The Ambassador Hotel, 2308 W. Wisconsin Ave., has officially reopened after closing in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The hotel itself has reopened for guest stays, implementing a comprehensive guest and employee safety protocol using recommendations set by the CDC as well as all local Health Department and government mandates.
In addition, food and beverage service is currently available at the Gin Ricky Restaurant and lounge, which offers both indoor and patio seating, along with a to-go menu with drive-up order pick-up available.
Like many venues across the city, The Ambassador will focus on service on service for its outdoor patio, added last summer, which features socially-distanced tables, outdoor heaters and a decorative gas fire pit.
New menu
The restaurant and bar has also introduced a new menu comprised throw-back favorites, many of which were served at the former Envoy Restaurant & Lounge.
Appetizer options include items like Reuben rolls ($12), wings ($14), artichoke dip ($14), crab cakes ($16) and heirloom tomato bruschetta ($13). There are also a variety of salads, soups and sandwiches including a French dip ($14), Reuben ($12) and ham and brie ($12).
Entrees include four signature half-pound burgers, including a mushroom swiss, pizza burger and the Black & Blue with a cajun seasonned patty, bacon and blue cheese crumbles on a Brioche bun ($12).
A variety of flatbread pizzas are also available including the O’dios Mio with prosciutto, pancetta, coppa, porcini, crimini mushrooms, four cheese and truffle oil ($15).. The restaurant is also expected to roll out traditional 16" thin crust pizzas moving forward. You can view the full menu online.
Happy hour food and drink specials are available Sunday through Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. as well as Wine Wednesday featuring wine discounts inspired by 1928, the year the hotel opened.
The Gin Rickey is open for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily with bar hours until midnight on weeknights and 2 a.m. on weekends.
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.
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