Best Bites: 5 of the best dishes our dining critic ate in January

In her Best Bites series, dining critic Rachel Bernhard rounds up some of the most delicious dishes she ate around Milwaukee in recent weeks. From food-truck finds to fine-dining dishes, these are some of her favorite things that crossed her plate each month.        

Happy New Year! I kicked off 2024 in delicious fashion, with a New Year’s Day brunch at a dear friend’s house; it was filled with laughs, a mimosa or two and a tablescape of incredible food I wish I could report on here, but it’d only make you jealous.

So instead, I’ll share some of the first phenomenal bites of the year that you can try, too. This month’s theme was “comfort,” as temperatures plunged into the negatives and the harsh reality of Wisconsin winter reared its head for the season. But no matter — cold days yield to cozy meals that made me forget about the whipping winds and piles of snow outside.

It’s funny how food can make you forget about the tough stuff sometimes.

Here are some of the best things I ate in January.

San noodles from The Cheel

I’d been eager to check out The Cheel, 105 S. Main St., Thiensville, since the beloved Nepalese restaurant re-opened last November, three years after being destroyed in a fire. (Psst ... look out for more thoughts on the Cheel coming soon.)

I won’t spoil my entire experience, but I will share how enamored I was with the veggie San noodles on their “bigbits” menu. Wispy, crystal-clear bean noodles make a nest for crunchy bell peppers, meaty shiitake mushrooms and sliced red onion, with bright ginger and earthy sesame flavors co-mingling throughout the dish. It’s topped off with a dusting of crushed roasted peanuts and cilantro.

You can add a protein to the dish: chicken, arctic char or veggie. I went for veggie, not realizing there’d be tofu in the dish; but thankfully, I’m a fan of tofu, and The Cheel’s tofu is the star of the dish. It’s Burmese tofu, which is made with a chickpea base, so it’s a little more dense, meaty and nutty-tasting than standard soybean tofu. It's diced into chunks and so crispy on the outside. That was my first time trying Burmese tofu, and I’m a convert now. It adds some depth to an already delicious dish.

Korean steak sandwich from Bavette La Boucherie

When a restaurant doubles as a butchery, helmed by a James Beard-nominated chef, no less, you expect its sandwich game to be on point. The sandwiches at Bavette La Boucherie, 217 N. Broadway, live up to expectations and then some. I’m hard-pressed to pick a favorite, but the Korean steak sandwich shot up the list as I devoured it during a cozy, laid-back Friday lunch in January.

Juicy slices of steak practically glisten tucked inside the crusty, soft bread it’s served on. Then it gets dressed up with a punchy kimchi aioli (which I wiped clean from the plate when a few drips spilled out), fresh cabbage slaw, a healthy scattering of cilantro and roasted peanuts for a super satisfying crunch.

That was enough to make a fan out of me, but the sandwich is served with a bowl of hot pot au jus, which I happily dunked my sandwich in for an extra umami burst. I told myself I’d only eat half (I had big dinner plans later in the day), but I couldn’t put the sandwich down. Sad for no leftovers to love later, but happy to have found a sandwich to swoon over in the moment.

Rendang puff from The Wolf on Broadway

In three visits to The Wolf, 600 N. Broadway, as I prepared for my recent review of the restaurant (spoiler: I’m a big fan!), I tried pretty much everything on the concise, creative dinner menu. There was only one dish I ordered twice: the Rendang Puff.

I first tried it not long after The Wolf opened in November, then came back to it last month just to make sure it was as delicious as I’d remembered. Oh, was it ever.

Executive Chef Kristen Schwab described it as sort of a grown-up Hot Pocket, and while that’s an accurate description, it doesn’t do the flavors justice. It’s essentially a thin pancake (think the texture of a scallion pancake) encasing tender braised beef cheek laced with warm spices. It’s a little unctuous, a little chewy and a little crispy. Every bite is pure comfort and somehow gets better with the peppy Sambal chili sauce that’s served on the side.

As long as it’s on the menu (please, Chef Kristen, don’t take it from me!), there’s an excellent chance I’ll order it every time I’m at The Wolf.

Birria tacos from Lazo's Taco Shack

Over the course of two weeks in December, three separate people asked me whether I’d been to Lazo’s Taco Shack, 641 N. Lovell St. I wish I’d learned about the restaurant sooner, say, back in September, when I was driving around the city in search of Milwaukee’s best tacos. Had I known about Lazo’s beef birria tacos then, they may have made the list!

The tacos come four to an order, loaded with marinated shredded beef, gooey cheese and topped with fresh cilantro and onion. Like most birria tacos, they're served with doubled-up corn tortillas that have been dipped in chili oil and fried so they can stand up to being dunked in the cup of rich consomme that comes on the side.

These weren’t my first birria tacos, but they are a delicious representation of the food trend that’s been growing for a handful of years. I especially liked how the cheese didn’t overpower the flavor of the beef — there’s just enough to add a little melty goodness to each bite, but not enough to weigh you down after.

I’m so thankful for those three folks who piqued my interest in this new-to-me Mexican restaurant, and I’m even more thankful for the birria tacos it does so well.

Meatballs from Tre Rivali

When the temperature is as frigid as it was in mid-January, I always crave something a little meaty, a little saucy, a little carb-y ... something Italian.

So to Tre Rivali, 200 N. Broadway, I went, to bask in their handmade pasta from the warmth of their dining room. And while I was a big fan of the mushroom and cream campanelle pasta I ordered, it was the meatballs appetizer that stuck with me throughout the night.

The meatballs are so tender, made with a blend of beef, veal and pork that yields a firm but light meatball. It’s blanketed with “Nonna’s tomato sauce,” a vibrant red sauce that perked up the dish while letting the meatball flavor shine through. The meatballs were perched on a bed of the sauce, plus dollops of fresh ricotta and bright pesto. I was thankful for the slices of grilled bread tucked in the bowl, too, which I put to work sopping up that incredible sauce until not a trace was left.

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: 5 of the best dishes our dining critic ate in Milwaukee in January