It’s as important as ever to support the amazing local restaurants we have in our beautiful city. And there’s no better way to do so than committing to patronize them throughout the year. I’ve composed a list of 52 amazing restaurants to guide you on your journey. Try just one of these every week and you’ll have visited them all by the end of 2025. View the full list OR download an abbreviated printable PDF file for your fridge or wallet.
Neighborhood Draft
5921 W. Vliet St., (414) 885-2028
neighborhooddraft.com
Upscale bar fare
$$
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When Brian Felton shared his plans for Neighborhood Draft in August of 2019, he described the menu as “Quality food that keeps people coming back.” Five years later, the neighborhood gathering place has lived up to its promise with scratch-made fare that’s both bar-worthy and food-lover friendly.
Offerings run the gamut from excellent wings and housemade mozzarella sticks to steaming hot bowls of excellent housemade baked French onion soup. Fresh beet salad sits alongside well-executed “Not So Friendly” hot chicken sandwiches topped with cole slaw and giardiniea mayo and delicious plates of crisp, flavorful fried chicken served alongside steak-cut fries.
And in a time when the cost of dining out has risen significantly, Neighborhood Draft has continued to be an affordable spot to enjoy a casual meal with friends and family.
Recommended: Wings, French onion soup, brisket grilled cheese, fried chicken
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.
