It’s as important as ever to support the amazing collection of local restaurants that we have in our beautiful city. And there’s no better way to do so than committing to patronize them throughout the year. To guide you on your journey, I’ve composed a list of 52 amazing restaurants. Try just one of these every week and you’ll have visited them all by the end of 2024. View the full list OR download an abbreviated printable PDF file for your fridge or wallet.
3rd Street Market Hall
275 W. Wisconsin Ave., (414) 249-5062
3rdstmarkethall.com
Various options
$-$$
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Years ago, you had to settle for a chain restaurant like Cheesecake Factory to ensure there would be plenty of options for everyone. But now, you can just head to 3rd St Market Hall. And this week, that’s exactly what you should do.
Much has changed at this Downtown food hall since it opened in January of 2022. Now at capacity, the expansive eatery not only offers a wide range of cuisines but a full bar, a wine shop, a self-service beer garden and plenty of engaging activities from shuffleboard and pinball to ping pong, darts and Top Golf.
These days, you can head to the hall for steaming bowls of ramen and freshly made sushi from Kawa; go fresh with a salad from The Greenhouse; indulge in pizza from Paper Plane; or enjoy an excellent banh mi or pho from Pho Spot.
There are also vendors for smoothies, salads, bakery items, Venezuelan arepas, hot dogs, burgers, wings, macaroni and cheese or the “lighning rod” mozzarella sticks that made Alphonsos the Original Internet famous. You can also explore the world of boutique natural wines at the Strange Town Bottle Shop (get a glass to enjoy or buy a bottle or two to take home).
Recommended: Pho oxtail from Pho Spot; pollo a la brasa (Peruvian rotisserie chicken) from Criollo; tori paiton ramen from Kawa; a scoop of sweet cream custard (or custard of the day) from Dairyland
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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