The decor at Wild Roots, which is to open soon at 6807 W. Becher St. in West Allis, suggests its connection to nature and the seasons, such as the deer antlers on one wall and an apple tree branch on another. (Photo: Wild Roots restaurant)
Vietnamese heritage, years in Italian and contemporary American kitchens, stints in Spain and California, a love of hunting: Chef Thi Cao says he’ll bring his varied background to bear on his new restaurant, Wild Roots.
The restaurant, which will lean heavily on locally grown and foraged foods in season, could open as soon as next week at 6807 W. Becher St. in West Allis.
Cao was the longtime chef at Buckley’s Restaurant downtown, leaving in January to open his own place. He previously was the chef at the late fine-dining Italian restaurant Osteria del Mondo, among other stops.
Wild Roots is a partnership with Bryan De Stefanis of Big City Greens and Gourmet, who will grow produce for the restaurant on 15 acres near Tigerton, in Shawano County. He’ll also forage wild ingredients such as ramps and mushrooms.
Winter means the opening menu will be around awhile, but dishes will be tweaked frequently come spring, Cao said.
The restaurant will open with lunch and brunch first and add dinner about a month later. The lunch menu will have soups, raw and cured items, vegetable dishes and main dishes.
One soup that’s inspired by Cao’s mother’s cooking is bitter-melon soup with housemade tofu, mushrooms and natural jus ($5). He called the soup light but structured, adding that bitter melon is said to be good for the digestive system.
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Other dishes include mussels steamed in Pabst Blue Ribbon, with charred green onions, garlic confit, chile and baguette ($12) and pappardelle with duck ragu and Grana Padana ($18).
A waste-not-want-not menu section called “the nasty bits” is a nod to late chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain and his book by that title, which celebrated “varietal cuts, usable trim, scraps and bones.”
“This is finally my restaurant, where anything can go,” Cao said.
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Brunch will have savory dishes like fried egg, shaved ham and boar shoulder on sourdough with Gruyere and mornay sauce, and potatoes on the side ($14), and sweet plates such as French toast crusted in Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and topped with chopped bacon and pecans ($12).
Wild Roots’ bar will focus on classic cocktails, and Cao said he wants a diverse wine list to match to his background and the food.
The dining room, which can seat up to 55, has two small bars: One is for drinks, and the other is a chef’s counter at the kitchen that lets customers and cooks converse. Occasionally, diners at the counter would be able to sample new dishes.
Cao said he looks forward to interacting with diners at the counter the way they’d chat with a bartender at the bar.
“I want them to come in and feel welcome,” Cao said.
The decor ties in with the restaurant’s name and theme. Natural elements like rounds of a maple tree’s trunk hang on a wall; it’s from Tigerton, where maple trees are tapped for syrup. To the left of the chef’s counter hang three deer skulls with antlers, also from Tigerton, Cao said.
“We both love to hunt,” he said, referring to De Stefanis, and “getting to eat from the land, being conscientious about where everything comes from.”
The restaurant will post its opening on Facebook and Instagram. Lunch hours would be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, and brunch 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Once dinner is added, it would be served 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.
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