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!
Wy’East Pizza
5601 W. Vliet St., (414) 943-3278
wyeastpizza.com
Looking for a pizza spot that does things a bit differently? That’s Wy’East where you’ll find pies made with a chewy slow-fermented crust and just enough liberally doppled charring. Not only are the toppings are of great quality, they come in flavor combinations that show a true attention to detail. Be sure to add on cider or beer to go with your pie.
Wy'East is open Pre-order the day before and day of by phone. Calls accepted Wednesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. for pick-up between 4 and 8 p.m. (full pick-up instructions are online).
Pro tip: When you order carry-out, ask them not to pre-cut the pizza (cutting it yourself ensures a warmer pie with a better crust).
Five dishes to try:
- Sourdough foccaccia: current seasonal version is pumpkin focaccia with chopped pumpkin seeds and balsamic dipping sauce ($7); available Thursday through Sunday in October.
- Beet and blue cheese salad: seasonal greens, roasted beets, blue cheese crumbles, toasted crumbles, champagne vinaigrette ($7)
- Wy'East's seasonal pies are always a treat. Currently on the menu: SASQUASH: with roasted delicata squash, chopped walnuts, herbs and a blend of buttermilk blue cheese, mozzarella, and pecorino romano cheeses ($22)
- The Hot Marmot: tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella, pecorino cheese, herbs, pepperoni, fresh garlic, Mama Lil's sweet hot peppers ($22)
- Cloud Cap (pictured above): olive oil, ricotta, shredded mozzarella, pecorino, herbs, fresh mushrooms, roasted garlic, fresh rosemary ($20)
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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