When Odd Duck opened in 2012, it offered diners in Milwaukee something new: a mid-priced restaurant with all the charms of finer dining. Eight years later, the popular restaurant is still serving up their inventive small plates, but in a very different environment.
On this week’s podcast, we sat down with Odd Duck owners, Melissa Buchholz and Ross Bachhuber to discuss the inspiration for the restaurant, the ways in which they’ve adapted their restaurant to meet the needs of diners over the years and the factors they’ve considered while operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Along the way, we discuss the intricate network of farms and businesses that keep the service industry running, the things diners likely don’t know about how restaurants operate and the passion that fuels the industry.
Tune in for a rare glimpse behind the scenes at their restaurant, insights into what the industry at large is facing and a vision for a (hopefully) better dining future.
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Got an idea for a topic we should consider for FoodCrush? Want to offer feedback on our latest episode? Email me at lori@staff.onmilwaukee.com. You can also give @FoodCrushPod a follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for information on future episodes, special features, live tastings and more.
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.
