The Milwaukee Kitchen Cabinet will kick off its fourth annual "3 Days of Christmas" holiday initiative, an effort which has supported nine organizations and over 600 individuals over the past three years by providing meals, gifts and winter necessities.
The three-day event starts with an upscale meal served at Marquette University by Calderone Club and Carnevor Steakhouse Moderne. The meal will support of Project Ujima, a community program at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin that strives to promote safe, violence free communities while empowering at-risk victims of violence to improve their quality of life, build confidence and self-esteem, learn coping strategies to help prevent re-injury, and establish a support system with others who share similar experiences.
Day two will support the Walker’s Point Youth and Family Center Runaway and Teen Crisis Program with dinner served by Marcus Restaurants and SafeHouse. This program provides a safe and legal housing alternative for runaway and homeless youth, as well as offering a neutral space where problem-solving can take place for both the youth and the family.
Day three supports COA Youth & Family Centers at the Doerfler School with dinner served by Point Burger Bar. COA Youth & Family Centers helps Milwaukee children, teens, and families reach their greatest potential through a continuum of educational, recreational, and social work programs offered through its urban community centers and rural camp facility.
Presenting sponsors of the 2019 initiative include Phoenix Investors, Associated Bank, and VISIT Milwaukee with gifts supplied by supporting sponsors We Energies, Mueller QAAS, Gruber Law Offices, Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee Brewers, McDonald’s, Culver’s, Saz’s Hospitality Group, Rocky Rococo and more. Restaurant partners this year include Carnevor Steakhouse Moderne, the Calderone Club, Marcus Restaurants and SafeHouse MKE, and Point Burger Bar.
"The Milwaukee Kitchen Cabinet’s mission to lend an open and helping hand to the community is a truly deserving cause," notes Phoenix Investors Chairman and Founder, Frank Crivello. "Initiatives like the 3 Days of Christmas are integral to supporting local communities and families in need."
The Milwaukee Kitchen Cabinet is part of a nationwide grassroots movement of restaurateurs committed to fostering long-term relationships with local officials and community leaders while protecting the interests and needs of the restaurant industry.
The restaurant leaders work to highlight the impacts of the industry by identifying programs and opportunities to showcase the industry’s positive contributions and identifying opportunities to collectively address pressing community needs. The Milwaukee Kitchen Cabinet is a partnership program between the Wisconsin Restaurant Association and the National Restaurant Association. For more information, visit kitchencabinet.restaurant.org.
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.
