Mondays can be a mixed bag. But, thanks to new hours at Dandan, the Third Ward's popular modern Chinese American restaurant, there might just be a new bright spot for the start of your work week.
Beginning Sept. 11, Dandan will be open for both lunch and dinner service on Mondays. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with dinner service starting at 5 p.m.
Of course, if you’d prefer a weekend pick-me-up, dinner at EsterEv, the tasting room restaurant located just inside of Dandan, might be just the thing. In fact, there’s a very special collaboration dinner with Jarvis Williams of Carnevor taking place on Friday Sept. 8 and Saturday Sept. 9 beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The theme for the dinner is "Celebrating the American Steakhouse" and cost is just $80 per person for ten courses with alcoholic beverage pairings available for an additional $40.
Dinner begins with a traditional relish tray consisting of chicken liver pate, housemade pickles, blini with caviar, sliced coppa, cheese spread, smoked char pate and Townhouse crackers.
Additional courses, created and presented by Chefs Dan Van Rite, Daniel Jacobs and Williams will include lobster bisque; hash browns with lox, caviar creme fraiche, horseradish and dill; spot prawn scampi and steak tartare.
Pastry Chef Jaceleen Latin-Monagle will be serving up creative takes on classic desserts including peach melba and chocolate layer cake.
Reservations for the EsterEv collaboration dinner can be made at esterev.com. Limited seats are available.
Beginning Sept. 11, Dandan’s hours include lunch service Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner service Monday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m.
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.