Restaurants Thread

[Hards Alumni]

Best restaurant in Door County is up for sale.  Which of course means the end of the Wickman House.

[Skatastrophy]

Unreal lineup.  Even more so considering Noma’s short remaining future. I’d tentatively planned Copenhagen, including Noma, for my 40th in 2025 with my wife and my friend and his wife who has a similar bday.  That took a hit when that was announced

When it was announced we started camping reservations and we were luckily got one a couple of months back. Booked Copenhagen in a rush, and lucked out when someone cancelled at Alchemist late last week.

I'm trying not to get overly hype and letting that impact my enjoyment of the meals. Just happy to have the opporunity honestly.

[Galway Eagle]

We get it.  Chicago is awesome and everything in Milwaukee sucks ass.

lol nobody's making you read my posts.

I love many Milwaukee restaurants. Char'd, Odd Duck, Tavo Signature are all some of my favorite restaurants between both cities not to mention there's nothing like points east or club G's in Chicago. I consistently tell people in conversation Milwaukee's  underrated nationally. Just because I don't have an attitude of "everything from the dollar burger to the fine dining is the best in the world!" Doesn't mean I don't appreciate Milwaukee.

Would you prefer I tell everyone "forget, flavorless broth, store bought sub rolls, baked unseasoned white mushrooms. Spend your hard earned money on sub par food!"

[Galway Eagle]

I have reservations at Alchemist and Noma this week. I'm very excited.

So jealous. Please share all your thoughts on Noma!

[JakeBarnes]

Burger categories:

Fast food/cheap: Redhot Ranch, Five Guys
Good burgers, no price limit: Owen & Engine (rip), Armitage Alehouse
Burgers with lots of toppings: Don't care, these burgers are not good. Kumas is in this category and is a bad burger buried under toppings

Oscars and Culvers have no place in this conversation. Kinda ridiculous they're even brought up in the thread on the main board.

I haven't had a great burger in Milwaukee, but I haven't been to Milwaukee for dinner in like 10 years.

Just wanted to further RIP for Owen and Engine and +1 Redhot.

Good to know on Armitage Alehouse. Still haven't been.

[JakeBarnes]

Best restaurant in Door County is up for sale.  Which of course means the end of the Wickman House.

Wild Tomato too. Although that was kinda going downhill.

Still enjoy Waterfront when I am up there as a "nicer" spot. But Wickman House would be missed.

[Hards Alumni]

Wild Tomato too. Although that was kinda going downhill.

Still enjoy Waterfront when I am up there as a "nicer" spot. But Wickman House would be missed.

Yeah, I don't understand the WT sale.  They're the only show in town and they have three locations that are constantly busy.  Maybe they got sick of doing it, or finding reliable help was too difficult.  I don't know.

We used to enjoy the English Inn because it was able to serve large groups, but this Labor day might have been the single worst dinner I've had in my life there.  2.5 hours for food to come out, it was wrong, and parts were awful.  I have no idea what prompted the mgmt to seat a group of 15 if they didn't have the staff (front or back end) to serve us as a group.  When the meal was over one of the party privately voiced their displeasure to the manager and was told that he, "makes so much money he doesn't care".  Okay dude. 

[Galway Eagle]

Just wanted to further RIP for Owen and Engine and +1 Redhot.

Good to know on Armitage Alehouse. Still haven't been.

O&E is doing pop ups at Bixi till March in case you did hear. I don't know how much of the menu but it's at least the bangers and the burger.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Yeah, I don't understand the WT sale.  They're the only show in town and they have three locations that are constantly busy.  Maybe they got sick of doing it, or finding reliable help was too difficult.  I don't know.

We used to enjoy the English Inn because it was able to serve large groups, but this Labor day might have been the single worst dinner I've had in my life there.  2.5 hours for food to come out, it was wrong, and parts were awful.  I have no idea what prompted the mgmt to seat a group of 15 if they didn't have the staff (front or back end) to serve us as a group.  When the meal was over one of the party privately voiced their displeasure to the manager and was told that he, "makes so much money he doesn't care".  Okay dude. 

Wild Tomato is owned by a guy with hands in a lot of stuff so probably selling high and moving on.

This is our favorite in the area.

https://chivesdoorcounty.com/

Casey’s for BBQ isn’t bad either.

[LloydsLegs]

Wild Tomato is owned by a guy with hands in a lot of stuff so probably selling high and moving on.

This is our favorite in the area.

https://chivesdoorcounty.com/

Casey’s for BBQ isn’t bad either.

Agreed on Chives. For lakeside supper club, Donny’s Glidden Lodge ($$)

For more casual supper club, Nitengale in Sturgeon Bay.

We seem to find a new place or two every year. 

[LloydsLegs]

I have reservations at Alchemist and Noma this week. I'm very excited.

Holy crap. Enjoy!

[Hards Alumni]

Wild Tomato is owned by a guy with hands in a lot of stuff so probably selling high and moving on.

This is our favorite in the area.

https://chivesdoorcounty.com/

Casey’s for BBQ isn’t bad either.

Yep, been to Chives a bunch of times, it's our favorite outside of Wickman. 

We go to DC every year at least one or twice.

[MUfan12]

Bummed about Wickman. Didn't get a chance to go this year, though our meal at Trixie's was more than a fine consolation prize.

Bad Moravian's Detroit style pizza was pretty solid. Also loved the little wine bar across the way.

[Goose]

Skatastrophy

My wife dined at Noma earlier this year and enjoyed it. Anxious to hear your review. By the way, she loved Copenhagen a lot.

[MU1in77]

Stayed at the Osthoff in Elkart Lake a few weeks back and went to Schwarz’s in St Anna’s on a Sunday. I ordered the queen cut Prime Rib (second smallest of the 5 cuts on the menu) and it was very good. I’m usually hesitant to order Prime Rib at “Supper Clubs” because of how often  I’ve been disappointed.  Schwarz’s is an interesting place if you’ve never been there.

[JakeBarnes]

O&E is doing pop ups at Bixi till March in case you did hear. I don't know how much of the menu but it's at least the bangers and the burger.

Oh heck yeah. That makes me happy. Will have to go check that out.

I'll also throw a Marquette-related kudos to Levitt Inn for their smash burger and Bloody Mary. Both hit the spot and it's a great place to watch the game (which they will have on unlike that "Marquette" bar in Roscoe that sucked).

Finally, went to Chef's Special last night and unsurprisingly it's still awesome. Kudos to them for their Bib Gourmand (again). Sad the eggplant dumplings have been moved off the menu for now (they were fire), but enjoyed the new sweet potato dish.

[Skatastrophy]

I'm back and sort of rested from Copenhagen and Helsinki. Dual work/pleasure so I get to expense quite a bit of it other than.... Alchemist and Noma!

Alchemist 10/10 - https://alchemist.dk/
A mind bending experience that was intense in many ways. Service was ~6 hours and 50 courses/impressions. We got one of the wine pairings with lesser-known wine regions which was a lot of fun to explore, they took a lot of care with the wine selection. The food was everything from fun, to bizarre, to challenging, to delicious. The experience was wild, moving you through 5 (?) rooms over 3-4 stories of a large building over the course of your 'meal'. The experience was physical art, beautiful spaces, an audio/video extravaganza in basically an imax dome covering the main dining room, then a series of physically interactive art installations as you move to the final cocktail lounge overlooking the other spaces you spent your evening in.

The meal was one of the best I've had, and part of that was that it came with a not-so-gentle social message regarding how we interact with each other as humans, how we interact with the planet, how we should reconsider our consumption... all while in the midst of one of the most opulent meals you'll ever eat. They completely unnatural carnal knowledge with your mind, it was great as an experience and an art installation. The meal was wonderful on top of it, minus a few intentionally challenging courses (goat brain course was yummy but my bro struggled with the idea of it, the reindeer blood course was tough for me because of the intense earthy iron flavor, ya know).

The service was exceptional. We were paired with our head server in the first/second space and she stuck with us for the entire service. No switching, no platoon, just one human spending all of her energy making sure we were cared for. It was nice to have her as a mental anchor during the more mind bending parts, and she spent a lot of time and effort explaining everything from the food, wine, experience, city, everything.

The founder & chef played a big part of our meal which was nice. He was really engaged with the diners which I was surprised about. He obviously cares about his experiment.

Noma 10/10 - https://noma.dk/
Noma was in many ways the opposite of Alchemist. Warm and welcoming from the greeting staff at the front of their natural garden property, leading us to a greenhouse for a mug of tea while we waited, then an escort into the wooden dining room with large windows overlooking their prairie and lake. It was so damn cozy the entire time. We had a rotating cast of servers while we ate our way through their Game and Forest menu and wine pairing. Easy-drinking wines were paired with reindeer, pheasant, berries, grains, mushrooms, cherries, and plums. Over and over they served us different preparations of similar animals/berries/grains/etc, it was an eye opening experience into how much you can do with a few simple ingredients and an unlimited budget when it comes to preparation options. Had a fun interaction with chef Rene when we were walking in and he saw us through the glass of his prep kitchen greenhouse and made a point to 2-handed wave to us. He didn't have to and that means a lot. Service was ~5 hours and I left wanting to not leave. I could live there.

Noma closes at the end of next year and we probably won't get back in, but I would be happy to explore their other menus.

Summarized
These two restos were everything that Alinea wasn't. I was getting a little bored with fine dining recently and these two menus revived my interest. I can't think of any area where they fell short even a little bit. Alchemist was more precise and innovative and coldly indifferent to your comfort while driving their message, Noma was confident excellence but somehow still casual and warm. The Alchemist's review is longer not because it was better, but because it was so much harder to wrap my head around. What a week of eating. Copenhagen stole my heart

Helsinki restaurants
lol Helsinki's restaurant scene is mid, go to Copenhagen for food unless you like Salmon soup and salt licorice. They drink hard like Milwaukee does. I had a decent omakase menu at Latitude 25, but it's not worth travelling for. Finnjavel is really nice if you're in the city and want to experience a grandma's menu leveled up to Michelin level.

[JakeBarnes]

lol nobody's making you read my posts.

I love many Milwaukee restaurants. Char'd, Odd Duck, Tavo Signature are all some of my favorite restaurants between both cities not to mention there's nothing like points east or club G's in Chicago. I consistently tell people in conversation Milwaukee's  underrated nationally. Just because I don't have an attitude of "everything from the dollar burger to the fine dining is the best in the world!" Doesn't mean I don't appreciate Milwaukee.

Would you prefer I tell everyone "forget, flavorless broth, store bought sub rolls, baked unseasoned white mushrooms. Spend your hard earned money on sub par food!"

Went to Odd Duck last month. Became a fan. Pro tip: "small plates" are not small. I LOVED the oyster-fried mushrooms, but probably would only get with a group given the portion size there. Their vegetable dishes are quite impressive. I really want to go back again as it sounds like the menu items rotate pretty frequently.

Lupi & Iris was our post-game on Saturday. The veal was delicious but nothing that completely wowed me (meat is good, but prefer things that are more creative--but this is a great option if you're just looking for a meat an potatoes type dish). However, everything else we had was FANTASTIC. The scallops were out of this world and the goat cheese chevre was perfectly executed. Strongly recommend the lobster tail pasta as well--lobster tail is usually played out and poorly executed (read as: hammered), but this one was delicate and the pasta was very flavorful.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Went to Odd Duck last month. Became a fan. Pro tip: "small plates" are not small. I LOVED the oyster-fried mushrooms, but probably would only get with a group given the portion size there. Their vegetable dishes are quite impressive. I really want to go back again as it sounds like the menu items rotate pretty frequently.

Lupi & Iris was our post-game on Saturday. The veal was delicious but nothing that completely wowed me (meat is good, but prefer things that are more creative--but this is a great option if you're just looking for a meat an potatoes type dish). However, everything else we had was FANTASTIC. The scallops were out of this world and the goat cheese chevre was perfectly executed. Strongly recommend the lobster tail pasta as well--lobster tail is usually played out and poorly executed (read as: hammered), but this one was delicate and the pasta was very flavorful.

Agreed with everything here.  The stars of Odd Duck are their veggie dishes and I'm a certified carnivore.

Lupe & Iris dinner was underwhelming,  especially for the price.  But their drinks and desserts were immaculate.  Would definitely go for a drink and dessert again

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I'm checking out Bacchus tonight.  Anyone been and have a recommendation?

[drewm88]

Seeing Jake’s quote of Galway reminds me…we were so disappointed by Char’d.

Food was fine but nothing special. Service was incredibly slow. Took over 45 minutes from when we finished our appetizers to when our entrees arrived (we ordered them together.) Server offered us a round of drinks as an apology for the wait, but those didn’t arrive until we had finished our entrees. I know there are a dozen things that could have been going on to cause this, but the food wasn’t good enough for me to go back and risk that service again.

That being said, anyone have recs for Korean in Milwaukee?

[Galway Eagle]

Seeing Jake’s quote of Galway reminds me…we were so disappointed by Char’d.

Food was fine but nothing special. Service was incredibly slow. Took over 45 minutes from when we finished our appetizers to when our entrees arrived (we ordered them together.) Server offered us a round of drinks as an apology for the wait, but those didn’t arrive until we had finished our entrees. I know there are a dozen things that could have been going on to cause this, but the food wasn’t good enough for me to go back and risk that service again.

That being said, anyone have recs for Korean in Milwaukee?

I'm sorry to hear that and apologize if my recommendation sent you there to experience that. I admit I haven't gone for about a year and a half so could be management or chef changes but my group of friends & wife's friends have always enjoyed it.

I don't know about any current Korean in Milwaukee but just want to say RIP to Seoul which was fantastic back in the day.

[wadesworld]

Seeing Jake’s quote of Galway reminds me…we were so disappointed by Char’d.

Food was fine but nothing special. Service was incredibly slow. Took over 45 minutes from when we finished our appetizers to when our entrees arrived (we ordered them together.) Server offered us a round of drinks as an apology for the wait, but those didn’t arrive until we had finished our entrees. I know there are a dozen things that could have been going on to cause this, but the food wasn’t good enough for me to go back and risk that service again.

That being said, anyone have recs for Korean in Milwaukee?

I definitely haven't eaten a ton of Korean, but my wife loved Ono Kine before moving out of state.  I had a coworker and his wife who loved it too.

[drewm88]

I'm sorry to hear that and apologize if my recommendation sent you there to experience that. I admit I haven't gone for about a year and a half so could be management or chef changes but my group of friends & wife's friends have always enjoyed it.

I don't know about any current Korean in Milwaukee but just want to say RIP to Seoul which was fantastic back in the day.

Ha all good! No blame at all. Probably just an off night for the staff.

Ono Kine is a good one to keep in mind, wades. I didn’t realize they veer into a little Korean on their menu.

[JWags85]

Speaking of Korean, not Milwaukee, but there is a relatively new spot in Queens called SyKo, its -Syrian-Korean fusion from a married couple of those seemingly opposite ethnicities.  But according to a few people I know that have been, its supposedly UNREAL.