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52 Restaurants is sponsored by Educators Credit Union. April marks 21 years of Financial Literacy Month in the U.S.! Check out their exciting new initiative that will grow your financial empowerment.
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.
Sze Chuan
11102 W. National Ave., (414) 885-0856
szechuanrestwi.com
Chinese
$$
[Read more]
If you love the flavors of regional Szechuan Chinese cuisine, there’s no place like Sze Chuan, a West Allis gem that has raised the bar for regional Chinese fare across the city.
Step inside the restaurant and you’ll find a simple aesthetic featuring minimal art and a collection of classic booths and round tables to accommodate groups. But, open up the menu and you’ll find a virtual world of flavor with options ranging from cold dishes and noodles to Sichuan specialties and dry and stone pot dishes (including a great collection of vegetable options).
This isn’t the place to get stuck in a rut; ordering something you’ve never tried before often pays off in dividends. Highlights include the flavorful sliced pork belly in garlic sauce; the tofu skin and mustard greens, which provides the perfect foil to spicier dishes; the Sichuan grilled lamb (which is somehow a better version of cumin lamb than the cumin lamb on the menu); and the Szechuan special house shortribs which are tender and flavorful with just the right balance of mouth-numbing Szechuan pepper.
The fish filet in chili pepper soup (fish in hot chili oil) is also excellent. Picture tender whitefish filets are cooked in a flavorful broth, then drenched in hot, spicy oil infused with chilies and Sichuan peppercorns.
Oh, and if you’re a hot pot fan, Sze Chuan’s offerings are lovely and diverse. Bring friends and order prudently (it’s easy to get carried away; you can always order more later).
Also recommended: Szechuan pork dumplings; mapo tofu (with or without pork); twice-cooked pork
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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