Thai food and sushi are on the docket again for Wauwatosa – with both Fish Cheeks and Thai-Namite moving ahead with plans in the area. But, they may be the last restaurants to move into the area, unless the state approves more liquor licenses.
Thai-Namite
Thai-namite will open its third location in Wauwatosa as soon as January, according to co-owner Nongluk (Nini) Buranabunyut.
After hitting numerous roadblocks while seeking out a space in East Tosa, the restaurant has been granted conditional use for 8725 W. North Ave., the building that previously housed City Market.
According to Buranabunyut, the dining room in the new restaurant will seat 70-75, and will be similar to the other two Thai-Namite locations on Brady Street and in the Public Market.
"We will be bringing the same concept of sushi and Thai food to Wauwatosa," she says. "But, we will have a slightly different menu. We will serve more appetizers and small plates, as well as curries with noodles. We also are thinking about serving bento boxes for lunch."
She says that, since Wauwatosa will have a larger kitchen than the restaurant on Brady Street, they will be able to give customers the choice between brown and white rice.
Fish Cheeks
Last week, the plan commission also approved a second conditional use request for Fish Cheeks, the sushi restaurant with plans to take over the space at 6818 W. North Ave, next door to Rocket Baby Bakery.
Original plans for Fish Cheeks were presented to the city in 2013, but later stalled. According to Ald. Joel Tilleson, the restaurant has now been been granted one of the last remaining liquor licenses in Wauwatosa, along with the stipulation that the owners must move forward in breaking ground on the new space within the next six months.
"Area residents remain enthusiastic about the project, so we’re excited to see it moving forward," says Tilleson.
According to the proposal submitted by restaurant owner John Steiner, Fish Cheeks will serve sushi, Pacific seafood entrees, and chicken and steak Hibachi.
Steiner declined to discuss the concept further, but he did say he hopes the restaurant will be open by Christmas.
Will development stall in Tosa?
Wauwatosa has been wildly successful in attracting new businesses – particularly restaurants – to the area over the past few years. However, continued growth might be hampered by the dwindling number of liquor licenses available within city limits.
"We’ve pretty much given out what we have," says Tilleson.
Wauwatosa has already refused a liquor license to Homewood Suites, the hotel going into the new Mayfair Collection development on Burleigh Street, and a continued lack of available licenses could hinder economic development opportunities moving forward, unless the State of Wisconsin takes action to approve additional licenses for Wauwatosa.
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.
