Sweet Willie
Jun 10, 03, 4:40 pm
Top 30 in MKE as per the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal
http://www.jsonline.com/onwisconsin/dining/jun03/145849.asp
A new world order
A feast of ethnic food choices enriches Milwaukee's culinary scene
By DENNIS R. GETTO
Journal Sentinel restaurant critic
Last Updated: June 5, 2003
For years, guidebooks have hailed Milwaukee for its ethnic restaurants. This year, as I prepared my annual list of what I consider Milwaukee's 30 best restaurants, I'm reminded of that old fame.
Ethnic food is one of the main features of this year's lineup. Four of the five restaurants new to the list - Polonez, Pacific Rim, Elliot's Bistro and Konohana - offer exceptionally rich dining experiences from worldwide cuisines.
Of the four, only Polonez reflects the restaurant scene of decades ago. Its hearty eastern European fare would have been at home in the 1960s, when German and Serbian restaurants were common. The difference now is Polonez's fine-dining setting.
Plenty of other restaurants serve pierogi, cabbage rolls and czarnina, but they've always been neighborhood spots with busy bars. The new Polonez (it re-opened in its current location last spring) is a white-tablecloth establishment with top-level service.
Milwaukee has been and remains a city that welcomes different ethnic groups. But the range of cuisines has steadily become more expansive.
Paul J. Carrier, who coordinates the American Culinary Federation apprenticeship program at Milwaukee Area Technical College, sees the interest in ethnic food among his students. Many of his program's graduates borrow money and open small ethnic restaurants right away. "They want to bring something to Milwaukee that's different.
"There's a lot of opportunity here in Milwaukee, especially in the summer. There's a lot to see and a lot to do and a lot of places to eat . . . I'm from St. Paul and there's a lot more diversity here than there is in the Twin Cities."
In addition to the newcomers, 14 other restaurants on this list roam the culinary map, representing Indian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Italian, Mediterranean, German, French, Polish, Chinese, Japanese and creative combinations of many.
Consider these newcomers to the Top 30 list:
Pacific Rim's menu looks as if it were plucked from California, where the practice of blending Asian and European culinary elements has gone on for more than 10 years. The restaurant's decor makes reference to Roman ruins and Zen gardens. One of the house specials is an elaborate seafood stew that, with the addition of coconut and curry, is a distant cousin of a classic French bouillabaisse.
Milwaukeeans, like New Yorkers, are falling in love again - with French food. Among the places satisfying their cravings is Elliot's Bistro, a spot where tableside cooking nightly turns out Gallic delicacies like Crepes Suzettes and steak au poivre. (See related story.)
Anyone who's watched the Food Network's "Iron Chef" knows that the world is fascinated with Japanese cooking, and Milwaukeeans are no different. The latest addition to a burgeoning number of Japanese restaurants is Konohana, where the sushi, katsu (cutlets) and casseroles are authentic. You can enjoy cooking slices of thin beef over a portable burner if you order shabu-shabu.
The fifth restaurant new to the list, Palms, can't be called an ethnic restaurant but is nonetheless global in its tastes. Among the appetizers are Thai-style satay and ginger chicken wontons. For entrees - Palms calls them "big plates" - you'll find ahi tuna with baby bok choy and Atlantic salmon with yellow coconut curry sauce. Even the hamburgers can be topped with French brie cheese and caramelized onions.
These five join 25 other establishments that have proved their worth in previous years. Together, they represent what I consider the best in Milwaukee area dining.
AU BON APPETIT
1016 E. Brady St., (414) 278-1233.
Why it’s on this list: Reasonably priced Mediterranean dishes from Northern Africa, Lebanon and Southern France served in an intimate atmosphere.
BARTOLOTTA'S LAKE PARK BISTRO
3133 E. Newberry Blvd., (414) 962-6300.
Why it's on this list: The ideal combination of wonderful French and Italian food, and a beautiful setting - picturesque Lake Park, on a bluff above Lake Michigan.
CEMPAZUCHI
1205 E. Brady St., (414) 291-5233
Why it's on this list: This is Mexican food prepared at a level that you won't find anywhere else in Wisconsin.
COQUETTE CAFE
316 N. Milwaukee St., (414) 291-2655.
Why it's on this list: This casual yet classy restaurant is modeled after the brasseries of France and Belgium.
DANCING GANESHA
1692-94 N. Van Buren St. (414) 220-0202
Why it's on this list: Other Indian spots in town serve traditional fare, but here the Indian dishes are distinctively interpreted.
DREAM DANCE
In the Potawatomi Bingo Casino, 1721 W. Canal St. (414) 847-7883
Why it's on this list: Quiet elegance and magnificent food.
ELLIOT'S BISTRO
2321 N. Murray Ave., (414) 273-1488
Why it's on this list: Let President Bush rail all he wants. French food is the crowning glory of Western cuisine, and owner and chef Pierre Briere is a master at preparing it.
GRENADIER'S
747 N. Broadway, (414) 276-0747
Why it's on this list: It's one of Milwaukee's and Wisconsin's premier restaurants, with a bright atmosphere and menus that present both the traditional and the trendy.
IL MITO
605 W. Virginia St., (414) 276-1414
Why it's on this list: Reasonably priced food that combines the cuisines of Italy, France and the Middle East.
JAKE'S
21445 W. Gumina Road (just north of Capitol Drive), Brookfield, (262) 781-7995
Why it's on this list: It combines the best elements of the elegant supper clubs of the past with new twists, like a chic seasonal menu.
KARL RATZSCH'S OLD WORLD RESTAURANT
320 E. Mason St., (414) 276-2720
Why it's on this list: Milwaukee's century-old tradition of excellent German food lives on here.
THE KNICK
in the Knickerbocker Hotel, 1030 E. Juneau Ave. (414) 272-0011
Why it's on this list: Casual dishes, appetizers and full entrees are available. Want an entree-sized salad? Something spicy? A good old-fashioned burger? No problem.
KONOHANA JAPANESE RESTAURANT
815 E. Brady St., (414) 271-1117
Why it's on this list: Sleek and attentive to detail, it serves cutting-edge Japanese food in a subdued atmosphere.
MILWAUKEE CHOP HOUSE
In the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, 633 N. 5th St., Milwaukee (414) 226-2467
Why it's on this list: Excellent steaks and seafood served in a clubby downtown setting.
MR. B'S, A BARTOLOTTA STEAKHOUSE
17700 W. Capitol Drive, Brookfield (262) 790-7005
Why it's on this list: It serves what I consider the best steak in town, plus great chops and Italian specialties.
NANAKUSA JAPANESE RESTAURANT
408 E. Chicago St., (414) 223-3200
Why it's on this list: It serves excellent Japanese food in a setting hip enough that you could be in New York.
NORTH SHORE BISTRO
8649 N. Port Washington Road, Fox Point (414) 351-6100
Why it's on this list: Excellent sandwiches, salads, appetizers and entrees in a classy-casual atmosphere.
OSTERIA DEL MONDO
In the Knickerbocker Hotel, 1028 E. Juneau Ave., (414) 291-3770
Why it's on this list: It's charming, upscale yet casual, and serves exquisite Italian food.
PACIFIC RIM RESTAURANT
830 N. Old World Third St., (414) 277-8100
Why it's on this list: Pacific Rim cookery, which blends flavors of Asia with California, finally comes of age in Milwaukee.
PALMS
221 N. Broadway, (414) 298-3000
Why it's on this list: Creative dishes with European, Asian and Southwestern influences.
PEONY CHINESE RESTAURANT
11120 W. Blue Mound Road, Wauwatosa (414) 443-6455
Why it's on this list: It offers the most ambitious menu of any Chinese restaurant in southeastern Wisconsin, and all of its dishes are prepared well.
POLONEZ
4016 S. Packard Ave., St. Francis, (414) 482-0080
Why it's on this list: One of Milwaukee's strongest culinary traditions - Polish food - has moved upscale in this white-tablecloth yet casual restaurant. The food is hearty, well prepared and reasonably priced.
RESTAURANT HAMA
In Audubon Court, 333 W. Brown Deer Road, Bayside (414) 352-5051
Why it's on this list: A nicely appointed restaurant with one foot in Japan and the other in California.
REY SOL
2338 W. Forest Home Ave., (414) 389-1760
Why it's on this list: Elegant Mexican food served in a setting reminiscent of high-end restaurants in Mexico.
RISTORANTE BARTOLOTTA
7616 W. State St., Wauwatosa, (414) 771-7910
Why it's on this list: Lovely Italian food served in a lively spot.
RIVER LANE INN
4313 W. River Lane, Brown Deer (414) 354-1995
Why it's on this list: It serves the best fresh seafood in southeast Wisconsin
THE RIVERSITE
11120 N. Cedarburg Road, Mequon (262) 242-6050
Why it's on this list: Traditional meats and seafood dishes are top-notch, supplemented with creatively prepared specials that showcase the best of the season.
SANFORD
1547 N. Jackson St. (414) 276-9608
Why it's on this list: It's world class and can compete with the best restaurants you'll find in New York or San Francisco.
TANDOOR
1117 S. 108th St., West Allis (414) 777-1600
Why it's on this list: Cuisine from all corners of India is prepared fresh and served in a pleasantly casual atmosphere.
TULA'S
117 E. Wells St. (414) 276-7575
Why it's on this list: Elegance and culinary creativity combined, in an attractive space along the Milwaukee River.
http://www.jsonline.com/onwisconsin/dining/jun03/145849.asp
A new world order
A feast of ethnic food choices enriches Milwaukee's culinary scene
By DENNIS R. GETTO
Journal Sentinel restaurant critic
Last Updated: June 5, 2003
For years, guidebooks have hailed Milwaukee for its ethnic restaurants. This year, as I prepared my annual list of what I consider Milwaukee's 30 best restaurants, I'm reminded of that old fame.
Ethnic food is one of the main features of this year's lineup. Four of the five restaurants new to the list - Polonez, Pacific Rim, Elliot's Bistro and Konohana - offer exceptionally rich dining experiences from worldwide cuisines.
Of the four, only Polonez reflects the restaurant scene of decades ago. Its hearty eastern European fare would have been at home in the 1960s, when German and Serbian restaurants were common. The difference now is Polonez's fine-dining setting.
Plenty of other restaurants serve pierogi, cabbage rolls and czarnina, but they've always been neighborhood spots with busy bars. The new Polonez (it re-opened in its current location last spring) is a white-tablecloth establishment with top-level service.
Milwaukee has been and remains a city that welcomes different ethnic groups. But the range of cuisines has steadily become more expansive.
Paul J. Carrier, who coordinates the American Culinary Federation apprenticeship program at Milwaukee Area Technical College, sees the interest in ethnic food among his students. Many of his program's graduates borrow money and open small ethnic restaurants right away. "They want to bring something to Milwaukee that's different.
"There's a lot of opportunity here in Milwaukee, especially in the summer. There's a lot to see and a lot to do and a lot of places to eat . . . I'm from St. Paul and there's a lot more diversity here than there is in the Twin Cities."
In addition to the newcomers, 14 other restaurants on this list roam the culinary map, representing Indian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Italian, Mediterranean, German, French, Polish, Chinese, Japanese and creative combinations of many.
Consider these newcomers to the Top 30 list:
Pacific Rim's menu looks as if it were plucked from California, where the practice of blending Asian and European culinary elements has gone on for more than 10 years. The restaurant's decor makes reference to Roman ruins and Zen gardens. One of the house specials is an elaborate seafood stew that, with the addition of coconut and curry, is a distant cousin of a classic French bouillabaisse.
Milwaukeeans, like New Yorkers, are falling in love again - with French food. Among the places satisfying their cravings is Elliot's Bistro, a spot where tableside cooking nightly turns out Gallic delicacies like Crepes Suzettes and steak au poivre. (See related story.)
Anyone who's watched the Food Network's "Iron Chef" knows that the world is fascinated with Japanese cooking, and Milwaukeeans are no different. The latest addition to a burgeoning number of Japanese restaurants is Konohana, where the sushi, katsu (cutlets) and casseroles are authentic. You can enjoy cooking slices of thin beef over a portable burner if you order shabu-shabu.
The fifth restaurant new to the list, Palms, can't be called an ethnic restaurant but is nonetheless global in its tastes. Among the appetizers are Thai-style satay and ginger chicken wontons. For entrees - Palms calls them "big plates" - you'll find ahi tuna with baby bok choy and Atlantic salmon with yellow coconut curry sauce. Even the hamburgers can be topped with French brie cheese and caramelized onions.
These five join 25 other establishments that have proved their worth in previous years. Together, they represent what I consider the best in Milwaukee area dining.
AU BON APPETIT
1016 E. Brady St., (414) 278-1233.
Why it’s on this list: Reasonably priced Mediterranean dishes from Northern Africa, Lebanon and Southern France served in an intimate atmosphere.
BARTOLOTTA'S LAKE PARK BISTRO
3133 E. Newberry Blvd., (414) 962-6300.
Why it's on this list: The ideal combination of wonderful French and Italian food, and a beautiful setting - picturesque Lake Park, on a bluff above Lake Michigan.
CEMPAZUCHI
1205 E. Brady St., (414) 291-5233
Why it's on this list: This is Mexican food prepared at a level that you won't find anywhere else in Wisconsin.
COQUETTE CAFE
316 N. Milwaukee St., (414) 291-2655.
Why it's on this list: This casual yet classy restaurant is modeled after the brasseries of France and Belgium.
DANCING GANESHA
1692-94 N. Van Buren St. (414) 220-0202
Why it's on this list: Other Indian spots in town serve traditional fare, but here the Indian dishes are distinctively interpreted.
DREAM DANCE
In the Potawatomi Bingo Casino, 1721 W. Canal St. (414) 847-7883
Why it's on this list: Quiet elegance and magnificent food.
ELLIOT'S BISTRO
2321 N. Murray Ave., (414) 273-1488
Why it's on this list: Let President Bush rail all he wants. French food is the crowning glory of Western cuisine, and owner and chef Pierre Briere is a master at preparing it.
GRENADIER'S
747 N. Broadway, (414) 276-0747
Why it's on this list: It's one of Milwaukee's and Wisconsin's premier restaurants, with a bright atmosphere and menus that present both the traditional and the trendy.
IL MITO
605 W. Virginia St., (414) 276-1414
Why it's on this list: Reasonably priced food that combines the cuisines of Italy, France and the Middle East.
JAKE'S
21445 W. Gumina Road (just north of Capitol Drive), Brookfield, (262) 781-7995
Why it's on this list: It combines the best elements of the elegant supper clubs of the past with new twists, like a chic seasonal menu.
KARL RATZSCH'S OLD WORLD RESTAURANT
320 E. Mason St., (414) 276-2720
Why it's on this list: Milwaukee's century-old tradition of excellent German food lives on here.
THE KNICK
in the Knickerbocker Hotel, 1030 E. Juneau Ave. (414) 272-0011
Why it's on this list: Casual dishes, appetizers and full entrees are available. Want an entree-sized salad? Something spicy? A good old-fashioned burger? No problem.
KONOHANA JAPANESE RESTAURANT
815 E. Brady St., (414) 271-1117
Why it's on this list: Sleek and attentive to detail, it serves cutting-edge Japanese food in a subdued atmosphere.
MILWAUKEE CHOP HOUSE
In the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, 633 N. 5th St., Milwaukee (414) 226-2467
Why it's on this list: Excellent steaks and seafood served in a clubby downtown setting.
MR. B'S, A BARTOLOTTA STEAKHOUSE
17700 W. Capitol Drive, Brookfield (262) 790-7005
Why it's on this list: It serves what I consider the best steak in town, plus great chops and Italian specialties.
NANAKUSA JAPANESE RESTAURANT
408 E. Chicago St., (414) 223-3200
Why it's on this list: It serves excellent Japanese food in a setting hip enough that you could be in New York.
NORTH SHORE BISTRO
8649 N. Port Washington Road, Fox Point (414) 351-6100
Why it's on this list: Excellent sandwiches, salads, appetizers and entrees in a classy-casual atmosphere.
OSTERIA DEL MONDO
In the Knickerbocker Hotel, 1028 E. Juneau Ave., (414) 291-3770
Why it's on this list: It's charming, upscale yet casual, and serves exquisite Italian food.
PACIFIC RIM RESTAURANT
830 N. Old World Third St., (414) 277-8100
Why it's on this list: Pacific Rim cookery, which blends flavors of Asia with California, finally comes of age in Milwaukee.
PALMS
221 N. Broadway, (414) 298-3000
Why it's on this list: Creative dishes with European, Asian and Southwestern influences.
PEONY CHINESE RESTAURANT
11120 W. Blue Mound Road, Wauwatosa (414) 443-6455
Why it's on this list: It offers the most ambitious menu of any Chinese restaurant in southeastern Wisconsin, and all of its dishes are prepared well.
POLONEZ
4016 S. Packard Ave., St. Francis, (414) 482-0080
Why it's on this list: One of Milwaukee's strongest culinary traditions - Polish food - has moved upscale in this white-tablecloth yet casual restaurant. The food is hearty, well prepared and reasonably priced.
RESTAURANT HAMA
In Audubon Court, 333 W. Brown Deer Road, Bayside (414) 352-5051
Why it's on this list: A nicely appointed restaurant with one foot in Japan and the other in California.
REY SOL
2338 W. Forest Home Ave., (414) 389-1760
Why it's on this list: Elegant Mexican food served in a setting reminiscent of high-end restaurants in Mexico.
RISTORANTE BARTOLOTTA
7616 W. State St., Wauwatosa, (414) 771-7910
Why it's on this list: Lovely Italian food served in a lively spot.
RIVER LANE INN
4313 W. River Lane, Brown Deer (414) 354-1995
Why it's on this list: It serves the best fresh seafood in southeast Wisconsin
THE RIVERSITE
11120 N. Cedarburg Road, Mequon (262) 242-6050
Why it's on this list: Traditional meats and seafood dishes are top-notch, supplemented with creatively prepared specials that showcase the best of the season.
SANFORD
1547 N. Jackson St. (414) 276-9608
Why it's on this list: It's world class and can compete with the best restaurants you'll find in New York or San Francisco.
TANDOOR
1117 S. 108th St., West Allis (414) 777-1600
Why it's on this list: Cuisine from all corners of India is prepared fresh and served in a pleasantly casual atmosphere.
TULA'S
117 E. Wells St. (414) 276-7575
Why it's on this list: Elegance and culinary creativity combined, in an attractive space along the Milwaukee River.