Waukesha welcomed Generations at Five Points, 294 West Main St., shortly after Christmas of 2008, along its historic downtown and riverwalk district. The restaurant is somewhat hidden in a plain storefront in a bustling area, which is otherwise laced with boutiques and eateries.
With a pale blue and tan color theme, Generations' décor lands somewhere between retroland trendy and subdued lounge, with a bar and tall tables near the entry and upholstered banquettes in the back area. Generations, which is run by Delaine Nelson, her daughter, and three grandchildren, hums with loud conversation and the clink of small plates being delivered and removed as diners sample tapas from the kitchen.
My first exposure to Generations came pre-opening, when part of the family was in Superior Restaurant and Supply, purchasing some last minute items for the kitchen. Now, already halfway through their first year in business, Generations has garnered local media attention and a dedicated following. The grandchildren -- Jeff, Jim and Sarah Oberholtzer -- have assumed the roles of executive chef, lounge, and dining room manager, respectively, and the family spirit rings proud in an exhibit of their business cards at the hostess podium.
During a recent scouting visit, we worked our way through the menu of small plate selections, all $8 or less. Don't expect fancy foodstuffs or presentations here. Like the minimal signage on the restaurant's front, menu selections are simple, clean and no-frills. Diners can choose from a soup of the day (on our visit, this was a creamy tomato basil for $4), chopped salad ($4), which deviates from the norm with mixed mesclun greens and a choice of dressing, or house salad ($4), and a variety of options apportioned for two.
The menu fluctuates regularly, but staples like pot stickers ($9), bruschetta ($5), and lettuce wraps ($7) make consistent appearances. Unlike most restaurants, Generations places heavy emphasis on chicken, which is the ingredient of choice in many of the selections, and culinary influence seems to delve into classic Italian and Asian dishes.
Dishes are served when they are completed, which on our visit, actually followed the order of listing on the menu from top to bottom, and never appeared concurrently. The latter resulted in happily being able to avoid the conundrum of which small plate to eat first -- which often arises in tapas restaurants.
On a weekday evening, Generations was catering to a diverse and busy crowd. Lunches stray from small plates and instead offer a good selection of panini and salads for a quick bite mid-day.
Generations serves lunch from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday and dinner beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The phone number is (262) 446-3300. The Web site is gen-five.com.
Amy L. Schubert is a 15-year veteran of the hospitality industry and has worked in every aspect of bar and restaurant operations. A graduate of Marquette University (B.A.-Writing Intensive English, 1997) and UW-Milwaukee (M.A.-Rhetoric, Composition, and Professional Writing, 2001), Amy still occasionally moonlights as a guest bartender and she mixes a mean martini.
The restaurant business seems to be in Amy’s blood, and she prides herself in researching and experimenting with culinary combinations and cooking techniques in her own kitchen as well as in friends’ restaurants. Both she and her husband, Scott, are avid cooks and “wine heads,” and love to entertain friends, family and neighbors as frequently as possible.
Amy and Scott live with their boys, Alex and Nick, in Bay View, where they are all very active in the community. Amy finds great pleasure in sharing her knowledge and passions for food and writing in her contributions to OnMilwaukee.com.
