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By Julie Lawrence OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writer E-mail author | Author bio More articles by Julie Lawrence

Published April 7, 2009 at 2:58 p.m.

Tags: bella's fat cat, veggie burger, gardenburger

For as long as I can remember, I've been smitten with Bella's Fat Cat. To me, it's always been that perfect mix of old school Milwaukee charm (read: creamy custard and big burgers) and progressive-minded menu planning.

The jumbo beef patties and dogs are hearty enough to satisfy any hungry carnivore and the meat alternatives never play second fiddle. The veggie burgers are unlike any variety I've found in this city or elsewhere: gigantic, dense, savory and filling. They even kind of look like the texture of real meat; not that that was important to me, but still. They look like a solid meal, and combined with the mixed bag of salty fries and onion rings, they were.

I've also always appreciated Bella's efficiency. On those nights that are too busy to cook or sit down at a restaurant, they always satisfied my need for time-saving satiation. On recent hectic weeknight, I stopped in at the Kinnickinnic Avenue location looking forward to that familiar veggie burger, as it had been a while since I'd eaten one.

I ordered it with the usual array of toppings and condiments and waited. When I unwrapped my faux burger I was surprised to see a thin, flat vegetable patty that resembled something like a Gardenburger, but I can't say for sure. All I know is, the burger had changed and not for the better.

My favorite fake burger in the city was gone, and I was not happy about it.

Like any concerned citizen, I e-mailed the company. Thankfully, Bella's VP of operations Mike Schmidt was listening and responded to my inquiry. The bad news is that vegetarians and / or veggie burger lovers are going to have to deal with the current replacement for a while. The good news, he says, is that it's not forever.

Here's the scoop, in his words:

"We were devastated to find that the company that made the veggie burger that we have been selling for eight-plus years went out of business. Since we have been unable to find a replacement suitable to our standards, in the next couple of weeks we will be working to try to create one, from scratch, that will be unique to Bella's.

"We look forward to a 'Veggie Burger Launch' promotion in the near future. We had been educating buyers of our veggie burger and soliciting feedback as we sold them, but as time went on that dissipated, I apologize that wasn't conveyed to you at that time. Thanks for the feedback and your support of Bella's. We look forward to having you try the new one."

24 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by 4277 on June 2, 2009 at 7:41 a.m. (report)

Credit where credit is due...kudos on fixing the outdoor sign at the Oakland location...makes a world of difference to those passing by and speaks volumes about the management/ownership! Sends the right message both literally and figuratively. Way to go Bella's! Now howabout those wobbly tables?

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Posted by 4277 on April 13, 2009 at 2:22 p.m. (report)

Thanks, Dick! When I find that surgeon, I'll see if also installs senses of humor...if he does, I'll send him your way....

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Posted by rkerhin on April 13, 2009 at 11:51 a.m. (report)

4277- I apologize for calling you a coward. After reading your post on the word cojones (which is not my "style", but the correct spelling) I realized that you are not a coward, you simply lack a brain. Good luck with finding a surgeon who can successfully install one!

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Posted by 4277 on April 11, 2009 at 10:08 p.m. (report)

Thanks Richard, not only for your input, but I have also wondered many times how the word 'cojones' was spelled...while I have used it before in conversation, I have never had the oppotunity to use it in text...I probably would have used a 'h' instead of a 'j', but that's your style, and I like it...I also like that you did not put a tilde over the 'n' as that would have been clearly incorrect....have you ever seen a spelling using a 'k' instead of the 'c'...my friend from Oahu (no, I'm not giving out her name either) says thats how they do it there.... Anyway, you are correct...anyone can say that they run a well-run, successful restaurant...but few really do... As for the coward part...you are dead wrong....

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Posted by 4277 on April 11, 2009 at 10:01 p.m. (report)

So I am 'making myself look great' anonymously? How does that work? A restauant that 'no one goes to and that's how it stays clean'? So let me understand this...no one goes there and it stays open AND clean? Ok.... The only thing cowardly going on here is your inability and reluctance to deal with the issues...if these issues were brought to my attention (and they have been in the past, no restaurant is perfect) my response would be,"Oh my, God! I am so sorry about your negative experience at my restaurant. Can you give me more information? Can you tell me on which date that you dined at my restaurant? Do you know the names of the employees that helped you? What can we do to restore a positive image of our restaurant in your mind?"...things along that line (yeah, I know, I said I was done doling out the free advice). Instead, you are more intent, and content, to find the accuser than deal with the actual issues. The issues I raised are serious and legitimate. They are not made up. If you think I am lying, then say so and we'll deal with it from that angle. But you know that I speak the truth. Are you combative with all of your customers when issues arise? Are you confrontational with your inspectors, alderman and employees? You can learn a lot from these people... It doesn't matter which restaurant I own...I am not a competitor of yours and yes, we have our own problems from time to time...I'm just someone, that like most people, enjoys a good burger for the money and clean conditions to consume it in.... If you want to submit a proposal for consulting, you can post it here....I'll get back to you....we can turn that joint around....

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