The brick warehouse district south of downtown. Milwaukee Public Market on East St Paul anchors the food scene; Onesto, Carnevor steakhouse and Third Coast Provisions on North Milwaukee Street are the strip's anchors.
Onesto on North Broadway in the Third Ward runs an Italian menu of hand-rolled pastas, wood-fired pizzas and natural-wine pours, opened by the Cibo team.
Signature: Hand-rolled pasta, Wood-fired pizza
Order: Whichever pasta is being rolled in the open kitchen and the Margherita off the wood oven.
Tip: Sister room Cibo nearby; both share the same pasta program and chef.
Thief Wine inside the Milwaukee Public Market on Water Street runs a wine bar with cheese plates, charcuterie and retail bottles in the Third Ward.
Signature: Charcuterie, Cheese plate
Order: Cheese plate from the Public Market cheesemonger next door and a glass of natural orange.
Tip: Sister bar Thief Wine Shorewood; both shops do tastings most Friday evenings.
Smoke Shack on North Milwaukee Street in the Third Ward serves Memphis-Texas barbecue with smoked brisket, pulled pork and house-made sauces in a warehouse.
Signature: Brisket, Pulled pork
Order: Brisket plate with collard greens and mac and cheese.
Tip: Walk-in only; brisket sells out by 21:00 on weekends.
DanDan in the Third Ward, by chefs Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite, runs modern Chinese-American small plates with dan dan noodles and a long mezcal list.
Signature: Dan dan noodles, Hot pot dumplings
Order: Dan dan noodles with Sichuan peppercorn and pork dumplings.
Tip: Walk-in counter and dining room; reservations on Resy for weekend evenings.