New American$$downtown
Kil@Wat inside the Saint Kate Arts Hotel on East Kilbourn Avenue runs an all-day American gastropub menu with Wisconsin cheese curds, burgers and craft.
Signature: Wisconsin cheese curds, Burger
Order: Fried Wisconsin cheese curds with house buttermilk ranch and the Kil@Wat burger.
Tip: Bar takes walk-ins; gallery hotel lobby spills into the dining room.
Italian$$downtown
Louise's on North Jefferson Street downtown is a casual Italian room with wood-fired pizzas, hand-rolled pastas and Italian wines near the Pabst Theater.
Signature: Lasagne, Wood-fired pizza
Order: House lasagne with bechamel and a wood-fired Margherita to share.
Tip: Pre-theater dinner books on OpenTable; the bar runs late after Pabst shows.
Food hall$$east-side
Crossroads Collective food hall on North Farwell Avenue runs eight vendors including Frida Mexican, Heaven's Table BBQ and a craft cocktail bar in East Side.
Signature: Frida Mexican, Heaven's Table BBQ
Order: Frida tacos al pastor and Heaven's Table brisket sandwich.
Tip: Walk-in food hall with order-at-counter; lots of seating in winter, patio in summer.
Japanese$$$downtown
Izumi's on North Prospect Avenue on the East Side runs a sushi bar, yakitori counter and hot-plate Japanese menu since 1988, with omakase by reservation.
Signature: Sushi omakase, Yakitori
Order: Omakase at the sushi bar and a yakitori sampler off the binchotan grill.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable; the omakase counter has six seats only.
American BBQ$$riverwest
Lakefront Brewery on North Commerce Street, Russ Klisch's 1987 brewery, runs the city's defining Friday fish fry with a polka band and free brewery tours.
Signature: Friday fish fry, Cheese curds
Order: All-you-can-eat perch fish fry with the polka band on Friday night.
Tip: Friday fry fills by 17:30; reservations recommended on the brewery site for groups of 6 or more.
American diner$$east-side
Comet Cafe on North Farwell Avenue runs a 24-hour-style diner with meatloaf, vegan mac and cheese and a long beer list for UW Milwaukee weekend nights here.
Signature: Meatloaf, Vegan mac and cheese
Order: Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and the vegan mac and cheese for the table.
Tip: Kitchen runs late on weekends; the bar takes pre-show walk-ins from the Pabst Theater.