Read the original story from Milwaukee Record here.
Since opening in December, Crossroads Collective—a.k.a. one of the city’s first “food halls” located in the former Oriental Drugs space on the East Side—has been great. It has also had two open spots in its collection of “micro-restaurants.” Last month, Egg & Flour Pasta Bar announced it would be setting up shop in one of those spots, joining Heaven’s Table BBQ, The Laughing Taco, Falafel Guys, Frida (soup and sandwiches), Beerline Café (veggie and vegan crepes), and Scratch Scoop Shop (ice cream). Now, the owner of Walker’s Point restaurant Morel, Jon Manyo, has announced that he (along with his brother) will fill the remaining Crossroads spot with Raw Bar.
What to expect from Raw Bar? The menu hasn’t been finalized, but, according to a press release, “diners can look forward to high quality items such as King Crab Legs, Oysters on the half shell, Seasonable Crab Claws, a classic Shrimp Cocktail and a Ceviche of the Day. Signature sandwiches such as a Lobster Roll and Fresh Albacore Tuna Melt will be on hand as well as made daily fresh soups such as Lobster Bisque and Clam Chowder.”
Raw Bar is set to open in mid-March. Here’s the full press release:
MOREL OWNER AND CHEF JON MANYO TO PARTNER WITH BROTHER DAVID ON NEW VENTURE, “RAW BAR” AT CROSSROADS COLLECTIVE ON MILWAUKEE’S EAST SIDE
Milwaukee, WI – Monday, March 4, 2019 – Walker’s Point Restaurant Morel owner and chef, Jon Manyo to open “Raw Bar” in the last remaining spot at the newly opened Crossroads Collective. Crossroads Collective is one of Milwaukee’s latest food and beverage concepts and the city’s first Food Hall, respectively. Manyo will open Raw Bar with brother and entrepreneur, David Manyo. This will be Jon’s second Milwaukee based food and beverage venture and brother, David’s first in the industry. Raw Bar is slated to open mid-March.
“I’m really looking forward to working and cooking with seafood again,” said Manyo. He added, “After spending seven plus years on the West Coast, cooking in cities like San Francisco, Monterey, and Portland, it’s going to be a lot of fun bringing that technique and dining experience to the East Side.”
Raw Bar will fill a niche on Milwaukee’s East Side as well as compliment the Crossroads Collective portfolio of locally owned food outlets. Diners can expect to see a vibrant menu that’s seasonally driven; Manyo will only offer fresh seafood and its availability is heavily based on the season. While a final menu for the opening is being worked on, diners can look forward to high quality items such as King Crab Legs, Oysters on the half shell, Seasonable Crab Claws, a classic Shrimp Cocktail and a Ceviche of the Day. Signature sandwiches such as a Lobster Roll and Fresh Albacore Tuna Melt will be on hand as well as made daily fresh soups such as Lobster Bisque and Clam Chowder.
“I’m really looking forward to joining my brother Jon on this venture,” said David. “I’ve been looking for the right opportunity to enter the food and beverage industry and as opportunities would come and go, it just seemed best to do it with family. So, that being the case, I’m really excited about this,” he added.
The Manyo brothers are no stranger to Milwaukee’s local entrepreneur scene. Jon has owned and operated Morel for four and a half years, adding another layer of vibrancy and distinction to Milwaukee’s farm to table restaurant scene. David is a 20+ year of local entrepreneurship primarily in the automotive sector; from owning a Matco Tools franchise to automotive repair shops and dealerships, David looks forward to diversifying his ownership portfolio as he approaches another year of being a local business owner.
While Raw Bar may be featuring exceptional seafood, the concept won’t take itself too seriously. Inspired by the vintage film JAWS and more recent film, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, the food stall will be decorated with whimsical and fun nods to the films and the nautical elements that make a seafood dining experience unique, fun, approachable and most importantly, memorable.
“I love watching what Jon does with food,” said David. He added, “I’m always intrigued at what he does with flavors and how he ties food together…and for those reasons, I’m really excited to see his talent shine with this concept.”
Read More