Dish on Dining

All That Jack
Miller Park stands less than a mile from The Jack (4823 W. National Ave., 414-384-8111). The Jack? Curious name. The new bar-restaurant pushes the notion of “local,” says co-owner Amy Brinks. She is the “a” in the name. Her husband, Joe, is the “J.” The “c” is for the Brinkses’ daughter, Charlie. And the “k” comes from the other partner, Kyle Hansen. While their chef, Patrick Urban, was a sous chef at Crawdaddy’s, the menu isn’t Cajun. It sounds more American than anything else. Prices range from $3 for an appetizer to $15 for an entrée (shrimp with passion fruit-marinated bacon and grapefruit salsa). Weeknight specials have included smoked chicken lasagna ($6). Friday wouldn’t be Friday without a fish fry. The Jack’s features cod battered in India Pale Ale, served with tater tots or potato pancakes ($9.95). Back on that local riff, the owners have stocked the bar with products from some familiar names – Pabst, Schlitz, New Glarus and Great Lakes Distillery. Hours: daily 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Top Tart
V. Richards won the coveted Best Fruit Tart award in our 2009 Best Of Milwaukee feature (October issue, on newsstands now). However, you may have noticed that things are looking pretty dark at that Brookfield grocer. The place is done, kaput. But the custard-filled pastry topped with colorful fruit is not. It is available, assures co-owner Anne Finch Nehring, at Nehring’s Sendik’s on Oakland (4027 N. Oakland Ave.) and G. Groppi Food Market in Bay View (1441 S. Russell Ave.).

Surreptitious Supper
“Secret Supper Club” sounds awfully enigmatic. Better than “beer dinner,” no? Adam Lucks and his band of creative cooking cats are due to hold their first clandestine Honeypie dinner affair on October 13 (2643 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.). Until now, the dinners have been held – under the utmost secrecy – at brother restaurant Comet Cafe (1947 N. Farwell Ave., 414-273-7677). Bringing it down

to Honeypie’s Bay View digs will surely give it a different vibe. Lucks is thinking big for this – mini turducken for two (game hen filled with duck filled with chicken liver sausage); roasted acorn squash tart with pumpkin-crusted skate; pork loin roulade filled with venison sausage, port demi, lentils and caramelized pork belly. He’ll serve five courses with five beer (or wine) pairings. Cost: $65 per person. Contact Comet Cafe (yes, Comet) or face the consequences of being turducken-less. Call 414-273-7677 or send a message to mail@thecometcafe.com.

Near and Fair
Is Pewaukee on your radar this weekend? If it is, consider this: Harvest Health Fair (Sat, Sept. 26, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.) at Good Harvest Market. The purpose of the fair is to show people the advantages of an organic diet. Besides the scheduled classes and workshops, drum circle and games/activities for kids, there is sustenance for the body. Among the food for sale, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.: organic corn on the cob ($1), organic brats ($2) and free-range chicken. Boy, I hope there's more than that. (1850 Meadow Lane, Pewaukee, 262-544-9380)

Fish Food
Filmmaker Ron Faiola chronicles our love affair with the fish fry. I know this because Faiola sent me the DVD. Through his camera lens, viewers visit Hooligan’s and Wegner’s St. Martins Inn, among other venues. You, too, can behold some tasty looking potato pancakes smothered with applesauce. Just show up at the Times Cinema on Sunday, Oct. 11 for one of two showings of Faiola’s movie, Fish Fry Night Milwaukee.This is the premiere, people. Only two shows: 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets are $8. (5906 W. Vliet St.)

Don’t miss this week’s Shopaholic to learn about new stores and events in the world of local retail.

If you spot any restaurant openings or closings out there, don’t hesitate to post it on my column, or e-mail me directly: ann.christenson@milwaukeemagazine.com