Amilinda
315 E. Wisconsin Ave., (414) 369-3683
amilinda.com
Spanish, Portuguese
$$-$$$
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If Spanish and Portuguese-inspired fare sounds delicious, set sails for Amilinda. Their digs are quaint, the staff is friendly and the menu is small and focused, but filled with delicious new things at every turn.
Offerings rotate often, depending on what's fresh and in season. Currently, there are starters like warming shakshouka made with persakhe (a Kurdish fried bread); and roasted eggplant seasoned with Aleppo pepper and served with grilled bread.
Meanwhile, spinach pie flavored with Manchego and feta is served with a parsnip and caramelized onion sauce and roasted chicken is presented with seasonal apples and apricots.
Even cozier dishes include curried lamb shanks with carrot puree and chimichurri; and Persian beef stew boasts red beans, spinach, herbs and lime.
No time for a meal before the holidays? Why not ring in the new year with Amilinda's special New Year's Eve prix fixe dinner?
Courses include: Foie Gras (with cauliflower puree, preserved lemon vinaigrette); Sea Scallop (with caramelized fennel, kosho aioli); Argentinian Prawns (with pistachio romesco, braised cabbage); Elk Loin (with coffee rub, potatoes aligot, blueberry gastrique); and Cava Espuma (vanilla pound cake and strawberry two ways). Cost is $130 per person (includes beverage pairings) and reservations can be made online. Seatings are available on Dec. 31 at both 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
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.
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