The upcoming weeks feature three unique dinners at area restaurants, including an evening focused on award winning wines and game, six courses of chocolate-inspired fare with French wines, and a very special Ale Asylum beer dinner.
Game Dinner at Lazy Susan
On Monday, Oct. 6, beginning at 6 p.m., AJ Dixon, chef and owner of Lazy Susan, will present five courses show-casing award winning wines paired with creatively prepared wild game.
The menu includes squab b’stilla with cilantro crème fraiche, smoked duck confit with blueberry corn waffle and bacon jam, Provencal rabbit stew with olives, wild boar loin stuffed with elk chorizo and corn bread, and coffee rubbed venison tenderloin with white chocolate parsnip puree and roasted potato.
Wine selections will be chosen from Master Sommelier and importer Fran Kysela, presented by Dan Steffen National Sales manager of Kysela Pere et Fils. Featured wines will be available for purchase at special case pricing.
Space is limited. Call Lazy Susan at (414) 988-7086 for reservations.
La Reve presents Pour l’Amour du Chocolat
Chocolate lovers shouldn’t miss this event.
On Tuesday, Oct. 21 Le Reve Patisserie & Cafe, 7610 Harwood Ave., will host Pastry Chef Jerome Landrieu, chocolate academy director for Barry Callebaut and world-renowned chocolatier for a very special six course dinner.
Le Reve’s Chef Patrick Murphy and his culinary team will execute the first four courses, and Chef Landrieu will present the final two. Each course will showcase chocolate and include a French wine pairing.
Courses will include
- Mussels, Manila clams and shrimp steamed in tomato fennel broth with saffron, orange, anise and Tanzanie Chocolate Noir paired with Beaujolais Blanc, Domaine Dupeuble 2012 (Beaujolais)
- Warm Carr Valley Cocoa Cardona, crispy duck leg confit with sherry roasted beets, Kettle Rock Farm’s mixed greens and blood orange chamomile vinaigrette, Piemont praline and Alunga chocolat au lai feuilletine with Pinot Noir Le Rosé, Gustave Lorentz 2013 (Alsace)
- Caramelized Viking Village scallops with cocoa-spiced baby parsnips and espelette lardons, Zephyr chocolat blanc celery root puree, frisee, apple and parsley, finished with vanilla Sauternes gastrique paired with Chablis, Domaine William Fèvre 2011 (Burgundy)
- Anodyne mocha Venezuela chocolat noir with Stout braised beef short ribs, almond sunchoke puree, roasted baby carrots, kale, cipollinis and cocoa nib crisp with Côtes de Bordeaux, Château La Grange Clinet 2011 (Bordeaux)
- Cacao Barry Zephyr chocolat blanc and fresh ginger cheesecake, compressed coconut passion fruit sable, mango and passion fruit gel and frozen marshmallow with Sauternes, Reserve Maison Nicolas 2006 (Bordeaux)
- Hazelnut parfait with orange infused Gianduja Mexican chocolate ganache, chocolate fondant, hazelnut sable and Anodyne coffee caviar with Bordeaux, Château Tour Prignac 2010 (Bordeaux)
- Selection of housemade chocolates, caramels, and cookies
Cocktails and amuse-bouches will be served at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m. The dinner is $95 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Call (414) 778-3333 for reservations.
Wayward Kitchen Co. Ale Asylum Beer Dinner
On Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 6 p.m., Wayward Kitchen Co. will host their very first beer dinner, featuring four courses prepared by Chef Tyler Mason paired with selections from Madison’s Ale Asylum Brewery, including their seasonal Kink Belgian Style Abbey and limited edition Slick Stout.
Courses include:
- Blue cheese gougeres with housemade spicy red pepper jelly – paired with Hopalicious
- Faux Pho clams with glazed pork belly, noodles and broth – paired with Pantheon Imperial Brown
- Grilled beef on Mexican street corn saute with chipotle, crema, green onions, Cotija and tomatillo drizzle – paired with Kink Belgian Style Abbey
- Chocolate poke cake with oatmeal horchata and Stout chocolate sauce – paired with Big Slick Stout
A representative from Ale Asylum will be present at the dinner to talk about the brewery’s ales and provide swag for guests.
Dinner is $40 per person, which includes four courses and pairings. Space is limited. Make reservations by calling Wayward at (414) 763-1191.
Future dinners will include an October engagement with New Orlean’s Abita Brewing.
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.
