Your Milwaukee Dining - Local Restaurant Reviews

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2010-02-13T18:05:00.001-06:00

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Thanks,

Stephen

Local Smoke-Free Restaurants!

2009-11-17T11:11:00.009-06:00

As Milwaukee anxiously awaits for July 5th 2010 - when all of Wisconsin goes smoke -free, I wanted to provide a quick list of your local restaurants that already offer this to their customers.
If you know of any restaurants that are missing (and I know there are a few) please comment and I will be sure to update the list accordingly.

AJ Bombers
1241 N. Water Street., (414) 221-9999
ajbombers.com

Apollo Cafe
1310 E. Brady St., (414) 272-2233
apollocafe.com

Beans & Barley
1901 E. North Ave., (414) 278-7878
beansandbarley.com

Bosley on Brady
815 E. Brady St., (414) 727-7975
bosleyonbrady.com

Brewed Cafe
1208 E. Brady St., (414) 276-2739
brewedonbrady.com

Buca di Beppo
1233 N. Van Buren St., (414) 224-8672
bucadibeppo.com

Buckley's Kiskeam Inn
801 N. Cass St., (414) 277-1111
buckleyskiskeaminn.com

Cafe Brucke
2101 N. Prospect Ave., (414) 287-2053
cafebrucke.com

Cafe Hollander
2608 N. Downer Ave., (414) 963-6366
cafehollander.com

Cempazuchi
1205 E. Brady St., (414) 291-5233
cempazuchi.com

Comet Cafe
1947 N. Farwell Ave., (414) 273-7677
thecometcafe.com
Comet is on smoke-free until 10 pm.

County Clare - Restaurant
1234 N. Astor St., (414) 272-5273
countyclare-inn.com

Dream Dance
1712 W. Canal St., (414) 847-7883
paysbig.com/dining/dreamdance

Eddie Martini's
8612 Watertown Plank Rd., (414) 771-6680
eddiemartinis.com

EE Sane Thai Cuisine
1806 N. Farwell Ave. (414) 224-8284

Honeypie Cafe
2643 S. Kinnickinnic Ave (414) 489-7437
honeypiecafe.com

Harry’s Bar and Grillee
3549 N. Oakland Ave. (414) 964-2703
harrysbarandgrillemilwaukee.com

Izumi's
2150 N. Prospect Ave., (414) 271-5278
izumis.com

La Merenda
125 E. National Ave., (414) 389-0125
lamerenda125.com

Maxie's Southern Comfort
6732 W. Fairview Ave., (414) 292-3969
maxies.com/milwaukee

North Star Bistro
4515 N. Oakland Ave., (414) 964-4663
northstarbistro.com

Pasta Tree
1503 N. Farwell Ave. (414) 276-8867
foodspot.com/Clients/WI/Milwaukee/PastaTree/

Pizzeria Piccola
7606 W. State St., Wauwatosa, (414) 443-0800
pizzeriapiccola.com

Ratzsch's Old World Restaurant
320 E. Mason St., (414) 276-2720
karlratzsch.com

Ristorante Bartolotta
7616 W. State St., (414) 771-7910
bartolottaristorante.com

Riverfront Pizzeria Bar and Grill

509 E. Erie St., (414) 277-1800

Sanford
1547 N. Jackson St., (414) 276-9608
sanfordrestaurant.com

Seoul
2178 N. Prospect Ave., (414) 289-8208

Solly's Grille
4629 N. Port Washington Rd., (414) 332-8808

Swig
217 N. Broadway, (414) 431-7944
swigmilwaukee.com

Tenuta's
2995 S. Clement, (414) 431-1014
tenutasitalian.com

Triskele's
1801 S. 3rd St., (414) 837-5950
triskelesrestaurant.com

Trocadero
1758 N. Water St. (414) 272-0205
www.ztrocadero.com

Water Buffalo
249 N. Water St., (414) 431-1133
waterbuffalomilwaukee.com

With how quickly the restaurant industry can change - please call ahead to confirm your restaurant is still smokefree - at least until 7/5/2010 that is! Enjoy!

Ward's House of Prime - Dining Preview

2009-11-15T19:50:00.015-06:00

Milwaukee is fortunate to welcome a new restaurant to the downtown dining scene this week. Ward's House of Prime debuts tomorrow (November 16th) at 540 E. Mason St., in the former space that housed Yanni's (closed July 2008). I was lucky enough to stop in for a soft opening this weekend and was pleased with my experience. The decor was very warm and definitely had the feel of a very upscale and exclusive steakhouse, similar to one not too far away on Milwaukee Street. But Ward's has a few characteristics that set it aside from other steakhouses and those should keep them going strong, if maintained.

When a new restaurant provides a soft opening I am extremely excited to sample the food, but in the end what I am really looking at is the service and the menu.

From a service standpoint, I was immediately concerned when I walked in around 8pm and the restaurant was packed. But as soon I was walked in the hostesses were there providing complimentary coat check which was completed in under 10 seconds. Once at the bar the bartenders were extremely quick to grab an order and provide a recommendation. Even though rail drinks were on the house we ordered two bar specials (A Paloma and a Sparkling Cosmo). With a busy bar scene and constant drink order from patron the bar staff worked quickly and the wait for drinks was pretty average, if not quicker than expected for such a large crowd.

With a drink in hand it was time to try some of Ward's cuisine. While waiting in line to grab some of the prepared items servers were quick to walk around with Chicken Kabobs and Shrimp Cocktail - both delicious and a welcomed treat. Ward's had a variety of random foods to sample, though the combination might seem odd, it was a smart idea to put out a diverse range of foods - cheese, rice pilaf, cheesecake and another round of kabobs.

With a bustling bar and hungry mouths to feed the wait staff and bar staff seemed to operate in-sync and without any sign that this was a new restaurant with a brand new group of employees. You come to expect a few hiccups with service on a busy night and on opening night, yet, I was surprised to see employees working in tandem to provide a wonderful dining experience. The customer experience from a service standpoint was excellent and I am confident in taking any party to Ward's. I know we will be served professionally and in a timely manner.

After the food and drinks were gone I made it a point to take a few glances at the dining menu, specifically the steaks and the a la carte options. I was surprised and relieved to see that Ward's had decided to provide Milwaukee with reasonably price steaks reasonably. An 8oz cut was priced at $19.95..but this is where Ward's sets themselves apart from other steak houses in the area. To make a meal out of a steak at other restaurants you will be opening your wallet for each item you want to purchase. Similar restaurants charge $8-$10 for your salad, $11 for your mashed potatoes, or $7 for your asparagus. Ward's gladly charges you $19.95 for your steak which INCLUDES a house salad and your choice of side. I read this portion of the menu 2-3 times to make sure I wasn't getting my hopes us. But it was all true - goodbye expensive a la carte!

Ward's House of Prime demonstrated a great bar staff / wait staff and a menu that appeals to the conservative spending Milwaukee crowd. Both of which are recipes for success in my book! I have a feeling my bank statements will have many charges for Ward's in the future.

Welcome to Milwaukee and we look forward to paying you a few more visits...

Ward's House of Prime

540 E. Mason St.

Milwaukee, WI

http://www.wardshouseofprime.com/

414-223-0135

Harry's Bar and Grill - An East-side Secret!

2009-10-18T13:51:00.033-05:00

Harry's Bar and Grill on the border of Shorewood and Milwaukee is probably one of the best restaurants you've never heard of in the Milwaukee area. Shorewood, which is not known for its abundance of bars and restaurants, is lucky to have a place like Harry's so close by! Their website says they "successfully combine neighborhood charm with big city sophistication" and I can personally attest that they have successfully done so!

I have visited Harry's more times than I could count and again found myself there last weekend! On this visit our group was seated quite quickly near the back of the restaurant. It was on a Sunday morning and the TV's were filled with pre-game football coverage. Luckily, Harry's has enough TV's strategically placed throughout the restaurant to make watching the big game possible from any angle. This makes for plenty of sports coverage without feeling like a sports bar.

The menu at Harry's provides enough variety to please any member of your group. On this last visit I focused mainly on brunch items, but check back for a more extensive review of their lunch / dinner items in the near future.

I skipped the regular brunch menu items and opted for a special this time around. There was an assortment of specials to choose from including the 'Oreo Pancakes,' which tempted me greatly, but I ended up choosing the Hopple Popple. This was a combination of scrambled eggs, red potatoes, bacon, red peppers and fontina cheese. This meal was served with fruit and sourdough toast.

It was a great brunch selection and I was glad to see this dish make it on the menu of specials. In talking to some Harry's patrons, the 'Hopple Popple' makes an appearance quite often and seems to be a big hit!

One person in our group went off the menu, asking for the Reuben Omelet. A while ago Harry's made the decision to take the Reuben Omelet off the menu; it was probably within good reason as most people I talked with didn't even realize it had ever been available or better yet, what exactly it was. For those of you that don't know what the Reuben Omelet was/is..it is an omelet filled with corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. The Rueben Omelet is served with toast, potatoes and fruit on the side.

I will be the first to admit this does not sound appetizing to me and luckily no one at the table offered a bite; I would have had to find a polite way to change the subject. If you aren't interested in this meal, don't worry. Like I said, Harry's took it off the menu and seems to only make it on special requests. Ask your server if you are interested!

The third brunch item is a personal favorite of mine, the Breakfast Burrito. Harry's keeps up with places like Chipotle and Qdoba when it comes to the size of their burritos, but they set themselves apart with great ingredients and uniqueness of flavors.

The Breakfast Burrito is made with scrambled eggs, chorizo sausage, tomatoes, a red bean puree, and pepperjack cheese, which is rolled into a flour tortilla, then topped with pico, sour cream and guacamole. The burrito has a spicy element from the pepperjack cheese and chorizo sausage. But don't be alarmed if you don't like too much spice. The scrambled eggs and red bean puree mellow it out to an overall nice smooth flavor! This is also served with Harry's traditional breakfast potatoes. I would highly recommend trying this dish the next time you are looking for a hearty breakfast!

Harry's Bar and Grill in Shorewood has drinks and entrees that should be able to satisfy your casual diner or someone looking for a fancier meal. The three items above are just a very small sampling of what Harry's has to offer when it comes to breakfast or brunch. They have an amazing selection of burgers and appetizers that rival your larger every-day chain restaurants. Definitely check them out and see why everyone in Shorewood wants to keep this place a secret!

Harry's Bar and Grill
3549 N. Oakland Avenue
Milwaukee (Shorewood), WI
414-964-6800

www.harrysbarandgrillmilwaukee.com

Does Stack'd stack up to the rest....?

2009-10-03T22:17:00.006-05:00

With the opening of Milwaukee's newest burger bar, Stack'd, in July of this year there has been much talk of this new restaurant on southern end of Water Street, unfortunately not all the talk has been pleasing to the ear. Just to be completely up front I have not yet visited Stack'd to give you my personal opinion and recommendation, but will be doing that in the very near future.

The word on the street has left me a little worried about what I might experience upon visiting. In talking with other Milwaukeeans and reading a few other reviews it would appear the restaurant is still working out some kinks. These kinks mainly deal with service issues (small inventory on hand of certain style buns etc) and a waitstaff that does not seem to be well versed on the variety of menu items. Fortunately, all issues that can addressed and corrected in the front of the house fairly easily. In the back of the house on the kitchen end, talk of the burgers arriving "well done" regardless of how you requested them is a concept that I can't wrap my head and around. I would like to chalk all this talk up to just a few bad experiences from a few select customers, but my excitement level is slowing heading south with what I am hearing about Stack'd.

I wish Stack'd all the success possible and I will certainly give them a try to form my own opinion. But looking at the menu I admit I am a little torn. Do I spend $12 for a burger that might not come out correctly or spend half that and venture over to Sobleman's or AJ Bombers where I have no doubt that I will leave satisfied? The choice seems easy, but I will give it a shot.

Check back soon and see if I was proven wrong!

Sake Tumi - New Flavors All Rolled Up

2009-09-30T18:54:00.022-05:00

With Sushi becoming the craze a few years ago and so far not dying down, I had to throw something out there about Sake Tumi. This contemporary Japanese and Korean restaurant located in the heart of downtown on Milwaukee Street is an excellent choice if you want to satisfy your sushi craving!

If you are a sushi lover or looking to try for the first time, I have a few recommendations. First off, before you go, be sure to visit Sake Tumi's website and sign up for their E-mail Group. If you do, the owner will promptly send you a coupon for a free appetizer (an $8 value). If you don't happen to get your coupon immediately, the staff is so accommodating you should be able to politely inform them that you signed up and did not receive the coupon. If you have the same experience as me they should take your name and provide you with your free appetizer.

When it comes time to order, don't be intimidated by the extensive menu - feel free to try the following under Specialty Makis:

The Godzilla is tempura shrimp, avocado, cucumber, scallions, cream cheese, tobiko, sriracha and tempura flakes served with unagi sauce and wasabi mayo drizzled on top.

The Wasabi mayo provides a little kick of spice, but is quickly calmed by the avocado, cucumber and cream cheese. I would highly recommend this roll for someone who is still new to the sushi game, but feels the need to venture past your traditional California Roll.

The Sexy Scallop is ideal for the palette that loves the crispy seafood texture yet in a sushi roll. This is a wonderful dish that consists of panko scallops, cream cheese, avocado and tempura flakes served with wasabi mayo and thin egg wraps over the top.

You won't be bothered by much spice in this dish as compared with the Godzilla, but the warm consistency of the scallops and creamy texture of the cream cheese and mayo combination will have you reaching for another bite before you can swallow the last.

Now, for all the spice fans, I don't think you should pass up the Kai Fire! This amazing dish is tempura salmon, avocado, cucumber, scallions, daikon sprouts, tobiko and tempura flakes served with sriracha and wasabi mayo drizzled on top.

This may sound quite similar to the other dishes when it comes to avocado, cucumbers, scallions, etc, but the key here is the Sriracha (or Rooster sauce as some of you may know it).

You can control the spice to an extent depending on if you choose to mop up some of the Sriracha sauce with your sushi roll before eating, which I think is the best way to enjoy all of the flavors. If a picture is really worth a thousand words, I should end right here with the photo.

But leave some room because I have one more recommendation for you. If you aren't full yet or maybe you are with a large group and you find yourself looking for one more roll to share, don't worry.

Another favorite selection of mine is the Caterpillar. This roll is made of snow crab, avocado, masago and cucumber on the inside and unagi and avocado on the outside served with wasabi mayo and unagi sauce. It has an excellent flavor combination of all super-fresh tasting ingredients. The combination of flavorful crab with the avocado and cucumber is extremely light, yet still satisfying.

A little word of caution on this dish though. I would advise not serving this to someone that is new to sushi and still trying to figure out if they are a fan or not. The unagi sauce on the outside translates to eel and masago on the inside means smelt. I absolutely loved the flavors, but someone new to sushi might take issue with the somewhat chewy consistency. So if you order this for a beginner, be sure to have a steady supply of edamame on hand to cleanse the palette.

Overall, Sake Tumi is an excellent escape from some of the ordinary restaurants in Milwaukee and a unique place to expand your horizons and sample the Japanese and Korean flavors that have been absent from the Milwaukee scene in the past.

www.sake-milwaukee.com

Molly Cools - Luke warm?

2009-08-03T13:14:00.005-05:00

Not to long ago Kincaids on Old World Third Street gave in to the competitive Milwaukee Restaurant market and Molly Cools Seafood Tavern moved right in to try its hand at success in downtown Milwaukee.

I had received a flier for a free drink before the restaurant opened so I intended on stopping in to check the place out. Like all other coupons it expired before I had the chance to use it. Yet, I made the trip anyways with a colleague to see what had taken the place of Kincaids. I got there a few minutes early and looked around to find that not much had changed at all. The deep wood color was still prevalent throughout the restaurant, but I was pleased to see the lobster tank which gave the place a nice seafood feel.

The atmosphere was classy yet had a laid back feel. It could have been the paper placemats or the custom red Coca-Cola plastic cups on the table which were reminiscent of Pizza Hut restaurants, but either way it was a welcoming and laid back environment.

For my entree I ordered the Blackened Catfish Po' Boy. This came on hearty bread on a bed of red and green peppers, lettuce and onions. The Po' Boy was so thick that I could find absolutely no way to eat it as a sandwich. I opted to eat it open-faced and with a steak technique. Perfectly executing each cut to make sure I got a nice mixture of catfish, bread and vegetables in each bite. The catfish had a nice kick to it but it was easily covered by the large amount of vegetables on the sandwich. As a side I had the option of fries or mashed potatoes. I chose the mashed potatoes and they were the highlight of the meal. They were red-skinned potatoes that had been mashed to the point of still leaving skin behind, which is my favorite way to eat them. To top it off they were topped with a generous serving of butter that was mixed with basil and other herbs, giving my potatoes a slight green tint. Very delicious! Overall the meal was decent but nothing that I would recommend highly to friends. The colleague I was dining with summed it up great after taking her last bite, "I think I will want to goto Cubanitas".

Since I was visiting for lunch I decided to try a meal on the lighter side and stay away from the large fish meals or any real appetizers. But trust me when I say I will be back to try other entrees to make sure I give you my full opinion and recommendation

Feel free to check out the menu and see if anything interests you. One word of warning though - when you visit www.mollycools.com and click on Menu, the menu is dated 'May 15th, 2009'. So far not much has changed, but it will be interesting to see when someone catches that mistake.

www.mollycools.com

1110 North Old World Third Street

Milwaukee, WI

414-831-8863

Cafe Hollander - Quite an experience!

2009-08-02T20:17:00.012-05:00

This morning I had the opportunity to visit Cafe Hollander located on Downer Ave. The brunch was off to a great start seeing that the weather was perfect and the outside patio was packed. With the traffic on the patio being heavy and us being a party of 4 we anticipated the attentiveness of the waitress to be a little slow. Once we came to terms with the fact that the coffee drinks took a little over 10 minutes to get directions to our table we moved on to the exciting brunch menu. This is where the culinary fun began.

The two main dishes ordered that I want to focus on were the Napoleon Dynamite ($8.95) and the Tuscan Benedict ($9.95). I had read about the Napoleon Dynamite prior to our visit and since I was feeling adventurous I didn't have to scan the menu very long to have my selection. The Napoleon Dynamite is a tower of pancakes layered with four slices of smoked Applewood Bacon, two fried eggs, and white cheddar cheese sauce, then topped with whipped cream and served with maple syrup.

Now I will fully agree with you that the menu description is a little scary when you first read it, But I encourage you to go back, re-read and think about how all the flavors will blend with each other, it is really quite something. The flavor of the Napoleon Dynamite was a combination of sweet from the maple syrup and from the pancakes combined with the smokiness of the Applewood bacon (I decided to order the whip cream on the side and didn't touch it from that point on). As the menu described I chose the fried eggs, but this would be just as good with an egg done sunny side up. I think the flavors from a liquid egg yolk would go quite well and provide an extra pop of moisture that would be soaked up nicely by the pancakes. Any issues I had with this dish come from the contrast of what was written on the menu compared to what was actually served on my plate. Apparently, a tower of pancakes from Cafe Hollander translates into only four pancakes. Now maybe we have just been brainwashed by the IHOP all-you-can-eat pancake commercials, but I would have bet money a stack would have been a little larger that just four. The bacon also was quite disappointing from a volume standpoint. I can't say for sure if I actually had 4 slices of bacon as it looked like the kitchen had decided to use bacon bits on the last layer of pancake to satisfy the bacon requirement of the dish. Either way the flavors of the dish worked well together and it was a new taste for my palette. I left quite pleased nonetheless and wouldn't hesitate to order it again with a few special request to the waitstaff next time around.

The Tuscan Benedict can only be described as our favorite take on an unusual benedict. As the restaurant industry in Milwaukee is extremely competitive and all the good restaurants are competing for the same customers there has been an explosion is the area of re-inventing traditional meals. This pertains to the classic eggs benedict as well. Cafe Hollander has hit a home run with their re-invention of the eggs benedict in the form of the Tuscan Benedict. This is Grilled Tuscan bread topped with sliced prosciutto, asparagus, poached eggs, and homemade hollandaise and served with Hollander potatoes.

The Tuscan bread was grilled perfectly firm but not to the point of being tough. The prosciutto was perfectly salted and it was a great alternative to Canadian bacon which can be often be tough by nature. The hollandaise was fresh and bright which was an excellent pairing to an egg that was poached to perfection. The only downside was the small amount of asparagus that was served. But with such strong and bold flavors throughout the dish the asparagus was easily forgivable.

Cafe Hollander served up great atmosphere in a great part of Milwaukee. Check them out and try these two dishes or browse the menu for any other delicious meal. With a little bit of patience on a Sunday morning and an open mind you will not be disappointed.

Cafe Hollander - Milwaukee

www.cafehollander.com

Cafe Hollander - Milwaukee

2009-08-02T08:34:00.004-05:00

I will soon be finally visiting Cafe Hollander in Milwaukee. For a while now I have heard friends talk about going here on Sundays for a great breakfast and a chance to start a lazy sunday off right - with an amazing breakfast and a bloody mary! Check back some time today to find out if the service and food are in line with what everyone seems to be raving about!

Charro 2.0 - All Sweet & Spice this time around..

2009-07-26T09:00:00.013-05:00

I recently tried to re-visit Charro for lunch a few days ago only to find out that they had move to a dinner only service. So now with the Charro menu running through my head the only way to satisfy it was to try it out for dinner again. The restaurant was not busy and we were able to be seated right away. Once seated the server was kind enough to point out the menu had recently changed and he took the time to highlight the differences and any specials they were currentlyrunning. Luckily for us that he took the time explain the changes in detail because we were compelled to try items that in my opinion were otherwise overpriced.

To start we tried the Mexican Crab Cake (originally $14, but 1/2 price that night, $7). If it weren't for the special that night I can assure that even as an avid seafood fan my wallet would not open, let alone even leave my back pocket for one crab cake priced at $14. Thank goodness for recession specials I suppose. Once the server brought out the Mexican Crab Cake it already looked like the $7 was well spent. The crab cake consisted of a very generous portion of crab that was extremely lightly breaded, seared and topped with tomato papaya jam on a bed of chiptole vinaigrette with bits of jalapeno to add a very small hint of spice. The crab cake immediately set itself apart from other crab cakes served in Milwaukee simply by the crab and bread filler ratio. This appetizer had absolutely no bread filling that I could find or taste! Very well put together! The slight spiciness of the chipotle vinaigrette and bits of jalapeno paired extremely well with the sweet tomato papaya jam. The only disappointing part of this portion of the meal is when there was nothing left to scrap off the plate! $7 well spent!

For dinner we both wanted to try something new and exciting. We ordered the Pork Tenderloin ($15) and the Zumpano Mole with Chicken ($12). The Pork Tenderloin was chili rubbed and served with jalapeno apple salsa and sweet potatoes. This entree was just as pleasing as the crab cake appetizer. Charro served approximately 6-7 very tender pieces of pork that had just the right amount of chili rub to give it that spicy flavor we were hoping for. Not to mention the jalapeno apple salsa had a similar sweet / spicy combination as the appetizer with a little extra boldness just as an entree should deliver. This pork dish was so good and it needed to be cherished so we made sure only 1/2 of it was eaten. Definitely a meal that needed to be extended into the next day.

The Zumpano Mole is a dish created with Executive Chef Zumpano's signature mole sauce with chihuahua and fresco cheese. I chose the white meat chicken opposed to the dark meat or beef. The dish was very well prepared with an abundance of juicy white meat and very generous sides of Mexican rice and black beans. I've had mole in a few restaurants within Milwaukee and this one had a different flavor than many of the others - but it did not disappoint. With so many variations of Mole I doubt you will ever find two identical flavor combinations. It is all personal preference if you are going for more poblano spice or more sweetness. Chef Zumpano definitely had the right balance of sweet and spice in his creation.

Overall, the experience at Charro was very enjoyable thanks to the server pointing us in the right direction. I can honestly say we would not have experienced the crab cake if it would not have been on special. We can only hope this is going to be an everyday special! The meal did not disappoint and I look forward to my next visit. The only dilemma will be deciding if we order these flavorful combinations again or roll the dice and try something new to potentially fall in love with!

www.charromilwaukee.com

New restaurant reviews - coming soon!

2009-06-07T14:35:00.014-05:00

The last week or so has seen some great meals in the downtown Milwaukee area. In the next few days you can expect some reviews from the following restaurants:

Some of the restaurants were visited for lunch and others for dinner. Check back soon and see how they stacked up against each other!

Thanks again for keeping up with Your Milwaukee Dining!

Downtown Dining Week

2009-05-30T12:30:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite times of year has approached - Milwaukee Downtown Dining Week! This happens once a year for approximately 7 days. Various downtown restaurants participate in a fixed menu for both lunch and dinner. Lunches are $10 for a three course meal and dinner is $20 for three courses all well. The three courses include your choice of appetizer/starter, entree and dessert (beverage, tax and gratuity are not included). I would encourage everyone to check this out and take advantage. I already have a few restaurants on the radar and have already enjoyed a great lunch at Mo's Irish Pub. The restaurants soon to be visited are Palms Bistro and Bar, Zarletti's and definitely a few more.

One more incentive to attend is the survey you can fill out at the end of your meal. Simply fill out this survey and at the end of dining week 2 lucky diners will be selected to receive $1000 dining gift certificates for participating restaurants. Check back soon and you will see the reviews for these local establishments. For more information on Milwaukee Downtown Dining week check out the link below.

www.milwaukeedowntown.com/diningweek

Enjoy and have a good weekend!

Charro Restaurante

2009-05-28T20:54:00.005-05:00

A few weeks back I had the opportunity to set foot into Charro which is a new restaurant occupying the old Tangerine Bar / Night Club on Milwaukee Street. This was our first time in the restaurant and we decided to grab a drink at the bar. Everyone at the bar seemed to be enjoying their food so we made it a point to come back and sample the food when there was more time. (I had just come from a very filling dinner at Cubanitas right across the street, that review to come in the near future).

Fast forward about 2 weeks and the opportunity to eat at Charro presented itself as a place to grab a quick bite before heading to a show downtown. Being a fan of spicy food we immediately went for the Charro XXX Death Wings made with Haberno pepper sauce and

served with habanero and guajillo pepper sauce. ($8.00). We ordered this off of the appetizer menu and it consisted of enough wings for two. Now typically when you order an extremely hot wing item (I know this is subjective, but trust me we LOVE spicy foods and the hotter the better), you typically sacrifice flavor in order to simply experience the unbearable heat and laugh about it later. The Charro XXX Death Wings were quite the exception. As the wings definitely lived up to their name of being extremely hot and clearing our sinuses almost immediately the flavor was still intacted and provided just the right amount of flavor and heat. The combination was just right and it made you wanted to dig back in for more even though you knew your lips would be numb any moment.

In addition to the Death Wings we got to sample the house salsa and that was your average salsa with not much to write home about. But we were lucky enough to have a bartender that night that had an endless supply of Haberno sauce that kicked our salsa up a notch. So my suggestion to you would be to check with the bartender for their secret sauce to take the Chips and Salsa to the next level!

Overall Charro has a great atmosphere, a very friendly wait and barstaff and classy Mexican food that won't cost a fortune. Try something off the appetizer menu and hang out at the bar or explore the entree menu for something that interests you. I will definitely be heading back and posting my experiences on here for you!

Charro Restaurante

729 N. Milwaukee Street

Milwaukee, WI

www.charrorestaurante.com

414-431-5557

Finally back on track...

2009-05-28T20:50:00.002-05:00

After a small hiatus from posting my dining experiences and accumulating a long list of restaurants and dishes I've found some time to post a few more reviews about local restaurants here in Milwaukee. In the new post or two I will be reviewing Charro Restaurante located on Milwaukee and Sake Tumi conveniently located right across the street as well. Thanks for being patient and I promise to not make the down time between posts so long next time!

Joey's Seafood and Grill

2009-01-19T15:16:00.003-06:00

A franchise restaurant, Joey's Seafood and Grill located in Brookfield has been a nice low-key seafood restaurant for quite some time now. We initially visited this restaurant around 2 years ago on the recommendation from a co-worker. It is a great alternative to Red Lobster. (Which in my opinion is overpriced.) Since then we have been back numerous times to try various menu items and each time we had a great experience. Most recently we were invited to dinner with friends and we definitely couldn't pass it up!

As usual, for a Saturday Joey's was busy around 7pm and we waited at the bar for about 10 minutes. Usually waiting for a table can be a long and boring experience, but Joey's with their smart business sense gives you $1 off each drink while you wait for your table - they make money off drinks and your waiting time suddenly becomes enjoyable and not that much of an inconvenience. Once seated we waited approximately 10 minutes for a server, which we didn't mind too much since the restaurant was busy and it was fun to watch the various seafood dishes pass by our table.

When it came time to order there were two main dishes I want to tell you about. The first was the Joey's Famous Fish & Chips ($7.99) which was 2 filets hand-battered served with seasoned fries.
(More details to follow).

The second entree was the Crab Stuffed Haddock ($14.49), which was marked as one of Joey's Favorites. This entree was a piece of North Atlantic Haddock stuffed with blue crab, baked and then topped with a garlic sauce. The haddock was definitely cooked just right and did not have an overpowering fish smell which I know can scare a lot of fish eaters away. My only surprise with this dish was that the blue crab inside the Haddock was more of a crab cake rather than lumps of blue crab meat as described on the menu. The garlic sauce on the entree was seasoned to perfection and the garlic was not overpowering in any way. With the sauce being on the thick side you can share this dish with others at your table and not have to worry about leaving the table hungry. As for sides I chose the Hush Puppies, the entree came with 7, which were very appetizing and not under/over-cooked at all.

Other entrees I recommend you try if heading to Joey's would be the Dump Dinner ($16.99) a Saturday special that consists of Andouille sausage, mussels, shrimp, crab legs, red potatoes and corn on the cob all steamed and "dumped" on your table to enjoy!

Overall, Joey's is a great restaurant to satisfy your seafood craving without breaking the bank! Even if you end up waiting a few extra minutes to grab a seat the drink specials at the bar should make the wait a little more bearable.

Joey's Seafood and Grill
12455 W. Capitol Drive
Brookfield, WI
http://www.joeysbrookfield.com/
262-790-9500

Your Milwaukee Dining's First Appearance

2009-01-19T14:03:00.001-06:00

For years I have enjoyed visiting and trying new restaurants in and around Milwaukee, more than I can even count to be honest. It has even gotten to the point where it is not uncommon for a friend or friend of a friend to call or email asking for advice on new restaurants, anniversary ideas, or just for a quick suggestion on where to go for lunch. This has always got me thinking that there has to be a way to write down my experiences and share them with anyone who needs a little guidance on where to eat or who is just looking for a little reassurance before they commit to a new restaurant with their hard earned money.

So my main purpose here is to share my experiences in and around Milwaukee with you! I will do my best to share all the details that the average Milwaukee diner is looking for, no fancy reviews on how the sauce didn't taste like it should have according to a world renowned Chef, no comparing the atmosphere to how it would be in an upscale New York dining spot, just the average, detailed, and honest review of how you and your family would enjoy the restaurant, the food, and if it is worth you spending your money on a night out.

While I get my first few posts in order I would encourage anyone to send suggestions on restaurants they would like reviewed - I am always open to new ideas!

Please enjoy the blog and feel free to send any suggestions as I would be happy to read and will definitely take all comments into consideration!

Thanks,

Stephen