My annual article, 52 Restaurants for your Bucket List, was originally created to provide readers with an easy way to explore the wealth of restaurants in the Milwaukee scene over the course of one year (52 weeks). Today, as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, it provides a fun and equally compelling guide for folks who’d like to bring variety to their weekly meals while providing vital support to some of our finest local restaurants.
Here's the featured restaurant of the day, plus five dishes to try!
Brandywine
W61 N480 Washington Ave, Cedarburg, (262) 618-4683
brandywinecedarburg.com
Enjoy expertly prepared food in charming, restored historic digs at Brandywine where Chef Andrew Wilson prepares memorable, beautifully plated dishes that change with the seasons. Specials are worth your attention, and the seasonal housemade pasta seldom fails to impress. Don’t miss the Tuesday date night specials which include a bottle of wine, two small plates, one entree and one dessert for a set price. Carry-out available, as well as patio dining in Brandywine’s b-Domes (reservations required).
Five dishes to try:
- Pork belly braised in chocolate porter and chiles, mole negro, caramelized turnips and wild crispy wild rice masa fritters ($14)
- Handmade butternut squash ravioli with brown butter cream, crispy celery root, pepitas and roasted delicata squash ($21)
- Braised beef short rib with polenta, roasted rainbow carrots, smoked carrot oil, braising jus and parmesan crisp ($28)
- Lavender brown butter cake with caramelized plum ice cream, plum jam and toasted almonds ($10)
- Family meals (serve 3-5). Feed the family (or make room for nextovers) with meals like house-made spacatelli pasta with chicken and creamy alfredo sauce; served with tomato and fresh mozzarella panzanella salad; roasted broccoli and cauliflower with lemon vinaigrette; and apple, pear and plum crisp with vanilla whipped cream ($60).
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.