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It’s as important as ever to support the amazing collection of local restaurants that we have in our beautiful city. And there’s no better way to do so than committing to patronize them throughout the year. To guide you on your journey, I’ve composed a list of 52 amazing restaurants. Try just one of these every week and you’ll have visited them all by the end of 2024. View the full list OR download an abbreviated printable PDF file for your fridge or wallet.
Birch
459 E. Pleasant St., (414) 323-7372
birchonpleasant.com
New American
$$
[Read more]
Simplicity and quality form the foundations of this Downtown restaurant, which serves up an ever-changing feast of fare that pays the utmost respect to locally sourced meats and vegetables.
Dishes run the gamut from fresh and bright (take that summer crudo made with Steelhead trout, for instance) to sexy and caramelized (like wood-fired shishito peppers with house focaccia and ricotta). Meat dishes are satisfying, but never overly heavy; and their housemade filled pastas are simultaneously exciting and comforting. Most importantly, if you love vegetables, you'll find them in spades. They're respected, treated well and allowed to shine... right there in the center of the plate.
Recommended: Crudo; housemade pasta; seasonal fish
Jon Bonné Wine Dinner
Guests looking for a special experience can consider tickets to the Jon Bonné Wine Dinner on Thursday, July 11 at 6:30 p.m.
Among the most influential and widely-read American voices on wine and food, Bonné's latest book "The New French Wine" was declared “an opinionated, thought-provoking work that uses wine as a vehicle for cultural history,” by "The New York Times."
Thursday's dinner will combine a seasonal tasting menu at Birch with incredible French wines including:
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir | Champagne Tarlant | La Lutétienne Brut Nature | 2005 | Champagne
- Cinsault, Mourvedre | Château Pradeaux | Rosé | 2023 | Bandol
- Marsanne, Clairette Blanc | Domaine du Bagnol | 2019 | Cassis
- Chardonnay | Laurent Tribut | 2022 | Chablis
- Merlot | Château Le Puy | Emilien | 2021 | Bordeaux Côtes des Francs
The tasting menu with wine pairings is $150 per person and can be purchased online.
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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