My annual article, 52 Restaurants for your Bucket List, was originally created to provide readers with an easy way to explore the wealth of restaurants in the Milwaukee scene over the course of one year (52 weeks). Today, as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, it provides a fun and equally compelling guide for folks who’d like to bring variety to their weekly meals while providing vital support to some of our finest local restaurants.
Here's the featured restaurant of the day, plus five can’t miss dishes to try
Sze Chuan
11102 W. National Ave., (414) 276-9608
goszechuanrestaurant.com
If you’d like to taste great Chinese fare -- particularly dishes that hail from the Szechuan region -- look no further than Sze Chuan, a West Allis gem serving up an overwhelmingly large menu including cold dishes, noodles, Chinese staples and a selection of dry and stone pot dishes. Be sure to branch out and try something out of the ordinary. Your tastebuds will thank you!
Five dishes to try:
- Go for the obvious. They're so worth it. Szechuan pork dumplings (six for $6.95)
- You won't be able to get this cold dish out of your head: Sliced pork belly in garlic sauce ($6.95)
- Rethink potatoes: Sliced potato ($8.95); be sure to add the optional peppers and vinegar!
- Sichuan grilled lamb: spiced with cumin and Szechuan peppercorns ($14.95)
- You'll be surprised by the flavors in their traditional version of MaPo tofu (with or without ground pork), $9.95-$10.95
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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