2008 was another busy year for the local restaurant industry. The most noteworthy accomplishment occurred when chef Adam Siegel won the James Beard Foundation's award for Best Chef in the Midwest, placing him in the same rarefied air as Sanford D'Amato. Siegel is head chef at two fine restaurants: Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro and Bacchus...

General Billy Mitchell was predicting the future of aerial warfare when a restaurant opened near the airfield that would bear his name. Under different names and...

The Harley-Davidson Museum opened just in time for the corporation's 105th anniversary celebration this summer. The Motor restaurant proved to be a popular attraction with its exciting steel and glass dining room. The food is good enough to attract locals and the tall windows would be great for viewing a snowstorm. The menu has some decent and unusual items, including walleye sliders and three different flathead flatbreads. These paper-thin crusts...

When it comes to Conejito’s Place, either you love it or you hate it. At the time that Conejito’s opened, more than two decades ago in a modest corner tavern in Walker’s Point, restaurants in the neighborhood were few and far between, and its simple, inexpensive menu proved to be quite an attraction. The restaurant's...

To many, the lunch buffet is the scourge of Chinese restaurants. First of all, anything stir-fried in a wok should not be spending time on a steam table. Secondly, the food is prepared for general audiences instead of individual tastes, so items like kung pao chicken may end up so bland as to be unrecognizable.

With 27 years under its belt, Pasta Tree must be doing something right. Over the years the restaurant has doubled in size. The current layout is an improvement over a dining area that for many years seemed crowded and cramped (some would call it “cozy and romantic”). Although the new area, which...

With a charming garden and its proximity to the Miller brewery, Highland Park Pies and Cafe (4110 W. Martin Drive) is an inviting summertime location. Then again, winter is a good time to visit as well. You’ll find a series of rooms with small tables and comfortable furniture, along with a front room offering slate floors and...

The Third Ward has changed a great deal since the Milwaukee Ale House opened its doors 11 years ago. The Ale House was one of the first ventures to renovate a vintage building and take advantage of views of the Milwaukee River. A decade later the “renovated loft” look, with hardwood floors and exposed brick...

Two new storefronts—Little Italy Olive Oil Co. and Capone’s Grotto— recently appeared at 1003 and 1007 N. Old World Third St., in the spot formerly occupied by Jewel of India. The interior received a much-needed makeover that includes better lighting, abundant woodwork and a comfortable bar. Not surprisingly...

The last decade has not been kind to Milwaukee’s German restaurants, as names like Ritter’s Inn, the Bavarian Wurst Haus and even the venerable John Ernst have all closed their doors. In fact, only two of the old-timers remain: the oldest, Mader’s, which opened in 1902, and Karl Ratzsch’s...