Season's eatings! The weather may be getting colder, but Dining Month on OnMilwaukee is just cooking up, dishing out your winning picks in this year's Best of Dining poll. Dining Month is brought to you by Fein Brothers, your premier food service equipment and supply dealer in Wisconsin since 1929. Congratulations to all of the winners, and happy eating for all those who voted!
Puerto Rico made headlines last September when Hurricane Irma swept through the island, closely followed by Hurricane Maria, leaving death and devastation in their wake. Despite myriad efforts, the recovery process for many areas has been slow and laborious.
But a number of local businesses are coming together to raise money to assist those efforts.
Inspired by the stories told by several Fein Brothers employees who have familial ties to Puerto Rico, co-owner Todd Minkin began reaching out to customers, inviting them to participate in a fundraising effort to assist the recovery efforts. Each restaurant was asked to donate proceeds from a specific menu item, during the month of October, or even beyond.
All money raised will be donated to Unidos Por Puerto Rico, an organization committed to accelerating the recovery of the Puerto Rican community by providing assistance to both individuals and small businesses devastated by hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Participating restaurants include:
Brandywine (Cedarburg)
Donation: $3 from each Cucumber Ginger Margarita sold through Oct. 31
Braise
Donation: $2 from each Puerto Rican inspired Flor de Maga cocktail sold through Oct. 31
Café Corazon (Riverwest and Bay View)
Donation: $2 from every burrito sold through Oct. 29
Café LuLu
Donation: $2 from each special Puerto Rican Pork Sandwich through Oct. 21
La Merenda
Donation: $1 from every beef empanada sold through Oct. 31
Lakefront Brewery Beer Hall
Donation: $1 from every cheese curd sale through Jan. 15
Purple Door Ice Cream
Donation: $1 from every ice cream mini flight sold through Oct. 13
Also participating:
- Calderone Club
- Crave Bar & Food (Mequon)
- Highland House (Mequon)
- San Giorgio Pizzeria Napoletana
In lieu of participating in the event, Outpost Natural Foods Cooperative will be donating $300 to the cause.
To incite a sense of friendly competition, the restaurant that raises the most amount of money will be awarded a $500 Fein Brothers gift card.
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.
