I was excited to be in Milwaukee today, given the many restaurants that have earned recognition…read morefrom the James Beard Awards. Most of those spots only open for dinner, so I was thrilled to find that Bavette La Boucherie now serves lunch. My friend, a local, told me the restaurant originally began as a butcher shop. While that's no longer the case, the space still pays tribute to its roots -- shelves lined with kitchen knick-knacks, butcher-block counters, and a display of local provisions that hint at its past. Chef-owner Karen Bell leads the way here, and you can feel her touch throughout -- from the creative menu to the casual-elegant vibe. The décor blends exposed brick and warm wood with soft light and a friendly hum from the open kitchen. Our server, Matthew R., had only been with Bavette a couple of weeks, but his background in restaurant management showed. He was knowledgeable, attentive, and offered great suggestions. Before our sandwiches arrived, we shared a cup of pork and tomatillo pozole topped with cabbage slaw and a dollop of sour cream. It was piping hot, bright, and deeply flavorful -- the kind of starter that makes you stop talking for a minute just to enjoy the next spoonful. Having read rave reviews of the Korean steak au jus, I nearly ordered it, but Matthew suggested the roast-beef with cheddar since I'm not a big lunch eater. Excellent call. The sandwich was divine -- tender, flavorful beef layered with melted cheddar on a crisp, perfectly toasted roll. The beef-fat fries had great depth of flavor, though I'd love them even more if they were twice-cooked for that extra crunch. Being more of a gin or vodka drinker, I couldn't resist the Gin Old Fashioned on the cocktail list. It was delicious -- smooth, aromatic, and balanced enough that I happily ordered a second. Great food, warm service, and a welcoming atmosphere. Bavette La Boucherie is a gem I can't wait to revisit.

Was in town for the weekend and TikTok said the only things I should do in Milwaukee were Discourse…read moreCoffee and Bavette. LISTEN... The only crime here is that this place isn't a chain and it's miles away from me. Our waitress was amazing, the vibes were perfect, everything felt intentional in the best way. The heirloom tomato salad was so fresh and delightful. A full 5 out of 5. And those beef tallow fries were unreal. I am still thinking about them and genuinely wish I could figure out how to recreate them at home. TikTok actually delivered on this one. Very happy we ended up going.

What a fall from glory. Dismal. This place was an institution and I've tried to hold out, but it's…read morehorrible now. Soulless. Sloppy. They've changed the rye bread. It's soggy and doesn't hold up. There absolutely no reason to come here anymore. It was a staple and a must visit. Hasn't been that way in a long time. You know it's bad when they've gone from selling sandwiches to frying fish. It is dead and over for this place.

It took them 25 minutes to make me a pastrami sandwich, which wasn't very good. The pastrami was…read moresteak- thickness slabs, instead of deli slices like I'd expect. It was pretty bland (and I feel pastrami is difficult to make bland, by nature). It was overpriced for what I got - $15 for a typical-sized sandwich, and pickle. And my family of four had to go to a second restaurant for lunch, as only I ate from here... they didn't have anything on their short menu for two of my four, and didn't have the soups listed on their menu for the fourth. Less relevant, but still: the place is really sketchy, dingy. Looks like they cobbled it together halfway, and said 'eh, good enough'. We were not thrilled waiting here for almost a half hour for my meal to be ready. We never would have dined in. My daughter says the women's rest room was dirty and fly-infested.

We expected a great dining (lunch) experience at the Swingin' Door, and they followed thru on the…read moreexpectation! The bartop was jam-packed, as was the indoor seating, so we opted for an outdoor table. We were politely greeted by our server Kate, who was friendly and professional. Her wine service skills were impeccable while uncorking a bottle of Rose'. I had the Friday Fish Fry Perch and the GF had seared Ahi Blackened Tuna app. The Perch was great, and the Ahi was good also although we expected it to be more on the rare side. We enjoyed our outdoor dining event as the Midwest Summer weather was perfect!

The Swingin' Door Exchange is one of the unassuming places I frequently tell people to get to and…read moretry because the food is some of the best in the Milwaukee area! Consistently busy over the years and for good reason. I've been here a few times and I've never been disappointed with the service or the food. It's a dark, cozy little restaurant bar but with so much character and history. Service is friendly and efficient. I love that the food I've ordered here has always exceeded my expectations with the seasonings and quality of ingredients used. Reasonably priced too! If you don't have a reservation, you may end up waiting for a table in the back area at a high top but it's a great opportunity to enjoy one of their great drinks in the meantime!

I'm so glad that the Market is back! I love visiting and…read moregetting stuff from the fresh deli shop, I grab the food for my family and everyone enjoys it! We just wish it was closer so it was hot by the time I got it home! They have ready to cook meals too and a variety of Pastas, Wines, Italian condiments, Gelato, Cheeses! Lots of Sweets as well & Caviar as well! You won't be disappointed!!!

My new favorite market! I can't believe I've never been here before. This incredible Italian market…read morehas absolutely EVERYTHING! The food was incredible. The deserts were incredible. The customer service was amazing! Plus we went home with so many extra goodies. There's something for everyone here!

I'm a sandwich lover, so I like to find new places wherever I go. This is located in the corner of…read morea Shell gas station just north of MKE. Unfortunately, I won't be back. I ordered the White House with everything except the oil. I asked for and paid to add pickles, they forgot the pickles. Uggh! Here's the thing, the sandwich has absolutely NO FLAVOR! It's like someone turned off my taste buds. The bread was soft, there was plenty of meat, I was eating it, but I wasn't tasting anything! I didn't taste the ham, or the turkey or the cheese or the onions, or the tomato, nothing! I'll admit, ham and turkey are probably the blandest of meats, so perhaps the tastier meats have flavor... try at your own risk. Counter seating only.

I just have to give a good review to this place. I order between three and four cattle barons at…read moreleast every time that I come in this last week I ordered three cattle barons which are basically roast beef subs and it's like they do it in this awesome ass oil and I love a messy sandwich Greasy is my cup of tea and that's why I keep coming back. I just want to say keep making the great subs that you make and I will keep coming!

A wonderful collection, eateries and markets. Very similar to a lot of the food halls you have…read morearound the country or feels like an indoor farmers market. I'm pretty sure it's easier to find goods that are within anybody's budget and there's a lot of selection of places to eat. I visited this place when I was visiting the city on a trip going to a Green Bay Packers game. So glad I got to experience this place. It was fun looking around and now I got some oysters at the Saint Paul Fish Company. The place was really chill because it was on a weekday when I visited, so I'm guessing that it's super crowded on the weekends. A definite must visit if you are visiting from out of town.

Very cute little market. Big expectations were set when I saw that this place won best market in…read morethe US TWO TIMES and second place most recently. We have been to a lot of markets: Cleveland, Detroit, Charleston, Cincinnati, we lived a few blocks away from Reading in Philly for two years. But best market in the US? That's a different league. Ironically it is literally the smallest market of them all. It's almost comforting because there aren't that many things to choose from. But, disappointing at the same time. There was a lovely souvenir spot. Very small but it has some cute shit. I got a shirt. GF got a sweatshirt. We then got coffee. There was a long line. That felt like a good sign. I got the nutty pedestrian which was good. GF got a frosty something. As a whore for anything mint flavored, I was expecting this to knock it out of the park but it wasn't as minty or as sweet as I would have preferred. Next, we went for the candy place and bakery. I was disappointed to not see one Kringle in this place. Oh well. The gigantic cookies would have to suffice. We got regular chocolate chip, oatmeal chocolate chip, and a Wisconsin something or other. The Wisconsin something or other had like walnuts, craisins, and chocolate chips. Delicious. The standard chocolate chip was fantastic as well. The candy was really good too. Finally, we topped everything off with empanadas which were spectacular. I reviewed that separately. Surprisingly small but a lot of value squeezed into the square footage.

Breakfast sandwiches or lunch sandwiches they are some of the best deli sammies around. The wait is…read morenever that long even when busy. Seating is nice inside or you can take it to go. Jersey pork roll breakfast sandwich is my go to!

The hot beef sandwich was decent, but the inside was nicely decorated with vintage art and pure…read morebrick walls. If you tell the server that you're dining in upstairs when placing an order, you can watch the food be delivered on the conveyor belt when the food is ready to be served. There is also a patio with views of parts of downtown Milwaukee.

Love getting drinks here! It's a great little hideaway when the market gets a bit crowded. The…read moresandwiches are great. If the market gets a bit loud and packed you can tuck away in the bar here and still enjoy the market atmosphere.

Staying at a hotel close by, I made my way to the Milwaukee Public Market and found Foltz Family…read moreMarket. Foltz's offers a wide variety of foods, but what drew my attention was the wood fired pizza! From wide selection of choices, I landed on the Philly. I am normally not a fan of white Alfredo sauced pizzas, but I am glad I went with this choice. The toppings were fresh and delicious, with a little crisp left in the onions and green peppers which made this pizza standout. Crust was the perfect balance of crisp and chew, the only criticism I had was the bottom Could've used 30 seconds longer - other than that fantastic pizza! Well executed pizza, if you are in the neighborhood - check it out!