If you’re in the mood for…
An achingly sweet apple pie baked inside a paper bag, as visions of “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” dance in your head
Elegant Farmer
1545 Main St., Mukwonago
A tasty, crispy thin-crust pizza named in honor of NFL star, Pewaukee native and pizza fan J.J. Watt
Doc’s Dry Dock
N38 W27091 Parkside Rd., Pewaukee
Glazed long johns (and we don’t mean underwear) topped with bacon
Cranky Al’s
6901 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa
A Dancing Tuna roll – with wasabi and pickled ginger, please – without the Downtown prices
Fujiyama
17395D W. Bluemound Rd., Brookfield
Kraut (or potato)-filled dumplings and a Saturday night all-you-can-eat buffet with live polka (!)
Polonez Restaurant
4016 S. Packard Ave., St. Francis
Escargot, steak frites, chocolate mousse? Ooh la la!
Cafe Grace at the Mayfair Collection
11200 W. Burleigh St., Wauwatosa
Feeling like you’re welcomed inside someone’s home for dinner, someone who cooks really, really well, and who also happens to have a sizable bar
Tofte’s Table
331 Riverfront St., Waukesha
A night in rip-roaring (not really) “downtown” Brown Deer, tipping back mussels washed down by a nice white Bordeaux
Pastiche
4313 W. River Lane, Brown Deer
Latin American cuisine, and you want your plate to offer as much vibrancy as a perfect-weather day in the Yucatan Peninsula
Antigua Latin Inspired Kitchen
5823 W. Burnham St., West Allis
Fried perch fillets dredged in light breading and that distinctive,
hospitable Teutonic quality known as Gemütlichkeit
Kegel’s Inn
5901 W. National Ave., West Allis
Frozen custard scooped onto a frozen marble slab, hand-mixed with candies, nuts, fruits (the list goes on) and spooned into a dish or cone
Ferch’s Malt Shoppe & Grille
5636 Broad St., Greendale
A hotel restaurant that’s modern and the antithesis of stuffy, and that demonstrates there’s still life in that small-plates concept
I.d. at the Delafield Hotel
415 Genesee St., Delafield
In a setting right out of “Hatfields & McCoys” – minus the feud – a menu of vittles like seven-layer salad and Louisiana catfish
Farmstead
W62 N238 Washington Ave., Cedarburg
Cheating on Kopp’s (shhh), with a double cheeseburger, fried curds and fudge royal frozen custard sundae
The Kiltie Drive-In
N48 W36154 E. Wisconsin Ave., Oconomowoc
A quiet breakfast or lunch in a warm café-guesthouse before taking a scenic walk or bike ride along the Oak Leaf Trail
Sheridan’s
5133 S. Lake Dr., Cudahy
Momos (dumplings) with your mama – or anyone else –along with a cadre of savory Himalayan specialties
the cheel
105 S. Main St., Thiensville
Thirst Quenchers
Raised Grain Brewing Company
Waukesha
Raised Grain Brewing Company made a huge statement by winning a gold medal at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival with its signature Paradocs Imperial Red Ale. The unassuming spot in a Waukesha strip mall added food to its tasty beer list late in 2016, so consider this permission to try a couple brews in one sitting.
42 Ale House
St. Francis
42 Ale House mixes a solid list of craft beers with all sorts of geeky activities like video games, role-playing games and trivia nights dedicated to topics like Batman: The Animated Series. Having two dozen tap beers to choose from is a good thing after working up a thirst playing in a Super Smash Bros. tournament.
Thief Wine Shop & Bar
Shorewood
When your beloved tells you to pick up another bottle of wine, head to Thief. It’s where you can peruse over 500 varieties (many under 10 bucks), and have a glass or two at the bar for when you need to put off your return to domesticity for just a … few hours. Or maybe longer.
Two Brothers Wines
Pewaukee
Known for its fruit wines, Two Brothers winery brings a down-home Wisconsin vibe to the nectar of the gods. In fact, they have the State Fair blue ribbons to prove it. But there’s also an artistic element – like the attached art gallery – and bottle labels custom-designed by local artists.
The Fermentorium Brewery and Tasting Room
Cedarburg
Like it or not, plenty of drinkers judge a brewery by its IPAs. The Hop Wheel Series made by The Fermentorium includes some of the best IPAs made in Wisconsin – hazy and fruity glasses of deliciousness. Prefer a stout? They’ve got it.
