BY CHRIS DROSNER, LINDSEY ANDERSON, ANN CHRISTENSON, ARCHER PARQUETTE, CAROLE NICKSIN, JUDE CRAMER, MARLA HILLER AND PATSY NEWITT
Readers’ Choice | Best Spots
LUNCH SPOT
Milwaukee Public Market
Truly something to please every palate, from Mediterranean specialties to fresh market fish.
DATE SPOT
Harbor House
What could be more romantic than making eyes across the table when your table has the city’s best view of our Great Lake?
Nominations are open for the 2024 Unity Awards!
Know an individual or group committed to bridging divides in our community? Nominate them for a Unity Award by Oct. 31.
BAR FOOD
The Vanguard
Really good bad food and we mean this in the best possible way: sausages smothered to the hilt, poutine, loaded fries and even decadent vittles for vegans, too.
COFFEE
Colectivo Coffee
The 27-year-old Milwaukee-based roaster is the city’s largest. We dig not only the drinkable, bold-flavored brews, but also the cool cafés that highlight the roasting process.
BEST NEW RESTAURANT
Egg & Flour
Carbs are a saving grace in a world of uncertainty. They’re so satisfying. So, it’s no surprise that Egg & Flour (Crossroads Collective, 2238 N. Farwell Ave.) clinched the best new restaurant honor for their often simple but never boring pastas, generously sauced and liberally sprinkled with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Try the Fridays-only lobster mac and cheese and the collabs that owner/chef Adam Pawlak has done with other food businesses like Heaven’s Table BBQ (also located at Crossroads). And check out the menu on the aptly named website, greateffingpasta.com.
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Readers’ Choice | Simple Pleasures
TACO
BelAir Cantina
Known for its lively vibe and beachy décor as much as its fusion-style tacos. Korean beef and jackfruit, anyone?
BURGER
Kopp’s
Kopp’s started a stir last year, after changing the bun holding its classic patty. But the creation is still a beauty.
PIZZA
Pizza Man
Three locations are devoted to crispy thin-crust pies, expansive wine lists and atmospheric interiors.
WINGS
Points East Pub
The East Side bar that delivers up deep-fried chicken wings that are extra finger-licking luscious.
SANDWICH
Glorioso’s Italian Market
Hot or cold, these sammies rule.
BEST ATMOSPHERE
Lake Park Bistro
It starts with great bones – the historic Lake Park Pavilion, designed by architect Alfred C. Clas in 1903. Bartolotta Restaurants converted the upper level of the structure to this bright, warm country French creation in 1995. Diners naturally gravitate to the east dining room and the quiet, elegant white cloth-covered tables with majestic views of Lake Michigan. Those seats are particularly alluring in the evening, when the water glints with rays of moonlight. (3133 E. Newberry Blvd. bartolottas.com/lake-park-bistro)
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Readers’ Choice vs. Editors’ Picks
Small Brewery
The “Up North” vibe is authentic, the dogs are welcome, and the beer is bold. And the newly expanded outdoor area is tailor-made for times like these.
Because this place roasts and serves its own coffee, too, it’s open at the crack of dawn. So have yourself a morning saison or IPA, if you’re so inclined.
Cocktails
Don’t know cocktails? Chat with the bartender for a while and they’ll come back with a creation crafted to your tastes. It’s the perfect path of cocktail discovery.
Often (very often!) our readers get it right, and there’s no sense in quibbling with the A+ drinks and A+ service here. And the vintage décor just feels right.
Bar
An intimate, eclectic room. Knowledgeable beertenders. Dynamite tap list. Burnhearts embodies exactly what we missed most about bars when we couldn’t go.
This year, we spent way less time in the art-bedecked interior – mostly just ordering another beer to enjoy on the cozy-but-not-too-cozy patio.
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Editors’ Picks | Pandemic Awards
RAPID ADAPTATION
Restaurant Reinventions
This year restaurant owners learned just how creative they could (and had to) be to stay alive. From The Tandem’s complete turnover to serving hundreds of free meals to our neediest neighbors to Don’s Diner becoming a general store selling essentials such as toilet paper and soap, the efforts have been remarkable.
A NEW BLUEPRINT FOR OUTDOOR DINING
Patio Reconfigurations
Dining alfresco has been widely deemed the safest way to enjoy a restaurant meal on-premises, and many spots stepped up to the plate with adjustments to keep the setting socially distanced. Examples include Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993’s countryside Italia-inspired courtyard and La Merenda’s spacious yard.
DIY RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE
Meal Kits
When done right, these are like bringing the restaurant experience home. At The Laughing Taco, you can get a taco kit with one of three fillings (pork, beef, potato) to create 15 muy bueno street-style handhelds. ($25). Another fave is Braise’s Thai-, Indian- and Mexican-themed kits. ($32-$34, serves four)
A MEAL ON WHEELS
Curbside Carryout
In March, restaurants quickly learned curbside was the way to stay afloat. Some (like Sanford and Ardent) have adopted Tock’s easy-to-use reservation platform allowing customers to order and pay online and pick up their food without leaving their cars. A win-win for everyone.
BEER INDUSTRY LIFELINE
WilCraft Can
When brewery taprooms were forced to close this spring, many lost their main or only source of sales. This Mount Pleasant-based outfit filled the breach, bringing a truck-based canner to breweries such as Brewfinity, The Explorium, Gathering Place and Company to keep beer going out and cash coming in.
BEST CULINARY CONVERSATION STARTER
Bennie Smith
The head chef/co-owner of Daddy’s Soul Food & Grille (754 N. 27th St.) is passionate about cooking, being a father (to six kids) and helping our community. For years now, he’s offered police officers discounted meals to foster bridge-building. At one time, it may have seemed like a simple thing: cops and other customers having a relaxed meal and engaging in healthy conversations. But having those verbal interactions has taken on heightened meaning since George Floyd’s death, as the Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum. And with Smith’s dining room feeling like an extension of his home, this is the perfect neutral ground for these often difficult conversations to take place.
DOING GOOD
Beers for a Cause
Even amid a tumultous year in the beer business, breweries stepped up to support urgent needs and causes. City Lights Brewing rolled out Essential Pilsner, which raised funds for the Hunger Task Force, and several local breweries took part in two national campaigns: All Together IPA helped service industry workers, and Black is Beautiful stouts supported racial justice efforts.
ONE FOR THE ROAD
Takeout Cocktails
It’s a throwback of the before times and feels almost like contraband as you bring the cup to your car. But this old fashioned is street legal, as long as you keep the lid – or at least that plastic wrap passing for one – secure until you get home.
MIXING IT UP
Return of the Home Bar
Stuck at home, we had time to get creative with our drinking again. Our juices became more exotic (passion fruit!), our bitters and liqueurs more quixotic (pear, sure!). We garnished again. We made orgeat. All to concoct something delicious and special. Because we’ve been through a lot.
BEST PANDEMIC TREND
Support It Or Lose It
The coronavirus has taken many, many things away from us, but if it has given us one thing, it has been focus. We quickly recognized the existential threat the virus’ disruption posed to the businesses we care about, and we took action to preserve them.
We ordered takeout from local, independent restaurants – and added some gift cards for later use – even if they weren’t really built for or particularly good at takeout. We bought from local stores instead of the big boxes or Amazon, even if it cost us a few extra bucks. We bought the six-pack at the brewery – and added a fat tip for the furloughed taproom bartender – even if it required another trip.
We were intentional about where our dollars went. And while that ethos underpins a shop-local movement that’s been underway in food and retail for a long time, there’s nothing like a big viral boogeyman to realign our priorities. Hopefully we’ll stick to these new habits well after the need for curbside service has passed.
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Editors’ Picks | The MKE Mixed 6-Pack
Six of the same beers? Or of even the same style? That’s tyranny! Give us liberty in these unique, distinct and great beers from the Cream City and surrounds.
Poor Farm Pils | Company Brewing
The best pilsners are crisp, clean and balanced but nuanced enough to reward closer study, too. Poor Farm’s delicate noble hop character makes it my favorite in a city loaded with great options. Available: Year-round
Cashmere Hammer | 3 Sheeps Brewing
Nitrogen bubbles (a la Guinness Draught) are a key ingredient in this aptly named rye stout, giving it a full softness that perfectly complements the chocolatey, slightly spicy malt bomb. Available: Year-round
Lakefront Lager | Lakefront Brewery
Sometimes you just want a beer that tastes like beer, and this balanced, refreshing crusher does that, with a soft cereal sweetness and subtle floral-earthy hop notes. Available: Year-round
*Readers’ Choice for best craft lager*
Weekend @ Louie’s | Milwaukee Brewing
These days, Louie’s Demise is tasting like the 23-year-old amber ale it is, but this variant, infused with bright, fruity blueberry tea from Rishi, tastes like summer in a glass. Available: Summer
Nordic Sunrise | Third Space Brewing
This IPA doubles down on the juicy tropical fruit character by using specialized hop varieties and kveik yeast, a Norwegian strain that ferments super fast and super hot. Available: Occasional release
When you want to get wild, but not too wild, this low-octane ale has a subtle, earthy funk and a gentle tartness that pairs perfectly with a hot afternoon. Available: Occasional release
