In May, Justin Carlisle, former executive chef at SURG Restaurant Group’s Umami Moto, announced his plans to open a dual-concept restaurant in the Third Ward.
Plans have since changed for Carlisle, who says that he quickly realized that if his focus was split between two restaurants on his first independent venture that the quality of the food could suffer.
Instead, Carlisle will open Ardent, a reservation-only restaurant located at 1751 N. Farwell Ave. The space, which occupies 909 square feet will blend a contemporary industrial feel with earthy and rich colors. The environment will be intimate, seating only 15-20 diners. And the mood will evoke a comfortable and casual mood which complements the simplicity of the ingredients and accommodates intimate conversation.
According to Carlisle, the restaurant, which will be open on Wednesday through Saturday evenings, will feature fresh, high quality and seasonal food from regional farms, including a farm his family owns and operates in Sparta, northeast of LaCrosse. The cuisine will focus on his love of Wisconsin ingredients cuisine – literally creations from his farm to his table.
Growing up on a small beef farm in rural Wisconsin, Carlisle developed a love of food at a very young age. He first began his career cooking in small restaurants, where his passion for simple, yet high-quality ingredients inspired him to pursue a professional culinary career and earn a degree from Madison College.
Since then, he has worked in some of the country’s top kitchens, and has garnered multiple accolades, including multiple James Beard semi-finalist nominations for Best Chef – Midwest.
"I want to focus on quality instead of quantity because I want the restaurant to have a long and vibrant life," Carlisle says. "Ardent is the culmination of my career... Ardent equals passion."
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.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
