Those of us who were fond of the Carleton Grange Pub in St. Francis mourned its loss when the English lounge and eatery closed last fall. The former machine shop had been transformed into an extremely comfortable space with an unusually large number of interesting tap beers and an equally intriguing menu.
Pub toasties? They're a British commonwealth twist on a grilled sandwich, and Carleton Grange had 'em. How about English chips served with coconut curry sauce?
The interior design may have been American modern, but Carleton Grange's concept was very limey.
Management and ownership from Palms Bistro & Bar in the Historic Third Ward have taken over the space and are keeping the tone English, with modifications. "It is now more of a British style pub with Wisconsin sensibilities," says Paddy Sterling, the general manager and head bartender of the new Attebury's Pub & Eatery. His resume includes bar tending at Bacchus and the Pierre Hotel in New York as well as at Palms.
The toasties and chips with curry coconut sauce are gone, but executive chef Dean Brazaitis, who has the same duties at Palms, has not abandoned the British Isles. Consider the appetizer menu:
English corn dogs ($8.50), sort of bangers and mash on a stick. Welsh rarebit ($7.25) on a toasted ciabatta bread. English nachos ($10.25), consisting of thick cut fries smothered with roasted and pulled leg of lamb, sharp cheddar cheese, tomato, onion, cilantro, basil, green bell pepper, sour cream and a Guinness onion demi-glace. A vegetarian version of that can be ordered for $1 less.
Dinner entrees flying the Union Jack include traditional fish and chips ($12.95) and shepherd's pie with lamb and beef ($14.95). You can't get much more commonwealth than the curried vegetable press sandwich ($8.50), a mix of veggies pressed on Indian naan bread.
Attebury's also serves an oyster po' boy ($10.95) and a turkey-cranberry panini ($9.25) that contains muenster cheese, cranberry-apple chutney, toasted pecans, greens and a garlic aioli.
Half pound burgers are steamed on a flat top grill. The eight ounces are divided into three patties, requiring a wide mouth for eating. Prices range from $7.95 to $9.75, depending on the toppings. All burgers and sandwiches come with a choice of fries or cole slaw.
Twelve-inch wood fired pizzas include a pear and prosciutto ($13.50) with a light blue cheese cream sauce, and the Wild Yucatan ($13.50) that features a sauce of guajillo chiles, onions, garlic and ground cashews topped with sauteed tiger shrimp, chorizo, red peppers, red onion, cilantro, scallions and pepperjack cheese.
For Sunday brunch, diners can get decadent with the Door County cherry-stuffed French toast ($10.95), a dish that uses brioche dipped in vanilla bean custard, fried with cinnamon and nutmeg, and finished with a drizzle of cream cheese icing.
"We have our pub staples, but we wanted to up the ante a bit and bring a little more to the table," Sterling says. "We have the talent in the kitchen to do that."
The appearance of Attebury's Pub & Eatery has changed little from the Carleton Grange, but the 24 beers on tap have. The emphasis now is more on domestic craft brews with a few imports.
You can get a draught Pabst, Schlitz or Miller Lite for $3. Also on the menu are Anchor Steam and Ale Asylum Hopalicious (both $4.50), Stella Artois ($5), and Guinness and Young's DBL Chocolate Stout (both $6).
A rotating selection of four red and four white wines are being offered, and a lineup of craft cocktails featuring fresh juices will be soon introduced.
Attebury's has 28 tables ranging in size from two to eight tops, and a large outdoor patio sports a tiki bar. Carleton Grange offered occasional live music. Sterling said the Attebury's owners are considering doing the same.
Damien has been around so long, he was at Summerfest the night George Carlin was arrested for speaking the seven dirty words you can't say on TV. He was also at the Uptown Theatre the night Bruce Springsteen's first Milwaukee concert was interrupted for three hours by a bomb scare. Damien was reviewing the concert for the Milwaukee Journal. He wrote for the Journal and Journal Sentinel for 37 years, the last 29 as theater critic.
During those years, Damien served two terms on the board of the American Theatre Critics Association, a term on the board of the association's foundation, and he studied the Latinization of American culture in a University of Southern California fellowship program. Damien also hosted his own arts radio program, "Milwaukee Presents with Damien Jaques," on WHAD for eight years.
Travel, books and, not surprisingly, theater top the list of Damien's interests. A news junkie, he is particularly plugged into politics and international affairs, but he also closely follows the Brewers, Packers and Marquette baskeball. Damien lives downtown, within easy walking distance of most of the theaters he attends.
