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Taste of the Draft: Port Washington restaurant ready for spotlight

Moonlight Tavern in Port Washington will participate in the NFL's inaugural event

Taste of the Draft: Port Washington restaurant ready for spotlight

Moonlight Tavern in Port Washington will participate in the NFL's inaugural event

AT MOONLIGHT TAVERN IN PORT WASHINGTON. THEY KNOW WISCONSIN DELICACIES. HOT CHEESE CURDS IN THE KITCHEN AND BRANDY OLD FASHIONEDS AT THE BAR. THIS IS A BELOVED SUPPER CLUB. THE TYPE OF RESTAURANT ANDERS DOWD ALWAYS HOPED TO OWN. I WORKED IN PORT WASHINGTON, DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE IN 2024. WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE OVER THIS SPACE. WE SERVE STEAKS, SO FILETS, TENDERLOIN, PRIME RIB. THOSE ARE OBVIOUSLY VERY POPULAR IN THE SUPPER CLUB SETTING. LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER HE AND HIS WIFE, ASHLEY HOYNE, PURCHASED THE RESTAURANT, SHE STUMBLED UPON AN INTERESTING FACEBOOK POST. HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE NFL? SO FUNNY STORY. ASHLEY WAS ON ONE OF THE SUPPER CLUB FACEBOOK PAGES AND SAW A POST ABOUT, HEY, WE’RE LOOKING FOR SUPPER CLUBS TO SIGN UP TO DO THIS EVENT WE’RE DOING. THEY USUALLY DO TASTE OF THE NFL, THE WEEK OF THE SUPER BOWL, AND THIS IS THEIR FIRST TIME DOING IT IN THE DRAFT. MOONLIGHT TAVERN IS ONE OF ONLY 20 WISCONSIN RESTAURANTS SELECTED FOR THE TASTE OF THE DRAFT, THE ULTIMATE CELEBRATION OF WISCONSIN SUPPER CLUBS. SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDE CELEBRITY CHEF ANDREW ZIMMERN AND MILWAUKEE’S OWN PAUL BARTOLOTTA. THE TICKETS ARE STEEP, $800 EACH, BUT PROCEEDS BENEFIT CHILDREN ACROSS THE STATE. A TASTE OF THE DRAFT IS A THE BIGGEST CHARITABLE EVENT THE WEEK OF THE NFL DRAFT FOR GEN YOUTH, SO THEIR GOAL IS TO END STUDENT HUNGER. MOONLIGHT TAVERN IS KNOWN FOR ITS MEATS, RIB EYE, PRIME RIB. ALL OF THOSE SUPPER CLUB CLASSICS, BUT FOR THE TASTE OF THE NFL DRAFT, DOWD AND HIS CHEFS WANTED TO DO SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. THE DISH WE’RE SERVING AT THE TASTE OF THE DRAFT IS OUR BEST SELLER. OUTSIDE OF THE STEAKS, IT’S A PARMESAN CRUSTED SALMON. THE NFL’S CATERING COMPANY WILL PREPARE THE SALMON DISHES FOLLOWING MOONLIGHT TAVERN’S EXACT RECIPE. I HAVE TWO CHEFS. CHEF PAUL LIVINGSTON AND MATT GAUL, AND I’M EXCITED FOR THEM TO KIND OF COME UP THERE WITH US. AND IT’S THEIR FOOD AS THEY COUNT DOWN THE DAYS TILL THEIR BIGGEST DINNER YET. DOWD SAYS HE IS BEYOND GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. AS A BORN AND RAISED WISCONSINITE, JUST WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU? HONESTLY, IT’S AN HONOR OF A LIFETIME IN PORT WASHINGTON, CYREIA SANDLIN WISN 12 NEWS. TASTE OF THE DRAFT IS TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY ON APRIL 23RD. PROCEEDS BENEFIT SCHOOL NUTRITION GRANTS FOR 90 SCHOOLS ACROSS SOUTHEAST. ACROSS WISCONSIN. TO CELEBRATE THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DRAFT, WE HAVE A FULL LIST O
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Taste of the Draft: Port Washington restaurant ready for spotlight

Moonlight Tavern in Port Washington will participate in the NFL's inaugural event

The NFL plans to raise tens of thousands of dollars for school children during Draft week in Green Bay, with an inaugural fundraiser celebrating Wisconsin's supper clubs. Moonlight Tavern in Port Washington is the only restaurant in the Milwaukee area selected to participate in the first-ever Taste of the Draft.From handmade cheese curds to brandy old fashioneds, Moonlight Tavern knows all about Wisconsin delicacies.This beloved supper club is the type of restaurant Anders Dowd always hoped to own. He worked in restaurants in Port Washington, Downtown Milwaukee and Cedarburg before he and his wife, Ashley Heun, purchased Moonlight Tavern."In 2024 we had an opportunity to take over this space. We serve steaks, filets, tenderloin, prime rib, obviously very popular in a supper club setting."Less than a year after purchasing the restaurant, Heun stumbled upon an interesting Facebook post."Ashley was on on one of those supper club Facebook pages, and saw a post about, hey, we're looking for supper clubs to sign up for this event we're doing," he explained."They usually do Taste of the NFL the week of the Super Bowl, and this is the first time doing it in the draft," he added.Moonlight Tavern is one of only 20 Wisconsin restaurants selected for Taste of the Draft, described as the "ultimate celebration of Wisconsin supper clubs." Special guests include celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern and Milwaukee's own Paul Bartolotta.Tickets are $800 each, a steep price, but proceeds benefit children across the state."Taste of the Draft is the biggest charitable event the week of the NFL draft for GENYOUTH, so their goal is to end student hunger," Dowd said.While Moonlight Tavern is known for it's steaks, prime rib and other supper club classics, Dowd and his chefs wanted to do something out of the ordinary for the event."The dish we're serving at Taste of the Draft is our best seller outside of the steaks, it's a parmesan-crusted salmon."The NFL's catering company will prepare the salmon dishes, following Moonlight Tavern's exact recipe.As they count down the days till their biggest dinner yet, Dowd, a born and raised Wisconsinite, says he is beyond grateful for the opportunity."Honestly, it's an honor of a lifetime," he said.For more information about Taste of the Draft, click here. Top Headlines'A whole lot of uncertainty': Tariffs take a toll on Wisconsin farmersWild video: Witness recalls near-death experience as massive tree falls on car: 'I heard cracking'U.S. stocks surge after President Trump pauses some of his tariffs

The NFL plans to raise tens of thousands of dollars for school children during Draft week in Green Bay, with an inaugural fundraiser celebrating Wisconsin's supper clubs.

Moonlight Tavern in Port Washington is the only restaurant in the Milwaukee area selected to participate in the first-ever Taste of the Draft.

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From handmade cheese curds to brandy old fashioneds, Moonlight Tavern knows all about Wisconsin delicacies.

This beloved supper club is the type of restaurant Anders Dowd always hoped to own. He worked in restaurants in Port Washington, Downtown Milwaukee and Cedarburg before he and his wife, Ashley Heun, purchased Moonlight Tavern.

"In 2024 we had an opportunity to take over this space. We serve steaks, filets, tenderloin, prime rib, obviously very popular in a supper club setting."

Less than a year after purchasing the restaurant, Heun stumbled upon an interesting Facebook post.

"Ashley was on on one of those supper club Facebook pages, and saw a post about, hey, we're looking for supper clubs to sign up for this event we're doing," he explained.

"They usually do Taste of the NFL the week of the Super Bowl, and this is the first time doing it in the draft," he added.

Moonlight Tavern is one of only 20 Wisconsin restaurants selected for Taste of the Draft, described as the "ultimate celebration of Wisconsin supper clubs." Special guests include celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern and Milwaukee's own Paul Bartolotta.

Tickets are $800 each, a steep price, but proceeds benefit children across the state.

"Taste of the Draft is the biggest charitable event the week of the NFL draft for GENYOUTH, so their goal is to end student hunger," Dowd said.

While Moonlight Tavern is known for it's steaks, prime rib and other supper club classics, Dowd and his chefs wanted to do something out of the ordinary for the event.

"The dish we're serving at Taste of the Draft is our best seller outside of the steaks, it's a parmesan-crusted salmon."

The NFL's catering company will prepare the salmon dishes, following Moonlight Tavern's exact recipe.

As they count down the days till their biggest dinner yet, Dowd, a born and raised Wisconsinite, says he is beyond grateful for the opportunity.

"Honestly, it's an honor of a lifetime," he said.

For more information about Taste of the Draft, click here.

Top Headlines

'A whole lot of uncertainty': Tariffs take a toll on Wisconsin farmers

Wild video: Witness recalls near-death experience as massive tree falls on car: 'I heard cracking'

U.S. stocks surge after President Trump pauses some of his tariffs