This post first appeared on Aug. 15, 2017, but is updated with new information.
Last August, Chicago's multi-location poké purveyor, Aloha Poké Co. announced that it will expand to a number of cities, including Milwaukee, which will get two restaurants. The first, in the Third Ward, is expected to open in May.
Aloha Poké Co., which opened in spring 2016 and already has six Windy City locations, also plans new restaurants in Denver, Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Miami, Los Angeles, San Diego and Costa Mesa, California.
Milwaukee is getting two locations – one on the East Side and another in the Third Ward – by the end of the year, though at the time the company did not release more specific details on the locations or opening dates.
This week, Milwaukee Magazine's Ann Christenson reported that the first will be at 220 E. Buffalo St. and is expected to open in May.
Since Aloha's initial announcement last summer, Freshfin Poke opened a location not far away, at 316 N. Milwaukee St. That restaurant opened in November.
Aloha’s concept focuses on build-your-own poké bowls that allow diners to customize their meals starting with a base of rice or mixed greens and then adding sashimi-grade tuna, salmon or tofu and a number of toppings, including edamame, pineapple, ginger, cucumber and avocado, among other veggies and seasonings. Then, of course, there are the sauces: Yuzu Ranch, spicy aioli and sesame vinaigrette.
The menu also includes a trio of house creations: Aloha, Crunch and Volcano.
"We are so excited that poké has swept the country in such a huge way, and we’re confident that it’s more than just a trend – that people have fully integrated poké bowls into their weekly eating habits," said co-founder Zach Friedlander in a press release.
"We believe that Aloha Poké Co.’s bowls are really unique, so we’re looking forward to bringing our product to so many markets and giving people more options."
Aloha will add to a growing number of places serving poké in the area. Milwaukee's first poké restaurant, FreshFin, opened on East North Avenue in January and plans to open a second location in the Third Ward soon. Another restaurant, Greenfish Poké, is located in Mayfair Mall. Ono Kine Grinz, Love Shack, Rice N Roll and numerous area restaurants also include poké dishes on their menus.
For more information on Aloha Poké Co.’s visit alohapokeco.com. Stay tuned for details on specific locations and opening dates as they become available.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
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