Milwaukee Dining

[fondybrewfan]

It is the wife and I's 5 year anniversary coming up in June and we wanted to hit up a new place for a nice dinner.

 

So I am asking for recommendations for nice & relately quiet restuarant in the Milwaukee area. We don't want kids running around but it doesn't have to be some black tie place either. We are open to any type of cousine; preferable if we could keep the bill manageable (Like under $100). We definitely like funkier unique places. I have done some research online but nothing really stands out.

[patrickgpe]

one of my favorite restaurants that matches your description is http://www.meritage.us/. the food is very good. they have an excellent patio and a small dining room. also you don't have to deal with the hassles of downtown parking.

[fondybrewfan]

That does look like it is up our alley; I will have to run the menu by the better half to see what she thinks.

[NeedMoreFans]

I enjoyed the Pasta Tree when I lived there. I think it's on Prospect. Quite, somewhat small, and great pasta. It's been 6 years since I've been there, though, so I'm not sure if it's still as good as it was.

[chuckiehacks]

I feel like Pasta Tree is overrated, as it's gone downhill a little since you were there last.

 

I like Crazy Water, Centro Cafe, Braise. All kind of out-of-the-way places and (from memory, so double check) you could probably get out of each for less than $100, especially if you don't order a bottle of wine. I think you can find all the menus online.

 

My suggestion would be one of these and then Lake Park Bistro for a nightcap and dessert.

[gypcasino]

Jackson Grill is phenomenal. A little pricy but you could stay under 100 bucks if you're not drinking alcohol.

http://thejacksongrill.com/

 

Christie's has fantastic food. Don't let the bar atmosphere fool you.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/christies-pub-and-grill-milwaukee

 

I dine out quite a bit and those are probably my two favorite restaurants in Milwaukee.

[chadomac]

Coquette Cafe is my recommendation. I yelp a lot if you wanna check out my other favorite restaurants. You can sort the reviews by highest rating. Me and the girlfriend eat out a lot. http://chadmichael.yelp.com.

[gypcasino]

Coquette is a solid choice. Check out Le Reve too http://lerevecafe.com/

I'll plug my Foodspotting page if anyone wants to take a look. I don't do reviews but I do take a lot of pictures of my food

http://www.foodspotting.com/24116-chuck

[fondybrewfan]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Right now I think Coquette looks in the lead; that menu looks great. I wish I lived closer to MIL so I could check all these places out soon.

[Ando Calrissian]

Huge fan of Pastiche Bistro in Bay View.

[Bikeage77]

I love Centro. It's a small place on Center street in Riverwest. They have a good menu, and it's affordable, their specials are usually in the high teens, low 20's. The rest of their menu is 12-18ish.

 

The only downfall is that because it's small it's a little tight, as they pack em in. Might not be best suited for this time out, but keep it in mind for down the road.

[MJLiverock]

Thanks for starting this topic, I was about to start one myself because my wife and I are going to have a night away from the kids in Milwaukee in a few weeks before taking in a Sunday afternoon Brewer game. We can definitely use a night out and it has been awhile since I was out in Milwaukee. I sent the links for Meritage, Jackson Grille, Coquette and Crazy Water off to see which she picks.

[homer]

Just as an aside....I asked Dennis Ghetto (old JS food critic. RIP) in one of his online chats how Milwaukee stacked up against other cities in the midwest (aside from Chicago of course) when it came to dining. He said Milwaukee was the best.

[ewizabeff]

I love Bacchus. Ordering off the regular menu might put you over $100 quickly, but they always have a 3-course prix fix menu that's about $40. It's a fancy restaurant in the Cudahy tower (right on the lake) that's frequented by old rich guys. The food is pretty awesome, though.

 

Sanford is also over-the-top nice. They also have a $49 "exploration menu" that saves you some money. Best food I've ever had.

[ewitkows]

Tess is really good also.

[StearnsFTW]

The most underrated restaurant in Milwaukee, IMO:

 

http://lamerenda125.com/

 

Outstanding variety, and if you spend $100 you're going to be so full you can't move (or hammered ).

 

Never had a bad plate of food, let alone a bad meal there. Only downside is that the bar is small if you like having a drink before dinner. Which isn't a huge deal.

 

I'm a huge fan, and my wife and I have taken 5 or 6 other couples there and received nothing but positive feedback. I highly recommend it to anyone.

[chuckiehacks]

LaMerenda is especially good with a group of people.

[thebruce44]

Went to Rumpus Room with my mom for a late Mother's Day lunch. I really enjoyed it.

[homer]

This recent article from Chicago magazine gives a good overview of dining options in Milwaukee:

 

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2012/Midwest-Foodie-Destinations-Milwaukee/

[Bikeage77]

thebruce, what are the prices like at rumpus room? how's the beer selection there? we've talked about going there, but haven't made it over there yet.

[Marc Newfield of Dreams]

thebruce, what are the prices like at rumpus room? how's the beer selection there? we've talked about going there, but haven't made it over there yet.

 

It varies, if I remember right the entrees were in the 20-30 range, and the sandwiches and burgers were very reasonable.

 

Nice beer selection as well.

[thebruce44]

thebruce, what are the prices like at rumpus room? how's the beer selection there? we've talked about going there, but haven't made it over there yet.

 

My ideas on prices are a little skewed from living in Chicago, but it seemed pretty reasonable to me. Lots of options for under $20 for dinner. Their biggest steak isn't over $40. The cheese plates get a little expensive, but totally worth it to me.

 

The beer selection is awesome, though again, I'm much more impressed by having New Glarus available than you guys are. They also have a selection of 3 Floyds, which I don't recall seeing at other MKE restaurants.

 

It should also be mentioned that the two times I was there, the service was excellent. Its somewhat casual, but the staff is as well trained as much higher end restaurants in my opinion.

[StearnsFTW]

This recent article from Chicago magazine gives a good overview of dining options in Milwaukee:

 

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2012/Midwest-Foodie-Destinations-Milwaukee/

 

They definitely hit some of my favorites. 2 of those are Sanford and Carnevor. Problem with those is they're very, very expensive. Carnevor particularly is out of sight.

[chuckiehacks]

I went to Rumpus Room over the winter and was disappointed. Beer selection was good, but there are lots of places downtown with good beer selection. We split 2 appetizers, one entree (which might have been a sandwich) and had a total of two beers and it was close to $60. I could see stopping in there for drinks, but I don't think I'll eat there again soon.

 

For casual, good beer list, decent food, I prefer one of the Cafe Centraal, Trocadero, Cafe Hollander places.

[gypcasino]

Downtown Dining Week starts Thursday

http://www.milwaukeedowntown.com/categories/12-diningweek

Nice opportunity to hit a place like Sabor for a reasonable price.