restaurant of the month - may 2013

Milwaukee serves up great patio dining options

IT’S FINALLY PATIO time for Milwaukee and Wisconsin restaurants.

Visitors and residents love to make the most of their warm weather and sunshine. Many restaurants make the most of over-sized windows and wide sidewalks, while others have constructed special patios and decks.

This month, KeyMilwaukee.com features restaurants, which we feel are true patio gems:

EL FUEGO MEXICAN RESTAURANTE, 909 W. Layton Ave. just minutes from Mitchell International Airport, must be one of the only urban restaurants in the country with a waterfall at the center of its patio. Kids love to watch the cascading water, as parents sip margaritas and enjoy the complete Mexican experience.

The two-level patio at the MILWAUKEE ALE HOUSE on the Milwaukee River is packed on every sunny day and some that are not so sunny. Located at the south end of the Riverwalk at 233 N. Water St., the Ale House is easily is one of the top river patios in this or any other city. Look upriver for one of the best views of downtown Milwaukee.

Upstream and a block from the Milwaukee River, TRINITY THREE IRISH PUBS, 125 E. Juneau Ave., creates an authentic Irish patio experience. The stonework is made in Milwaukee, but can be seen throughout the Emerald Isle. We know, we’ve been there.

When CASABLANCA, 4728 E. Brady St., added a second story last year, it made sure al fresco dining would be part of the expansion. The new patio overlooks the city’s unique marsupial bridge over the Milwaukee River and is lattice-roofed to buffer the rays. In addition, the city’s top Middle Eastern restaurant continues to open its first-floor windows to create sidewalk dining options.

Jacques Chaumet of CHEZ JACQUES, 1022 S. 1st St., carefully created his Wine Garden Patio with as much thought as he puts into his French country dishes. A mural on the restaurant’s back wall by local artist Amanda Aquino blends a French country scene with U.S. and Milwaukee landmarks and a large chestnut tree shelters diners. Add a glass of wine and a crepe and relax, European-style.

If you’re looking for a patio with a view, you can do no better than HARBOR HOUSE, located on Lake Michigan adjacent to Discovery World. Enjoy the seafood specialities on the patio of this Bartolotta Restaurant for a breathtaking view of the Santiago Calatrava addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum.

One of the best versions of window patio dining can be found at CARINI’S LA CONCA D’ORO, 3468 N. Oakland Ave. just a short walk from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Mediterranean scenes painted on the sides of windows that open in the summer create an environment that blends perfectly with Carini’s Sicilian specialties.

One of the city’s newest restaurants takes advantage of the growing Menomonee River Valley entertainment row that runs from the Harley-Davidson Museum to Potawatomi Bingo Casino and Miller Park. At THE TWISTED FISHERMAN, 1200 W. Canal St., you can enjoy fresh seafood, specialty drinks or even a cheeseburger or brat in a Jimmy Buffet-like setting, complete with beach chairs along the river that flows into the Milwaukee River.