 Gasthaus
blends German classics with contemporary favorites
WAUKESHA
– Weissgerber’s Gasthaus has been a prominent part of
the Waukesha community for 30 years. |
 Downtown
Waukesha restaurant honored for perfect cleanliness
WAUKESHA - A downtown restaurant that features
gluten-free food has attained the rare accomplishment of
capturing perfect cleanliness scores from the Waukesha
County Division of Environmental Health for two
consecutive years. |
 Take
me out to the ball game
Whether you
crave Irish-pub fare or BBQ, or even Italian food from a storied
restaurant family, many restaurants offer free shuttle service to
Milwaukee Brewers home games at Miller Park. (Opening Day is April
1.) What’s in it for you? Not just a free ride, and your being freed
from the angst of finding a parking spot or springing for the
stadium’s parking fees. |
 Fork
In The Road
MUKWONAGO - Yogi Berra once said, “If you
come to a fork in the road, take it.” So when you come to the fork
at the intersection of Hwy 83 and County Road ES in Mukwonago, take
it to Fork in the Road restaurant located at 215 N. Rochester
Street. |
Wine bars, sushi and 'cue
 With spring’s
warmer temps on the horizon, several new restaurants, coffee shops and
bars debuted — even during the cold snaps of winter. The Ruby Tap
(1341 Wauwatosa Ave., Wauwatosa), which actually opened in August,
ushered in the frenzy with a new concept: wine on tap and wine
dispensers. |
 Taste/Chef
Speak: Thomas
Peschong - Executive Chef, Turner Hall
From
1990 to 2011, chef Tom Peschong was a familiar face at the Riversite
Restaurant, where his dishes consistently earned kudos. Among his
honors was being named a James Beard Best Midwestern Chef nominee.
|
 The
Dish: Nines at the River Club of Mequon
I
ordered the Crouching Tuna, Hidden Shrimp Roll, a toss of the dice
from a menu that suggested unexpected flavor combinations on every
line. The menu deconstructed the roll by listing tuna, avocado,
shrimp, soy glaze, wasabi cream and caviar, but I chose to let the
roll surprise me and let the flavors speak for themselves. |
 The
dish/What's new in city dining: Joey Gerard's
Rave reviews of
Joey Gerard’s preceded our visit to the latest addition to the
Bartolotta Restaurants roster. Joe Bartolotta’s two namesake
restaurants, one in Greendale and one in Mequon, harken back to a time
before we counted calories; a time when menus featured liver and
onions, meatloaf and beef stroganoff. |
 Cruisin'
for cuisine
Hop
on board the bus for culinary adventures — and leave the driving to
Milwaukee Food Tours. Theresa Nemetz and husband Wade will ensure a
good time, grand fun and an exciting peek into the city’s history,
all rolled into one jolly excursion. |
 Chef
Speak: Scott Pampuch - The Iron Horse Hotel
Scott
Pampuch, top chef and beverage director at The Iron Horse Hotel and
founder of the award-winning Corner Table restaurant in the Twin
Cities, grew up in Winona, Minn., where his culinary training really
began. Being on the Mississippi River was a huge influence on him,
particularly since he spent a lot of time laboring in his
grandparents’ large garden there. |
 The
Dish/What's new in city dining: Wild Earth Cucina Italiana
Wild
Earth Cucina Italiana — the name suggests a sensory feast on Italy’s
coast looking down from an oversized window to a raging sea, or
perhaps a view of a rolling hillside in Tuscany. |
 Milwaukee's
Italian dining scene
For the
Balistreri siblings, Tony, Theresa and Peter, running Sala da Pranzo
Italian restaurant is an extension of their family experience. Even
before their grandfather came to America as a young boy from St. Elia,
Silicy in the early 1900s the Balistreris have been a cooking family. |
 Just
Dessert
Sarah Mironczuk had a pet tarantula named "Pablo," calls herself
"Zombie Girl," was born a week before Halloween and her 2-year old
daughter, Bernadette, entered the world on a Friday the 13th. Is it
any wonder that Mironczuk was a recent winner on the Food Network’s
"Sweet Genius," a show where chefs concoct competitive desserts,
that was also taped on a Friday the 13th with a Halloween theme and
Sarah’s winning dish was a cake shaped like a tarantula? |
 The
year in dining
Returning to his native Wisconsin after cooking with Michel Richard at
Citronelle in Washington, D.C., was never a question — he always
intended on it. Thomas Hauck, chef owner of c. 1880, on a corner
along bustling 1st Street in Walker’s Point, uses his restaurant as
a culinary laboratory where he pickles, preserves and dehydrates. |
 Chef
club
Chefs at country
clubs have a tall order — to satisfy pickiest of palates. After all,
members at these exclusive clubs eat artisan ingredients in far-flung
nations and often host multicourse gourmet meals in their homes. |
 Chef
Speak>>William Doyle: Executive Chef/InterContinental Milwaukee
InterContinental-Milwaukee
Executive Chef William Doyle has enough Irish in him to truly
appreciate green. That love affair certainly spills over to garden
greens … in fact, anything fresh and seasonal is fantastic. Taking
over this past spring, his kitchen at the downtown hotel overflows
with the flavorful. |
 The
dish/What's new in city dining: C. 1880
I
wish I could guarantee future diners at c.1880 the same dinner we
enthused over, but since chef and owner Thomas Hauck features
regional/seasonal products, the menu is never the same. The
ever-changing menu is no small feat when one considers he serves the
likes of Lamb with Baba Ganoush and Pita Panzanella. |
 Sweet
suites
At
several new local bakeries the charm lies not only inside the pastry
case. Enter
through Café Perrin’s brick-red door and into a mirage of color:
original art depicting bright flowers hung on seafoam-green walls.
Rocket Baby Bakery’s French-blue storefront beckons from busy North
Avenue in Wauwatosa. |
 The
dish/What's new in city dining: Mozzaluna
At
Mozzaluna, the Margherita, the classic Italian pizza made with tomato
sauce, mozzarella, basil, olive oil and oregano, comes in one size,
medium. Actually, all the pizzas on the menu are one size fits all.
People who like a thick, chewy crust, smothered with chunky tomato
sauce and topped with a thick layer of mozzarella, will love this one. |
 The
dish/What's new in city dining: Odd Duck
They know how to
make diners feel special at Odd Duck. We had excellent service despite
a crowd, and the small-plate dining restaurant in Bay View is full of
palate-pleasing surprises. They play with flavors here. Even the bar
snacks listed on a chalkboard piqued curiosity, especially the
Bacon-Almond-Caramel-Corn. |
 The
dish/What's new in city dining: Espana Tapas House
"We’re
bringing Spain to you," our server says as we settle into a
window table at Espana Tapas House. Our smiles broaden as we look
around at the brightly painted walls and matching red tablecloths. |
 Chef
Speak: Chef de Physique - Sarah Dusseau - Chef/Co-owner
CafeOne24
Clean
eating and fitness guru Sarah Dusseau opened her Brookfield restaurant
with partner Renee Scheterie earlier this year, laughing that now her
daily workout is running a restaurant, a constant task with very few
breaks. Her delightfully trendy wine bar and up-tempo eatery is called
CafeOne24, named after the street where it’s located. |
 The
dish/What's new in city dining: The Noble
I would eat cat food if they dressed it with a sauce and served
it at The Noble. In this small space with six tables and eight
seats at the bar, we found food nirvana. We also found it busy
on a Friday night. As we waited in chairs behind the espresso
machine — the waiting room — we noted a bookcase with some old
books. |
 The
dish/What's new in city dining: Hamburger Mary's
Lolling
on the lanai. Psych advice. Gluten-free bread. Half-pound Angus
burgers. What more does one need during summer in Bay View? |
 Dock
and Dine
Do
you have a boat? Does a friend of yours own a boat? If you have access
to a pontoon or other watercraft some night this summer, consider
ditching the car for a leisurely ride up or down the Milwaukee River. |
 Beat
the heat
Perspiration should be
reserved for beading along the outside of a iced mug or glass. When
beating summer’s heat, area mixologists have many tricks up their
sleeves. Whether wanting chilled, twirled, mingled, shaken or stirred,
ask and you shall receive. |
 Chef
Speak: Matt Baier - Dream Dance Steak
Chef
Matt Baier of Dream Dance Steak relates how his mother told him he
liked to cook since he was a youngster helping her in the kitchen. His
parents were instrumental in laying the foundation for his interest in
food. Baier, his brother and sister helped in the family’s half-acre
garden, from which they canned most of what they grew. |
 The
dish/ What's new in city dining : The Smoke Shack
It
looks like a shack. Duh. That’s why the owners Joe and Angie Sorge
named it Smoke Shack. We knew we were in the right neighborhood when
we got out of the car and detected the sweet smell of a hard-working
smoker. |
 Chef
Speak: Roberto Reyes - Chef/Owner Revolucion Restaurant
Coming
from a long line of restaurateurs, Roberto Reyes, 41, strives to mix
innovative techniques with traditional Mexican recipes at his first
eatery: Revolucion Restaurant, near 29th Street and Morgan Avenue
on the South Side.
|
 The
dish/What's new in city dining : Braise
I
felt juicy anticipation after several conversations with friends who
had already dined at Braise, a new restaurant on South Second Street.
Every bite exceeded expectations. |
 Cafe
One 24
Portion
control? It’s not the first thing I think to mention when I speak
about a restaurant. At Cafe One 24 it’s on the menu. Well, not
explicitly expressed, but implied in executive chef Sarah Dusseau’s
philosophical musings about her restaurant. She comes from a fitness
background.
|
The
Rumpus Room
On my visit to
The Rumpus Room gastropub, a quick look at the bar confirmed the
"pub," and my first bite of the Scotch Egg confirmed the
"gastro." The interior of the latest Bartolotta restaurant
group endeavor combines the look of an elderly English pub with dark
walls, dark furniture and wonderful scarred hardwood floors, with a
long bar and an impressive collection of spirits displayed on the back
wall.
|
 Epicurian
escapes
You could go American
for brunch — eggs, bacon and pancakes — but why not opt for
edibles off the beaten path and take a virtual vacation? Several of
Milwaukee’s ethnic eateries, whether German, Dutch, Italian or
Irish, don’t hold back on creativity — without losing hold of
tradition — when devising their breakfast menus.
|
 The
dish/What's new in city dining
Everyone’s
doing it — serving locally grown, organic, healthful food. Parkside
23 owners took that premise a step further when they planted a
10,000-square-foot organic garden a stone’s throw from the
restaurant. PS23 combines the best of casual dining with exceptional
food prepared to enhance natural flavors. There’s no designer food
here that requires an explanation from your server.
|
Stack’d Burger Bar
At
Stack’d Burger Bar, the owners literally mean "stacked."
The Build-Your-Own Stack’d Burger puts the consumer in charge of the
sandwich. It’s all clearly stated on the menu, reading step by step.
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