MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Travelers passing through Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport have a new place to eat, as Bartolotta’s Bar & Ristoro marked its grand opening Thursday in Concourse D.
The Italian spot is the newest project from hometown chef Paul Bartolotta and The Bartolotta Restaurants, and it arrives less than two months after the group opened its High Stakes steakhouse. It takes the place of Nonna Bartolotta’s, which had served airport diners since 2009. A second location is planned for Concourse C in the coming months.
The menu leans on classic Italian dishes that work as a sit-down meal or a fast bite before boarding. Diners can order bresaola and shrimp scampi to start, plus pastas and pizza alla Romana. Main plates include chicken Marsala and salmon olivada, and there is a focaccia panini for those in a hurry. Breakfast includes a prosciutto and Parmesan frittata and a tiramisu toast. The bar pours wine, Wisconsin craft beer and house cocktails, among them the Lakeshore Sunset and an Italian 75, with zero-proof drinks available too. The doors open at 4 a.m. every day.
Airport Director Brian Dranzik said the opening is part of an effort to bring the city’s local dining scene to people flying in and out.
The restaurant was built with SSP America, which runs food and drink at the airport. That partnership dates back to the 2009 opening of Nonna Bartolotta’s, which later won a national airport concessions award. The chef started the restaurant group with his late brother, Joe, in Milwaukee in 1993, and it now runs 19 restaurants and catering sites. Bartolotta himself is a two-time James Beard Award winner.
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Filed under: Milwaukee WI Business News
