Summer has finally arrived, so lather on some sunscreen and head down to Bradford Beach to enjoy some sun, sand and great food...

Pleasant Valley Inn is a hidden landmark among Milwaukee restaurants. Under various names and guises, it has operated since the 1920s from the far corner of West Allis, many blocks from the nearest main street. Many years ago farms or open fields must have surrounded the inn. After World War II a quiet residential neighborhood grew up around it...

When a sports celebrity opens a restaurant these three questions come to mind: A: Will the food be mediocre, relying on the name only? B: How overpriced will it be? C: Will the place be like ashrine to the athlete? In the case of Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun, the answer is “none of the above.” Ryan Braun’s Waterfront opened in the location of the former Fratello’s. It’s an elegant setting. The front room has a bar and a lounge near the windows. Though there are a few flat-panel televisions, they do not...

The Savoy Room at the Shorecrest Hotel was closed for many months but reopened in March as the Savoy Piano Bar and Lounge. Now there is a black grand piano and the tablecloths are matching. The Art Deco interior looks more dazzling than ever. There also is a new casual menu. Those who remember the late Sally...

Polynesian restaurants rose to popularity in the 1960s—in the Milwaukee area alone, there were places like Leilani, Paradise Garden, and Judges’ Beyond the Reef. But by the late-’70s, all of...

Japanese restaurants are becoming more common in Milwaukee—seemingly every neighborhood has one. Too often, however, the menus feature the same options for tempura, teriyaki and sushi. One restaurant that breaks the mold is Midori Fusion (11002 N. Port Washington Road). The Japanese restaurant, located in a...

Many locals will remember The Dubliner, a popular spot to grab a pint of Guinness and take in some live Irish music in Walker’s Point during the 1990s...

Emperor of China (1010 E. Brady St.) offers an extensive Chinese menu with many regional specialties. And when the kung pao chicken and twice-cooked pork start to seem mundane, the restaurant provides another option: a quarterly “specials” menu that adds further insight into Chinese food. The current, spring...

About a year ago, the Horny Goat Brewing Co. joined the proud tradition of Wisconsin-crafted beers and introduced a new brand to the area. In October 2009 the Horny Goat Hideaway opened in a former industrial building located on the banks of the Kinnickinnic River. With its fun, pub atmosphere, this spot could well change the image of this gritty, industrial neighborhood. The two-story interior features walls that have been stripped down to their basic brick. A small bar that...

Multiple spots in Milwaukee are rightly famed for their hamburgers. One of the oldest is Solly’s Grille (4629 N. Port Washington Road), which has been in business since 1936. The interior features a classic lunch counter in the shape of a double horseshoe. The burgers are 100% sirloin, though that isn’t the only key to a...

Trocadero has been open since 2001. In that time it has become a destination for wine, cheese plates, brunch and items with a French flair...

Fritz’s Pub, located at the corner of Oklahoma Avenue and 20th Street (3086 S. 20th St.), may look like just another corner tavern, but locals know that Fritz’s stands out for its food. You’ll find daily soups, burgers and a decent corned beef sandwich, but the best things here are Serbian. The Fritzburger is a...

Red meat has become a potential health hazard, not just from ecoli infections and slipshod federal inspection of filthy packing plants, but because the cattle are coming to the slaughterhouse sick from the food they are given. Somewhere back in time, an amoral ad agency developed the image of corn-fed...

Walls of concrete block painted in a gold tone don’t make for an overly impressive exterior, but a large awning that marks the entrance to Casa Di Giorgio hints at the promise waiting inside...

These days, the term “Philadelphia cheese steak” is used so loosely that anything with...

Milwaukee’s restaurant vacancies continue to be filled. Recent months have seen replacements for Cameron’s, Yanni’s and Coco Bella, and now it’s time to add another to the list: Port of Call is replacing Byron’s Bistro. Port of Call is owned by the Milwaukee River Cruise Line, which operates the Edelweiss dinner cruise boats...

Bring on the fajitas! The Brady Street area has another new restaurant in the Fajitas Grill (1673 N. Farwell Ave.), located in the former and short-lived La Dolce Vita. The Moroccan theme is gone...

Crisp Pizza Bar & Lounge adds another unique element to the diverse scene along Brady Street. The pizza-centric menu makes perfect sense, since Crisp is located in the space that once housed Vucciria and its wood-fired pizza ovens. The kitchen may be the same, but the interior...

A second Metro Market recently opened its doors in Brookfield (17630 W. Bluemound Road). Like the first, it is very upscale. The Brookfield version, however, is even larger. As you’d expect, this Metro Market features an impressive array of goods, from a vast wine selection to delicacies like fresh morel...

Sabor (777 N. Water St.) is the only Brazilian restaurant in this area, let alone the only Brazilian churrascaria. Arrive hungry: For one price, you can gorge on grilled meats. Most are cuts of beef, but there are chicken, pork and lamb as well. Servers dressed as gauchos bring the meats to the table and let you...

Rio West Cantina, open for a little more than two years now, serves up Mexican fare in enjoyable surroundings decorated with assorted handicrafts. More importantly for some, the bar offers a very decent tequila selection. In the past, the only drawback had been the limited menu, which consisted of little more than tacos, enchiladas and perhaps...

Old World Third Street, just a short distance from the Bradley Center, is one of the city’s most popular spots for drinking and dining. Usinger’s and Mader’s number among the veterans, but the street...

Fortune Chinese Restaurant has two locations, each with two menus. The one in Hales Corners (5512 S. 108th St.) is the larger and nicer spot. (The other is located at 2945 S. 108th St., West Allis.) You will be handed an Americanized Chinese menu—chop suey, egg foo young, etc.—but ask for the authentic...

Talk about hidden treasures. Tucked at the rear of the Indian Bazaar grocery store (5254 S. 27th St.), located in an inconspicuous strip mall, is a sit-down, fast-food restaurant with counter service. Overlook the makeshift setting and plastic cutlery. The enticing aroma of curry clings to the air, the menu is enormous...

The Irish pub format—a bar with lots of shamrock decorations and a menu featuring a few Irish specialties—has become increasingly popular worldwide. I have visited Irish pubs in places as varied as Thailand, Peru and...