Tim Weiberg loves trying new recipes in the kitchen. Admittedly some don't turn out as planned, but the ones that do may very well end up on The Picnic Basket's menu, his restaurant that opened yesterday at 10600 W. Bluemound Road, Wauwatosa.
"I watch a television show called 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,' and the food I often see on there, you can't get around here," Weiberg said. "So I come in the kitchen the next morning and experiment with different sandwiches and ideas. I think that's one thing that makes us different is we're not a big corporation. If we like something, we put it on the menu and offering something new to our customers."
One of the new sandwiches on the menu is the aPorkalypse, which features slow roasted pulled barbeque pork, applewood bacon, ham, cheddar cheese, jalapeno cilantro coleslaw and pickles served on a buttered sub bun. Eating the aPorkalypse will also be helping a good cause as $1 from each sandwiched served through June 30 will be donated to the Education Foundation of Wauwatosa.
To help welcome the city's newest restaurant, Wauwatosa Mayor Kathleen Ehley joined Weiberg in cutting the official ribbon during a day of festivities yesterday at the store.
This is The Picnic Basket's second location in the area. The original restaurant was built in 1987 in Nashtoah, and was purchased by Weiberg six years ago. He said the location near the Milwaukee County Zoo has the right mix of residential and commercial traffic to open his second restaurant.
"We've been interested in bringing our name to the city for a while," he said. "The thing that makes me most happy is when people bring in family and friends from out of town and show them that this is their little neighborhood shop. And that's what we want for our new restaurant, to be known as their nice little neighborhood shop."
The Picnic Basket features a variety of hot and cold subs, as well as sandwiches, wraps, salads, appetizers and desserts. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; Sunday hours are coming later this year. Delivery is available. For more information, visit www.picnicbasketrestaurant.com or call 414-763-4378.
"Pen & Tonic" is an informal look at the social and dining hotspots in Wauwatosa, Brookfield, Elm Grove and surrounding areas. If you would like to suggest an eatery, tavern or other locale for Pen & Tonic to visit, send an email to firstname.lastname@example.org.
NAME: The Picnic Basket
ADDRESS: 10600 W. Bluemound Road, Wauwatosa
PHONE: (414) 763-4378
HOURS: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday
PRICE: Subs range between $5.95 and $9.95; most appetizers, wraps and salads cost up to $9.95.
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