Each week on This Bites, dining critic Ann Christenson from Milwaukee Magazine and Radio Milwaukee’s resident foodie Tarik Moody dig into the city’s culinary and restaurant culture to help you find new spots, old favorites and the best ingestibles around Milwaukee.
The James Beard Awards are kind of like the NBA season: They crown the champs, and it seems like training camps start two days later.
Making the cyclical process all the more tolerable is how well Milwaukee does — a trend that continued when the James Beard Foundation named its semifinalists earlier this week. Since we’re in the back-patting business, that’s where we start this episode of the podcast.
The nominees fell into two camps, the first of which is the expected announcements. The “Best Chef: Midwest” category is a prime example, with plenty of familiar names on the list:
- Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite of EsterEv
- Kyle Knall of Birch
- Ross Bachhuber and Sam Ek of Odd Duck
- Jamie Brown-Soukaseume and Chuckie Brown-Soukaseume of Ahan in Madison
The other individual from our area to earn a nomination is Gregory León of Amilinda, who landed in the category “Outstanding Chef presented by Hilton.” But Milwaukee didn’t stop there. We also scored a couple non-restaurant nods, as Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge is up for “Outstanding Bar” and the forward-thinking hybrid cocktail lounge Agency (in the Dubbel Dutch Hotel) is in the category “Best New Bar.”
We’ll wait patiently for the finalists to be announced April 2, and then again for the winners at the annual awards ceremony June 16. In the meantime, here’s what else you’ll hear about in this episode:
- Now that the Cheel is no more, you might be looking for other places to get Himalayan cuisine in Milwaukee. Ann’s got you covered.
- Maider Kitchen Restaurant will bring a Hmong-focused menu to Phongsavan Asian Market on North 76th Street.
- If you’re in the mood for a traditional five-course Lao dinner, book a spot at Lucky Ginger’s event Feb. 20.
- The Pfister will throw a 90th birthday gala for legendary chef and author Jacques Pépin, featuring more than 20 chefs from throughout Wisconsin.
We have exactly two hosts right here in Milwaukee, and both of them are glad to have you joining us every week. Listen using the player at the top of the page, and make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you don’t miss an episode.
