This Bites

We pride ourselves on our ability to cover a lot of ground within the confines of this podcast, and this episode might have pushed those skills to new heights as we went from Thanksgiving to food assistance to more secrets from Milwaukee’s dining scene and beyond.

The Journal Sentinel’s excellent dining critic Rachel Bernhard thoughtfully gathered information about restaurants offering free assistance to SNAP recipients (th...

This week, we reveal some of the secrets of our culinary adventures around Milwaukee. And by that we mean we're sharing a few of the city's fantastic secret menu items, including the hush-hush "Carolina" Negroni and off-menu Cacio E Pepe at Calenzo. We also reveal the location of delicious pork tacos at Cloud Red and the rotating "secret handshake menu" at Braise Restaurant. Find those and a few more over at the very not-s...

Everyone loves a good list, and that’s especially true for food people. We love identifying and then arguing over the best … whatever — burgers, beverages or, in the case of this episode, donuts.

Our sweet discussion gets a seasonal spin as we focus on apple cider donuts and nine local (and local-ish) places churning out the orchard-friendly bakery item. Up front, it’s important to note that we haven’t actually been to all ...

We're slicing off another savory section of Milwaukee's culinary scene on this episode, starting with Ann's recent Milwaukee Magazine story about Burmese cuisine that sees her dip into traditional dishes from places like Ni Burmese, Khan Aseya and Taste Amir's Roti.

From there, we take a quick trip to another part of the magazine for Ann's take on Purslane, the new chef-owned restaurant specializing in Middle Eastern mezza ...

This week's food news is coming at us from all sides, so let's dig in.

First, you'll get the scoop on Nakama, a brand-new omakase restaurant coming to the East Side from the minds behind Screaming Tuna. We're talking an intimate, 11-seat sushi bar experience with fish sourced directly from Tokyo's world-famous Toyosu Market.

We also celebrate a thrilling new addition to Odd Duck, as Bryce Stevenson joins the team as chef de ...

Since we're coming up on the last day of summer, it seems as good a time as any for ... a Wisconsin-made frozen pizza taste-off!

The staff at Milwaukee Magazine took on that delicious task recently, so we start our episode with Ann sharing the surprising (and kinda disappointing???) results. She also keeps us in magazine land for her recent review of Las Gardenias, a new(ish) spot with homemade tortillas, birria and unique ...

Tarik and Ann start this week's tour of Milwaukee food news with a trip to the Caribbean ... sort of. 

The tropically minded cuisine will get a soul-food twist at new restaurant Jerkin' Me Crazy, which is set to open on Center Street this October. The concept from restaurateur Darryl Simmons will offer baked mac and cheese, chicken done three ways (jerk, curry, stew) and Caribbean-inspired cocktails — with some live jazz th...

Our weekly delicious dive into Milwaukee's culinary scene gets a splash of mash-up on this episode, as Ann shares her review of IVR Bar — that's "International Variety Restaurant," by the way, and the new eatery comes by that title honestly. The ambitious project is a sports bar capable of seating 300 people, which all sounds pretty standard ... until you get to the Indian-Mexican fusion part.

On top of that, Ann got the ch...

It's another flavor-packed episode as we dive into Milwaukee's vibrant food scene, starting with news about Elsa's on the Park as they bring back fan-favorite menu items while keeping their new pizza offerings. Ann then shares her enviable quest to uncover Milwaukee's Best Burgers (the latest Milwaukee Magazine cover story), featuring must-try spots like The Diplomat and Wild Roots.

Next, you'll get the scoop on the star-st...

This Bites is sponsored by Whiskey Brown and our Radio Milwaukee members.

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Oysters are divisive. Some people love them. Others run screaming from the table when presented with them. The folks in that last category might want to avoid Barnacle Buds on Aug. 5, as the riverfront eatery throws its inaugural Oyster Fest. The event, which gets the featured spot at the top of this episode, will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. ...

Big voices can make a big impact on a restaurant. Sometimes, it comes in the form of a positive review from a well-respected critic. Other times, all it takes is a recognizable face popping into your eatery.

That’s what happened recently to Carnevor and Room Service, both of which got a visit from celebrity chef and influencer Keith Lee while he was in town for his manager’s wedding. So far, Lee hasn’t shared anythi...

Two stars of Milwaukee's food-and-drink scene sit at the top of this episode, starting with John Dye's exciting new plans for legendary German bar Von Trier. The East Side stalwart recently held its soft opening as the new owner focuses on preserving a piece of Milwaukee history while continuing to serve food out of the historic spot.

Our second stop takes us to Bavette La Boucherie, where the James Beard-recognized...

We're used to tying ourselves in knots as we criss-cross the city for the latest Milwaukee food news, but we hit a new level in this one as we dive into the amazing world of ... pretzels!

Milwaukee Pretzel Company pretzels, to be precise, which are well worth the extra effort except for the fact that you don't need to put in quite as much effort to find them these days. You can get them everywhere from local beer ga...

After our recent triple-digit temperatures, it seemed like a good time to help you cool things down by serving up a few of our favorite heat-beating drinks and dishes from around the Milwaukee area.

That’s where we start this episode, which finds Ann sharing her personal approach to finding the best summer beverages. It’s actually pretty genius: Ask the experts. We’re talking bartenders, baristas and mixologists, al...

In this episode, Tarik and Ann are buzzing over a new Italian spot from the James Beard Award-winning owners of Lupi & Iris, as well as an upscale Mediterranean eatery coming to the ground floor of the new Ascent MKE building near Cathedral Square.

Our duo also dishes on beloved Jamaican restaurant Uppa Yard as it expands with a second downtown location on Water Street, promising classic dishes like jerk chicken...

On this episode, Tarik and Ann lead things off by previewing the No Rules Dinner Party, a remarkable 19-course event celebrating women-owned businesses. You'll also hear them celebrate the highly anticipated first brick-and-mortar location of Ruby's Bagels; explore the history of the often-overlooked Muffaletta sandwich (as well as the place to get one in Milwaukee); talk about the Oaxacan cuisine you can get at new restau...

As the weather warms up (any day now), the culinary scene often turns up the temperature as well — and that’s definitely the case on this very stuffed episode.

Taking things chronologically, we’re less than a week away from the start of Downtown Dining Week, which has been treating diners to deals at some of Milwaukee’s top restaurants for nearly two decades. This year’s event runs from May 29 to June 5 and offers d...

Everyone’s got mom on the brain this week (rightfully so), which hopefully means you’ve already made plans to say thanks to that special person by treating her to some outstanding food. In case you haven’t, we start this episode with three suggestion for where to take mom — if they’re still taking reservations:

• Blackwolf Run in Kohler is offering a Mother's Day brunch from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. that includes salads, f...

Our latest helping of Milwaukee food news starts with savory pasties from Mr. Dye's Pies, gets festive with the inaugural Miche Fest (as in Michelada) at Zocalo and explores the enticing menu of Sinta, a Filipino pop-up at Bavette. We also preview Semolina's hands-on Sunday Supper series, share the new tenant taking over Crossroads Collective and check out Southern-style eats at Bronzeville's soon-to-open sports bar, One-S...