For the 10th straight year, October is Dining Month on OnMilwaukee, presented by the restaurants of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. All month, we're stuffed with restaurant reviews, dining guides, delectable features, chef profiles and unique articles on everything food, as well as voting for your "Best of Dining 2016."
Hue
For the second year in a row, Milwaukee has spoken and has put this establishment – located in Bay View and Wauwatosa – at the top. It wasn't an easy path to a repeat, however. This year, Hue not only had to beat out Asian fusion veterans like Mekong Cafe – with its noodles, pho and stir fry – but also buzzy newcomers like DanDan and Lucky Ginger.
But Hue, with its authentic tastes of Vietnamese food in a modern atmosphere, pulled it off, claiming the top spot by a lucky number 13 votes over newbie DanDan – which only finished a tight seven votes over Lucky Ginger. Mekong Cafe wasn't far off either, missing the top three by a tiny two votes. Still, scoring a place on this flavorful top five – rounded out by Pho 43 – is no small feat.
Runners up:
2. DanDan
3. Lucky Ginger
4. Mekong Cafe
5. Pho 43
Lori Fredrich's pick: the cheel
This year, I’m giving this slot solidly to the cheel in Thiensville. For every mile I’ve driven out of my way to dine there, it has paid me back in dividends with delicious, carefully prepared cuisine. From the eggplant bharta to the amazingly textured Burmese tofu, it’s a place where your tastebuds will never tire of something new. And don’t be afraid to augment your meal with the housemade aachars (relishes), which complement nearly every dish on the menu.
This year we also asked a variety of prominent Milwaukeeans to weigh in on their pick for specific categories. For this category, we consulted Andrew Swofford, owner of MilwaukeeFood.com (producer of Chili Bowl, BIG Taste, Fox6 Days of Dining, etc.), and his newest venture, Happy Dough Lucky Mini Donuts.
Swofford's pick: Sake-tumi
My favorite Asian Fusion restaurant is Sake-Tumi on Milwaukee Street. They have some of the best sushi rolls – including my favorite, the Godzilla Roll, which is stuffed with tempura shrimp, avocado and cream cheese. I'm also a pho fanatic from Hue and can't wait for Umami Moto to re-open.
