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Since opening in December of 2021, Buttermint Finer Dining & Cocktails, 4195 N. Oakland Ave., Shorewood has been welcomed to Shorewood with an exceedingly positive response from diners.Even so, as any good restaurateur knows, every day is a new opportunity to evolve and make improvements to even the best of concepts.
To better serve the neighborhood in which it resides, Buttermint will be adapting both its offerings and style of service beginning Thursday, June 1. Changes will include updates to their dinner and brunch menus, an expanded kids’ menu, robust carry-out options and a focus on providing a warm, welcoming atmosphere for all occasions.
“We are proud of the work we have done over the last 18 months to provide Shorewood the best dining experience we can offer,” says co-owner and chef Joe Muench, noting that the team is excited to introduce expanded offerings to better accommodate the families who live in the surrounding area.
“Our goal is to make Buttermint a neighborhood-friendly destination that North Shore residents can enjoy both for special occasions… or for no occasion at all."
New dinner menu
Many things about the restaurant will remain the same, including its decor, emphasis on high quality ingredients and dedication to exemplary hospitality. And yes – each dining experience will still be capped with a “Little Something Extra,” a gift of house-made butter mints presented alongside the check.
On the other hand, a few notable offerings will be eliminated, including palate-cleansing intermezzos between courses and to-order bread service, which will be replaced by the option to order starters like soft rye pretzels and Parker House rolls.
The restaurant will also introduce a new menu that features more flexible options: casual fare for weeknights when guests simply don’t feel like cooking; plentiful appetizers and cocktails for leisurely gatherings with friends; and entrees fitting for birthdays, anniversaries and date nights.
New appetizers will include offerings like Spotted Cow battered cheese curds and house wings (buffalo, BBQ, Korean BBQ, XO), alongside Buttermint standards like chickpea fries, chicken liver mousse, fresh oysters and fried calamari.
Sandwiches, including burgers and crispy chicken, will also be offered along with entrees like braised beef short ribs and fried airline chicken breast. Buttermint classics like panko-crusted walleye, seasonal seared scallops, their Duroc pork chop and steak options will remain available.
The new menu will also feature a wider range of vegetarian options – including twin portobello steak and pasta with vegetables and house-made 100-acre basil pesto – to better accommodate groups of diners with varying dietary preferences and restrictions.
Muench notes that the kids’ menu will also see a few updates, but it will continue to have plenty of options, plus the option to honor special requests.
More brunch, extended happy hour
Weekend brunch has been a resounding hit at Buttermint. As a result, the restaurant will be expanding its offerings to include Friday, Saturday and Sunday brunch service. The menu will be composed of current offerings, along with the addition of salads and sandwiches from the dinner menu.
Expanded brunch hours will also result in an extended happy hour on Friday and Saturday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. featuring $7 wine pours, $8 tap cocktails and $9 appetizers. Monday happy hour will also be extended, with hours from 4 to 9 p.m. to accommodate service industry workers as well as folk who’d simply like to extend their weekend a bit.
On Thursday evening, happy hour will remain the same, with hours from 4 to 6 p.m.; however, Buttermint will also offer diners half-price on bottles of wine (under $80) all evening long.
"We're thrilled about these changes," said co-owner Dan Sidner. "With these updates, Buttermint will be a great choice for everything from special occasions and business meetings to neighborhood get-togethers and happy hour visits, while still delivering the refined ambiance and high-class experience our patrons know and love."
Important things to note
To transition to its new format, Buttermint will be closed from Memorial Day (Monday, May 29) through Wednesday, May 31, and will reopen on Thursday, June 1 with new hours.
Beginning June 1, Buttermint’s dinner service will be offered Monday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. Brunch service will be available Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The restaurant will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Happy hour will take place Monday from 4 to 9 p.m., Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m.
Buttermint’s new menus and hours will also allow the restaurant to provide wider-ranging carryout offerings. Guests will be able to order online via the Toast link at buttermintrestaurant.com or on the Toast Takeout mobile app.
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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