From Pan To Mouth

From Pan To Mouth Restaurant reviews, food news, and home cooking by a Milwaukee-based food enthusiast. Check out http

09/03/2026

Refreshed menu launches September 9, bringing new flavors and influences to The Argo’s approachable gastropub menu.

09/03/2026

Earlier this summer, I talked to the owners of Wela – the modern Thai restaurant that is going to bring life back to 217 N. Broadway, where Bavette lived the latter part of its life before its closure in January. They were eager, understandably, to debut their new concept. This week, they came one step closer, announcing a soft opening date of Wednesday, Sept. 9.

Read more: https://www.milwaukeemag.com/wela-modern-thai-cuisine-opening/

Story by: Ann Christenson
Photo: Courtesy of Tall Tale Picture

09/02/2026

Milwaukee's only fully Burmese restaurant, Ni Burmese, appears to have closed in Bay View after less than two years in business.

08/30/2026

THANK YOU, Milwaukee!

Lowcountry Milwaukee has closed its doors for good. Five years, thousands of tables, and a whole lot of good nights. We’re grateful for every one of you who walked in, sat down, and made this place feel like ours together.

The Lowcountry Team

Famous Original Ray’s Pizza – New York City, NYOverall: BPesto Roni - Fresh mozzarella, pesto sauce, spicy mini cup pepp...
08/18/2026

Famous Original Ray’s Pizza – New York City, NY
Overall: B

Pesto Roni - Fresh mozzarella, pesto sauce, spicy mini cup pepperoni, topped with Mike’s Hot Honey
Ray’s Special - Pepperoni, sausage, meatballs, mushrooms, bacon, green peppers, onions & smothered with extra mozzarella cheese

Overview - Famous Original Ray’s Pizza is a small chain of pizzerias in New York City. I visited their 49th street location which had a nice variety of pizzas available by the slice and way too many tourists pushing to get in.

Pesto Roni - Crisped bottom, chewy-crispy crust. Great flavor - pepperoni had some heat and savory notes with minimal funk. The pesto was oily and rich with a light herb character.

Ray’s Special – Same crust. A pizza that felt like it could have done more by doing less; flavors were muddled and muted and ate as generally savory-vegetal.

Summary – For a place that felt like a tourist trap, I found the pesto roni to actually be quite good while the Ray’s Special was more lackluster. These slices were also very expensive relative to other NYC options.

Stretch – New York City, NYOverall: A-Pepperoni SliceWhite SliceOverview – Stretch is a pizzeria in New York City run by...
08/16/2026

Stretch – New York City, NY
Overall: A-

Pepperoni Slice
White Slice

Overview – Stretch is a pizzeria in New York City run by legendary Chef Wylie Dufresne. I visited their Manhattan location which sadly closed in July. It had a medium-size space with a bar and fairly high ceilings. While they had a full menu, they also had a separate slice menu with four pizza options.

Pizza – The white pizza featured good mozzarella flavor and a hint of lemon with a chewy and crispy crust. It had been topped with some shredded hard cheese post-bake which had partially melted in. The pepperoni sliced had the same great crust and cheese but also featured vibrant pepperoni and a balanced amount of flavorful sauce which integrated seamlessly with the pepperoni. Neither slice was a stop-you-in-your-tracks “wow” but simply every-day tasty without a flaw in sight.

Summary – Despite Wylie Dufresne cutting his name with the avant garde and innovative, these slices highlighted a commitment to fundamental and striving to perfect the basics. It’s the best New York style pizza I can remember having.

Purslane – Milwaukee, WIOverall: BTuna Naya - Yuzu Charmoula, Strawberry, Togarashi RiceMeze Trio - Hummus Bi Tahini, Sw...
08/08/2026

Purslane – Milwaukee, WI
Overall: B

Tuna Naya - Yuzu Charmoula, Strawberry, Togarashi Rice
Meze Trio - Hummus Bi Tahini, Sweet Potato Skordalia, Muhammara, Pita
Harissa Chicken Wings - Preserved Lemon Ranch, Apricot Harissa, Kohlrabi Slaw
Sea Scallop - Katayifi, Pear Brown Butter, Hilbeh, Pepita Dukkah
Panna Cotta - Delicata Squash, Pomegranate

Overview – Purslane is a casual upscale Mediterranean restaurant in Milwaukee’s East Side. They occupy a fairly small, open kitchen, subterranean space previously inhabited by Ardent.

Tuna Naya – Minced raw tuna mixed with sauces, topped with crispy togarashi rice, and with a garnish of micro greens. The tuna was surprisingly spicy with heat dominating the tuna flavor. Nice contrast of crispy crunchy and soft tuna.

Meze – Excellent hummus - slightly pasty and topped with vibrant olive oil. Sweet potato skordalia was very smooth and had a complex flavor reminiscent of fermented fish (in a good way). Muhammara was smoky and a roasted pepper flavor blast. Pita was great - hot and chewy with lightly crispy edges, nice yeast character.

Harissa Wings – Crispy fried wings, juicy meat. A very thick and bold sauce with mild heat, richness, and lots of nice flavor. Kohlrabi slaw offered nice visual and textural contrast as well as a fresh note. Ranch was good and a creamy contrast to the wings.

Scallops – Scallops themselves felt virtually raw, had a slippery texture rather than soft. Salty, briny. Katayifi added crispy textures. Pear brown butter was virtually a salted caramel sauce which was delicious but a weird pairing. Pepita dukkah added nutty note. Kind of a weird dish that didn’t come together for me well.

Panna Cotta – Panna cotta was way overset and rubbery. Squash puree was smooth but kind of bitter. Molasses was nice and pomegranate seeds added nice look. Granola added great textural contrast. Overall flavor wasn’t sweet enough and just didn’t taste very good to me while textures were also not very good.

Overall – This was inconsistent. I really liked the meze and wings, the tuna was pleasant enough but out of balance, and I found the scallops and panna cotta to be misses. I’m way behind in posting these, so this meal was from late 2025 and I hope that Purslane has matured and improved consistency.

Frontera Grill – Chicago, ILOverall: A-Tamales de Elote, Esquites Fritos - Sweet corn tamales steamed in banana leaves, ...
08/07/2026

Frontera Grill – Chicago, IL
Overall: A-

Tamales de Elote, Esquites Fritos - Sweet corn tamales steamed in banana leaves, fried corn esquites (butter, epazote, lime), homemade crema & añejo cheese, smoky powdered chile (guajillo, chipotle)
Enchiladas de Mole - Handmade corn tortillas, Amish country chicken (caramelized onions), homemade mole poblano (27 ingredients), crunchy garnishes
Carnes al Carbon Para Tacos - Wood-grilled Creekstone flank steak marinated in garlic & spices for making tacos. Tortillas of Mexican organic heirloom corn, grilled shish*tos, poblano rajas, beans, two salsas, guacamole

Overview – Frontera Grill is a Mexican restaurant in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. Opened nearly 40 years ago, they are the flagship of Rick Bayless’s Frontera restaurant group and are located adjacent to Topolobampo, Xoco, and Bar Sotano. They have earlned many awards including the James Beard Outstanding Restaurant award in 2007. Frontera has a medium-size space with low top tables and low lighting.

Tamales – A mix of fresh charred sweet corn and complex masa flavor. Tangy crema, salty and umami anejo cheese. Pop of chile character. Very pleasant.

Mole – Complex mole character - sort of sweet, nutty, umami. Nice tortilla texture. Chicken was well cooked.

Tacos – Medium-grilled steak, flavorful but not as flavorful as it could have been. Pretty tender. Poblano rajas (poblano and onion), sweet caramelized. Charred shish*tos, all were mild but nice vegetal pepper character. Rich and creamy guacamole, a good rendition. Beans were really good, well cooked with just a bit of body, balanced richness, good blend of spices. Salsas were both vibrant – a very tomatillo forward salsa verde, and a smokier and more vibrant salsa roja. Both low-med heat. Excellent tortillas, great masa flavor and tenderness.

Summary – I can’t imagine how groundbreaking a restaurant like Frontera Grill would have been back when it first opened. While it still showcased great ingredients and a modern take on traditional Mexican dishes that resulted in a great meal, I don’t think that Frontera Grill stands out as much as it would due to an increase in restaurants with a similar concept – no doubt in part due to the influence and success of Frontera. Furthermore, it represents a nice gourmet casual option in a part of Chicago where the restaurants seem to trends either more casual or more formal.

Xoco – Chicago, ILOverall: B+Traditional ChurrosClassic Bean-To-Cup Chocolate - Fresh-ground chocolate & whole milk. Mex...
08/05/2026

Xoco – Chicago, IL
Overall: B+

Traditional Churros
Classic Bean-To-Cup Chocolate - Fresh-ground chocolate & whole milk. Mexican cacao beans ground in-house

Overview – Xoco is a Mexican restaurant in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. They’re part of the Frontera restaurant and CPG empire and are adjacent to Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, and Bar Sotano. Xoco is casual and is known for their hot chocolate (alongside a full savory menu).

Chocolate – Great milky chocolate flavor with a lot of complexity. Thick like chocolate milk but not like a decadent sipping chocolate.

Churros - Crispy with moist and tender interior. Sweet from a heavy coating of sugar. Very tasty dipped in the hot chocolate!

Summary – It was more understated than I thought it might be but was still delicious.

m.henry – Chicago, ILOverall – A-Chilaquiles with Chorizo - housemade corn tortilla chips, salsa roja, eggs any style, c...
08/04/2026

m.henry – Chicago, IL
Overall – A-

Chilaquiles with Chorizo - housemade corn tortilla chips, salsa roja, eggs any style, crème fraiche, queso fresco, cilantro. served with sweet cubano plantians and black beans
Cinnamon Roll French Toast - french toast made with our house baked brioche cinnamon roll, layered with warm seasonal fruit, vanilla neufchatel crème & topped with our housemade granola

Overview – m.henry is a brunch restaurant in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood. They had a medium-size space with a warm worn-in feel.

Chilaquiles – Soft tortilla chips in flavorful salsa with mild but present heat. Beans were noticeably flavorful with a mixture of bean pits and bean puree. Eggs were soft and velvety. Chorizo added a great savory character, cotija brough saltiness, sour cream introduced creamy richness, and cilantro offered some herbaceous balance. Came together to a great mix. Plantains were a little under-tender for me, felt like a waste of space. Other than that, a great dish.

French Toast – A giant cinnamon roll Frech-toasted, stuffed with Neufchatel, topped with granola, and served sea of sweet, warm, mostly-cherries fruit salad. Cinnamon didn’t come through much at all, most of the flavor came from the fruit. Neufchatel added richness and tang while granola added a little textural contrast. The brioche cinnamon roll had a nice tender crumb but enough structure to maintain form. This would have been too sweet on its own, but it balanced really well against the chilaquiles.

Summary - Everything I want from comfort. Generous portions, approachable dishes that are interesting enough to keep my attention, simple but impactful flavors and textures

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1111 W Riverside Dr
Kohler, WI
53044-1515

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