By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host Published Oct 03, 2017 at 12:56 PM

Season's eatings! The weather may be getting colder, but Dining Month on OnMilwaukee is just cooking up, dishing out your winning picks in this year's Best of Dining poll. Dining Month is brought to you by Fein Brothers, your premier food service equipment and supply dealer in Wisconsin since 1929. Congratulations to all of the winners, and happy eating for all those who voted!

Lucky Joe’s Alchemy & Eatery, 1427 Underwood Ave., is under new ownership. And that means changes for the bar and restaurant which opened in the Village of Wauwatosa in summer of 2015.

The new owners are Jarod Packard, longtime manager at Sal’s Pub & Grill in Menomonee Falls and co-owner of Great Outdoors Supper Club in Kewaskum, along with business partner Nate Suelflow.

"The foot traffic and the development in Wauwatosa is so exciting," Packard notes. "And with the proper hands-on approach, I think Lucky Joe’s can really be an asset to the area."

Packard says they will be shortening the name to Lucky Joe’s Tosa, as well as making improvements to the beverage menu and customer service at the venue.

"We’re going to maintain the same comfortable speakeasy type feel, as well as a similar menu," he says. "But we’re really looking at giving the place a few upgrades including the installation of 12 new craft beer tap lines and a new cocktail program."

To accommodate changes, as well as staff training, Lucky Joe’s Tosa will be closed for about a week, Oct. 8-17, reopening on Wednesday, Oct. 18.

Guests can look forward to a new cocktail menu curated by longtime Milwaukee bartender, Joey Houghtaling, co-owner of Beaker and Flask Beverage Co. Houghtaling says they will be adding about eight new original cocktails, as well as some classic offerings.

"Our focus really will be on refocusing the menu to include fresh ingredients," he says, noting that they will also be retraining staff to ensure they are providing the best possible customer experience.

The food menu, executed by Chef Frank Harroun, will remain largely unchanged with options including bar snacks, wings, sliders, empanadas and shareable plates.

Watch OnMilwaukee for additional details as they are available.

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host

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.