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.
Hot Dish Pantry
4125 S. Howell Ave., (414) 231-3305
hotdishpantry.com
New American, Midwestern
$-$$
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Midwestern comfort food is the name of the game at Hot Dish Pantry, a pop-up turned brick-and-mortar restaurant that offers well-executed take-away or fast-casual-style dining at truly affordable prices.
There's no wrong way to dine at Hot Dish, which offers a long list of bites and shareable sides (think pierogi, housemade tater tots and hand-battered cheese curds), a selection of soul-filling sandwiches including their Hoosier-style pork "tendy" and their playfully named "Lucy Goosey" burger and their namesake hot dish (ground beef, mushroom cream sauce and vegetables topped with crispy tater tots).
Regular specials – which run the gamut from warming soups and gussied up pork tenderloin sandwiches to East Coast style chopped cheese – showcase the kitchen's creativity and ensure that there's always something new to try.
Service is casual. Place your order at the counter and you'll be notified when it's ready. From there, you can choose to take a seat in the cozy, kitschy dining room or take your meal along with you. Folks who live within Hot Dish Pantry's delivery area can also opt for home delivery.
Recommended: Aloo chaat or crab rangoon pierogi; saag paneer dip; house smash burger; pork tenderloin sandwich (I take mine Nashville hot)
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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