When traveling in Southeast Asia a few years ago, I encountered a copy of the Bangkok Post with an extensive article lamenting the shortage of restaurants that make their own curry pastes. Most restaurants resort to commercial products because the process of making their own is so time consuming.

On my first visit to the Taste of Thai, I expected a similar version of the building’s former tenant, the Thai Hot Cafe. The former restaurant served food that was pre-made, a la Wong’s Wok, so the new setup proved to be a pleasant surprise.

Why argue with a classic? The Savoy Room (1962 N. Prospect Ave.) returned a while back to the ground floor of the Shorecrest Hotel. The elegant room with half-marbled walls, leaded glass and white linen has housed restaurants for decades, many of them Italian.

When chef/owner John Chitko opened Yaffa two years ago, he redefined the experience of Mediterranean dining in Milwaukee. The overall concept wasn’t new, but Yaffa made it different by focusing on Middle Eastern and Moroccan dishes, with a few touches from Europe.

When Tulip opened last summer, Milwaukee became home to its very first Turkish restaurant. Diners seem to be responding, as Tulip has now expanded to serve lunch. The lunch menu offers fewer options than dinner, but there still is that delightful appetizer of vegetarian stuffed grape leaves.

Indian restaurants continue to open in Milwaukee at a previously unheard-of pace. They have become nearly as common as Thai restaurants. At the very end of last year, another Indian eatery opened its doors: Mayura.

One of my favorite Mexican restaurants is the tiny Oaxaca Grill (3447 W. Forest Home Ave.). The interior is like a Northwoods log cabin decorated with colorful Mexican artifacts. The menu, made up of many Oaxacan dishes, started small but has grown over the years.

Although Ethiopian food isn’t new to Milwaukee, the first restaurant completely devoted to this unique fare didn’t open until last year. Now there is a second place to enjoy these unusual dishes: Alem Ethiopian Village.

Though Café 1505 is located inside a small shopping mall near a busy intersection in Mequon, it feels more like a Third Ward destination. The light and airy café (1505 W. Mequon Road) is aided by walls of exposed brick and colorful,...

Apollo, god of the sun, drove his chariot across the sky each day from dawn to dusk. The Apollo Cafe honors the ancient Greek myth by incorporating a solar motif throughout its interior design.