Some news just out of Shorewood: The owners of Blue’s Egg, whose short-lived second location was at 4195 N. Oakland Ave. and closed in April 2020, have announced the new concept they plan to open in the vacant spot. Buttermint Finer Dining & Cocktails is the name of the new enterprise. It will be open for happy hour, dinner (Tues-Sat) and brunch (Sat-Sun) service. The menu will feature modern cuisine inspired by the culinary scene of the early 1960s, per the press release. We don’t have details about the the menu or opening date yet, although (staffing dependent) it could be as early as November.

“We may open with a combination of limited nights of service, and popup and private events, and build toward a full opening in 2022,” says Dan Sidner, co-owner of parent company Black Shoe Hospitality. “We are opening Buttermint during a historically difficult staffing environment. The last year has taught us to remain flexible.”

Sidner and co-owner/chef Joe Muench also operate Story Hill BKC, Maxie’s and Blue’s Egg on 76th and Bluemound.

The 1960s era factor into design elements like the logo and the interior design. The redesign of the interior is underway, with booths, chairs and tabletops taking on a mid-century modern look. The Buttermint name refers to the gift of mints guests receive as their check is presented. Buttermint will continue that tradition with “LSEs,” or Little Something Extras, to make each dining experience distinct and memorable, per Sidner in the press release.

“Our goal with Buttermint is to remind our guests why it’s worth it to return to restaurants,” Sidner says. “To celebrate dining out and enjoying professional hospitality in an orchestrated, upbeat environment. We felt that to revive the value of the dining experience we would be wise to return to when it all began and that was the early 1960s.”

Sidner adds that this will be the most “upscale” of all of their businesses. Says Sidner: “The plate presentation, quality of ingredients, and level of service is collectively more upscale than our previous restaurants.”

“Finer dining” is a term used in the restaurant moniker. An example of that is to include an intermezzo course at dinner, a palate-cleansing bite between dishes. The menu will feature more casual items on weekdays and more upscale dishes on weekends. The dining room will also feature a raw bar, serving fresh seafood, as well as a composed selection of seafood, vegetarian, chilled and cured meat dishes. Roll-back windows along Olive Street (the space is on the corner of Oakland and Olive) will open to a lounge space.

Dining will primarily be by reservation, but about 30 seats in the bar and lounge will be available for walk-ins on a daily basis. As for drinks, a small retail area will include wine, beer and spirits to purchase. In summer 2022, they also plan to add 30 outdoor seats.