What were you doing 10 years ago in August? I’ll tell you what Greg León was doing – officially opening the permanent home of Amilinda (315 E. Wisconsin Ave.), his Spanish/Portuguese-inspired restaurant.
In any location or time in history, a restaurant that makes the 10-year mark is an achievement, but the bad hand dealt to restaurants during and since COVID makes this milestone particularly special right now. Its significance isn’t lost on León, who says it “means the world to me,” and is a reflection of “passion and perseverance” and “the incredible community that has supported us through every high and low.”
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
León has embraced the role of the chef/owner as a leader beyond his own kitchen – active in the LGBTQ+ community and supportive of young and/or rising chefs. Amilinda’s 10th anniversary dinner on Saturday, Aug. 2 celebrates that tenacity and the people who have been a part of it.
If you were not lucky enough to get a reservation for this special dining experience, you can still salivate with me over the tasting menu. León is collaborating with fellow Amilinda chef Raeden Kling on an asparagus paté dish with lemon ricotta.
Here are some of the other courses/dishes and the chefs making them: Portuguese bean soup with grilled sardines (Dana Spandet of Flour Girl & Flame); Torres potato chip-crusted brandade croquette (Mary Kastman of the new Purslane); spice roasted pork belly, clams, potatoes and “Alentejana Reduction” (Justin Aprahamian of Sanford); meat empanadas (Elena Terry of Wild Bearies – which promotes ancestral foods – in Wisconsin Dells); smoked duck pintxo (AJ Dixon of the former Lazy Susan); little gem lettuces with alubias blancas (white beans) and boqueron (white anchovy) vinaigrette (Caitlin Cullen of the former Tandem); beet tartare, green harissa, egg yolk and lentil crumble (Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite of DanDan and EsterEv).
County Executive David Crowley has also proclaimed Friday, Aug. 1 as Amilinda Day. A proclamation ceremony will take place at 2:30 p.m. at Amilinda and feature commentary from local figures including Cullen (now Kinship Food Center’s director) and Kai Gardner-Mishlove, creator of the Tables Across Borders pop-up dinner initiative. Amilinda has hosted several of these dinners that highlight a different refugee cuisine.
