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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.
Cloud Red
4488 N. Oakland Ave., (414) 231-9660
cloudredmke.com
Upscale bar fare
$$
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Sometimes you need to do little more than walk into a space to fall a little bit in love. Such is the case at Cloud Red, where the decor is simple, but cheerful, the beer list is diverse and the mood is ultra chill. It’s a great spot for whiling away an afternoon or evening, chatting with friends, playing board games or even watching the game.
And although it began primarily as a bar, Cloud Red’s scratch-made menu has made it a destination with seasonal globally-inspired options that run the gamut from healthful to comforting, and vegetarian to meat-loving.
I like to visit with friends and graze on multiple dishes. Highlights include shareables like the Buffalo Cauliflower Bites. They’re tender and spicy (even crispy at first, before the sauce starts settling into the breading) and perfect alongside a pint of grapefruity IPA. I might say the same for their Korean loaded potatoes and their sweet and spicy gochujang sauce, miso slaw and savory granola topping. Their spring rolls are also stellar.
If you go solo, I can vouch that their burgers are big and juicy with fresh toppings and a spunky house sauce. Don’t sleep on the nightly specials, and if you’re lucky enough to visit when falafel is on the menu, well, I’d consider it some of the best in the city.
Recommended: Buffalo cauliflower bites, hummus, tempeh tacos, burger
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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