By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor Published Jan 30, 2025 at 3:02 PM

Milwaukee is in the spotlight once again. This time, Chef Kyle and Meghan Knall’s forthcoming French restaurant Cassis, has made it onto “Bon Appetit” magazine’s list of “The 9 Must-Visit Restaurants to Try in 2025.”

The article, which is available to magazine subscribers only, features eight anticipated newcomers across the U.S. from Eric Adjepong’s Elmina in Washington D.C. and Avish Naran’s Los Angeles-based Schezwan Club Jesse Ito’s Dancerobot, an 80’s inspired Japanese Izakaya spot in Philadelphia.

If you can’t access the entire article, you can peek at the entry for Cassis in this clip on Birch’s Instagram feed.

 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Kyle Knall (@kyleknallyall)

The “Bon Appetit” recognition follows Chef Kyle Knall’s recent semi-finalist nomination for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef Midwest award and only adds to a growing list of national accolades for Birch, including a significant nod from the “New York Times” in 2023.

Cassis, a modern French concept, is slated to open in the Historic Third Ward in fall of 2025.  Read more about the concept here.

You can also get a peek at the concept by attending the French Bistro Pop-up tonight (Jan. 30) at Birch.  Reservations can be made online.

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor

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.