Well-done cocktails made with infused liquors (they're always changing, too), an interesting wine list and craft beers draw guests to the bar. Look for Braise's culinary school to open soon.
Try the appetizer of house-made potato gnocchi with wine-braised short rib, or a gorgeously crisp Cornish hen that's served with spicy braised kale, chickpeas and Greek yogurt that modulates the heat.
On the menu, four ingredients describe each item. From there, chef-owner Thomas Hauck runs with the dish.
Order one of several entrée-size plates, and the staff likely will encourage the table to share even those. Small plates are the name of the game here, adventurous dishes with striking flavors.
Great food with craft beers and craft cocktails (an impressive lineup of brown liquors for sipping, too) make this a downtown destination, popular before and after shows.
Graffito's food is better than ever under chef Joseph McCormick; the pillow-like gnocchi in spicy red sauce are contenders for the best in town.
Braised beef ravioli is a signature dish, and rightly so; cod is lovely with an acidic note from caper emulsion, served with white asparagus, caper berries and a crisped cake of delicate capellini.
The emphasis for this menu always has been on seasonal ingredients and world flavors, and while it's refined, it can be downright playful.
The house charcuterie is fantastic; in a region where summer sausage is king, you'll find none finer than the one at Hinterland, served on crackers made with 5-year-old Wisconsin cheddar.
Pick any unbeatable dessert by pastry chef Kurt Fogle, like chocolate and peanut butter, a creamy, crispy, giddy delight.
Dishes come and go, depending on the season. Lobster potpie is extravagant and comforting at once. Meat eaters aren't forgotten here; the veal cutlet with Marsala demi-glace is a pleasure.
Tapas nights (Tuesday and Wednesdays) are great deals: several ever-changing tapas at $5 each are enough for two (or more) to share.
I find chef-owner Andrew Tenaglia's dinners an extraordinary value; well-crafted entrées include salad or soup.
Chef-owner Peter Sandroni's casual tapas bar has made itself easy to love by looking around the world for its international menu while incorporating ingredients from close to home.
Bone-in ribeye boasted deep, beefy flavor and a sturdy crust; salmon fillet embellished with nuggets of salmon pancetta, snap pea-red pepper-couscous salad, and dill-mascarpone sauce ties it together.
The rustic French food is a delight, with openers such as changing charcuterie like intensely rich duck rillettes, and coquille St. Jacques, the scallops sweet among artichoke, fennel and olives.
The rustic wood-paneled dining room makes me want to order a Wisconsin classic, roast duck with wild rice, and it's perfect, crisp skin and all. Chef John Mollet's short ribs are moist as can be.
A classic appetizer of shrimp de Jonghe, in garlic butter and topped with panko crumbs for extra crunch, is made superlative with best-quality shrimp.
There are classics such as pappardelle with duck ragu or brick-roasted chicken, but I'm always eager to try chef Juan Urbieta's seasonal menu, available prix fixe or a la carte.
Duckling breast with chorizo and orange is juicy and tender, the flavors in harmony. The flatiron steak with crisp fries and shallot butter is an admirable rendition of steak frites.
Traditional appetizers get modern embellishments: tuna tartare is topped with a jewel-like quenelle of wasabi-flavored tobiko. Nicely browned brussels sprouts make a fine side dish.
Maxie's puts its spin on Southern regional dishes, with hearty entrées such as pulled pork in eastern Carolina-style vinegar sauce with slaw and beans, or shrimp in tasso sauce over creamy grits.
The filet from chef Brent Perszyk's kitchen is classic, a very good balm for a red-meat craving. Nicely done potato purée and sautéed mixed mushrooms on the side, and you're set.
Bone-in ribeye, like all the steaks here, is Angus and aged for 24 days or longer; the flavor is true beef, and it's cooked a perfect medium-rare. Ordering seasonal specials is highly recommended.
If the night's ragu della casa happens to be ground lamb in creamy tomato sauce, don't hesitate. Breaded veal cutlets, crispy at the edges, carry the bright note of lemon.
The menu presents world flavors in combinations that are bold but make perfect sense. If you like your parties quieter, angle for a table in the small back room or on the lovely patio.
It's not a trip to Le Reve without one of the intricate pastries for dessert, such as hazelnut-chocolate cake, copious cream, ganache and pleasure.
When you order veal breast, it's not the trim little bundle that other restaurants present; no, this is a huge slice of the breast, fat and all, and the meat is gloriously rich.
