Brady Street Moveable Feast: Where and what to eat on Milwaukee's Lower East Side

Milwaukee is a city of neighborhoods, and dining critic Rachel Bernhard intends on exploring them the best way she knows how: through food. In her series Movable Feasts, she sets out to craft the ultimate meal by visiting multiple dining destinations — plus popular stops along the way — to get a better taste of what each of the city's distinct neighborhoods has to offer. Which neighborhood should she visit next? Let her know at rseis@gannett.com.

For decades, Brady Street has been one of Milwaukee’s most vibrant entertainment hubs. Stretching east to west on Milwaukee’s Lower East Side, the street’s nine blocks are packed with dozens of bars, shops, coffeehouses and, of course, restaurants.

If you’re looking for a bite on Brady, the street offers a little bit of everything. The burger and fries at Saint Bibiana are some of the best in the city, not to mention the incredible vegan burgers at Twisted Plants. La Masa’s empanadas are a fun way to try tasty little pockets of Argentinian-inspired comfort. And Glorioso’s deli counter serves up Italian authenticity with house-made pizza, sandwiches, salads, soups and more.

But you can also piece together a pretty incredible meal and explore the expanse of the street at the same time — and for cheap, too. Start near Brady’s east side then walk your way west for apps, an entree and dessert during a progressive dinner that gives you a taste of Brady Street without breaking the bank.

Appetizers: Balzac Wine Bar

If you can, begin your Brady Street progressive during Balzac’s stellar happy hour (4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday), when the beloved wine bar, open since 2005 at 1716 N. Arlington Place, offers a handful of popular shareables for just $5 each. It’s a terrific value and the portions are so plentiful that you could build a full meal on three of them alone. The menu changes often, but on a recent visit I tried the hefty, crispy patatas bravas, carrot-ginger hummus with everything-seasoning crackers, and the fried cornichon with chipotle aioli and felt wholly satisfied for just $15 (before tax and tip).

You can get pre-dinner drinks on a dime, too. During happy hour, select wine pours (one red, one white) are also $5 each. Or sit at the bar to take advantage of the $20 bottle of wine deal, offered daily from 4 to 6 p.m.

If you miss happy hour, no sweat. Starters like Rocket Baby baguette with compound butter ($6), Serbian roasted olives ($6) and smoked eggplant pate with house-made naan ($13) won’t break the bank, either.

The dining room is cozy and dimly lit, with intimate tables that encourage shared plates. On nice days, head to Balzac’s convivial patio, anchored by a wooden pergola crowned with lush green vines and strung lights that add a whimsical glow. It’s one of Milwaukee’s best tucked-away places to dine outdoors.

Pop-by: On your way to dinner, stop by Bandit MKE, a resaler with an eclectically curated collection of modern and vintage clothing, accessories, housewares and gifts. If the weather cooperates, shop their sidewalk bins for major deals on apparel and more.

Entrée: Easy Tyger

When Easy Tyger, 1230 E. Brady St., opened in 2016, its menu was inspired by dishes across the globe, from Portugal to the Mediterranean to Korea. In its current state, Easy Tyger leans on an Asian-fusion menu with house-made ramen at the forefront.

There are eight types of ramen on the menu ($11.95 to $14.95), from crispy pork belly tonkotsu with a velvety rich pork broth to a buttery vegetarian option built with a corn-broth base. The bowls are loaded with fresh veggies, herbs and protein, and the ramen noodles are tender but hearty enough to not break up in your bowl.

But one Easy Tyger dish has had its claws in me from the start: Their bao buns have been a favorite since my first visit to the restaurant in 2016. Those cloud-like steamed buns have just the right amount of chew and cradle your choice of beef brisket, fried chicken, crispy tofu or roasted pork belly, plus tangy pickled veggies and a complementing sauce. For $8.50 for two hearty buns, it’s a share-worthy snack, or make it your meal by adding a side of fries or house salad for $4 more.

Easy Tyger’s spacious dining room is airy and contemporary, with a mix of high-top and low-top tables, plus bar seating. For some of the best people-watching in the city, grab a table by the restaurant’s expansive windows facing Brady Street, or dine outside at one of their sidewalk tables.

Pop-by: Three doors west of Easy Tyger is Nashville North, which opened at 1216 E. Brady St. in June 2022. Depending on the night, you could catch a live music set from a local or touring band on one of the venue’s two stages.

Or continue the three-block stroll westward and peer into the windows of Glorioso’s Appetito and Sage Harvest, 1020 E. Brady St, the popular market’s satellite kitchen for cooking classes. Make a mental note to sign up for one of their chef-run courses and soon you’ll be making fresh pizza, hand-rolled pasta or birria tacos like a pro.

Dessert: The Diplomat

First: You absolutely need to come back to The Diplomat, 815 E. Brady St., for dinner. But if you're just feeling like a taste of what James Beard Award-winner Dane Baldwin has to offer, grab a seat at The Diplomat’s homey bar — no reservations required — for a perusal of the dessert menu. The bar feels welcoming, is just as vibrant as the dining room and is a foxy spot to end your night.

The menu changes often, so depending on when you go, you could sink a spoon into a gorgeously thick chocolate mousse, tender banana bread with brown butterscotch pudding or a tart-sweet sour cream cheesecake with seasonal fruit.

But I need a special moment for the peanut butter pie ($9). Every time I order it, that little cylindrical slice stays put in my mind days after my last forkful. The lovely pie is layered with a tight graham cracker crust, sublimely silky peanut butter filling and luxuriously thick Italian buttercream. But it’s the caramelized banana slices on top that put it over the edge, for me. A crisp, sweet balance to the ultra-rich dessert. One slice should be enough to satisfy two, but I wouldn’t blame you if you saved the whole thing for yourself.

If an after-dinner drink is in the cards, The Diplomat’s cocktail menu features clever twists on classics like the martini, sidecar, negroni and paloma. I found the boulivardier-inspired My Cousin Barb to be a good pal to my peanut butter pie. And should you want to end your Brady-Street stroll with a toast, the wide-ranging wine list includes multiple options for bubbles.

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: Brady Street Moveable Feast: Where to eat on the Lower East Side