For the 10th straight year, October is Dining Month on OnMilwaukee, presented by the restaurants of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. All month, we're stuffed with restaurant reviews, dining guides, delectable features, chef profiles and unique articles on everything food, as well as voting for your "Best of Dining 2016."
Like Minds has opened its doors today at 823 E. Hamilton St. in the former home of The Hamilton bar.
The long-expected brewery, taproom and restaurant, headed by Chef Justin Aprahamian of Sanford and partner John Lavelle, hit some bumps along the road. But with inspections officially cleared, the bar and restaurant – which seats about 12 at the bar and nearly 80 at a series of blonde wooden tables – is officially open to the public.
"We’re super excited for the opportunity," notes Aprahamian, reflecting on the struggles to open the new brewery and restaurant in Milwaukee. "There was enough interest from people in the state to help get this up and running, and we’re really excited to share it with everyone."
Heading up the kitchen are Chefs Paul Funk (former Hinterland chef and charcuterie expert) and James Cababa of Sanford, both of whom played a roll in crafting the menu. And they’re whipping up a nice selection of beer friendly foods including snacks like spiced nuts ($3), an artisan cheese plate ($16) and fried preserved lemons with watercress aioli ($4). Larger dishes include hop leaf tabouleh with tomatoes, apricots and orange sumac oil ($11); Lahmajoun Armenian pizza with spiced lamb, mint, yogurt and lemon cucumber ($11); and barbecue duck leg with smoked and braised dusck leg, ale braised greens and fingerling potatoes ($17).
"The food is all really philosophically aligned to be beer-friendly," notes Aprahamian. "Thing will rotate out seasonally, and just like Sanford, we’ll be driven by what’s available to us."
The draft list (priced $5-7) features twelve tap lines including Like Minds "Exiled" saison with Rishi Tea lemon peel, "Rhubarb Sour" aged in wine barrels and "Nighthawks" nitro oatmeal stout with Metric Coffee Roasters Guatamalan coffee.
Currently, the taproom is open for dinner; however, brunch on Saturdays and Sundays is also on the docket moving forward.
Like Minds will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. The bar will be open until midnight.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
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 every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, 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.
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