6 Milwaukee Restaurants That Deserve a Michelin Star

Ah, those coveted and sought-after Michelin Stars. When you step into a restaurant that has a Michelin Star, you know you're about to have a memorable experience. Unfortunately, Michelin has yet to enter the Milwaukee market, but that doesn't mean there aren't any restaurants worth at least one Star.

The Michelin Star isn't the only culinary award that chefs and restaurants are keen to receive. There are also the James Beard Awards and quite a few Milwaukee chefs and restaurants have won or been nominated.

Portland, Oregon, native James Beard, the "dean of American cookery," according to The New York Times, was a cookbook author, food program host, and a pioneer of American cuisine. His cooking school started in 1955, where he trained a whole generation of chefs (via James Beard).

The award is centered around a chef's skill and unique cuisine creativity. It also looks at the leadership of a restaurant, its values, inclusivity, diversity, and ethics within the food community. A committee of journalists, food experts, and past James Beard Award winners vote on semifinalists before a smaller committee decides on the finalists (via Eater).

So, without further adieu, let's take a look at some of Milwaukee's finest restaurants that could be contenders for a Michelin Star. (After you've finished this article, check out 20 fascinating food facts most people probably don't know.)

Lupi & Iris was a semifinalist for the Best New Restaurant category in the 2023 James Beard Awards. It is co-owned by James Beard Award-winning chef Adam Siegel and Michael DeMichele, a well-known member of the real estate and architectural community. The resulting restaurant is sleek, hospitable, and delicious. The idea behind the restaurant is a celebration of family and the act of gathering to share a meal and enjoy time together. Named for both owners' respective grandparents, the menu is focused on the trademark recipes of French and Italian Riviera-style cooking. Lupi & Iris is open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. They also have a prix fixe menu that guests can partake in to get the full, and beautiful, culinary experience offered by Siegel and his team.

Using the freshest seasonal ingredients, the menu changes quite often, but currently, it features options such as wood-grilled Dover sole, Mediterranean sea bass, grilled albacore tuna, and magret duck breast. For dessert, enjoy some olive oil cake, chocolate praline mousse, or seasonal sorbets. Yum!

DanDan is a collaboration between chefs Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite. DanDan is considered a "modern Chinese-American restaurant," and first opened its doors in July 2016. Their menu includes dim sum, rice & noodle dishes, dumplings, and a 3-course house specialties section. But this isn't your classic Chinese food – everything comes with a twist.

Their house specialties feature wonton soup, duck breast with scallion pancakes, and duck leg chow fun. This trio of dishes combines for $85 total per person. Eat, drink, and be merry with their wide variety of alcohol, wine, sake, and draught beers to pair with your food. DanDan isn't the only creation by these collaborative chefs. For another great restaurant by this pair in Milwaukee, simply keep on reading.

Opened only a short time after DanDan, EsterEv is Jacobs' and Van Rite's second restaurant in Milwaukee. And if the address looks familiar, it's because this fine dining concept restaurant is housed within their first restaurant DanDan. Both chefs of EsterEv were up for the best chef category in the 2023 James Beard Awards. This is another restaurant named for family members – in this case, the duo's respective grandmothers, Ester and Evelyn.

EsterEv features an 8-course pre-fixe menu with recipes from all over the world. Open for reservations on Fridays and Saturday evenings, the menu costs $95 per person and offers a wine pairing for an extra $45. The meal starts with a caviar tater tot paired with anchovy toast. Next up is their take on albacore and their Mastsutake dish. Other standouts on their current menu are the halibut and pork tenderloin. Dessert currently includes a pear crème fraiche with lemon, honey, and almond, and an apple dessert. The restaurant sources the freshest ingredients for the week's culinary experience.

Amilinda chef Gregory León was a semifinalist in the 2023 James Beard Awards for Best Chef. The restaurant draws inspiration from Spanish and Portuguese recipes to craft a menu well worth a trip to downtown Milwaukee. Using locally sourced ingredients, starter items for Amilinda include roasted eggplant, a cucumber and carrot salad, and a pear and quinoa salad.

For mains, check out the tuna with roasted cauliflower, spinach pie, and roasted chicken and apples. Check out their happy hour offerings if you happen to be near downtown Milwaukee. Their menu changes frequently, so make sure to check their website for the latest offerings.

Ardent gets its name from the adjective, which means to express warmth, passion, enthusiasm, and desire. The food and atmosphere fit the name, providing a serene and comfortable experience, with a menu full of thoughtfully created items designed by chef Justin Carlisle. Because ingredients are freshly sourced, the menu is apt to change. However, the sample menu on their website showcases a nice variety of courses, with wine pairings galore.

The current fall sampling features snacks like a beer cheese pretzel. Next up, you'll enjoy caviar with koji ice cream and onion soup. Beef tartare, New York strip steak, and bronzini are other highlights to note. Be sure to save room for dessert, which is currently your choice between cranberry sorbet and madras carrot cake.

Sanford is a fine dining experience in the heart of the Milwaukee food scene. Heralded by chef Justin Aprahamian, a James Beard "Best Chef" Award finalist (and winner in 2014), the restaurant came into his ownership in December 2012. He expanded the menu, keeping some of the restaurant's staple dishes while adding local breweries and wineries to their drinks menu. There are four-course menu ($95) options as well as a seven-course tasting menu ($120) available for those who want the full Sanford culinary experience.

Given the seasonal value of certain ingredients, the menu can change between tastings. However, a sample menu may include excellent dishes like watercress gnocchi, roasted tomato and basil soup, pink pearl apple salad, and chargrilled wild striped bass. Be ready for your pick of desserts, such as a cranberry walnut tart, hot fudge toffee nut ball, and black tea cake. Sanford is truly a unique culinary experience in Milwaukee. (Here's a look at some classic menu items that are slowly disappearing.)