The historic Ambassador Hotel, now part of the Trademark® Collection by Wyndham will be reopening its hotel restaurants: The Fitz, Gin Rickey and Deco Cafe.
The restaurants, which have been closed since the start of the pandemic, will reopen under the guidance of Juan Pablo Vallejo Martinez, who will take on the role of executive chef at the hotel.
The Deco Café and Gin Rickey have reopened as of this week, while The Fitz will be reopening for dinner service beginning Thursday, May 4.
May 4 has also been declared “Ambassador Hotel Day” by Mayor Cavalier Johnson in honor of the hotel’s 95th anniversary.
“We are so excited to be welcoming back Chef Juan and his wonderful team who worked with us for many years prior to the pandemic,” noted general manager, Jon Jossart. “His creations in our Envoy restaurant, which was later rebranded as The Fitz, received rave reviews and we will be bringing many of these favorites back.”
Guests at the hotel can also look forward to a new experience as rooms are upgraded with new flooring, draperies, furniture, mattresses and Apple TV, allowing guests to use their own home streaming services while staying at the hotel.
In tandem with the reopenings, the hotel has also added a catering division, which will allow The Ambassador to service off-premise events. Customers will be able to place their catering orders through the website at decocateringmke.com soon.
“A lot of exciting things are happening to our historic property,” said Jossart. “The Ambassador is a gem for the City of Milwaukee, our job is to continuously polish it and keep it sparkling well into the future.”
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.
