For the fifth straight year, October is Dining Month on OnMilwaukee.com, presented by Concordia University. All month, we're stuffed with restaurant reviews, delectable features, chef profiles and unique articles on everything food, as well as the winners of our "Best of Dining 2011."
There is no shortage of good dining options in Milwaukee. Talented chefs, great restaurants and unique signature dishes make our city a delight for diners.
But every city has its specialties – chains or otherwise – and every now and then, I find myself craving some out-of-town delights. Here are a couple of my favorites.
As always, feel free to share yours.
Skyline Chili, Cincinnati – George Webb still makes my local chili of choice and while Real Chili is good, it pales in comparison to the Queen City's most famous chain. Besides, where else can you walk in and order a three-way and not get slapped in the face? This is one of the few non-local items I don't have to wait until vacation to eat; you can order Skyline online, shipped right to your house. Which reminds me, my cupboards are getting a little empty...
In-N-Out Burger, California/Nevada/Arizona – Rare is the chance to order a meal from a fast food restaurant and have it look exactly like it does in the picture on the wall. But, that's what you get at In-N-Out, one of the most iconic chains in the country.
Wild Mike's Wings, Cincinnati –Yup, a second Cincinnati entry. One of my friend's brought me to this no-frills eatery on my last trip into town and I fell in love with the sauces and even the homemade Bleu Cheese, which I usually pass off to somebody else.
WaWa, East Coast –Yes, I'm putting a convenience store on this list. But if you've ever been on the East Coast, particularly if you've been tying one on and needed a quick bite after a long night on the East Coast, you'll understand. Stop in, 24/7, and have a fresh-made sub and a bowl of piping hot soup. Is it fine cuisine? Nope, not at all but certain occasions require certain sacrifices ... and WaWa is pretty damn awesome.
Blues City Cafe, St. Louis – On my last trip to St. Louis, one of my co-workers told me to try this New Orleans-inspired eatery. I had to chuckle because he didn't know of my existing love for Blues City's Po Boys.
Jucy Lucy (or Juicy Lucy), Minneapolis/St. Paul –First things first: A "Jucy Lucy" (or "Juicy Lucy") isn't the name of a restaurant, it's a type of burger. And there's nothing fancy about it, either; just two hamburger patties, packed around a chunk of cheese and served like any other burger. Don't ask me why, it's just amazing to me.
Anyway, you can find these on menus all across the Twin Cities, but for the real deal, you have two choices: Matt's Bar and the 5-8 Club. Both lay claim to creating the sandwich and each has it's own way of spelling its name.
From an outsider's perspective, they're both pretty good. I'll just need some more evaluation before declaring my own favorite.
Runza, Nebraska –It's a sandwich (sort of) and a chain. Win-win, in my book. We had a variation of the runza – a yeast bread pouch stuffed with meat and onions – growing up. A runza is similar to a pierogi, but the Runza chain, located in the central U.S., takes it to another level. It's been several years since I was last in a Runza restaurant, but I still have the cravings.
Geno's Steaks, Philadelphia – Yup, I'm a Geno's guy. Pat's is good, Geno's is better. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.
