Black Sheep

Wine bar & inventive dining in Walker's Point

Dinner and drinks with girlfriends is really the best. Hate to break it to you boyfriends of the world, but when you can go and gab for hours, share plates, and sip wine with your girls, it's a win. That means finding a place that doesn't mind if you hunker down. It also means finding a spot with dishes to share, because I think women are genetically built to want to try a little of everything — that's why eating with fellow womenfolk is such a delight. 

For our most recent night out, the girls and I finally tried Black Sheep in Milwaukee's Walker's Point. The place has been around since 2013, but the buzz is still going strong; there was almost a two-hour wait, but luckily no line at the bar. We sat for a long time, noshing and catching up — never feeling rushed. If anything, the bartender that night was notably gracious. For drinks, you can choose from the wine bar, house-made sangria (which looked delish), bottle and tap beer, spiked tea, and craft cocktails. 




For food, Black Sheep offers a variety of plate sizes. There are Bar Snacks (truffle popcorn, soft pretzels, pancake-battered cheese curds) as well as dishes To Start (tempura veggies, a waffle topped with goat cheese, candied bacon & maple syrup), To Share (poutine, fried chicken, crab cakes), To Feast (steak frites, fish fry, roast salmon), and To Finish. Black Sheep is located just across the street from Purple Door ice cream, so let's just say the treats To Finish are made with the finest local ingredients. 

What dishes did we try? Bacon-wrapped, goat cheese-stuffed dates as a starter, followed by gnocchi with peas, sweet potato, parmesan, and garlic — both tasty. Then, to feast, we went for the Cauliflower Brava (spiced cauliflower, roasted pepper, pea shoots & radish) and the Black Sheep Burger. The cauliflower was good, but we found the burger to be rather basic. Solid, but not particularly inspired. I'd love to go back and try a whole new lineup of savory goodness. 

But what really put me over the edge and guaranteed a return trip to Black Sheep: The Spiked Shake. Get this. Purple Door salted caramel ice cream with Jameson Irish Whiskey. Salted caramel ice cream from Purple Door is my favorite, period. In shake form? Spiked? Heaven. It might be a $10 investment, but please — take my money!