BelAir Cantina Tosa Opens Its Doors to North Avenue

With no fanfare, BelAir Cantina Tosa opened to the public Monday after a weekend of private testing for family and friends.

It was a go, and word spread quickly that the much-anticipated restaurant and lounge at 68th and North was serving.

"The reaction has been amazing," co-owner Kristyn St. Denis said Tuesday afternoon. "It's awesome to see people coming in even without us officially announcing that we've opened.

"It's great to see all the foot traffic – people walking and biking, and using our bike parking out front. And I think with it being our first $2 Taco Tuesday in Tosa, it's going to be a pretty busy night."

BelAir, 6817 W. North Ave., opens at 11 a.m. for lunch Monday through Friday, for brunch at 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. The kitchen serves until 11 p.m. weekdays and until midnight Saturday and Sunday, but you can stay around for drinks until bar closing.

Serving Cali-Mex fare, BelAir Tosa is the second such cantina for Mojofuco Restaurant Group, the first being on North Water Street at Humboldt Avenue in Milwaukee.

BelAir is famous for its tacos – including eclectic fusion offerings such as Korean beef tacos – and for its selection of tequilas.

St. Denis is a partner in Mojofuco with Scott Johnson and Leslie Montemurro. Besides the Water Street BelAir, they own The Garage, Balzac, Fuel Cafe, Hi-Hat Lounge, Palomino and Finks. Johnson separately owns Comet Cafe.

All those spots are in the funkier neighborhoods of Milwaukee. BelAir Tosa is the first suburban site for Mojofuco and the first time the group has duplicated a concept.

"We knew that East Tosa was evolving," St. Denis said, "and we were always looking at Tosa as an option." 

Part of the reason is that St. Denis is a 10-year resident of East Tosa and lives within blocks of the site.

"I've driven by this building – I can't even tell you how many times – and as soon as I saw the 'for sale' sign I immediately called Scott and Leslie and we took every step needed to make it what it is today," St. Denis said.

St. Denis grew up "Up North" and came to Milwaukee for her college years at UWM, then lived in Bay View and hooked up with Johnson and Montemurro about 13 years ago.

She moved to Wauwatosa "for my kids," she said. "I have two young kids, 9 and 6, and – great schools, that's my main reason for moving here.

"You go from the East Side, to Bay View, to Tosa." 

Still, having left the hip scene to start a family here in quiet Tosa, St. Denis had no idea then how lucky she could get – when the scene followed her.

"Oh my gosh, it's incredible, and it's so exciting to see," she said. "We spend a lot of time on Brady Street, with all our other locations being so close, and our office is on Brady Street, and I see a lot of similarities with East Tosa and this part of North Avenue.

"So it's really exciting what it's become, and I can't wait to see where it goes in the next 10 years.