What's in a name

An open hand is how you welcome somebody. It's how you pass a plate, pull out a chair, slide a drink across the bar and say "stay as long as you like."

That's Openhand. Our full name is Openhand — Kitchen • Tavern • Social, and here's what each of those words means around here.

Kitchen

Tavern food done right, at prices that don't need a special occasion.

We keep the menu short so everything comes out fresh, and the dish you loved on Saturday tastes just as good on Thursday.

Panzerotti are our signature. Picture a golden, deep-fried pocket of dough from southern Italy, stuffed with sauce and melty mozzarella. Go classic with cheese, load it up with Italian beef and giardiniera, make it Sunday dinner with meatball and ricotta, or build your own.

Then there's the rest of the lineup: burgers, an Italian beef, a loaded BLT, a turkey club, mozzarella sticks, fries and onion rings, a few salads, and something sweet to finish.

And yes, there's a Wisconsin Friday fish fry, every Friday night from 6 to 9.

Wisconsin at heart

We plan to build our menu around Wisconsin-raised beef and Wisconsin cheese, and we're on the hunt for local eggs, dairy, produce and bread from farms and makers who can keep up with us.

Whenever a Wisconsin farm, dairy or maker is behind something on your plate, we'll give them a shout-out by name.

Tavern

A real Wisconsin bar. Spotted Cow and Miller Lite on tap, plenty of cold bottles and cans, seltzers, an easygoing wine list, and a cocktail menu that just keeps going.

We take our brandy old fashioneds seriously. Order one sweet, sour or press, and it comes with muddled fruit, a generous pour and a brandied cherry on top.

Behind the wheel? We've got a lineup of mocktails at friendly prices, because the designated driver deserves something better than a soda.

Social

This is the good part.

There's a stage at the back of the room just waiting for somebody to grab the mic. Open mic, card nights, trivia, karaoke and plenty more are on the calendar, and Portage gets a say in what comes next.

Pull up a chair for dinner, stick around for one more round, and come back on a Thursday just because.

The building

Openhand lives at 125 Wauona Trail: about 4,100 square feet with a dining room, a bar, a stage, a kitchen and a patio, in a building that's been a restaurant and tavern for years. Great bones. It just needed some love.

So we gave it plenty: a top-to-bottom deep clean, freshened-up restrooms, a kitchen and bar back in fighting shape, a tidy patio and parking lot, and our name on the sign.

Who's behind it

Openhand is run by the folks at NorthPath LLC. We took over a longtime Portage restaurant and tavern, rolled up our sleeves, and got it ready for you.

And we're hiring! Come work with us.

About Openhand