A long-beloved classic is returning to Milwaukee’s dining scene.
Osteria Del Mondo, the Italian restaurant founded by Marc and Marta Bianchini, will reopen Downtown at 330 E. Kilbourn Ave. under the moniker Osteria.
The restaurant, which is slated to open in spring of 2018, will do so with the help of business partner Daniel Schwartz as part of the revitalization of the 330 Kilbourn building.
The Bianchinis opened Osteria Del Mondo in 1994 at 1028 E. Juneau Ave., inside the Knickerbocker Hotel. And for nearly 17 years, the restaurant served some of the best authentic Italian fare in the city. Prior to closing in July 2011, it was named as one of Zagat's/USA Today's top 25 hotel restaurants in the nation.
The closing, which was prompted by a failure to reach terms on the restaurant’s lease, promised to be a mere hiccup in the restaurant’s trajectory. In fact, at the time, Bianchini anticipated he would reopen the restaurant within six months "in a smaller, higher-profile location Downtown." But months turned into years, and it wasn't until recently that Bianchini found the ideal location for the restaurant.
Bianchini, who also owns Cubanitas and Indulge with his wife, Marta, began in career in New York, where he cut his teeth at a variety of prominent fine dining restaurants.
His training in Italian cuisine began at the Culinary Institute of America, where he completed externships at the Locanda dell’Angelo in Liguria, Italy, and at the San Domenico restaurants in New York City and Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It was, in fact, his work at San Domenico in New York, which brought him to Milwaukee; there he crossed paths with Paul Bartolotta, who invited him to help launch the inaugural Bartolotta’s restaurant, Ristorante Bartolotta.
Watch OnMilwaukee for more details about the restaurant as they develop.
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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