For the ninth 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 2015."
Milwaukee's third annual Cocktail Week took place Sept. 16-22, at a variety of venues around the city.
The week-long celebration brought together bartenders, cocktail luminaries and industry enthusiasts for a series of experiential events highlighting the best of Milwaukee cocktail culture.
And many of them revolved around not only cocktails, but food, too. Delicious food. Amazing food. Some of them may make it onto the menus at some of the venues – some may not. Let's hope these six courses do!
1. Gherkins at Wolf Peach
This summer lovin' course from head chef Cole Ersel at Wolf Peach was hands down one of my favorites of the entire week. Flake crudo, avocado oil, melon water, preserved lemon and adorable gherkins lit up the plate. Summer may be coming to a close but one can only hope this dish makes its way back to Wolf Peach next season.
2. Beef tartare at Bavette
If you haven't had the beef tartare from Bavette you haven't lived. Paired with Great Lakes Distillery Roarin' Dan's rum, ginger thyme syrup, lime juice, and Bittercube bitters it was one of the best pairs I tried. Luckily for you tartare is on the menu at Bavette -- so get over there and try it.
3. Duck confit at Morel
Morel's dinner was a stunner from start to finish but this course of duck confit was magic in every morsel. Pumpkin, apple, lobster mushroom and onion were sauteed in and then placed upon a patty of ricotta gnudi. I licked every drop of duck jus up it was that damn good. This could make it onto a fall menu soon at Morel – let's hope so!
4. Hog shank at Distil
When you barely touch a shank and it just falls apart you know the love and time that was put into it -- as it can be a tough cut. This shank did not disappoint – it was delicious from the first taste to the last. The Heaven Hill whiskey helped for sure – as it should!
Carolynn Buser is one of Milwaukee's loudest and most adamant cheerleaders (don't dare try to disagree). She's the primary voice behind much of OnMilwaukee's social media and content direction, and apologizes in advance if she can be too sarcastic at times.
What else? She's a wine lover, closet trashy novel reader, beauty supplies addict and devourer of cheese (shocker for a Wisconsin born and bred girl, right?). She's also a bit of a foodie, which is a word most of you hate, we know. She works as hard as she plays - and that includes in the gym! So, you've probably seen her at one of the area's newest restaurant openings (and yes, she will share her opinions good or bad) or enjoying a cold one at a local pub.
All in all, Carolynn's a believer in positive thinking and will do her best to smack down your negative ones while writing about her city, her loves, quests and more.
