Maniaci's
Cafe Siciliano Hours: |  |
It's simply one of the most romantic restaurants in the city. For the
past two decades Rose and Artie Maniaci have worked in tandem to provide some
great Italian food in their cozy grotto-like cafe. Wrought iron accents, Italian
sculpture and an assortment of paintings of the "old country" provide
enough atmosphere for quiet conversation and concentration on the good things
coming from chef Artie's tiny kitchen.
The restaurant has gained a loyal following of Milwaukee's upper class. Captains of industry, celebrities, and sports stars all rub elbows with common folks like myself.
A nice variety of Sicily's greatest hits. Veal is the specialty here. The Continental is lightly battered with seasoned Italian bread crumbs, sauteed in butter and topped with fresh mushrooms flavored with white wine and fresh lemon. The pasta Carbonara is served in the style of the coal miner: tender linguini mixed with fresh eggs and topped with grated cheese and crisp crumbled bacon. The whitefish piccata is another specialty where the flavor of the ultra fresh fish is allowed to speak for itself. All dinners include a complimentary antipasto platter, hot-from-the-oven bread, a cup of soup and a very nice salad. Maniaci's has been a constant on my best of Milwaukee list for a long time.
Expensive.
A service bar provides a more than adequate list of Italian and Californian vintages. Cocktails are also available.
