaurateur. Appetizers of stout-braised beef short ribs ($8) and sesame fried calamari ($7) were both excellent, with the tender short ribs layered over a Vidalia onion jelly that carried a sweet kick and three tiny roasted potatoes making the appetizer mimic a mini, homey entrée. Calamari was in a light and crisp tempura-like batter with tiny toasted sesame seeds, some of which appeared to be wasabi coated, and served with a ponzu dipping sauce that made this dish spectacular.
Soups here are simple and good, and eschew the ordinary. A basic Cuban black bean ($4) is enhanced by mango relish, and Klopp makes a good attempt at vegetarianizing onion soup ($4) with the addition of roasted butternut squash and Vidalia onions for flavor to take the place of traditional beef broth. The onion soup is a bit too sweet for my taste, but exhibits Klopp's emphasis on making vegetarian food attractive to all diners, rather than offering options as an afterthought for those diners who may not eat meat.
A grilled ½-pound burger ($7, $8 with cheese) was juicy and delicious and came with fries seasoned with chili and cumin for a different and welcomed change from standard French fries. Baked macaroni and cheese ($9) was a bit oily with just a choice of goat cheese, but when selected with the goat cheese combined with cheddar and gorgonzola, offered a rich and comforting dish of perfectly melded cheeses and flavors.
A cider-braised chicken ($10) transformed the classic Irish dish into a lovely plate of seasoned and juicy chicken pieces layered over a pumpkin spaetzle with brown butter. The heavy intonations of cider and spices made this dish a cozy and inviting dinner for the colder winter months. But, perhaps expectedly from Klopp's prior experiences with grilled fish, the grilled rainbow trout ($15) was one of my favorites on the menu, with a light, oaken chardonnay beurre blanc and fresh tarragon served over the otherwise naked trout, which flaked at the touch of a fork.
The kitchen offers vegetables ala carte at the asking, and diners can expect to see spinach, squash, and other seasonal offering should they like a vegetable accompaniment with their entrees, which oftentimes are offered without.
Service at Triskele's is enthusiastic and friendly, but at times teeters nearly too leisurely, however, time is often a server's best friend, and with the solid menu offerings and good, well-planned wine list, this new restaurant has much to look forward to in the coming years. Here, at Triskele's, good things surely come in threes.
Triskele's is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch, Tuesday through Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. for dinner, and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for brunch.
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.
