WHITEFISH BAY – CAFĀ B DATA at the Jewish Community Center opened in recent months under new management, after remaining mostly closed through much of the pandemic.
Cold deli items, salads and hot soups are mong the items being served. Also, hot food is being served, with Mediterranean, healthy and Ashkenazi options.
The restaurant is inside the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Whitefish Bay. It is now operated by Hannah’s Kitchen and is certified kosher by Wisconsin K.
Chef and proprietor Hannah Sattler said she likes having some wraps, sandwiches and salads pre-made, so that someone can quickly pick up lunch for five people. Sattler wants to provide flexibility: “The idea is that you still have that availability to order,” she said, or “just see what’s there in our grab-and-go case.”
Prepared, grab-and-go items also include deli salads, hummus, cookies, soup and fruit. And you can grab a challah, too!
You can order from a “build-a-deli sandwich” menu that allows you to choose from various breads, with turkey, corned beef, chopped liver and other meats. Staff will make it for you right there. The menu also includes chicken soup with matzo balls or kreplach, or gluten free matzo balls.
There are typical American items like hamburgers, also Mediterranean and healthy options, including a Mediterranean plate and grilled pita pockets. There are shawarma, portabella and falafel sandwich options.
The café has been busy, Sattler said, including visits from Israelis. After feedback from Israeli customers, Sattler has added the ability to order falafel balls individually – so you can add them to other items.
Many of the items are already proven successes from the Hannah’s Kitchen online menu, Sattler said. Hannah’s Kitchen already makes use of space at the JCC to offer kosher catering and provide meals for weekly pick up, with orders placed at HannahsKitchenMke.com. Families make use of the weekly pick-up service for Shabbat dinner.
“For years the JCC has taken on the financial responsibility for subsidizing a kosher restaurant,” said Miryam Rosenzweig, Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s president and CEO. “It’s a shared responsibility because we all benefit from having an inclusive place where everyone in our community can gather over a meal.”
Federation has committed to supporting the reopening of CAFĀ B DATA with $100,000 over two years. According to Rosenzweig, the funds will likely be a combination of Annual Campaign funds and support from individual donors. “A community kosher restaurant makes a statement about our values and our identity.”
“More than just a restaurant, CAFĀ B DATA has always been a demonstration of the JCC’s commitment to meeting the needs of a diverse community,” said Mark Shapiro, JCC president and chief executive officer. “This partnership with Hannah’s Kitchen and the Federation allows us to continue to ensure that the times that we gather over food are inclusive for our entire community.”
CAFĀ B DATA was previously operated by Ferrante’s Restaurant & Signature Catering, which exited the certified kosher food business in 2021.
Sattler said she’s looking forward to serving the many people she sees making use of the JCC facilities.
“I think we all want to gather; we’re seeing that at the events we’re doing,” she said, referring to her catering business, which has been growing, she said. “To me, Judaism is so much about community.”
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CAFĀ B DATA hours
- Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m-7 p.m.
- Friday 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
- At the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Whitefish Bay.
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