Watts represents Milwaukee to a ‘tea’

After 140 years in business, it’s safe to say that George Watts & Son has withstood the test of time. Since horses pulled buggies down the cobbled streets of downtown Milwaukee, the shop has sold tea and supplies, and in the 1930s a restaurant was added to the second story of the Jefferson St. building. Watts Tea Shop just received recognition as a longstanding staple of Milwaukee and was recently awarded the prestigious James Beard Foundation America’s Classic award, which Time Magazine calls “the Oscars of the food world.”

“The America’s Classics category is very special to us,” said Susan Ungaro, President of the James Beard Foundation. “They represent, in the best possible way, America’s great melting pot. These special dining establishments bring their communities together around the table, something James Beard would have loved.”

Sam Watts, the president of George Watts & Son, is the fifth-generation of the family that started the business way back in 1870. He went to New York to accept the award at a ceremony on Monday, which is given each year to restaurants “with timeless appeal, beloved for quality food that reflects the character of their community.” Other winners are Chef Vola’s of Atlantic City, New Jersey, Le Veau d’Or in Midtown Manhattan, Noriega Restaurant and Hotel of Bakersfield, California and Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Part of that timeless appeal includes signature fare at Watts, like the English muffins and chicken salad finger sandwiches whose recipes have remained the same since the ’30s. Chef Jason Stevens injected new life into the restaurant when he came to town three years ago, blending his French training and organic foods with the traditional menu, which still features classic Watts dishes.

“I definitely think that we’ll continue in the same vein we have in the past as far as keeping the mainstays on the menu that people have come to love and expect from us,” said Watts’ buyer and web designer Jessica Piorier. “But we’ll also continue to add daily entrees and make sure the downtown Milwaukee business class have exciting menu options to choose from.”

And if you’ve ever tried the Sunshine Cake, a phenomenal three-layer lemon chiffon dessert, you know diners will find nothing to complain about at Watts Tea Room. The ambiance is bright and cheery, the tea (of course) is exquisite and the food is flawless. And now the downtown staple is also internationally distinguished as being representative of Milwaukee’s diverse history and culture.

“We really feel like Watts Tea Shop is quintessential Milwaukee,” said  Piorier. “It’s a destination that, for generations, people continue to come back to.”

Watts Tea Shop is open Monday through Saturday; breakfast is served from 9 to 11 a.m., lunch from 11 to 2:30 p.m. and afternoon tea from 2:30 to 4. It never hurts to make a reservation, especially on Saturday.