Episode Details

We find ourselves in the midst of navigating the highs and lows of Milwaukee’s food scene, and unfortunately this episode starts down a valley with the recent announcement that Mother’s has permanently closed.

The Bay View spot hadn’t even been open for a full year, but it was quite an almost-12-months considering owner Vanessa Rose was named a James Beard Award semifinalist in the category of Emerging Chef. Mother’s also landed a spot on the Journal Sentinel’s 2025 list of best new restaurants.

But Rose told Journal Sentinel dining critic Rachel Bernhard that economic realities and a customer flow that “sputtered out” led her to make the difficult decision. As usual, however, it wasn’t all bad news around the area’s culinary scene:

• The first brick-and-mortar location for much-loved Italian food truck Nadi Plates will now open in the former Pomona Cider Co. space on Farwell.
• Two ambitious Shorewood pre-teen siblings have launched Ube MKE, a cottage bakery featuring the Filipino purple yam treats.
• The South Side is getting a food-truck park on Greenfield Avenue, courtesy of Taqueria El Toro owner Toribio Perez Martinez.
• KISS Korean BBQ made a USA Today list of the best food trucks in the U.S.
• We also take a quick detour to Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, where Black-owned restaurant Soul Ramen is blending Japanese and African flavors to deliver “culture in a bowl.”