Michael Feker, chef and owner of Il Mito and Zesti restaurants in Wauwatosa and Hartland, and his wife, Maricela, will open 2 Mesa, a new Mexican restaurant, at the former Birdie’s Cafe in Milwaukee’s Highland Park neighborhood.
The full-service restaurant, to be located at 4110 W. Martin Drive, will open by year’s end and will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and will also offer catering and delivery services. Patio seating will be available.
Feker said 2 Mesa’s food will be authentic, simple and within the $3.50-$17 price range.
Feker’s two other restaurants serve Italian and international-style food. He said the decision to open a Mexican restaurant came from Marciela’s Mexican heritage. When he visits his wife’s birthplace, Feker loves eating Mexican food and learning about the flavors, he said.
In July, the couple bought the English Tudor-style building and are currently redesigning the space and reconstructing the bar area. The building has been vacant since Birdie’s Cafe closed in 2014, but Feker said the building did not require major renovations– just small cosmetic changes.
“Our focus is a community-based restaurant,” Feker said. “I want to make sure that my neighbors come first.”
That community, Feker said, is made up of the nearby commercial and industrial businesses including Harley-Davidson and MillerCoors, along with the surrounding residential areas.
