One Restaurant Makes a Difference
By Andrew Zimmern
Doug Flicker’s Piccolo will open in the old Agri space restaurant that is currently Café Agri at 43rd and Bryant, and it should be up and running by January. I know it seems counter-intuitive to believe that a restaurant designed to serve a relatively small menu of small plates to a small group of patrons (no more than 30 seats) makes a difference on the local dining scene, but sometimes it’s the impression that counts the most.
A few months ago, when JP Samuelson, Steven Brown, and Doug were without their own kitchens, I really thought we were worse off as a food town. Three of the best chefs in the cities were sitting on the sidelines. I guess my fear as a local diner, with a vested interest as a food professional to boot, was that these three might seek higher ground as the floodwaters of the local restaurant scene became increasingly difficult to navigate. Well, JP is running the kitchen at Solera and now Doug is back in his own restaurant, and, yes Margaret, it makes a difference. Right now, much of the culinary firepower and bandwidth is outside of our downtowns, and I think this is the best thing that can happen to our food lives in terms of establishing restaurant longevity and keeping the best chefs. Plus it shows all the up-and-comers that you can find a simple storefront located in the heart of a residential area and do great business. And let's be honest, Flicker is one of the most extraordinary talents and nicest human beings in town. As a diner, I can't wait to eat his food again. I was out of town when Auriga closed and never had a “last meal” there, but I did attend Doug’s dinner at the Beard House in NYC around the same time and it was superb.
Speaking of one restaurant making a difference, you know I am really into the Eastern Euro food in Milwaukee, and many of us already know about Old Town, Three Brothers, et cetera. Many of these restaurants are operating on fumes despite their superb product, but there’s a new Serbian place opened by a veteran of Old Town, Ilija’s, that you need to check out.
A few months ago, when JP Samuelson, Steven Brown, and Doug were without their own kitchens, I really thought we were worse off as a food town. Three of the best chefs in the cities were sitting on the sidelines. I guess my fear as a local diner, with a vested interest as a food professional to boot, was that these three might seek higher ground as the floodwaters of the local restaurant scene became increasingly difficult to navigate. Well, JP is running the kitchen at Solera and now Doug is back in his own restaurant, and, yes Margaret, it makes a difference. Right now, much of the culinary firepower and bandwidth is outside of our downtowns, and I think this is the best thing that can happen to our food lives in terms of establishing restaurant longevity and keeping the best chefs. Plus it shows all the up-and-comers that you can find a simple storefront located in the heart of a residential area and do great business. And let's be honest, Flicker is one of the most extraordinary talents and nicest human beings in town. As a diner, I can't wait to eat his food again. I was out of town when Auriga closed and never had a “last meal” there, but I did attend Doug’s dinner at the Beard House in NYC around the same time and it was superb.
Speaking of one restaurant making a difference, you know I am really into the Eastern Euro food in Milwaukee, and many of us already know about Old Town, Three Brothers, et cetera. Many of these restaurants are operating on fumes despite their superb product, but there’s a new Serbian place opened by a veteran of Old Town, Ilija’s, that you need to check out.
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I can't wait for Flicker's new spot to open. It's nice and close to home and my area has been flooded with an indulgent level of good neighborhood restaurants in the last 2 years. It seems as if some of the richest food talents in the cities are all of a sudden becoming much more accessible.
Posted by: HungryinSW on November 3, 2009 at 8:38 AM
Doug Flicker’s Piccolo will open in the old Agri space at 43rd and Bryant, and it should be up and running by January. I know it seems counter-intuitive to believe that a restaurant designed to serve a relatively small menu of small plates to a small group of patrons (no more than 30 seats) makes a difference on the local dining scene, but sometimes it’s the impression that counts the most.
Posted by: ugg boots on November 4, 2009 at 2:13 AM
So where is Steve Brown these days?
Posted by: fhm on November 8, 2009 at 2:36 PM