Restaurants Thread

[Hards Alumni]

Zarletti's downtown, hey?

Easily.  Great food.

[The Lens]

Glorioso's a grocery store, deli. Amazing lunch spot but I wouldn't do dinner there.

Calderone is solid but has benefitted from their location.  You'd have to have the MECCA's management not to be packed being where they are in relation to the FF + Baird Center.   I do love their sister spot next door San Georgio (VPN Pizza) but it's pricey.  In the Hauser days a lot of Steven Point royalty (Point Beer) would dine there on MU weekends.  Good people.  As for Calderone, Gino has done a nice job but I think Carmelo's spot up in Fox Point is better.

All that said...

Red sauce / pizza: Carini's
Fancy / big occassion: Zarletti
Great date night: Ca'Lucchenzo

   

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Glorioso's is incredible.

Per Mrs TAMU: "I would rather eat Rocky Rococo than Gloriosos"

[wadesworld]

Per Mrs TAMU: "I would rather eat Rocky Rococo than Gloriosos"

Her loss.  It's awesome.

Like The Lens said, you aren't going there to sit down and eat dinner.  But to pick up some stuff you can make at home for dinner and grab a sandwich for lunch while you're there, it's amazing.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Her loss.  It's awesome.

Like The Lens said, you aren't going there to sit down and eat dinner.  But to pick up some stuff you can make at home for dinner and grab a sandwich for lunch while you're there, it's amazing.

We've done both.  Not for us.  To each their own.

[Galway Eagle]

Glorioso's has some hits but I've had some genuinely awful stuff there (whatever they used to call their approximation of an Italian sub had an insane amount of peppers, the cannoli is insanely sweet, like icing instead of ricotta sweet)

That said I don't think it's anything particularly special that you wouldn't find in most larger cities. Ive for sure found various approximations in St Louis, Chicago, Boston, & NYC with some better and some worse.

[Skatastrophy]

Glorioso's has some hits but I've had some genuinely awful stuff there (whatever they used to call their approximation of an Italian sub had an insane amount of peppers, the cannoli is insanely sweet, like icing instead of ricotta sweet)

That said I don't think it's anything particularly special that you wouldn't find in most larger cities. Ive for sure found various approximations in St Louis, Chicago, Boston, & NYC with some better and some worse.

Chicago has bangin italian food. That being said...

Ca'Lucchenzo on the edge of Tosa is fantastic. Wonderful updated takes on traditional italian. Killer wine list.

Also don't sleep on the Rocky Rococo sausage super slice w/ the bread sticks and cheese sauce.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Chicago has bangin italian food. That being said...

Ca'Lucchenzo on the edge of Tosa is fantastic. Wonderful updated takes on traditional italian. Killer wine list.

Also don't sleep on the Rocky Rococo sausage super slice w/ the bread sticks and cheese sauce.

We haven't gotten to Ca'Lucchenzo yet. High on our list.

[21Jumpstreet]

We haven't gotten to Ca'Lucchenzo yet. High on our list.

First time I ate there, the meal entered the chat of top five MKE restaurant. Each time since hasn't surpassed it, but the bar was set really high. On a beautiful night, eat outside in the back.

[rocket surgeon]

Glorioso's a grocery store, deli. Amazing lunch spot but I wouldn't do dinner there.

Calderone is solid but has benefitted from their location.  You'd have to have the MECCA's management not to be packed being where they are in relation to the FF + Baird Center.   I do love their sister spot next door San Georgio (VPN Pizza) but it's pricey.  In the Hauser days a lot of Steven Point royalty (Point Beer) would dine there on MU weekends.  Good people.  As for Calderone, Gino has done a nice job but I think Carmelo's spot up in Fox Point is better.

All that said...

Red sauce / pizza: Carini's
Fancy / big occassion: Zarletti
Great date night: Ca'Lucchenzo

  the best seafood and octopus salad i've had

great selections of Italian meats and cheeses.  never thought of it as a restaurant, but the smell of their stuff in the car on drive home was torture.  simple open face sciortinos bread Genoa or mortadella with a slice of provolone maybe some giardiniera on the side...don't bust my boo-alls and get the fu** outta heeya

[Uncle Rico]

Tenuta's is better

[cheebs09]

Chicago has bangin italian food. That being said...

I didn't realize they had a Porcini's.

[Galway Eagle]

Chicago has bangin italian food. That being said...

Ca'Lucchenzo on the edge of Tosa is fantastic. Wonderful updated takes on traditional italian. Killer wine list.

Also don't sleep on the Rocky Rococo sausage super slice w/ the bread sticks and cheese sauce.

sorry I wasn't trying to boost up Chicago in particular was only trying to point out that while Glorioso's concept is fairly uncommon in MKE (I guess Grappi sort of compares) it's not a particularly revolutionary concept with similar Italian markets existing all over many with better or worse food.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Chicago has bangin italian food. That being said...

[drewm88]

Il Mito in Tosa. Mrs. TAMU is the granddaughter of four Italian immigrants and none of their children married outside the tribe.  She turns her nose up at every Italian joint we go to because it's nowhere near as good as her familys (and being a regular consumer i can confirm she is correct). Il Mito is the one exception we've found in Milwaukee.

I loved Onesto personally (Mrs TAMU says it was okay)

Was not super impressed by Il Mito. Ambiance was lacking (stereotypical Italian restaurant soundtrack interrupted by commercials!) Food presentation was middling. Food was pretty good, with the exception of the pasta. Tasted boxed. I'd go back, but there'd have to be a few other spots booked first before I turned to it.

On the other hand, recently went to Morel in Walker's Point. Great food, great cocktails, good service.

[21Jumpstreet]

Was not super impressed by Il Mito. Ambiance was lacking (stereotypical Italian restaurant soundtrack interrupted by commercials!) Food presentation was middling. Food was pretty good, with the exception of the pasta. Tasted boxed. I'd go back, but there'd have to be a few other spots booked first before I turned to it.

On the other hand, recently went to Morel in Walker's Point. Great food, great cocktails, good service.

Morel is solidly in my top five MKE restaurants. Big fan

[Goose]

rocket

If I go to Benji's deli or Glorioso's I am eating all the way home. I go to Glorioso's quite a bit and love the car ride home. My mouth this watering as I write this post.

[MU1in77]

Tenuta's is better

Big fan of Tenuta's but then again I grew up in a German household and still enjoy good sauerbraten every couple of years.

[Galway Eagle]

Ate at Smyth last week for my birthday and while it was truly incredible i wasn't blown away. I thought for a 3 Michelin star restaurant it'd be doing something out of this world but it was seemingly on par with the likes of El Ideas and Sepia.

Maybe my expectations were too high?

[JWags85]

For any NYC people, had dinner at Kochi in Hells Kitchen on Friday.  Ambitious modern Korean spot.  Fantastic tasting menu at a really reasonable price for a Michelin starred restaurant in Manhattan. 

[LloydsLegs]

Ate at Smyth last week for my birthday and while it was truly incredible i wasn't blown away. I thought for a 3 Michelin star restaurant it'd be doing something out of this world but it was seemingly on par with the likes of El Ideas and Sepia.

Maybe my expectations were too high?

Could have been- haven't been there, and have been avoiding the big tasting menus for the last few years.  But the burger at The Loyalist is pretty delicious!

Went to Bar Esme last weekend.  Only 3 courses (with some options) in the bar and easy to get in (cf the restaurant).  Great setting (change the artwork and the menu with the season), service, food and drink.  The "hot Cheetos" were a pretty decent gimmick and the rest of the food was beautifully plated and tasty.  I went dealer's choice on my cocktail, and had an amazing barrel rum based black Manhattan. 

Finally going to make it to Daisies first week of May.

[Skatastrophy]

Ate at Smyth last week for my birthday and while it was truly incredible i wasn't blown away. I thought for a 3 Michelin star restaurant it'd be doing something out of this world but it was seemingly on par with the likes of El Ideas and Sepia.

Maybe my expectations were too high?

I got confused for a sec and was thinking "The Smith is absoutely not a 3 star resto" lol. I'm a dummy.

RE: Lloyd's burger comment - I'm excited to try Mott St this weekend. The last notably good burger I had was at Leavitt St Tavern, owned by an MU alum. Dive-y, delicious, in Bucktown - https://www.theleavittstreet.com/

[LloydsLegs]

I got confused for a sec and was thinking "The Smith is absoutely not a 3 star resto" lol. I'm a dummy.

RE: Lloyd's burger comment - I'm excited to try Mott St this weekend. The last notably good burger I had was at Leavitt St Tavern, owned by an MU alum. Divy, delicious, in Bucktown - https://www.theleavittstreet.com/

Will have to try- heard it's great.

[Skatastrophy]

Will have to try- heard it's great.

If you go, they have a french fry app/side that has a couple of different dips with it. The fries are great and the dips are also great, worth it

[LloydsLegs]

Went to S.K.Y. last night. Every dish hit.  Top was the warm mushroom salad, followed closely by the lobster dumplings.  Fried chicken amazing, but really hot.  Cocktail one of the best I've had in a while (restaurants are getting a little too creative with their cocktail programs, IMO. Sometimes the classics are classics for a reason):  Scarlet Plumperickle- a take on a black manhattan, whichh  includes aerated plums.  Wow.

Was my 4th time there, and, along with dinners at a few Mexican spots nearby and the dearly departed Dusek's, I've been regularly going to Pilsen for the last 12 years or so  The area continues to evolve (gentrify), with more and more restaurant openings.  As a result, plan to arrive 15 minutes early to find a parking spot and plan on a little bit of a walk (a few blocks). Or better yet, don't drive!