L'Incontro served its last dishes of housemade pasta, pizzetta and creative appetizers at 2315 N. Murray Ave. on Monday, July 7.
The restaurant announced its closing this evening on social media with a heartfelt message noting:
"After our last service on Monday, we have made the difficult decision to close L'Incontro.
To our staff, our friends and our guests, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. It has been an absolute pleasure to serve the East Side community.
We're so proud of the product that we were able to serve to everyone and we wouldn't have been able to do it without our outstanding team. They are the heart and soul of the place and made it so much fun to work here everyday.
This has been a difficult year for many of us and, unfortunately, small businesses are also feeling the squeeze. As first time business owners, it has just sadly become unsustainable. We love this beautiful location and the amazing community surrounding us. We're so looking forward to the next business that will carry on the rich tradition of this space and neighborhood."
The restaurant, which opened its doors in April of 2024, offered a menu of modern Italian fare with Asian inflection. The concept was piloted by a partnership between industry veteran Paul Piotrowski, general manager for Izzy Hops and Juneil Cabreza, a chef whose cooking reflects not only his Filipino heritage, but a career cooking a wide variety of global cuisines, including Japanese, Spanish and Italian.
Together, the partners created a welcoming, casual environment with a menu that pushed the boundaries of Italian cuisine while remaining true to the cuisine’s dedication to locality, freshness and seasonality.
Beginning earlier this year, Cabreza hosted a series of Filipino pop-ups at the restaurant on Mondays and Thursdays, as well as a series of Kamayan Feasts at Love Cafe, 3801 N. Oakland Ave. in Shorewood. The next Kamayan Feast is scheduled for Wednesday, July 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase online.
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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