THIS STORY IS FROM OUR BEST RESTAURANTS 2024 FEATURE. READ MORE HERE.
The Wolf on Broadway
$$-$$$ | 600 N. BROADWAY | 414-935-2076
The little brother to Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern serves really tasty food – not high-end, blow-your-budget food but things you’d want to/can afford to eat on the regular. The relationship between the November 2023 opener’s serene, earthy interior – reminiscent of Wolfie’s – and the food, which has global flavors and unexpected combinations, is smooth. The menu is going to change but out of the gate, it had some dishes that deserve to stick around, like the duck fried farro, a twist on fried rice that goes deep with its rich confit, robust soy-based sauce, runny egg and shrimp chips for dipping. Other good ones: buttered chicken wings, gado gado Cobb salad, chili crisp fish sandwich and garlic Indo-Mie.
UPDATE: A LOOK AT THE WOLF DOWNTOWN’S DINNER EVOLUTION
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Heirloom MKE
$$ | 2378 S. HOWELL AVE. | 262-229-1157
It’s natural for restaurateurs to put their soul into their work. For Heirloom owners Pete and Jessie Ignatiev – who kicked off their concept in 2020 with a popular food truck of the same name – it’s pure energy. Jessie is often near the entrance checking people in with her big smile and effervescent personality. Head chef Pete’s energy comes through in his food. He knows people eat with their eyes first, so every plate is just so colorful and pretty. This couple served some of my favorite dishes of the last six months, including cheese curds that hold their own in a city known for them, pan-seared halibut with potato-crab hash, the Heirloom burger with Carr Valley cheddar, and tender braised short ribs, whose prep changes with the seasons.
Seven Swans Crêperie
808 E. CHAMBERS ST.
This is owner Kate Bryan’s second crepe place. The native Milwaukeean started her skinny French pancake business in Kansas City, with a food truck, then a sit-down joint. In time she saw a hole in her hometown that only a crepe could fill. This place could probably fly on any side of town but feels especially at home in Riverwest, with its scrappy, ingenuous attitude. Open for breakfast and lunch, Seven Swans offers sweet and savory crepe creations. I prefer the savory ones, like the classic ham, Jarlsberg cheese and mustard. There’s also seasonal and vegan variations. $
Safina
$$$-$$$$ | 785 N. JEFFERSON ST. | 414-488-9578
At one time our East Side was notable for its Sicilian restaurants; one of the best was Giovanni’s on Van Buren, where you could eat veal cotoletta, Sicilian steak and some of the best fried eggplant you’ve ever had. The family – patriarch Giovanni Safina and his sons – are giving us a taste of that classic Sicilian culinary legacy, but with a modern flair, in a historic building in near Cathedral Square. Head chef Giuseppe Safina grew up immersed in this cuisine and brings love to it. His cooking is better than the Giovanni’s of my memory, and I like the new joint’s takes on classics like chicken Vesuvio, and the Gio’s filet stuffed with provolone and prosciutto di Parma. Just dipping bread in the olive oil here makes me wistful – and I’m not Sicilian. In winter, Safina opened a second level for overflow seating and private parties. This is good, because the tiny main dining room can get crowded (and noisy) rather quickly.
La Cocina del Sur
$ | 701 E. KEEFE AVE. | 414-810-0108
Pedro Tejada’s empanadas are delicious and gave his Pedro’s food truck a street food foothold at local outdoor markets. But Tejada wanted to do more, showcase a wider variety of his Ecuadoran heritage. That ignited this brick-and-mortar concept (Cuisine of the South is the English translation), which opened in February 2022. It goes beyond empanadas to arepas (corn cakes layered high with toppings), llapingachos (cheese potato cakes with mild chorizo) and mote con chicharron (hominy and fried pork belly). I like them all, but have a particular soft spot for the llapingachos – that combo of crispy cakes, firm, juicy sausage link and touch of bright acid from the tomato-onion salad. Entering Cocina’s second year in business, Tejada added two more reasons to get yourself here – a Taco Tuesday special and Wednesday half-price wine.
