New Doughnut Shop, New Pita Pit Opening

Nothing is more Milwaukee than frozen custard, so why not a tour of frozen custard shops? And on the way you could stop for some doughnuts. Yep, the new dining announcements this past week seemed to emphasize sweets.

Holey Moley Coffee + Doughnuts: Opening at 316 N. Milwaukee St. this Tuesday, Holey Moley will occupy the space currently held by the Milwaukee Cupcake Co. The Third Ward shop will open from 6:30am to 3pm daily and offer a huge selection of specialty pastries, but will emphasize carry-out with limited seating in the lobby. Partner in the restaurant Joe Sorge says the shop will carry a dozen different doughnuts including doughnut holes, glazed, vegan, and gluten free options. Holey Moley has blueberry-filled Violet Beauregard, s’mores with bruleed, house-made marshmallow, and coconut-passionfruit among other flavors. Prices for a doughnut range from $1.75 to $2.50. Hawthorne Coffee Roasters will provide their coffees to the shop; offering fresh machine brewed coffee in the morning, espresso beverages, and iced coffees. Currently Hawthorne sells their coffee through mail-orders and farmers markets.

HŌM Wood Fired Grill: Bayshore’s newest eatery had earlier predicted a mid-July opening; HŌM will now be opening at the end of the month. The restaurant will specialize in local Wisconsin fare from state farms and fisheries, and regional wines, beers, and coffees. All dishes will have a Wisconsin twist and the menu will also feature lighter options. Co-owner Omar Shaikh says the menu will be “reminiscent of grandma’s cooking.” HŌM will also have weekly specials like a Friday fish fry, prime rib Saturdays and fried chicken on Sundays.

Pita Pit: Growing in popularity at its 2224 N Farwell Ave location, this Eastside hot spot will open its second location in the Railway Exchange Building downtown, at 229 E. Wisconsin Ave. Owner Andrew Culp hopes to open this restaurant in September. Culp has also opened a location on State Street in Madison. Pita Pit offers a variety of “build your own” pitas and features a breakfast menu, smoothies, salads, soup and coffee from Valentine Coffee Co.

Milwaukee Food & City Tours, Frozen Custard: The company’s new frozen custard tours take place on selected Sundays in July, August and September. Tourists will visit four historic custard stands, each passing out scoops of custard and food samples like burgers and fries. The cost for the tour is $35. Founded in 2008 and inspired by Italian food tours, Milwaukee Food & City weaves through neighborhoods originally settled by Italian, Irish, Polish and German immigrants, pointing out architectural and cultural sights. This fall the company will also add a barbeque tour to their list of 15 tours.

The Cheel: A newly open restaurant in Theinsville, owned by local entrepreneurs Barkha and Jesse Daily, will offer American dishes with “a Himalayan twist,” as well as authentic flavors from Nepali, Tibetan, Burmese and North Indian cultures.

Its Chef Joe Sandretti formerly worked at of Buckley’s and Pasta Per Tutti and Johnny Delmonico’s in Madison.

The centerpiece of the menu is the momo, a Nepalese dumpling filled with seasoned meats and raw vegetables that is steamed, baked or sautéed and served with achars, dipping sauces blended with a variety of Himalayan spices. 105 N. Main St., Theinsville, (262) 236-9463.

El Comedor Food Truck: This new Mexican restaurant applied for a food dealer/restaurant license on July 17. The address is actually the same as Five O’Clock Steakhouse at 2416 W. State St., but’s because El Comedor will be a food truck, started by Five O’Clock Steakhouse cook Natalio Perez. The truck will store its food in Five O’Clock. No word yet on an opening date. Another Mexican eatery licensed under the name Taqueria y Pollos Al Carbon El Parian LCC is also in the works. This pending restaurant applied for a class B tavern license, at 1631 W. Mitchell St.