Milwaukee is kind of a career-end stop for Guy Roeseler. He grew up in Watertown and started his culinary training working in the cafeteria while in high school. The tuna poke wasn’t marinating in his brain yet. He attended college and grad school, majoring in early 20th-century literature. And yet, his food service work continued, with more training in classic fine dining (at a spot – now a memory – called Claus on Juneau in Milwaukee) and provincial French (in Seattle). Hawaii was his next stop and it’s where he was introduced to poke, its simplicity and history. “It’s what ancient Hawaiians made on the beach, with [raw fish], sea salt and chile oil. Once the Asians arrived, they added more. [But] it’s not supposed to be a salad,” he says.

At Ono Kine Grindz – which he owns with his partner, David Lau – Roeseler still makes poke the traditional way, with Hawaiian kukui nuts and seaweed. If you don’t want tuna, you can substitute halibut, salmon or crab. Those island flavors were largely absent in Milwaukee before Ono’s arrival. “It has been an exciting adventure bringing all the diverse foods of the Islands to a warm and willing Wisconsin audience,” Roeseler says.

The origins of Poke come from simple beach food!

1. Catch a fish.

2. Cut up and season.

3. Eat for lunch with poi or sticky rice... so Ono!