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Late last week, both the restaurant world and the Milwaukee community suffered another loss to the coronavirus.
Gloria Robinson, co-owner of Nino’s Southern Sides, passed away from complications of COVID-19. The news was shared by her husband in a post that’s been shared fairly widely on Facebook.
Robinson opened Nino’s Southern sides at 4475 N. Oakland Ave. with her husband Odell and Valerie Daniels-Carter in December of 2014. The following fall, Daniels-Carter opened Nino’s Express, a satellite location at 3070 N. Martin Luther King Dr.
I did not know Gloria well. But the occasion on which I did meet her was memorable. I’d called the restaurant ahead and stopped in to interview her for an article. I arrived without expectation, but what I experienced was true grace. She was welcoming and kind. She greeted me with a hug and bid farewell the same. She made me feel like family.
I was not the only one. In a world where we can only mourn losses and celebrate lives through videos, phone calls and social media, the community has done well in offering insights into Robinson’s character, her love for people and her talent for making everyone feel loved and welcome.
Here are just a few of those posts.
Rest in peace, Gloria. Milwaukee will miss you.
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.
