Madison’s vibrant and ever-changing collection of restaurants could keep us satisfied for a long time. But there’s something to be said about dining in a different city every once in a while. When we travel somewhere unfamiliar, we open our senses to the details we might not have noticed before — like the hum of a different city’s local chatter, or the way the evening light from a different latitude illuminates every color on the plate.
Good thing there are plenty of places not far from Madison that enrich the state’s dining scene, adding flavors, aromas and new inspiration to our experience. Before we set out to find the can’t-miss spots, we thought to ask for recommendations from local chefs, restaurateurs and culinary enthusiasts who have lived and worked in all parts of the state. They helped lead us to where the eating is good. Of course, we had to do some in-the-field research of our own.
On this list, which is by no means exhaustive, you’ll find classy date night spots, supper clubs and fish boils. Stalwart restaurants, community hubs and small-town gems. Dining rooms that double as markets, up-and-coming concepts and the Milwaukee musts (which were so numerous, we had to include two categories: farm-to-table stars and global eats). It’s a dining list that will keep you busy well into 2026. Destination dining doesn’t have to take you too far, and these establishments demonstrate just how much there is to experience right here in Wisconsin.
Date Night Spots
When you’re looking for an extra-special experience, don’t hesitate to make the drive to one of these fine-dining destinations for an enchanting evening.
Photo by Ben Strong
Lovechild
Lovechild feels like a literal love child for owners Joan Ferris and Jay Sparks, who had been together for over 30 years — but weren’t yet married — when they opened this La Crosse restaurant together in 2016. That changed when they held a surprise wedding during the middle of a dinner service.
“I invited my family to what they thought was a menu tasting, and [the officiant] was waiting out front to marry us,” Ferris says.
A warm, familiar feeling — delivered by the atmosphere and the often-changing dinner menu — is the norm at Lovechild, where Ferris oversees front-of-house duties and Sparks is in the kitchen. They lean into local ingredients to create dishes like roasted chicken thighs with serrano peppers, braised lamb shank paired with a scallion risotto, a bevy of pasta selections and, if you’re still hungry for dessert, chocolate cake with whipped coffee mascarpone.
“Our menu really reflects what a chef would cook for dinner at home, and many of the dishes were inspired by meals Jay has made for us,” Ferris says. The pair originally considered opening a restaurant in Minneapolis but fell in love with a historic Queen Anne-style building that used to house Esteban’s Restaurant and Cantina (1980-1996) in La Crosse, which is Ferris’ hometown. The building’s exposed brick, tall ceilings and wooden beams are now accentuated by rich colors, crushed velvet booths, billowy curtains and diffused light from lampshades.
Photo courtesy of Lovechild/Shea Architects
“It’s consistently excellent, beautiful and a favorite of my wife and I for rare out-of-town date nights,” says Patrick DePula, owner of Salvatore’s Tomato Pies in the Madison area. Ferris says she loves having kids in the restaurant, too. “If someone has a fussy baby, I’ll sometimes take them to the office and rock them while the parents enjoy their meal,” she says. 300 Third St. S., La Crosse
Lupi & Iris was launched in 2022 by James Beard award-winning chef Adam Siegel, who left The Bartolotta Restaurants group after 21 years to open his own place that combines Italian, French and Spanish Riviera cuisine (with wines to match) in downtown Milwaukee. 777 N. Van Buren St., Milwaukee
Photo courtesy of Lupi & Iris
Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro is a “haute” bistro, which describes an eatery that blends a casual bistro atmosphere with an elevated dining experience and menu. Overlooking Lake Michigan in a historic pavilion, Lake Park Bistro has a country- club-meets-fine-dining vibe. 3133 E. Newberry Blvd., Milwaukee
Union House, a hotel and community gathering place built in 1861, is a fine-dining destination between Madison and Milwaukee. Its selection of dishes featuring wild game makes for a memorable meal. S42 W31320 WI-83, Genesee Depot
Trattoria Stefano has a warm glow that radiates from its historic storefront windows as diners enjoy plates of Bolognese, ravioli and more from chef/owner Stefano Viglietti. He also operates three other Sheboygan restaurants with his wife, Whitney, including Neapolitan pizzeria Il Ritrovo located right across the street. 522 S. Eighth St., Sheboygan
Osteria Tre Tassi’s Italian chef/co-owner Robin Brown serves steaming plates of freshly made pasta and other Italian classics that pair well with a glass of wine in the cozy, rustic setting of a historic lodge. As with authentic cooking in Italy, many of the menu’s vegetables and herbs are harvested in the restaurant’s back garden. 11976 Mink River Road, Ellison Bay
Wisconsin Tradition
Oh-so Wisconsin food experience — like fish boils, supper clubs, destination drives and timeless menu items — have a reputation for creating “you-had-to-be-there” moments.
Photo by Kayla Larsen Photography/Visit Fish Creek
Pelletier’s Restaurant & Fish Boil
“BOIL OVER!” yells Matthew Peterson. Seconds later, he lunges toward a steaming cauldron to pour oil on the fire beneath. Flames engulf the pot, rising to the height of a tower that matches the burnt-orange color of the sunset scene at Pelletier’s Restaurant & Fish Boil on a hot summer night.
You never forget your first Door County fish boil — a tradition dating back more than 120 years to Scandinavian settlers feeding fishermen or lumberjack families, and one that’s still going strong in Wisconsin today. For the past 41 years, Peterson has been carrying on the time-honored practice — passed down from two generations before him — of boiling locally caught whitefish.
It’s not just dinner — it’s a spectacle. Peterson grabs the slotted metal basket from the pot and lifts the boiled fish, which is served moments later to a circle of hungry onlookers who find their way to their tables. Pieces of tender Lake Michigan whitefish anchor dinner plates stacked with sweet corn, lemon slices, red potatoes and coleslaw. It’s hard to focus on anything else once that food hits your table — that is, until a tray filled with plates of Door County cherry pie floats by on the hand of a server. Once you catch a glimpse of the glossy filling spilling out from triangles of golden, sugared crust, you’ll realize that, surely, there’s enough room for a slice. 4199 Main St., Fish Creek
Donny’s Glidden Lodge is worth the drive for a white-tablecloth experience in a stone-walled dining room that makes you feel like you’re actually on Lake Michigan, courtesy of its expansive lakeside views. 4670 Glidden Drive, Sturgeon Bay
Photo courtesy of Donny’s Glidden Lodge
Norwood Pines Supper Club checks the majority of boxes some say are required of a true Wisconsin supper club — it’s north of the pressure line, its history dates back several decades, there’s wood paneling galore and the menu has all the classics — including an entire flight of ice cream drinks. 10171 WI-70, Minocqua
Black Otter Supper Club is home to the “extreme cut prime rib challenge,” which entices diners to eat an entire 160-ounce prime rib steak. It’s quite the sight when a waiter delivers that hefty four-bones-tall dish skewered by a steak knife. 503 S. Nash St., Hortonville
K.K. Fiske Restaurant & The Granary spotlights a protein Wisconsin is renowned for: Lake Michigan whitefish. The down-home eatery that features fish caught by the last commercial fisherman on Washington Island also has an outdoor bar and seasonal fish boils. 1177 Main Road, Washington Island
Small-Town Gems
If you’re not paying attention, you might miss these establishments tucked within small, far-flung towns and villages — and what a shame that would be.
Photo by Kayla Gendron / A Spoonful Photography
Saint Francis Hermitage
What makes this place special are the people behind its organic, rustic French food: Saint Francis Hermitage is run by Franciscan nuns at an abbey in the Driftless Region, where most of the ingredients come from a nearby organic farm and orchard tended to by resident nuns, friars and priests. Everything from the bread to the patisserie is prepared by the nuns.
Dining here will take you a bit out of your comfort zone, but in a surprisingly good way, says Luke Zahm, host of “Wisconsin Foodie” and chef/owner of The Driftless Cafe, which is about a half hour drive from Saint Francis. You’ll be seated in a humble, quiet dining room decorated with religious art. Then a nun (who may or may not have a French accent) will come to take your order, presenting options including mushroom crêpes, chicken Provençal, coq au vin, farm-fresh salads topped with quail eggs and not-to-be-skipped desserts like apple tartlette, French eclairs and Breton cake. And there are wine, beer and cocktail options, too, including French wines and champagnes and Belgian beers made by Trappist monks.
It feels like a departure from the performative dining experience you might come to expect from a restaurant today, says Zahm. “It was a very, very powerful dining experience,” he says. “There are very few places in modern dining society where you can eat food with absolute transparency about its sourcing.” This restaurant far exceeds any church basement potluck experience you might have had, but it’s just as warm and comforting. 14841 Turfan Road, Gays Mills
Green Fountain Inn isn’t just a bed and breakfast; it’s a fine-dining spot headed by chef Salvatore Friedel. Dine here on a Friday or Saturday night for a locally sourced, multicourse meal. French-trained Friedel likes to use foraged mushrooms in his creations, and he also offers Thursday ramen dinners (reservation only). 604 S. Main St., Waupaca
Photo by Camin Potts
Nettie’s Volta opened in 2023, but the Mediterranean restaurant in a little brick building is a special part of this village’s dining tapestry. Chef/owner Dave Kerr, who was inspired by his Sicilian grandmother’s home-cooked meals, creates rotating multicourse menus that feature dishes like miso-marinated black cod, wild mushroom ravioli and caramelized ramp soup. 401 Main St., Plum City
Chef Shack’s name and roadside appearance belies the elegant dining room and seasonal meals awaiting inside this “shack.” Chefs and co-owners Lisa Carlson and Carrie Summer, who have racked up multiple James Beard award nods, bring “French flavors to the foothills of Wisconsin” with Chef Shack, which also operates a food truck. W6379 Main St., Bay City
Matsumoto Ramen House is a quick-service spot with a small dining room serving Japanese ramen bowls in several different varieties, including tonkotsu, kimchi, curry, miso and more. This place is recommended by state Rep. Francesca Hong, former owner of Madison’s beloved but now-closed Morris Ramen. 106 N. Water St., Sparta
Inland’s sourdough pizzas are a collaborative effort between the area’s small farming community and two Door County families. The pizza — which routinely sells out — is joined by salads and desserts on a menu that also lists the business names of local producers. 8085 WI-57, Baileys Harbor
Photo by Kayla Larsen Photography
Milwaukee’s Farm-to-Table Stars
These restaurants are deeply rooted in local sourcing and spotlight Wisconsin’s seasonal bounty.
Photo courtesy of Morel
Morel
Even with a big leadership change earlier this year, Morel continues to focus on showcasing seasonal Wisconsin ingredients, including (of course) its namesake, the morel mushroom.
“We have a forager, ‘Mushroom Mike,’ who we work with,” says new executive chef Jake Mellon, referring to Michael Jozwik, a prolific mushroom purveyor in Wisconsin. “Every year, we host a morel mushroom dinner [and] we incorporate morels into five different courses.”
Jonathan Manyo, who opened the restaurant as chef/owner in 2014 in Milwaukee’s Walkers Point neighborhood, later transitioned into an ownership role as Mellon became executive chef. Mellon worked his way up from line cook to sous chef to chef de cuisine to the lead culinary role in the nearly eight years he’s been with the restaurant.
The executive chef says the restaurant is big on reducing food waste. For example, the morel-crusted lamb dish uses dehydrated scraps of morels to bread the lamb loins. But Morel’s menu highlights much more than the versatile and complex mushroom. The restaurant practices whole-animal butchery and makes almost everything from scratch, including its pasta, sausage, ham and bacon.
Morel’s charcuterie boards showcase products and formats you might not typically expect, Mellon says, like fried pork rillette, goose prosciutto, lardo and head cheese. While they like to surprise diners, Mellon and his team continue to keep preparations simple — an approach that’s evident in the menu-mainstay ham biscuit, which features house-cured ham, a house-made biscuit, local honey and Morel’s honey butter. 430 S. Second St., Milwaukee
Odd Duck has become less of an odd duck and more of an official darling of Milwaukee’s food scene since it opened in 2012. Globally inspired small plates are split into equally sized “vegetable” and “animal” sections of the menu at this cozy restaurant, which relocated after the pandemic. 939 S. Second St., Milwaukee
Goodkind’s rustic-chic surroundings are complemented by an upscale menu that doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously — it just lets the local ingredients speak for themselves in dishes like a spicy crab pasta, Amish chicken with market vegetables and a mini Basque cake served with tart Door County cherries. 2457 S. Wentworth Ave., Milwaukee
EsterEv has operated as a pop-up restaurant (including presenting a dinner at L’Etoile) since May, when it closed for a remodel. The restaurant — operated by Milwaukee’s James Beard award-semifinalist “Dans” (Dan Van Rite and Dan Jacobs) — has the city of Milwaukee and beyond buzzing with anticipation for its local, seasonal tasting menu and a la carte options to return. Jacobs says they plan to reopen in early November. 2165 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., Milwaukee
Birch doesn’t have any gas burners — everything is cooked over an open fire. “Cooking over fire is elemental and lets us focus on keeping ingredients simply cooked,” says chef/co-owner Kyle Knall. Knall and his wife, Meghan Knall, who opened Birch in 2021, are opening a second concept in Milwaukee this fall called CASSIS, an all-day French bistro that will seat nearly 200. 459 E. Pleasant St., Milwaukee
Legacy Restaurants
While these restaurants range in age from 16 to 104 years, all five carry on family legacies that date back multiple generations.
Photo courtesy of Wells Brothers
Wells Brothers
The blade sign jutting out from the corner of a brick building in Racine marks the location of Wells Brothers — an enduring old-school red sauce joint that has operated at the same location since 1921. The namesake brothers, James and Dominic Wells, were among the first of three generations to run the business, which uses recipes that have been passed down for the past 104 years.
It has all the marks of a classic, comforting Italian spot, right down to the oil that dots the paper doilies lining its specialty thin-crust pizzas. At first glance, you might think this is the kind of establishment you could find in any American city. Then, after you look more closely at the menu — which features cheese curds with ranch, a whole list of brandies and a “brat” pizza topped with bratwurst slices, pickles, sauerkraut, mozzarella cheese and raw onions — you’ll discover that this place is as Wisco-Italian as it gets. 2148 Mead St., Racine
Sanford’s local ingredient-driven philosophy draws on its founding chef/owner Sandy D’Amato’s memories of the grocery store his father and grandfather operated in Milwaukee for nearly 80 years. D’Amato opened the restaurant with his wife, Angie, in 1989 in the same building that used to house the family store. Current chef/owner Justin Aprahamian and his wife, Sarah — both longtime Sanford employees — are keeping Sanford’s story alive with every night of service. 1547 N. Jackson St., Milwaukee
Three Brothers delivers understated elegance in a diner-like atmosphere, serving Serbian food since 1956. With a history that spans three generations, the James Beard award-winning restaurant was opened by Milun and Milunka Radicevic, who built a new life in Milwaukee after World War II. Milunka is also the name of the couple’s granddaughter, who runs the restaurant today. 2414 S. St. Clair St., Milwaukee
Carmella’s, an Italian Bistro is named after the DeFranza family’s grandmother Carmella, whom sisters Nicole DeFranza and Kristin Walzer remember always being in the kitchen when they were growing up in Dobbs Ferry, New York. The bistro they opened in 2009 serves Italian lunch and dinner staples including bruschetta, chicken marsala and tiramisu. 716 North Casaloma Drive, Appleton
Jen’s Alpine Cafe and Soup Kitchen is the kind of spot where you’ll need to stay awhile to really take in the history of the place. Operated today by Jen Rindfleisch, the restaurant is housed in a former livery stable built in 1888. Jen’s carries on the legacy of The Alpine Ice Cream Parlor and Lunch Room, opened there in 1930. 117 Fourth St., Baraboo
Up-and-Comers
Open for five years or less, these eateries have already established themselves as spots to watch with everything from inventive breakfast specials to hypercurated menus featuring made-from-scratch dishes.
Photo courtesy of Sway Brewing LLC
Sway Brewing + Blending
Matt Sampson’s operation, Sway Brewing + Blending, is one of the outliers in Door County representing a new wave of farm-to-table sourcing and globally inspired flavors, first with its beers and now with a restaurant menu that rolled out in 2025.
For six years, Sampson worked for another brewery known for big, bold IPAs and beers made with “wacky ingredients.” Over time, he began to lose a taste for these beer styles, pivoting to “easy-drinking,” low-ABV beers like lagers when he opened Sway in 2022.
“They’re really food-friendly beers,” says Sampson. “You can have a few of them and they don’t weigh you down; they don’t kill your palate.”
In 2023, Sampson had the opportunity to buy the space above Sway, which had previously operated as a restaurant, and expand the offerings of his business to include a bakery in the morning and an indoor taproom and restaurant in the afternoon and early evening. Sampson hired an in-house chef, Cooper Harwood, earlier this year to create a menu that would pair well with Sway’s beers and highlight Wisconsin- and Midwestern-grown ingredients. They landed on a short, curated collection of “new-age street food” dishes, like kebab wraps and spicy wontons, made with seasonal produce that’s updated every few weeks. On Friday nights, Sway pays homage to Door County’s roots with a fish fry.
For Sampson, the throughline of his business is the intention to bring in local ingredients, from Wisconsin-grown hops in Sway’s beer to Door County vegetables and in-state flour and dairy on the food menu. 2434 County Road F, Baileys Harbor
SAGRA Food and Wine feels like a trattoria for the 21st century, with hip branding and a vibrant take on rustic Italian cooking — but not a shred of it feels gimmicky. Chef Mitchel Weber creates intentional and seasonal dishes that push the classics into modern territory without compromising flavor. 501 Front St. S., La Crosse
The Good Wives co-owners, Ella Wesenberg and Emily Rieck, make almost everything — the sausages, the sauces and even the stock — from scratch. It’s a strip mall spot that is anything but what you’d expect from its location, with simple, made-to-order dishes. 2161 Eastridge Center, Eau Claire
Toad in the Hole is just big enough for 20 diners to squeeze in for brunch, where they’ll munch on French toast sticks, hot ham rolls and plates of eggs, vegetables and toast made with seasonal ingredients under dark green floral wallpaper and brass-accented decor. 121 S. Railroad St., Eagle River
Photo courtesy of Eagle River Chamber of Commerce
Maybe Lately’s Food & More buys into the adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The Maybe Lately’s crew might take breakfast seriously, but they have a lot of fun doing it, regularly hosting drag brunches, parties and other pop-up concepts. 117 N. Main St., Viroqua
Community-Oriented Restaurants
These spots fill gaps in the local culinary scene, bring people together and uplift local farms.
Photo courtesy of Father Fats Public House
Father Fats Public House
Spouses and business partners Leah and Christian Czerwonka want to ensure that Stevens Point has access to a world of flavors. “To keep it fresh and interesting [for us] is also fresh and interesting for them,” says Leah Czerwonka, who manages the restaurant operations at Father Fats Public House while Christian Czerwonka runs the kitchen.
The Czerwonkas bring decades of restaurant industry experience to Leah Czerwonka’s hometown in central Wisconsin. Dishes inspired by Asian, Italian, Southern, Mexican, Mediterranean and American cuisine rotate on and off Father Fats’ menu, while a few mainstays (like the firecracker shrimp or chicken lettuce wraps) have stood the test of time.
“When we go out to eat, we like to try a lot of different things,” says Christian Czerwonka. In the same way, diners at Father Fats can choose between 20 and 30 small plates that are meant for sharing. Across the street from Father Fats, the couple also hosts weekly pop-ups focusing on different cuisines and dishes (e.g., Thai food and smashburgers) at their pop-up venue Chef’s Kitchen. For Leah Czerwonka, who spent years opening restaurants for celebrity chef and restaurateur Emeril Lagasse, it’s a way to simulate running a different restaurant concept on a regular basis. Christian Czerwonka — who also worked for Lagasse — appreciates the opportunity to get creative with Midwestern ingredients at both places. The Stevens Point community arguably gets the biggest benefit — a taste of big-city food without having to leave home. 945 Clark St., Stevens Point –EW
Reunion Family Barbecue reimagined its concept — which was casual fine dining — to better fit the needs of the Spring Green community. Earlier this year, the owners added a kids’ play area and banquette seating, and they rolled out a new menu of wood-smoked barbecue classics. 134 W. Jefferson St., Spring Green
Town Council Kitchen & Bar has been a gathering place in Neenah’s historic downtown since opening in 2016. The menu features seasonal, locally sourced dishes that lean New American, yet are grounded in classical French cooking techniques. 133 W. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah
The Driftless Cafe, a Viroqua-based restaurant that’s been building its legendary status over the past 12 years, is still a community hub in the Driftless Region. James Beard semifinalist chef Luke Zahm and his wife, Ruthie Zahm — along with executive chef Trevor Davis and chef de cuisine Bri Abt — continue to showcase western Wisconsin’s robust collection of farms on the cafe’s menu. 118 W. Court St., Viroqua
Sandwich Bar and Lark Market (an artisanal grocery, wine and spirits market) are connected storefronts that act as community third spaces with tastings, culinary clubs and global menu pop-ups. “We often see some people four to five days a week,” says co-owner Joan Neeno. 54 S. Main St., Janesville
J’s BBQ operates as a restaurant and retail shop — The Pit Stop serves guests brisket, pulled pork and mac and cheese, and The Sauce Hub slings barbecue sauce, dry rubs and cold-packed items. Owned by two women raising their special-needs son, J’s BBQ has a mission to support diversity and inclusivity. 333 Watson St., Ripon
More Than a Meal
Some restaurants extend beyond the definition of just sit-down spots. These Wisconsin destinations double as delis, markets and bakeries with smorgasbord menus — at two, you can even stay the night.
Photo courtesy of Wander Provisions
Wander Provisions
The business name, Wander Provisions, says nearly everything you need to know about this small, Spring Green-based deli and market. Owner Kyle Adams wants customers to stop in, stock up and head out for a picnic somewhere nearby.
“The idea was to develop food that was high-quality and locally sourced but was [meant] to take out by design,” says Adams, who opened Wander Provisions in 2021 while COVID-19 protocols continued to restrict indoor dining.
In the years that have followed, offerings have expanded from take-and-go lunch boxes packed with sandwiches, chips and cookies to include a robust retail selection of drinks, snacks, meat and pantry items produced by people in Wisconsin. Adams points to deli, bodega and corner store culture on the East Coast as the inspiration for her business. “It’s a small storefront [where] you come in and you get things to order,” she says, “and it’s [still] high-quality food.”
Wander Provisions’ small, in-store menu only has around 15 items at any given time. It includes 6-inch sourdough baguette sandwiches (like The Laverne, packed with Enos Farms’ ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, brown mustard and greens) and warm sandwiches — (like The Shirley, filled with Cates Family Farm roast beef, havarti cheese, spicy giardiniera and horseradish mayonnaise on a crusty, caraway seed-covered kimmelweck roll). The preorder menu, which requires 24-hour notice, adds charcuterie boards to the lineup. “It’s pretty simple, and I think that’s how we like it,” says Adams. 128 Albany St., Spring Green
Allie Boy’s Bagelry and Luncheonette brings together New York deli offerings and Middle Eastern street food. Find handmade bagels, lox, pickles, whitefish salad, specials and no fewer than a dozen schmears at this spot for a “posh nosh.” 135 E. National Ave., Milwaukee and 2100 N. Farwell Ave., Milwaukee
Horseradish Kitchen + Market began as a food truck concept and later grew into a restaurant, music venue, store and Airbnb destination on the Fox River in historic downtown Princeton. Expect sandwiches on bakery-fresh bread, seasonal salads, colorful cocktails and friendly hospitality. 505 W. Water St., Princeton
Photo by Andrew Standaert
Main Grain Bakery & Eatery is a must-visit for sourdough bread, cakes, cookies, scones, brownies and an oatmeal cream pie. The bakery’s adjoining eatery creates sandwiches that add Wisconsin meats, cheese and produce to Main Grain’s bread and offers a list of beers, wines and N/A drinks. 1009 First St., Stevens Point
Pizzeria Dolorosa claims to be nothing more than “just a couple of guys who love pizza.” Flavor combos like hot honey pepperoni, spicy vodka, and bacon and fig jam are served on three-day fermented sourdough crust. The restaurant also puts out sandwich specials, gelato, sorbet, brunch items and the occasional burger. 115 Fourth St. N., La Crosse
Hotel Washington & Studio’s owner, Jeannie Kokes, partners with two small Washington Island farms, and many more throughout Door County, to operate a seasonal restaurant, bakery and market from May through October. Madison restaurateur Gwen Shales (Johnson Public House, Kin-Kin Coffee, Mint Mark and Reverie Baking Co.) says her family visits the restaurant in this more than 100-year-old hotel three to four times on their annual summer trip to Washington Island. “They do a beautiful, seasonal small plates situation with fun specials and a killer wine list,” she says. 354 Range Line Road, Washington Island
Milwaukee’s Global Eats
Milwaukee is Wisconsin’s hub for globally inspired eats that are playful, experimental and memorable.
Photo by Heather Habram
Easy Tyger
Easy Tyger uses the familiar gastropub format to ease local diners into new flavors. The lower east side restaurant, which opened in 2016 on Milwaukee’s vibrant Brady Street, originally served food influenced by cuisines from around the world, but it hit its stride with bao, ramen and Asian-inspired snacks. Now the menu focuses on Asian gastropub fare — “dishes that pair well with beer and cocktails, while still being adventurous enough to keep people excited,” says owner Nongluk “Nini” Trick.
Easy Tyger’s ramen, in particular, has attracted a cult following. Classic styles like miso, tonkotsu and shoyu are mainstays alongside weekly specials — for example, a German-inspired “ramenstein” with sauerkraut and weissbier miso broth or a ramp ramen with wild mushroom miso broth.
“Our chef, Heather Habram, brings in new techniques and twists that make the dishes fresh, fun and uniquely Easy Tyger [but] still approachable for guests,” says Trick.
Since Easy Tyger is also a pub, there’s just as much emphasis on the cocktail and beer menu, which features both Wisconsin beers and cocktails (yes, there’s an old-fashioned) but also includes Chinese and Japanese beers, sake and Japanese whisky. Trick notes that the restaurant’s bar program is designed to complement the food — find yuzu, lychee, lemongrass and more Asian flavors on the bar menu — so the experience feels complete. 1230 E. Brady St., Milwaukee
Lebnani House offers a wealth of dishes from the Levant region — which includes countries that border the Mediterranean Sea to the west. The menu spans hummus to baklava and features many dishes that aren’t easily available in Wisconsin. 5051 S. 27th St., Greenfield
La Dama is one of the few spots in Wisconsin where you’ll find artfully plated Mexican dishes. Chef Emmanuel Corona cut his teeth in American fusion kitchens before returning to the Mexican cuisine of his heritage with a goal of creating Latin food Milwaukee has never before tasted. 839 S. Second St., Milwaukee
Uncle Wolfie’s brings some unexpected twists to American breakfast food with dishes like a chickpea panisse Benedict, mango sticky rice French toast and a Spam omelet, depending on the location — plus a note on the menu that encourages guests to order a beer. 234 E. Vine St., Milwaukee and 600 N. Broadway, Milwaukee
Momo Mee has “the best xiao long bao in Wisconsin” according to Madison-based food blogger Izzy Larini (@wisconsingourmande). These soup dumplings are made daily from scratch and share the menu with noodles, potstickers, spring rolls and ramen. 110 E. Greenfield Ave., Milwaukee
Purslane is the new project of Mary Kastman, a James Beard semifinalist and former executive chef at The Driftless Cafe in Viroqua. Kastman has a background in eastern Mediterranean cooking, so it’s fitting that her first restaurant would focus on farm-to-table dishes packed with flavors like baharat, harissa and sumac. 1751 N. Farwell Ave., Milwaukee
Emma Waldinger is food editor at Madison Magazine. Andrea Behling is editor-in-chief at Madison Magazine.
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