It’s as important as ever to support the amazing local restaurants we have in our beautiful city. And there’s no better way to do so than committing to patronize them throughout the year. I’ve composed a list of 52 amazing restaurants to guide you on your journey. Try just one of these every week and you’ll have visited them all by the end of 2025. View the full list OR download an abbreviated printable PDF file for your fridge or wallet.
Room Service
2159 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., (414) 414-9789
roomservicebayview.com
Thai, Sushi
$$$
[Read more]
The chic new restaurant by Chef Joey Phadungsil features gorgeous modern details – think towering industrial ceilings, slate flooring, green velvet seating and gorgeous art – in sexy, dimly lit quarters that underscore its date-night-worthy urban charms. But the scene merely sets the stage for a menu that represents the fare of Thailand and Japan in a way that’s both respectful of the history and proudly representative of the unadulterated flavors inherent to the cuisines.
That’s represented in time-intensive dishes like handmade Chor Muang, a toothsome dumpling that dates back to the early 1800s. This sweet-salty dumpling is served with lettuce, cilantro and edible flowers, which can be wrapped around each dumpling to enhance its flavor profile. Before you wrap, take a peek at each dumpling; they are hand-carved into a floral shape and daubed with flecks of gold leaf.
While you can stick with standards like pad Thai, I’d encourage you to explore the menu more deeply with dishes from Chiangmai like the Hung Lay short rib, a long-simmered curry that showcases meltingly tender short rib in an intensely complex sauce. It’s a lovely dish that offers a beautiful balance of sweet, savory and tangy flavors, along with the a hint of warmth from baking spices like cinnamon and cardamom.
If you appreciate a bit of entertainment with your meal, you’ll also find that at Room Service, where select cocktails and dishes (like the Tom Yum River Prawn Soup) are prepared and/or infused tableside.
Recommended: Chor muang, tom yum river prawn, namyapu (crab curry), hung lay short rib
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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