2023 Dining Guide: Here are 8 of Milwaukee’s best new restaurants

I’ve had to play a lot of catch-up since starting this job in June. It was off to the races, visiting long-beloved restaurants I hadn’t been to in years, catching up on shiny new spaces that opened just as I started, and backtracking to the new eateries that opened their doors earlier in the year — weeks before I even dreamed I'd be the Journal Sentinel’s dining critic.

In the quest to try as many new restaurants as possible, I found so many incredible gems. But to sift out the best of the best to create this list, I needed to set some ground rules.

The restaurants had to open between November 2022 and November 2023. And, because I’ve only had a few months to try all these new places, I’m focusing on restaurants located in Milwaukee proper only (suburbs, I promise I’m working my way toward you soon!).

I also set up some additional criteria, which are always at the forefront when I’m evaluating a restaurant. Is it bringing something new and exciting to the city’s dining scene? How well does it execute the concept it’s aiming for? And are the food, space and atmosphere noteworthy enough that I’d run to tell my friends (and readers) about them without hesitation?

I’ve visited each restaurant on this alphabetically arranged list at least once (most of them two or three times), and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel paid for all meals. Some restaurants were reviewed before I came on board and others will receive full reviews in the weeks and months to come.

The restaurants on this list range from a high-concept experience to a simple corner cafe. The food varies from lobster and caviar to down-home Midwest comfort food. A “best restaurant” doesn’t need to be filed under “fine dining” to impress. There just needs to be a clear passion, commitment to service and, yes, food that makes you want to go back for seconds, thirds and fourths.

I hope you’re able to find a new-to-you spot on this list that you’ll love, as well. Maybe your new favorite appears here, too (hey, you’ve got taste!). Or maybe I completely missed your top restaurant that debuted this year. I’d love to hear about them — email me at rseis@gannett.com.

Here’s to celebrating the ever-changing and absolutely thriving dining scene we have here in Milwaukee. Happy eating!

1033

There isn’t another restaurant in the city quite like 1033. Dining at the shared-plates eatery with an emphasis on its raw bar and fresh seafood is like lingering in the kitchen of a close friend (assuming your friend is a wildly talented chef), watching them cook and sipping from their amazing wine collection — all while feeling like the coolest kid in town with an exclusive invite to dinner.

The restaurant opened in May, when reservations were hard to come by — partly because of the buzz surrounding the space, but also due to 1033’s tiny footprint. There are just 16 seats in the 600 square-foot space, most of them barstools lining the L-shaped bar. And that's where the magic happens: Diners sit surrounding the counter, watching their dishes made before them in the kitchen area behind the bar. Servers take orders and fill glasses from behind the bar, too, creating a communal dining experience with an instantly familial feel.

There’s a no-rules policy at 1033 when it comes to ordering. Choose a few faves from the raw bar and keep them coming, piece by piece, if the mood strikes you. Build your own charcuterie plate as you wait for shareable dishes like lobster bread pudding, mushroom porridge donabe and sourdough-crusted chicken. Executive Chef Adam Kemmler keeps it creative — and changing with the seasons — to take diners on a playful journey that makes fine dining feel less fussy and more like home.

1033 S. First St., (414) 226-5754, 1033mke.com

Hours: 5:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 5:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Happy hour: 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday to Saturday; late-night happy hour 9 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Avli

Avli had a lot to live up to.

It moved into one of Milwaukee’s most coveted restaurant spaces, a two-story building in Brewer’s Hill with an expansive outdoor courtyard and one of the best views in the city. It’s one of six in the Avli restaurant family, the first location outside of the Chicagoland area. Heck, it’s even been endorsed by Giannis Antetokounmpo (the Milwaukee Bucks superstar is part owner).

And while the Milwaukee restaurant is still new (it opened in late September) and shaking out a few kinks, it’s still one of the most exciting restaurants to open this year.

Milwaukee has been in need of an upscale Greek restaurant for a long time, and Avli settles into the role with style. It’s a trendy-feeling spot, with minimalist decor and dim lighting, conversations from nearby diners bouncing around the dining room. The space is really going to sing come patio season, when its large glass doors can open to the outside and diners can enjoy a Greek-style al fresco dinner.

But the food is where Avli really impresses. Authentic Greek dishes are served family-style and guests are encouraged to share. Start with the sampler of spreads — all four are fantastic, but the tirokafteri, a thick spread of feta with roasted red bell peppers, yogurt and red pepper flakes, is the standout. The saganaki, warmed graviera cheese with honey-peppered figs, is a must from the meze menu, too. From the mains, the pork tigania is incredible — pork shoulder is braised with green bell peppers, onion, honey, white wine and spices and is incredibly tender.

Avli only had a few short weeks to take advantage of its lovely outdoor space before the weather turned. But for now, the indoor experience is a welcome addition to the city’s dining scene.

1818 N. Hubbard St., (414) 395-1300, avli.us/avli-milwaukee

Hours: 5 p.m. to close daily

Heirloom

Milwaukee’s latest restaurant that started as a food truck kicked off in the midst of tragedy.

In July, Heirloom’s beloved truck burned in a fire, forcing owners Jess and Pete Ignatiev to open their new brick-and-mortar space in Bay View a little sooner than they’d planned.

But born from the chaos is a sweet farm-to-table restaurant that bends to all types of diners.

Come in for a burger or fried chicken sandwich with a side of cheese curds, or get a little elevated with seafood cioppino or Bavette steak with porcini mushroom dusting and roasted garlic fingerling potatoes. Stop in for the Friday fish fry or pass around snacks like panko-breaded deviled eggs or seasonal hand-pulled burrata. Sip on a swanky Roasted Poblano Sour cocktail or swig back one of the 40 beers on the bar’s list. Everyone’s welcome to make it whatever kind of night they choose.

The space is incredibly inviting, awash in Millennial pinks and jade greens, with kitschy patterned wallpaper punctuating the buzzy front dining area. It’s almost impossible not to smile when you step in and see the cheery space for the first time. Small bud vases with fresh-picked blooms add a happy touch to each wood-topped table.

Heirloom puts an emphasis on sourcing from local farmers and businesses — it even lists every local vendor beneath each menu item — aiming to put community at the forefront of everything they do. Maybe, with the loss of their food truck, it’s no longer possible to physically get out among the people, but when the community comes to dine there, it’s a happy gathering with excitement buzzing from every table.

2378 S. Howell Ave., (262) 299-1157, heirloommke.com

Hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday

Hot Dish Pantry

This counter-service restaurant started as a pop-up concept during the height of the pandemic, moved on to become a vendor at 3rd Street Market Hall and finally opened its own brick-and-mortar location in April, in the former space of Iron Grate BBQ.

The Midwest comfort food with a twist has been good in every iteration of Hot Dish, but I’m happy it has its own home at the counter-service space with a retro-kitsch dining room that matches the nostalgic playfulness of its menu. You’ll find nods to Minnesota’s Juicy Lucy burger (called “Lucy Goosey” here), Chicago-style fried bologna sandwich, Indiana’s massive pork tenderloin sandwich and the good ol’ American smash burger. Add a side of gooey, beer-battered cheese curds (on, Wisconsin!) or crispy fried tater tots (opt for the dusting of taco seasoning — it's such a blast), and you’re in comfort-food heaven.

Hot Dish has a lot of fun with its pierogi, too, crispy little dumpling trios with non-traditional fillings like loaded baked potato, crab rangoon and the fabulous aloo chaat — a pierogi filled with chaat masala chickpeas, cauliflower, potatoes, pomegranate seeds and topped with mint-cilantro yogurt, which I have ordered on every visit I’ve made to the restaurant.

The menu is ever-evolving, introducing weekly specials and seasonal items like soups, new sandwiches and, of course, the rotating “hot dish” casserole that inspired the quirky restaurant’s name. I can't wait to see what this restaurant comes up with next. Each visit holds a new fun delight.

4125 S. Howell Ave., (414) 231-3305, hotdishpantry.com

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday

La Cocina del Sur

When Pedro Tejada, owner of the popular Pedro’s South American food truck, opened his brick-and-mortar restaurant in Riverwest last winter, it gave him the opportunity to expand his offerings beyond the empanadas he’d gained fans with. (They’re on the menu, too, and just as tasty as ever.)

The restaurant serves a mix of Latin dishes from across South, Central and North America. Go for the Colombian arepas, massive piles of seasoned meat or beans over sweet corn cakes with crisp curtido slaw and tangy pickled onion. Or try the Ecuadorian mote con chicharron, featuring extra crispy pork belly with hominy, crunchy corn nuts, fried sweet plantains and tomatoes.

You could make a meal of any of the appetizers, too, like the rotating tamales, Baja fish tacos and the delish yuca frita — the just-salty-enough cassava-root fries served with chimichurri and crema rosa.

I’m a big fan of La Cocina’s cocktail menu, too. It includes a crafty mix of margaritas, pisco sours and (my favorite) the caipirinha, a Brazilian specialty made with limes and cachaça, a spirit made with fermented sugarcane juice — a subtly sweet and delightfully tart treat.

The space itself feels like a blend of a lounge and neighborhood bar (this formerly was the home of Riverwest Filling Station, after all). With dim lighting, warm neon lighting and vibrant potted plants warming up the industrial space. It’s a spot where you can feel just as happy bellied up to the bar with a snack as you would meeting friends out for a night of Latin-infused noshing.

701 E. Keefe Ave., (414) 810-0108, lacocinamke.com

Hours: 4 to 9 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday

More 10 Milwaukee-area restaurants that started as food trucks

Safina

Although Safina opened just five months ago, it already feels like a Milwaukee institution. Perhaps that’s because it’s run by the Safina family, who previously owned Giovanni’s, a long-running upscale Italian eatery on Milwaukee’s east side. At Safina, the family brings back Sicilian and southern Italian classics that old regulars might remember as though they'd just ordered them last week.

That includes the fried eggplant strips (melanzana fritte on the menu), served with a bouncy house-made marinara sauce that gives zip to the lightly breaded strips. The house-favorite Strauss veal ribeye shows up, too, set off on the menu with the label “Giovanni’s Originals.”

It’s clear they’re banking on a former clientele’s fond memories, but there’s so much to love beyond the old classics. Pasta dishes like the frutta di mare, a black linguine dish with a seafood medley and calabrian chili, are stylish and sumptuous, and even the simple penne alla vodka feels special with a silky cream sauce that somehow still feels light. Everything is scratch-made, with many of the ingredients imported from Italy, including the restaurant’s bright and grassy house olive oil, brought to every table with a loaf of fresh, crackly bread.

The food feels approachable and even homey, brought to the table by affable servers who check in often but never hover. You feel welcome from the moment you step into the cozy dining room, which is what I think I love most about Safina. Its rustic charm strips the space of any pretension, and eating there feels like Sunday supper at your Italian nonna’s kitchen: inviting, bustling and filled with warmth.

785 N. Jefferson St., (414) 488-9578, safinamke.com

Hours: 4 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Seven Swans Creperie

It's unbelievable to think this charming cafe, which opened last spring, was once Dino’s, the staple Riverwest bar known for wings, Friday fish fry and accessible Italian food.

The space has been transformed into what I can only describe as a cozier Luke’s Diner straight out of the “Gilmore Girls” TV show. (If you’re not clear about that reference, think of it as a charmingly mismatched space highlighted by sunlight-welcoming windows, walls with varying wallpaper patterns, warm wood accents, bright pops of color and a “sit and linger awhile” vibe.) It’s such a sweet space to spend a morning.

Seven Swans’ specialty is right there in the name: The menu mainly consists of French-style crepes (sides like oatmeal, granola parfait and salads round out the rest). Split evenly between savory and sweet styles, the flavors range from the perfect-for-fall Vermonter with rosemary sausage, sharp cheddar and cinnamon-y caramelized apples to the Earl Grey filled with Earl Grey custard topped with caramel, Stroopwafel cookies and fresh whipped cream. There’s the kid-friendly Campfire crepe, too, a s’mores-inspired sweetie with chocolate ganache, marshmallows and house-made grahams. Each crepe is made to order, brought out still steamy and fresh from the stovetop, garnished gorgeously and presented on a darling vintage plate. Even if you think crepes aren’t your thing, you’ll find a flavor you love here.

Order from the counter at the coffee bar, where you’ll find a variety of pastries on display. Cookies, scones, doughnuts, brownies … the assortment is ever-changing and made fresh in-house. The pastries, like the crepes, pair well with the cafe's espresso drinks, artful brews like lattes flavored with seasonal syrups such as black sesame, lavender and pumpkin spice.

Don’t think of Seven Swans as “just” a counter-service crepe cafe. The service is warm and friendly, the coffee is darn good, and there’s heart and thought behind each delicate dish. It's the sort of place perfect for catching up with a good pal or just spending a quiet morning alone with a book, drink and a special Sunday treat.

808 E. Chambers St., sevenswanscreperie.com

Hours: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday to Sunday

The Wolf on Broadway

The newest addition to this list just opened to the public on Nov. 24, but I’ve seen enough to feel confident in its inclusion.

It’s an elegant offshoot of Uncle Wolfie's Breakfast Tavern, the popular Brewer's Hill breakfast and brunch spot also run by The Wolf owners Wolfgang Schaefer and Whitney McAllister. If Uncle Wolfie’s is the laid-back older sibling that’s big on comfort, The Wolf is its chic younger sis — hip and modern with a wicked sense of style and a more adventurous appetite.

Chef Kristen Schwab brings the fun and flair at her first go-around running a kitchen of her own (she’s worked in restaurants all over town, including as chef de cuisine at DanDan). The menu is refreshingly short and sweet, curated just right to show off plates inspired by her part-Indonesian heritage with a touch of Southern charm.

Think savory-sweet corn fritter pancakes served with a chili pepper jam sharing space with a rendang puff, a flaky pastry stuffed with juicy beef cheek and served with a punchy green sambal sauce. Or a chicken-patty sandwich laced with lemongrass and a smear of lime leaf aioli. Or the dinner-only dish called garlic indo-mie, an umami-bomb that features a nest of squiggly egg noodles crowned with savory wild mushrooms and veggies with a house-made sambal sweet soy sauce.

They’re served in a contemporary-casual space that feels more like SoCal than downtown Milwaukee, but not so much that you couldn’t feel comfortable popping in after work or meeting up with jeans-clad cohorts on a Sunday afternoon.

600 N. Broadway, (414) 935-2076, broadwaywolf.com

Dinner Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Monday and Thursday; 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Lunch Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday to Monday

Rachel Bernhard joined the Journal Sentinel as dining critic in June 2023. She’s been busy exploring the Milwaukee-area food scene to share her favorite finds with readers along the way. Like all Journal Sentinel reporters, she buys all meals, accepts no gifts and is independent of all establishments she covers.

What should she cover next? Contact her at rseis@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @rachelbernhard or on Instagram at @rach.eats.mke.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 8 of Milwaukee’s best new restaurants for 2023