What about the food? (Milwaukee, Holland: transfer, restaurants, shop)

[veganwriter]

Okay, so I got it as far as the racism.
I saw it when driving truck through Wisconsin.
No biggie... what else is new, eh?

But I want to know about the food.
I plan to be there visiting Milwaukee for a workshop and that city treasure called, "Growing Power."

I have a month to kill before heading overseas and I'm thinking, "Midwest/Great Lakes Food Treasures"!

What great food cafes and restaurants can people suggest?

What meal should a visitor not miss?

[Milwaukee City]

Roots
Honey Pie
Polonez
Braise
Chez Jacques
Jakes Deli
Crocus

[Empidonax]

What kind of stuff do you like? Will you have a car? How long will you be here?

Milwaukee has a significant ethnic heritage, reflected in restaurants featuring German (try Karl Ratzsch's or Kegel's), Serbian (Three Brothers and Ilija's are the best), Polish (Polonez or Crocus), Italian (Glorioso's is a great deli/market and Sciortino's is a good bakery), Mexican (my favorite taquería is El Cabrito), Puerto Rican (Pueblo Foods is a good deli/market), and many others: Thai (Ee Sane or Singha Thai), Laotian (Vientane Noodle Shop), Ethiopian (Alem or Ethiopian Cottage), authentic Chinese (Fortune or Peking House--ask for the Chinese menu), Peruvian (Mr Sebass), soul food (Henry and Bobbie's Bungalow), kosher-style delis (Jake's and Benji's) and many others.

There is great fine dining and upscale dining in Milwaukee: Ristorante Bartolotta (northern/central Italian), Lake Park Bistro (French), Coquette Cafe (French-inspired bistro), Sanford (contemporary cuisine), Le Reve (French, and excellent patisserie), and Hinterland (upscale contemporary with Wisconsin regional twist) are my favorites.

A couple of fun mid-level restaurants that I like are Honeypie (has some Wisconsin/Midwest specialties and pie) and Comet Cafe (funky place, same owners as Honeypie).

There are nice diners for a classic feel: Solly's (known for butter burgers), Jo's Cafe (more for breakfast), Miss Katie's (breakfast), Benji's (mentioned above, but good for any meal, and has diner counter), and many others.

Burgers are popular here: Solly's (again--butter burgers), Sobelman's, AJ Bombers, Mazo's, Nite Owl, etc. Some of these places have been around for decades. Kopp's is a local chain and has decent burgers; it is also known for its custard, which is a locally abundant dessert.

Pizza is big here, especially if you like cracker-thin crust. Some of the best are Maria's Pizza (very colorful atmosphere), Zaffiro's (an old classic), Transfer (new but great, and more crust variety), Lisa's, etc.

The Friday Fish fry is popular: McBob's, Painted Parrot, Kegel's and Polonez and Crocus (mentioned above), and many many more. Some places, like Beer Belly's, have a Wednesday Fish Fry, too.

If you like grazing in an informal setting, consider the Milwaukee Public Market for lunch or dinner (it closes at 8 pm): there's a very good Oyster bar/seafood place, soup place, sushi, Mexican stand, Middle Eastern deli, wine bar, etc.

It all really depends on what you're in the mood for, which part of the city you'll be in, and what kind of transportation you'll have.

[Empidonax]

With that last message I didn't even pay attention to your handle, Veganwriter. If you are indeed Vegan, the recommendations for you would change considerably. Places with good vegan options include Roots, Beans and Barley, Comet Cafe, Honeypie, Cafe Manna, the Ethiopian places mentioned, various other ethnic places (Indian restaurants, etc.), Cafe Corazon, Riverwest Co-op, and specific dishes at many of the places mentioned in my previous post. As a vegan you won't get the traditional Milwaukee food experience, but you will find some innovative places with tasty dishes on offer.

[Ralph Shinners]

Milwaukee City have you or anyone else out there tried the Odd Duck in Bay View?

It seems to be very popular right now - we tried to eat there a few weeks ago but the wait even for a party of two was so long that we opted for Cafe Centraal . We did like Centraal (same group as the Hollander House) but frankly not being able to get in to Odd Duck made me all the more curious in trying it.

I also liked Cafe Lulu when we went there a few months earlier - lot of good options in Bay View right now.