While Chicago remains our favorite dining city (San Francisco / Napa and London are putting up a good fight for #2 and #3 spots respectively), we've adjusted to the smaller midwestern city of Milwaukee over the past few years - finding the hidden gems amongst the many beer, brat, burger and pizza establishments that rule the city. Not a bad thing by any means, but once and a while its good to get some greens or diversify a bit.
View MKE Crabcake - View replaced Wolf Peach in the Beerline Neighborhood not too long ago, worth checking out.
Cucumber dish @ Ardent paired with Teutonic Wine Co. Pinot Gris from Willamette Valley (definitely try the wine if you get a chance).
We’ve become frequent visitors at the places below and have met some awesome people who work there along the way. We’re here for another couple years so will keep the list updated as we go.
Let us know if you have any other favorites.
Ardent: James Beard nominated Chef Justin leads the kitchen at our favorite special occasion spot. Local seasonal produce drives the inspiration for the tasting menu only spot, Spotted Cow as a drink pairing, some of the best steak we’ve had. All around winner.
Laughing Taco: From Ardent & Red Light Ramen team, good tacos in Walkers Point with their fancier version of a cheesy gordita crunch. Not quite California or Chicago (Big Star) tacos, but still very good.
Merriment Social: Our favorite burger and fries in town - also peanut butter boozy milkshakes anyone? Everything here is great. Try the “cheese curds” more of a dip than curds, but still great.
Bavette la Boucherie: Our go-to for a top-notch sandwich and bag of kettle cooked chips. Chef Karen Bell was nominated as a semi-finalist for James Beard Best Chef, Midwest region, in 2017 and a finalist in 2018. Try our favorites - the BBQ pork sandwich (messy but worth it) or the Cuban.
Comet Cafe: Hipster diner food done right. Mint hot chocolate is incredible in the winter. Commuter breakfast sandwich is a go-to.
Pizzeria San Giorgio: Chef Ryan straight from Naples (Italy, not Florida) makes a mean Za and is certified by the Vera Pizza Napolenta.
DanDan: American-Chinese cuisine great for groups or UberEats delivery. General Tso’s Cauliflower, Singapore Noodles and Orange Chicken are all great.
Morel: New American, “rustic” if you will. Always order the ham biscuits. Order multiple. Ralph is the man, he’ll hook you up and make you feel at home every time you visit. Solid wine and cocktail list. Haven’t had a dish we didn’t like. Steak special is always very good.
View MKE: View recently took over the space formerly occupied by Wolf Peach in the Beerline .area They’ve kept the wood burning oven and small plate style of Wolf Peach but put their own twist on the dishes. Crab cake and beet salads stood out both in presentation and flavor.
Stubby's: Our go-to beer and wing spot as well as Tuesday Trivia hangout. Best wings in town (Point’s East also has very good wings) along with 53 beers on draft, a large set of TV’s, Pop-a-Shot, Darts, etc.
The Diplomat: Newer spot on Brady street delivering small plates and craft cocktails. Small plates and larger plates mix on the menu. Positive: Duck entree, pastas, and the Peanut Butter dessert. Not so positive: the carrot dish ($11) for 2 very small carrots and an overly artistic plate that didn’t deliver too much.
Apollo: Fast and very solid Greek food at a great price. An easy go-to during the week.
Five o’Clock Steakhouse: Old school. Dimly lit. Supper club style. Sit at the bar, get a drink, the wait staff will come take your order there and let you know when you’re table is set and ready to go. Relish tray, breads, etc. Great food. Prepared on extremely hot grill that come out extremely tender (almost prime rib like) with shareable sides.
Bryant’s: Can’t get enough of Bryant’s. Old school vibe. Classic cocktails, new cocktails, ice cream & tiki drinks - you name it they have it, just not on a menu. Inventors of the infamous Pink Squirrel in addition to over 400 recipes that the bartender will craft to your taste. Amongst some of the best bars we’ve been too in the world, Bryant’s of Milwaukee stands up to the test.
The Outsider: Best rooftop spot in Milwaukee for the short outdoor seasons we have. Comfortable seating, fire pits, bags and shuffle board outside as well as very nice bar area open late in the Kimpton Journeyman hotel.
Third Coast Provisions: Another restaurant from our friends behind Merriment Social delivering great seafood options in a more upscale environment for Milwaukee. Haven’t had anything we didn’t like here. All of the fish has been prepared perfectly, the crudos have all been great (feel like the hype behind crudo has died out a bit recently but 3rd coast does a great job) lobster potholes (lump crab, garlic, herb butter) and chargrilled oysters are great here as well.
Vibe: Milwaukee is super laid back, basically anything goes (especially on Sunday during football season, Packers gear accepted everywhere).
Vibe [Her]: Sandals, sneakers, boots - whatever you want basically (Ardent worth dressing up for (i.e. heels), not required though as they make it very approachable and comfortable).
Vibe [Him]: Sneakers, boat shoes, boots accepted basically everywhere (if you’re going to Ardent nicer sneakers work but worth dressing up as it might be the only spot in town other than Sanford to do so).