Hinterland photo by Adam Ryan Morris.
It’s back! Why does our dining critic get all the fun? Ahh, but you’re in luck. Once a year, she cedes the platform to you, the readers. Your mandate, in our latest Readers’ Choice dining survey, was to choose your favorites in categories high-end and casual – new restaurant, ambiance, wine list, fish fry, steak and many more. The results may keep you out of your kitchen for a long time. Before you dig in, we send congrats to the winners of our random drawing: Chip Roska, Shan Nelson-Rowe, Jim Riebe, Brent Kaufman, F. Bollow, Tammy Gilpin-Ripp, Michelle Crockett and Laura Petska.
Critic's Choice
Top Five Restaurants
LAKE PARK BISTRO
(3133 E. Newberry Blvd., 414-962-6300)
MAXIE’S SOUTHERN COMFORT
(6732 W. Fairview Ave., 414-292-3969)
SANFORD RESTAURANT
(1547 N. Jackson St., 414-276-9608)
LA MERENDA
(125 E. National Ave., 414-389-0125)
CRAZY WATER
(839 S. Second St., 414-645-2606)
Critic’s Choice
SANFORD
HINTERLAND ERIE STREET GASTROPUB
(222 E. Erie St., Suite 100, 414-727-9300)
CRAZY WATER
LA MERENDA
BUCKLEY’S RESTAURANT & BAR
(801 N. Cass St., 414-277-1111)
NEW RESTAURANT
1 Braise Restaurant (1101 S. Second St., 414-212-8843)
2 The Rumpus Room (1030 N. Water St., 414-292-0100)
Braise
CHEAP SPOT
1 Conejito’s Place (539 W. Virginia St., 414-278-9106)
2 Comet Cafe (1947 N. Farwell Ave., 414-273-7677)
Riverwest Co-op Cafe (733 E. Clarke St., 414-264-7933)
VIEW
1 Harbor House (550 N. Harbor Dr., 414-395-4900)
2 Lake Park Bistro
Harbor House
SERVICE
1 Sanford
2 Bacchus (Cudahy Tower, 925 E. Wells St., 414-765-1166)
Sanford
ROMANTIC
1 Lake Park Bistro
2 Sanford
centro cafe (808 E. Center St., 414-455-3751)
AMBIANCE
1 Lake Park Bistro
2 Harbor House
Roots Restaurant & Cellar (1818 N. Hubbard St., 414-374-8480)
FAMILY-FRIENDLY
1 Cafe Hollander (2608 N. Downer Ave., 414-963-6366; 7677 W.
State St., 414-475-6771)
2 Chancery (four area locations)
WINE LIST
1 Bacchus
2 Balzac Wine Bar (1716 N. Arlington Pl., 414-755-0099)
Bacchus
BEER SELECTION
1 Cafe Hollander
2 Cafe Benelux (346 N. Broadway, 414-501-2500)
SMALL PLATES
1 La Merenda
2 Swig (217 N. Broadway, 414-431-7944)
La Merenda
PATIO
1 Cafe Benelux
2 Trocadero Gastrobar (1758 N. Water St., 414-272-0205)
The rooftop at Benelux
LOCAL INGREDIENTS
1 Roots
2 Braise
Braise
QUIETEST
1 Sanford
2 Bacchus
Sanford
VEGETARIAN
1 Beans & Barley (1901 E. North Ave., 414-278-7878)
2 Cafe Manna (3815 N. Brookfield Rd., Brookfield, 262-790-2340)
Cafe Manna
SEAFOOD
1 Harbor House
2 Bosley on Brady (815 E. Brady St., 414-727-7975)
Sanford
FISH FRY
1 Lakefront Brewery Palm Garden (1872 N. Commerce St., 414-273-8300)
2 Kegel’s Inn (5901 W. National Ave., 414-257-9999)
Erv’s Mug (130 W. Ryan Rd., Oak Creek, 414-762-5010)
STEAK
1 Eddie Martini’s (8612 Watertown Plank Rd., 414-771-6680)
2 Mr. B’s: A Bartolotta Steakhouse (18380 W. Capitol Dr.,
Brookfield, 262-790-7005)
Eddie Martini’s
LUNCH PLACE
1 Blue’s Egg (317 N. 76th St., 414-299-3180)
2 Elsa’s on the Park (833 N. Jefferson St., 414-765-0615)
Beans & Barley
BAKERY
1 Le Rêve Patisserie & Café (7610 Harwood Ave,
Wauwatosa, 414-778-3333)
2 Rocket Baby Bakery (6822 W. North Ave., 414-502-7323
Rocket Baby
DESSERT
1 Le Rêve
2 Honeypie (2643 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., 414-489-7437)
Sanford
COCKTAILS
1 Bryant’s (1579 S. Ninth St., 414-383-2620)
2 Distil (722 N. Milwaukee St., 414-220-9411)
Bryant’s
WEEKDAY BREAKFAST
1 Blue’s Egg
2 The Original Pancake House (2621 N. Downer Ave.,
414-431-5055; 16460 W. Blue Mound Rd., Brookfield, 262-797-0800)
Cafe at the Plaza (1007 N. Cass St., 414-272-0515)
BURGER
1 Sobelmans (three locations)
2 Elsa’s
Check out our “Top Burgers” feature on Page 40!
PIZZA
1 Zaffiro’s (1724 N. Farwell Ave., 414-289-8776)
2 Transfer (101 W. Mitchell St., 414-763-0438)
Classic Slice (1609 E. North Ave., 414-270-1880; 2797 S.
Kinnickinnic Ave., 414-238-2406)
BARBECUE
1 Smoke Shack (332 N. Milwaukee St., 414-431-1119)
2 Speed Queen Bar-B-Q (1130 W. Walnut St., 414-265-2900)
Speed Queen
BUFFALO WINGS
1 Elsa’s
2 Points East Pub (1501 N. Jackson St., 414-277-0122)
Elsa’s
FOOD TRUCK
1 Streetza Pizza
(@streetzapizza)
2 Tigerbite Truck
(@tigerbitetruck)
Jeppa Joes
(@jeppajoes)
SANDWICH SHOP
1 Benji’s Deli (4156 N. Oakland Ave., 414-332-7777; 8683 N. Port Washington Rd., 414-228-5130)
2 Koppa’s Fulbeli Deli (1940 N. Farwell Ave., 414-273-1273)
Koppa’s
COFFEE SHOP
1 Alterra Coffee Roasters (locations seemingly opening all
the time)
2 Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. (2920 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., 414-489-0765)
Stone Creek Coffee (nine locations)
HOT DOG
1 Dogg Haus (five locations)
2 Martino’s (1215 W. Layton Ave., 414-281-5580)
Hinterland
CHILI
1 Real Chili (419 E. Wells St., 414-271-4042; 1625 W. Wells St.,
414-342-6955)
2 Beans & Barley
Distil
CUSTARD
1 Kopp’s (three locations)
2 Gilles Frozen Custard (7515 W. Bluemound Rd.,
414-453-4875)
Leon’s Frozen Custard (3131 S. 27th St., 414-383-1784)
HAPPY HOUR
1 Bosley on Brady
2 Maxie’s Southern Comfort
Bosley
Ethnic Restaurants
CAJUN/NEW ORLEANS
1 Maxie’s Southern Comfort (6732 W. Fairview Ave., 414-292-3969)
2 Crawdaddy’s
(6414 W. Greenfield Ave., 414-778-2228)
Maxie’s
CHINESE
1 Emperor of China (1010 E. Brady St., 414-271-8889)
2 Jing’s (207 E. Buffalo St., No. 101, 414-271-7788)
Fortune (2945 S. 108th St., West Allis, 414-328-9890; 5512 S. 108th
St., Hales Corners, 414-529-9988)
CUBAN
1 Cubanitas (728 N. Milwaukee St., 414-225-1760)
2 Antigua (5823 W. Burnham St., 414-321-5775)
Cubanitas
ETHIOPIAN
1 Alem Ethiopian Village (307 E. Wisconsin Ave., 414-224-5324)
2 Ethiopian Cottage (1824 N. Farwell Ave., 414-224-5226)
Alem
FRENCH
1 Lake Park Bistro (3133 E. Newberry Blvd., 414-962-6300)
2 Le Rêve
Le Rêve
GERMAN
1 Mader’s (1041 N. Old World Third St., 414-271-3377)
2 Karl Ratzsch’s (320 E. Mason St., 414-276-2720)
GREEK
1 Oakland Gyros (2867 N. Oakland Ave., 414-963-1393; 530 W.
Layton Ave., 414-744-2555)
2 Apollo Cafe (1310 E. Brady St., 414-272-2233)
INDIAN
1 Maharaja (1550 N. Farwell Ave., 414-276-2250)
2 Mayura (1958-62 N. Farwell Ave., 414-271-8200)
Maharaja
IRISH
1 County Clare (1234 N. Astor St., 414-272-5273)
2 Brocach Irish Pub (1850 N. Water St., 414-431-9009)
ITALIAN
1 Ristorante Bartolotta (7616 W. State St., 414-771-7910)
2 Zarletti (741 N. Milwaukee St., 414-225-0000)
Zarletti
JAPANESE
1 Izumi’s (2150 N. Prospect Ave., 414-271-5258)
2 Sake Tumi (714 N. Milwaukee St., 414-224-7253)
Fujiyama (2916 S. 108th St., West Allis, 414-755-1988)
KOREAN
1 Seoul (2178 N. Prospect Ave., 414-289-8208)
2 Sake Tumi
Seoul
MEXICAN
1 Botanas (816 S. Fifth St., 414-672-3755)
2 Cempazuchi (1205 E. Brady St., 414-291-5233)
Cafe Corazón (3129 N. Bremen St., 414-810-3941)
MIDDLE EASTERN
1 Casablanca (728 E. Brady St., 414-271-6000)
2 Shahrazad (2847 N. Oakland Ave., 414-964-5475)
Casablanca
POLISH
1 Polonez (4016 S. Packard Ave., 414-482-0080)
2 Crocus (3577 S. 13th St., 414-643-6383)
PUERTO RICAN
1 El Farol (1401 W. Washington St., 414-647-1899)
2 Cafe El Sol (1028 S. Ninth St., 414-384-3100)
El Farol
SERBIAN
1 Three Brothers (2414 S. St. Clair St., 414-481-7530)
2 Old Town Serbian Gourmet House (522 W. Lincoln Ave., 414-672-0206)
Three Brothers
SOUL FOOD
1 Maxie’s
2 Mr. Perkin’s (2001 W. Atkinson Ave., 414-447-6660)
Mr. Perkin’s
THAI
1 Thai-namite Thai Bistro and Sushi Bar (932 E. Brady St., 414-837-6280)
2 Singha Thai (2237 S. 108th St., 414-541-1234)
Thai-namite
VIETNAMESE
1 Hué Vietnamese Restaurant & Lounge (2691 S.
Kinnickinnic Ave., 414-294-0483)
2 West Bank Cafe (732 E. Burleigh St., 414-562-5555)
Pho Hai Tuyet (333 W. Brown Deer Rd., 414-446-8364)
Braise, Cubanitas and Thai-namite photos by Adam Ryan Morris; Honeypie photo by Chris Kessler; Maxie's photo by David Szymanski