The butcher shop portion of Birch + Butcher, the new combination restaurant and superette located in the North End's Denim Park development at 459 E. Pleasant St., opened softly on Saturday, Nov. 11.
The shop, which will function as a retail arm for the forthcoming restaurant, is managed by former Kettle Range Meats chef Jeff Marquardt. It features a curated selection of fresh meat cuts, cheeses, charcuterie and an assortment of accoutrements including dried mushrooms, seasonings and sauces.
Among offerings this weekend are select cuts of Stoneface Pastures Red Wattle pork (chops, sirloin and boneless roast) as well as 40-day dry aged Strauss beef (New York strip, tri-tip, flat-iron and Porterhouse) and a selection of fresh housemade sausages.
Charcuterie from Madison’s Underground Meats is also available, including summer sausage, salami, ghost pepperoni, German style aahleworst and finnochiona along with a selection of domestic artisan cheeses including award-winning offerings from Wisconsin’s Emmi Roth and Uplands.
The retail space also offers a full complement of coffee and espresso beverages is also available, featuring freshly ground beans from Chicago’s Dark Matter Coffee.
Breakfast & lunch
Beginning on Wednesday, Nov. 15, the shop will also begin offering a small menu of grab and go breakfast and lunch items.
Options will include housemade bagels, which will be made daily in limited supply. Those can be paired with house-cured fish, spreads and charcuterie. On the lunch side, there will be items like sandwiches, salads and soups. Both breakfast and lunch items can be purchased for carry-out or eaten inside the restaurant.
According to chef and owner Miles Borghgraef, the restaurant itself is nearing completion, with an expected opening within the next week or so. Visitors to the shop can actually catch a glimpse of the space, which features decor in light woods and cool-toned greens and greys. [Read more about plans for the restaurant here.]
Th Birch + Butcher shop will be open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to start, with extended hours in the coming weeks.
Watch OnMilwaukee for additional details as they develop.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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