- Luke Zahm: This week on Wisconsin Foodie:

[bright music] I love food that makes me think.

- When you have a meat eater stopping at a vegan restaurant to try a burger, and they like, they can't tell the difference, and I feel like that's, we're doing something right.

- Today, we're gonna check out Twisted Plants on Brady Street. I've heard this is the place to be, and it's all vegan.

- All vegan.

- Luke: I still consider myself an omnivore. This actually provides a really, really nice change of pace.

- Brandon: You can get spicy, you can get sweet, you can get savory.

- I can't believe that that's plant-based. Maybe a little bit better than a lot of the burgers that I've had the opportunity to sink my teeth into. 

Our second stop today is Strange Town.

- It's essentially vegan farm-to-table food. I source as much as possible from small, local farms.

- This is a bite of paradise.

- Mia: I think the majority of my customers are omnivores, a lot of people who are eating more conscientiously overall. The Fancy Nachos.

- Those are gorgeous. The flavors on this are insane. It totally has me rethinking how I can use my garden this next year. If you were skeptical at all about plant-based dining, it's really not a stretch at all; it's just as satisfying. And quite frankly, it's fun.

[bright, upbeat music]

Wisconsin Foodie would like to thank the following underwriters.

- The dairy farmers of Wisconsin are proud to underwrite Wisconsin Foodie, and remind you that in Wisconsin, we dream in cheese. [people cheering] Just look for our badge. It's on everything we make.

- Did you know Organic Valley protects over 400,000 acres of organic farmland? So, are we an organic food cooperative that protects land, or land conservationists who make delicious food? Yes; yes, we are. Organic Valley. 

- Employee-owned New Glarus Brewing Company has been brewing and bottling beer for their friends, only in Wisconsin, since 1993. Just a short drive from Madison, come visit Swissconsin and see where your beer's made.

- Wisconsin's great outdoors has something for everyone. Come for the adventure, stay for the memories. Go wild in Wisconsin. To build your adventure, visit dnr.wi.gov.

- Twenty-minute commutes. Weekends on the lake. Warm welcomes and exciting career opportunities, not to mention all the great food! There's a lot to look forward to in Wisconsin. Learn more at InWisconsin.com. 

- With additional support coming from The Conscious Carnivore. From local animal sourcing to on-site, high-quality butchering and packaging, The Conscious Carnivore can ensure organically raised, grass-fed, and healthy meats through its small group of local farmers. The Conscious Carnivore: Know your farmer, love your butcher.

- Luke: Additional support from the following underwriters. Also with the support of Friends of PBS Wisconsin. [upbeat music] We are a collection of the finest farmers, food producers, and chefs on the planet. We are a merging of cultures and ideas, shaped by this land.

[meat sizzling]

We are a gathering of the waters, and together, we shape a new identity to carry us into the future.

[glasses clinking]

We are storytellers. We are Wisconsin Foodie. 

[gentle, upbeat music]

Milwaukee is known by most as a meat and potatoes kinda town. But behind the scenes, there's an emerging culinary movement of plant-based dining. Today, we're gonna check out two restaurants in the city that have vastly different cooking styles, but very similar ethos. My first stop is Twisted Plants on Brady Street, and we are going to explore their relaxed approach to comfort food.

[gentle, upbeat music]

- I'm Brandon Hawthorne, co-owner of Twisted Plants. We are at our location on Brady Street, 1233 East Brady, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Idea came from a diet change or health change. My wife got diagnosed with lymphoma back in 2016, and we switched our diets, went plant-based. And we noticed that when we went out, it was a lack of options for, like, vegan and vegetarian food, comfort food at least, and that's what gave us the idea. Born and raised in Milwaukee; I'm not a chef. I prefer a cook. So if y'all feel like a chef, I tip my hat.

So in our heart, you know, we're a burger joint, but at the same time, we try to encapsulate the cannabis thing. So when you walk in, you see, you know, old school movies, cannabis-themed movies, new or old. It's geared towards our menu, so most of our menu items are named after a cannabis-themed movie. I think that we offer a variety of, like, every taste bud. You can get spicy, you can get sweet, you can get savory. You know, we have burgers that have pineapples on them. You can get chicken. We do, like, a boneless version of boneless wings. 

Definitely comfort food, and I think that's why people love us so much because, you know, when you're looking for a quick bite to eat, or something, like, to feel fulfilled, and you're leaving with a smile. When you have a meat eater stopping at a vegan restaurant to try a burger, and they like, they can't tell the difference, and I feel like, you know, we're doing something right. Honestly, it's no trick. It's just. . . It's putting love and flavor and seasoning into the food. So, you know, we have mac and cheese. Cauliflower chicken today. We're doing gumbo. We can do greens, we can do chicken. So just veganizing everything that's, like, on a regular, everyday menu.

[bright, upbeat music]

Hey, how you doing?

- Luke: I'm great, how are you?

- I'm all right; how may I help you?

- I've heard this is the place to be. What would you recommend for a guy like me walking in?

- Just to let you know, everything is vegan, but we're told you can't tell the difference. So I definitely recommend our "Up In Smoke" burger. That's our most selling burger, most popular burger. So it come with pickles, onions, lettuce, bacon, onion rings, piled high.

- Luke: And it's all vegan?

- Brandon: All vegan.

- Luke: Yeah, that sounds great. Does that count as a salad for me today?

- Brandon: It do; I think you deserve a cheat day, so, you come to the right place.

- I love it, man, well, let's do the "Up In Smoke."

- Brandon: All right, I got you.

- Luke: Thank you.

- Brandon: I feel like we don't do anything special special, but, you know, other than seasonings, a little bit of love, and consistency, and we got a decent burger. Yeah, so as our base patty, we do use Beyond. Primarily with Beyond, the cousin to Impossible, so pea protein, it's actually soy and gluten-free. Let each patty, each side cook for about three minutes, two to three minutes, after that two, three minutes, flip it, get the cheese ready. You know, it don't take long to cook plant-based meats for the most part, as, like, kind of animal-based meats. When it say, like, two to three minutes, literally two to three minutes. So you should have a, you know, it should be good. 

Biggest thing is with, like, making a burger, is, like, that cheese melt, everybody's looking for that cheese melt. And I feel like, you know, we use a dome to help melt the cheese with a little bit of steam, and our cheese come out perfect. And that's, like, a stigma, is, like, vegan cheese, it's kinda nasty or don't taste right. And that could be true if you don't know how to do it properly. It's about there.

[bright, upbeat music]

- Oh, man, that looks great.

- Yeah, so what we have is our "Up In Smoke" burger, one of our popular burgers, consists of onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion rings, bacon, and a little bit of cheese on there.

- That sounds delicious.

- All vegan.

- I love it, thank you so much.

- Thank you, I hope you enjoy. 

- Luke: I will, thank you.

- Brandon: Yeah.

- So this burger, the "Up In Smoke," named after the film by Cheech & Chong, which actually I was fortunate enough as a kid to have on record. But all of this right now, the aroma, I mean, it's fantastic. I know that this burger has so much going on with it. It's not very often, when we talk about foods that are comfort foods, right here in the upper Midwest, where we lean into that plant base. But I'm a huge fan of it. I think it's a nice contrast. I still consider myself an omnivore, but an ethical omnivore. And this actually provides a really, really nice change of pace. So, without further ado.

[burger crunching]

I can't believe that that's plant-based. This burger is, like, tangy, it's smoky, it's rich. It's delicious; the textures, I mean, it's got all sorts of stuff going on in here. You get a little crunch, you get the softness, you get the obviously quintessential lettuce, tomato, pickle. But. . . All in all, this is a, I guess, as the kids would say, a dank burger.

[gentle music]

One of the things that's super exciting about this place, Twisted Plants, is it's taking comfort food, like classic Americana, and rewrapping in this idea of being plant-based, something that is actually really healthy and really sustainable. And I'll be darned if this isn't just as good, if not even maybe a little bit better, than a lot of the burgers that I've had the opportunity to sink my teeth into. I am super stoked about the idea of Twisted Plants, I love the way it tastes, and it's pretty comfortable in here, if you know what I mean.

[bright, gentle music]

Our second stop today is Strange Town. Now, Strange Town is an elevated, eco-conscious, plant-based dining experience. Chef Mia takes it a step further. She sources a majority of her foods from local farmers and food producers, giving you an experience that speaks to the local flavors.

[bright, upbeat music]

- My name is Mia Le Tendre; we are at Strange Town. We opened up in October of 2017. Well, we do small plates. It's all local produce. I mean, it's essentially vegan farm-to-table food. So I source as much as possible from small, local farms. I really like supporting sustainable local food systems, people who are working with regenerative farming techniques, keeping it seasonal and local, and doing it vegan, because I feel like that's one thing you don't necessarily find at a lot of vegan restaurants is, like, that focus in local, seasonal foods. In the last decade, I've seen a surge in veganism, but more so a lot of people who are eating more conscientiously overall. So I think the majority of my customers are omnivores.

[bright, upbeat music]

I try to focus on balanced flavor profiles and textures instead of making a substitution. So rather than making, say, like, a mock meatloaf or something like that, I try to create something that hits those flavor notes that any other dish would hit and the same textures, but just utilizing vegetables and grains. I want people to leave here satiated. They should be full, they should have had an interesting experience, maybe something new that they haven't tried before. You know, a new combination or a new vegetable that I've showcased.

Overall, I would like for all of the elements to be in every dish, you know, there should be some element of sweetness, and bitterness, little bit of spice, like, something salty, something crispy, it should all be there. And I feel like when all of that hits, you're like, "Now that was a good meal." It gets really lively in here. Usually in the evenings, we've got the lights dim and the music up. We play all vinyl in here, and we keep the playlist pretty eclectic, so a lot of foreign music, a lot of jazz, a lot of something fun that just creates its own vibe. And between the, you know, candlelight and the flowers and the music, it's always fun and energetic, and I would say, like, romantic. It's a nice date spot.

Yeah, I started cooking when I was an early teenager, when I decided to stop eating meat. My mom wasn't real happy with that idea. She didn't wanna make two dinners, so she was like, "Well, you eat this or you make your own." So for a few years, I ate a lot of, like, ramen noodle, sandwiches, stuff like that. And then I remember, I think it was like senior year in high school, I bought my first cookbook and started making recipes from it. And, like, I was horrible at it at first, I mean, just terrible. Following the recipes, but I didn't know some little tricks, like timing, balancing flavors, how to adjust salt content.

- Hey!

- Mia: Hi!

- How are you, Mia?

- I'm great, how are you?

- Luke: It's so good to see you again.

- Nice to see you too.

- So I've never actually been in Strange Town before. Can you just give me the kinda hot and dirty take? What am I in for?

- Sure, okay, so it's gonna be all small, shareable plates, all entirely vegan, and predominantly from local, small farms.

- Are you a trained chef? Tell me a little bit about your evolution in the industry.

- I'm not; I am self-taught. I was working in kitchens in my early 20s when I was putting myself through film school, and by the time I was finished with school, I realized that kitchens was a better spot for me. I felt more comfortable in the kitchen than I did behind the camera.

- Well, thank you for making that choice, not only for yourself, but for the rest of us too. And I'm so excited to try your cuisine.

- Thanks. Yay! Today, I'll be making Fancy Nachos. It's a Strange Town staple. These are my heirloom pinto beans. I pressure cook them with dried chili peppers and some garlic. We make a carrot queso, so no soy or nuts in our mock cheese. It's made out of potatoes and carrots and some seasonings, very much a house favorite. Top it with a mojo cashew crema, hibiscus pico de gallo, pickled jalapeño peppers, and the heirloom beans that I get from the Southeast Asian farmers. So it's a nice dish; it honestly is, like, substantial and filling if you wanted to eat it as a meal, but it's also a really great snack to have with drinks.

All right, the Fancy Nachos.

- Luke: Those are gorgeous.

- Mia: Thank you.

- I love beautifully plated food, and in this concept, with plant-based ingredients, this to me speaks like a love letter. I think vegan cuisine is very, very sophisticated and elegant, and I'm super excited to taste it.

- Mia: Thank you.

- The flavors on this are insane. You get the acidity from that hibiscus. Obviously, the crunch of the corn chip, that queso and the mojo. Oftentimes when I eat really refined vegan food, the possibilities are kind of limitless. Taking plant-based ingredients and being able to construct them in a way that is inventive, delicious, imaginative, and strikes kind of a familiar chord somehow. Having never had vegan nachos before, this is very comfortable. I like the beans in there.

God bless America, that's good. Mmm. Oh, yeah. The acidity, the richness, the spice, all of it works. It's super delicious and comfortable. I can't wait to see what's next.

[bright music]

- Mia: I'm making a cauliflower chowder. So I'm starting with some sweet yellow onions, some red bell pepper, celery, and leeks, and I'll caramelize those and then add cauliflower and some seasonings, roasted garlic, cashew cream. I mean, I like soup all year, but it's also one of the best foods to eat leftover 'cause you don't have to worry about, like, the texture changing. This is porcini broth. And we use this to cook down the majority of the ingredients in the soup.

[whisk whirring]

Once they're tender, I'll add some cashew cream for richness. I'm gonna cap these and let them cook. Like, if this was a non-vegan soup, I'd probably be adding heavy cream right now. Cashews are the vegan heavy cream. 

[bright music]

And add a little nutritional yeast. Bumps up the B vitamin content, and it also adds, like, a little bit of umami that is kinda hard to find in the plant world.

[blender whirring]

It's gonna add a little bit of flavor, and it's going to actually help thicken it. 'Cause as the cashew cream cooks a little bit, it will thicken the entire soup up to, like, a nice porridge. And the beauty of soup is, like, I'm not using a recipe. I'm just making up a thing. So soup is great 'cause it's different essentially every time, and it just uses whatever ingredients I wanna use, or feel like using. I love black pepper, I love for it to be freshly ground.

[pepper mill grinding]

Adds a nice little kick.

[bright, upbeat music]

So a little bit of house-made chili oil. It's not very hot, but it's very flavorful. Crispy shallots. And a smidge of microgreens, and that's that.

[bright music]

All right, here is the cauliflower chowder.

- And Mia, tell me what's in the cauliflower chowder.

- Okay, so I start my base with leeks, sweet yellow onion, and sweet bell pepper.

- Luke: Mm-hmm.

- I soften those, I add really beautiful local cauliflower, and some porcini broth. Cook it down until it's mostly tender, and then we're adding a really nice, creamy, it's a cashew cream with some aromatics in it. Topped with the fried shallot, microgreens, and chili oil. 

- Soup, for me, is one of those foods that I could eat year-round, and in this particular instance, I love that creamy richness of the cauliflower, you get some of the smokiness of smoked paprika, the crisp of the fried shallot, and all these beautiful vegetables in here. This is decadent, to say the least. This soup has everything I love about food, like, in one concentrated piece. You've got texture, you've got consistency, you've got richness.

And I promise, if you were skeptical at all about plant-based dining, there is so much food that we eat all the time that is plant-based. It's really not a stretch at all, it's just as satisfying, and quite frankly, it's fun. Come in for the soup, and stay for the nachos. I haven't had a bite in here that's bad.

[gentle, bright music]

- Mia: I'll also be making some daikon cakes. So first, we source a really fantastic purple daikon from a local farm, we shred it, and we add a few other seasonings, such as, like, freshly grated ginger and really nice shallots. We put them all together, cook off most of the moisture, and then we make a batter out of rice flour. Incorporate the vegetables with the batter, and then steam it in the oven in a steam pan for a few hours, and it congeals into this beautiful mass you see before you. All right, our daikon cakes with sesame tatsoi.

- Luke: § Daikon cakes § Wow! That is rad. I like being able to cut this open, and, like, all the different textures, and vegetables, like, you can tell this is a process that took time. So there's a richness to this that's kinda hard to pinpoint at first. I get hit with notes of, you know, almost like fennel, like lightly sauerkrauted or lacto-fermented vegetables. But then, as that flavor expands, it becomes so succulent and deep. The spices, it's put together really, really well, so there's this little bit of lingering heat on my palate. And the greens tie it all together. This is a bite of paradise.

It totally has me rethinking how I can use my garden this next year, which I think, as a chef, is so exciting. To be able to think about the bounty of the seasons in Wisconsin, and how to rework some of those ingredients, not only for all of the cost-effective reasons, but also for the sentimental and emotional impact of eating a plant-based diet. My favorite part about the Strange Town experience is coming in and seeing really, really familiar ingredients to the Wisconsin culinary landscape reimagined and reframed with ethos at the forefront. I love food that makes me think.

I love seeing the differences in perspective that we can share all across the state of Wisconsin and the upper Midwest, and yet at the end of the day, it comes down to that delicious bite. And that, for me, is the reminder that this place, no matter how vast the different perspectives, is still a place we live and love and call home. Strange Town's a hit. I'll be back.

[gentle, upbeat music]

§ Adaptogenics are really good for your brain §

[hands clapping]

[playful, upbeat music]

Oh, that's hot!

- Mia: Yeah, it's really, really hot. 

- This is really, really fantastic.

[Luke coughing]

This is me choking on a bite.

- Nothing like two cameras in your face.

[Mia laughing]

- Do you think I could be the Rick Steves of the PBS food world?

[Luke laughing]

This is exciting; I'm very titillated.

- Mia: Thank you.

- I can't use the word titillated?

- Crew Member: I don't know.

- Why not? Titillated means exciting!

[Mia laughing]

Don't look at the camera. Don't look at the camera.

Wisconsin Foodie would like to thank the following underwriters.

- The dairy farmers of Wisconsin are proud to underwrite Wisconsin Foodie, and remind you that in Wisconsin, we dream in cheese. [crowd cheering] Just look for our badge. It's on everything we make.

- Did you know Organic Valley protects over 400,000 acres of organic farmland? So, are we an organic food cooperative that protects land, or land conservationists who make delicious food? Yes; yes, we are. Organic Valley. 

- Employee-owned New Glarus Brewing Company has been brewing and bottling beer for their friends, only in Wisconsin, since 1993. Just a short drive from Madison, come visit Swissconsin and see where your beer's made.

- Wisconsin's great outdoors has something for everyone. Come for the adventure, stay for the memories. Go wild in Wisconsin. To build your adventure, visit dnr.wi.gov.

- Twenty-minute commutes. Weekends on the lake. Warm welcomes and exciting career opportunities, not to mention all the great food! There's a lot to look forward to in Wisconsin. Learn more at InWisconsin.com.

- With additional support coming from The Conscious Carnivore. From local animal sourcing to on-site, high-quality butchering and packaging, The Conscious Carnivore can ensure organically raised, grass-fed, and healthy meats through its small group of local farmers. The Conscious Carnivore: Know your farmer, love your butcher. 

- Luke: Additional support from the following underwriters. Also with the support of Friends of PBS Wisconsin.

Are you hungry for more? Then go to our YouTube channel and subscribe, and be in the loop every time we release new content, behind-the-scenes footage, and new episodes that you can preview before anyone else. Check us out.

[gentle, upbeat music]