Chef Justin Carlisle announced today that he has finalized negotiations on the space at 1749 N. Farwell Ave. for a brick and mortar location for Red Light Ramen. The space formerly housed Juiced!, a cold-pressed juicery that recently moved to Walker's Point.
"Essentially, the space will become both a full-blown ramen shop, as well as an extension of Ardent, which we can use for special events," notes Carlisle who says that remodeling is currently underway. The interior will feature graffiti art designed by Ardent employee Steven Ruiz, as well as a small bar and six to eight tables.
The late-night ramen concept will continue to operate out of Ardent for the time being, offering up ramen on Friday and Saturday nights beginning at 11:30 p.m. However, Carlisle says he hopes the new shop will be up and running by mid-July.
The shop will feature three types of ramen: a pork-based tonkotsu ramen, a vegetarian option and a chilled smoked trout ramen. There will also be a half-dozen or so smaller dishes on the menu, as well as beverages that include alcoholic slushies, beer and potentially a small sake and wine list.
Carlisle notes that he hasn’t finalized hours for the new location of Red Light; however, he says the hours will definitely be expanded, likely to embrace the dinner hour and potentially lunch, too. Ruiz will act as manager for the shop, which is likely to add an additional staff of two to three moving forward.
The Red Light Ramen trailer will continue to make appearances on Saturdays at Central Standard Distillery, 613 S. 2nd St., serving ramen from noon until it runs out.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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