06 /13/26. My wife and hit up the Calderon for a nice 6 o'clock dinner. I'm a pizza nut, and she…read morehad a taste for the lobster ravioli. We ordered a glass of wine, and I had an iced tea. I have to add the tea comes unsweetened. As an app we had fried eggplant. I was warned the pizza would be over 30 minutes. The eggplant came super fast. It was great. Nice sauce. On time my pizza was in front of me. A minute later my wife's ravioli was on the table. Both were served hot. My rectangle "works" pizza was packed with fresh crispy flavor. It was very good. Nice and thin crust. Today (the next day) I ate it for lunch, and it was still great reheated. Wife tells me her lobster ravioli was also very good. My wife might like the pasta, but I guarantee, I will have this pizza again. I would vote 4.5 stars for sure.

Ordered kalimari as an appetizer. First time trying it for one of us, and it was above…read moreexpectations! We got chicken alfredo and spaghetti and meatballs, respectively. They were both very good. (This review gets a bonus star for being our first date )

Dorma is an amazing neighborhood staple with friendly staff and excellent food. So cozy and…read morewelcoming. I am always left with good vibes after a visit. Highly recommend. (Alliexander, who left a 1-star review below, must be mistaking this restaurant for another. The owners have never owned another restaurant and I can't ever imagine them treating someone like this.)

I recently went with a group of friends and family to Nessun Dorma for a post wedding brunch…read more We tried to make a reservation, since we were a group of seven, but they would not take one. Luckily when we got there the back room was open and they pushed some tables together for us. I'd like to make this a 2.5-star review. The food was quite good. We enjoyed our drinks. The atmosphere was as cozy as ever. Our service was deeply disappointing. Our server, A.S., might have been tired or something. I can't speak for her state of mind, but she was really detached and borderline dismissive. Yes, we got all of our food. We would certainly have ordered more drinks, increasing our tab and gratuity, but she never came back and asked if anyone wanted one. One of our guests ordered avocado toast. Apparently they were out. She came back and said "Whoever ordered the avocado toast, we're out." She didn't know who ordered which dish to start, and then she didn't bring a menu back so the guest could make an informed second choice. They had to just order whatever they remembered. Coffee drinkers were offered one refill - just one. Seriously, I don't know what was going on, but we left pretty quickly since our celebratory mood was being squelched. I hope she recovered from whatever was wrong with her.

probably once a month I eat here, never am I let down. as someone who's mother was born in Sicily I…read moretend to be skeptical eating out for Italian. never have to worry about that here, and the service is excellent every time. the bar always has friendly faces and music that meshes perfectly with the ambiance. perfect for family or a date!

I've been here a few times and it's always great. The last time we got the eggplant chips and…read morepiccante pasta. I absolutely love the fact that you can order a half potion of any pasta dish! The service was great-the staff was super friendly and accommodating. The inside was very nice and has an elegant vibe. The eggplant chips tasted great, super thin and well seasoned. I wanted to taste and feel a little more eggplant, but they were chips and followed through with the assignment! The piccante pasta is one of my favorites, and not just because chicken is included vs. an add on. The shape of the pasta is super fun and holds the sauce perfectly. The sauce is phenomenal, I normally ask for all the salt, Parmesan, red pepper, etc. up front because I'm so used to things being under-seasoned but not with this dish! It had the perfect amount of salt and spice in addition to the pasta having the ideal al dente cook to it. I highly recommend and cannot wait to go back for more!

Well shit, no wonder this place is nominated for a James Beard Award. I'm literally still thinking…read moreabout all the good food 24 hours later. It's actually shocking I've only just made it here because Ca'Lucchenzo has been on my to-go list for years. Lucky for me, my girlfriends planned a dinner to catch up and one of them chose this spot. Hot tip: make the reservation. Those go fassst! We went on the Tuesday night and it was full, with repeated table turnover. Delightful atmosphere. Very cozy, with warm tones, dimer lighting, and thoughtfully curated Italian'esque decor. Loved that there is a whole area where you can look onto the from-scratch pasta being made. However, that's over in the dining room and we actually sat on the bar side. There's maybe a dozen seats wrapped around their full-service bar, and then a small high-top tucked behind, where we sat. Our server, Malichai, new allllll of his stuff. When I tell you this menu is so clearly planned with immense detail, and changes pretty much daily, but this man knew every thing there was to know. We found that to be so helpful because as first timers it's hard to know what - and how many dishes - to choose. In the end, we landed on a handful of picks from the antipasti section, which we're all great shareable sizes. And then of course we needed pasta, so selected two of those to share as well. Can I recall what each dish was? No. Can I recall everything being extremely flavorful and enjoyable? Absolutely! From goat cheese and white asparagus, to creamy potato ravioli and the most insane/delicious focaccia of my life... we all noted how great every bite was. Oh and the drinks + dessert selection lived up to the hype too. I had a citrusy gin cocktail, and we finished with some sort of hazelnut chocolate cake. 10/10. Super duper excited to bring my husband here. He appreciates the craft of good food and boy that is what this place is alllll about.

Overall a decent experience, but unfortunately it didn't quite hit the mark that I'd like it to…read more First off the service was great: I went in as a solo diner and was seated quickly without fuss, although the spot where they sat me in was a bit small and along this wide countertop shared with other guests. That was fine ( I don't mind being near people) but the chairs were a bit too close and made me feel like I had to shrink myself and hold my arms in. The server was pleasant as well. Soft-spoken, polite man, which fit the overall relaxed but friendly atmosphere. The only thing I noticed was that he spoke in a bit of a rush, but it was a busy night so I'm more lenient. For food, I started off with the goat cheese crostone, which was fantastic. 5/5 warm, soft, fluffy bread with a great goat cheese and Calabrian honey spread that had both a nice complexity of flavors while not being too overpowering despite the sweetness of the honey and the savoryiness of the goat cheese. Everything balanced out wonderfully. Unfortunately, the main pasta dish I ordered, the Herb Maccaronara, was very bland and one dimensional, which was a shame because I was really looking forward to a bright and refreshing flavor considering how the restaurant seemed to pride itself in the localness of its vegetables. Whatever they used, it was blended and pureed with the sauce, and I couldn't really discern anything except for a faint earthiness. Not much pepper. Not much salt. I normally appreciate it when restaurants want to let the ingredients and naturalness speak for itself, yet I found myself regrettably disappointed by the combinations they chose for this dish, as it didn't highlight or elevated their respective elements. The maccaronara pasta itself was fine, a chewier version compared to other types, but would've benefitted from having something more crisp as an accompaniment to pair with the chewy texture. The dish did have peas in it but sadly it must've been softened by the sauce or noddles because it tasted mushy. Overall the main highlight was the sausage which added a brief touch of well-needed savoriness. The final dish I ordered was an affogato that came with chocolate ice cream and a shot of espresso. A nice cool way to end the meal, although I wish I'd the choice for vanilla instead. All this to say that I believe three stars is a fair scoring for my visit. I really would like to visit again, and Ca'Lucchenzo does rotate their menu often so perhaps their next batch will be better than the current one.

Wow, the Cantaloupe with Burrata is probably one of the best things I've eaten in a long time!!!…read moreYou wouldn't think something so simple would be so amazing, but it is. They drizzle olive oil, pink peppercorns and pink sea salt flakes with fennel fronds. The Burrata was buttery tasting and complimented the cantaloupe so well.

Mina is *the* spot for a taste of a meal abroad with that home-cooked feel. Bringing European…read moreflavors to Milwaukee in all forms of small bites, plates, and drinks. Their rotating menu is full of fresh and local food like no other! It doesn't matter if you can't pronounce what you're ordering; Patrice and Ryan bring flavors together that you've never thought of but now never want to live without! Don't worry if you're Veg, GF, or DF, they've got it all (and it's all delicious).

Food Fam and I came here for a Filipino Food Pop Up by Bad English. Filipino food is popular on the…read moreEast and West Coasts, plus Chicago. We were excited to have representation in MKE! First of all, I can't believe I have never set foot in this restaurant. I like the overall vibe of the place. Diving into the food, we ordered the lumpia Shanghai (egg rolls) to start. Crunchy and yummy! For my main dish, I ordered the Ulam with longganisa (Filipino chorizo) and a fried egg. My cousins ordered the Ulam with Chicken Adobo. Basically, Ulam is garlic fried rice with a pickled slaw on the side. Vinegar was served on the side for extra flavor. We were impressed at how the dishes were elevated, yet maintained the traditional flavor. If we were at home, we would have had two platefuls of everything! For dessert, we split some Turon (plantains with mango & jackfruit wrapped in egg roll wrapper and fried). Definitely wanted more - but forced myself to say no! Our server was super nice and very attentive. She made sure our waters were full (we are on a hydration kick). Overall, I was happy we made it out on a Monday night and satisfied my craving for Filipino food! I will definitely be back to try their normal offerings.

We were happy to see a new restaurant open in place of Tavolino. The restaurant decor is so cute!…read moreThey had creative dishes beyond your average Italian restaurant which was refreshing. I had the shrimp arrabbiata which I knew would be spicy, but unfortunately it was way too spicy for me to eat. Everyone else at my table seemed to enjoy their meal though! I did notice that the menu online was a bit different than what they presented in the restaurant. Looking forward to going back and getting a meal I can properly enjoy!

Centro cafe is a great little hidden gem in Riverwest. The prices are a little higher than other…read morevenues in the area, but the food is well worth it. The flavors, the layers, the searing, the fresh ingredients, all fantastic. And with an exposed hot kitchen in the dining area, you can watch it all come together. The ambiance is nice, making it a great date spot. And the service is attentive without being too much. The craft cocktails and NA spritzes are fantastic, with unique and well balanced flavors. And the attached speakeasy (Bar Centro) makes for a perfect after dinner stop for another cocktail and live music 3 nights a week.

A hidden gem in River West. Probably one of those places I love going if I had more time. Next…read moredoor they have a waiting area which by the way have live band on some nights Food is always good never disappoints. Love the open kitchen concept Loved the home made pepperoni pizza the sauce was not overwhelming to much love the fact that it had a lot of cheese. The bolognese in every bite you can taste that braise beef You can never go wrong with share the Caesar

We had a great first dining experience at Tauro Cocina! I kept hearing about how great of a spot it…read moreis, but haven't been to this building since it was Trocadero back in the day. I love the location of this restaurant, a cozy little nook set apart from the business of downtown but still so accessible! With events happening at the fiserv and new music venue in the deer district, it was a welcome reprieve from the action. The restaurant itself is lively but chill - is there a word for that!? lol very laid back, friendly and informed staff. We were able to snag a seat at the bar which was great - it's probably got 12-15 seats. Full dinner service too! My husband got a mezcal old fashioned (not on the menu) and I got a spicy margarita. Both were great! As for food, the menu is eclectic, but everything looks and tasted great! We got 2 appetizers, the bruschetta and stuff pepper - both were delish!! And then we shared the braised beef risotto topped off the night with a spirit free strawberry Fresca & churros (SO GOOD). Great experience for deciding last minute and getting a walk in spot.

First time coming here…read more Food: The menu has a lot of excellent choices. The drink menu features plenty of specialty cocktails, and I took our server's recommendation and ordered the Whisky Paloma, which was an excellent choice. I loved the chili dust along the rim. If you like pizza, they have an interesting selection featuring ingredients such as peaches, figs, and bacon. It was hard to decide, but I ended up ordering the Burrata pizza with grilled peaches, arugula, and honey. It was very good and would have been even better with a few more grilled peaches. I also ordered the grilled octopus because, if it's on the menu, I just have to try it. It was very good, along with the accompanying roasted potatoes. I prefer my octopus well grilled and firm, and this preparation was a bit softer than I would have liked. We finished with the tiramisu, which was a little disappointing. It was both very cold, as though it had just been thawed, and a bit soggy. Service: The service was very good throughout the evening. We were seated right away, and our server did a nice job of getting us settled in. The drinks and food arrived surprisingly quickly, and we felt well attended to throughout the meal. Thanks, Robert! Atmosphere: The building is a gem, with old brick on the outside and a modern, relaxing design on the inside. There is a foyer where guests are greeted and can wait for their tables. The wood wall treatments and lighting are inventive and upbeat. The many hard surfaces make the acoustics a bit loud, but we were still able to have a conversation comfortably. Overall, it was a very good experience. With a bit more attention to some of the final touches on the food, this could have been an even better experience. We would enjoy coming back again.