My annual article, 52 Restaurants for your Bucket List, was originally created to provide readers with an easy way to explore the wealth of restaurants in the Milwaukee scene over the course of one year (52 weeks). Today, as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, it provides a fun and equally compelling guide for folks who’d like to bring variety to their weekly meals while providing vital support to some of our finest local restaurants.
Here's the featured restaurant of the day, plus five dishes to try!
Kawa Ramen & Sushi
2321 N. Murray Ave., (414) 800-7979
kawaramensushi.com
Beautiful, well-prepared sushi (including gorgeous nigiri and creatively executed maki) plus ultra-consistent bowls of comforting ramen are both good bets at Kawa. Don’t be alarmed if they’re out of a dish when you visit; their kitchen orders prudently to ensure that items are as fresh as possible. Kawa is offering limited dine-in and patio seating along with carry-out.
Five dishes to try:
- Shumai: Japanese style steamed shrimp dumplings ($5)
- Salmon delight: Spicy crab salad wrapped with fresh salmon & topped w/ assorted tobiko & drizzled w/ eel sauce and wasabi mayo ($9)
- Try out their sushi offerings with a sushi and sashimi plate featuring five pieces of nigiri sushi, twelve pieces of sashimi and one maki roll (tuna), $32
- Garlic miso ramen: Egg noodle, garlic miso broth, Berkshire pork belly, soft boiled egg, marinated bamboo shoots, sweet corn, sesame seeds, scallions, $15
- Hellfire ramen: Spicy pork broth, torched pork belly soft boiled egg, scallions, black wood ear mushrooms, marinated bamboo shoots & chili threads & house chili oil (choose your heat level), $15
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.
