The Vanguard will soon be moving into the space at 2659 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., the former home to Home Bar and neighbor to the forthcoming Cream City Swirl.
The restaurant and bar is the brainchild of Chris Schulist, longtime Cactus Club bar manager and musician, Jim McCann, a partner in Chicago's Longman & Eagle, and Chef Shay Linkus, of Odd Duck in Bay View.
According to Linkus, who will serve as "Sandwich Artist," The Vanguard will be a "very lighthearted homage to the corner bar."
"Jim, Chris and I are opening a place that we can hang out at," Linkus notes, "A place that serves food late, a place where you can go from hi-hat to low-class. A place where people know who you are."
The atmosphere, he says, will be fun and no-fuss with a menu geared toward accessible, casual fare. A large selection of sausages and poutine will form the foundation for edible options, along with open face sandwiches and what Linkus calls "over the top" appetizers.
According to Linkus, sausages will be plentiful, with over 20 creative house-made varieties from which to choose, including a small selection of smoked offerings produced by Underground Meats in Madison.
On the bar side, the restaurant will feature a few draft cocktails on tap, and 10 to 12 draft beers. McCann – who worked as the whiskey heavy punk rock ’n’ roll bar manager of Chicago’s Delilah’s for 10 years – will use his expertise to handle the Bourbon selection, while Schulist functions as the front man.
The Vanguard, which hopes to open early this summer, will keep hours from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
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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