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 dishes to try!

The Diplomat
815 E. Brady St., (414) 800-5816
thediplomatmke.com

A meal from The Diplomat is always a pleasure. Comfortable enough for a weeknight, but entirely worthy of a special occasion, the menu (yes, even the curbside menu) features well executed fare that’s simultaneously inventive and familiar. Even better, Chef Dane Baldwin and his team have taken great pains to create dishes that hold up well to take-out (think warming soups, memorable salads, sandwiches and the like).  If you love burgers, don’t miss the Diplomac; it’s a cut above.

Five dishes to try: 

1. Black eyed pea and ancho chili hummus served with flatbread and marinated vegetables ($13)
2. Bacon lentil and bean salad with braised bacon, spinach, arugula, paprika egg and pickled shallot relish ($13)
3. Pork belly sandwich with fontina cheese, onions, mustard greens and plum mostarda on house-made focaccia ($13); order some soup (tomato or lobster bisque) to enjoy alongside
4. The Diplomac: prime beef burger, tomato, lettuce, american cheese, '1000' island dressing, pickles, red onion ($14), A must for burger lovers.
5. Pot pie. This week’s indulgence is a butter crust filled with shrimp, lobster, root vegetables, mushrooms and leeks ($30).  You only live once.