Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee-area restaurants open Christmas 2024 for dine-in or takeout
Here’s a glance at Milwaukee’s Top 25 Restaurants selected by Rachel Bernhard
For the first time in five years, the Journal Sentinel presents Milwaukee’s Top 25 Restaurants, this year from new dining critic Rachel Bernhard.
If dining out for Christmas or finding takeout to bring home is on your wish list, some area restaurants and resorts are ready to help. Here are a few locations offering Christmas Eve or Christmas Day specials for dining in or taking home. Advance reservations and orders are required at most restaurants.
ARIA
Saint Kate’s signature restaurant is open for dining from 4 to 9 p.m. Dec. 24 and Dec. 25. A special prix fixe Christmas menu is priced at $79 per person, or guests may select from items on the regular menu. For reservations, call (414) 270-4422 or visit OpenTable.com. Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel, 139 E. Kilbourn Ave
Bar Louie
The Brookfield Square restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to midnight Dec. 24 and 4 p.m. to midnight Dec. 25, offering a four-course dinner for two priced at $75. Guests may pick one bar bite to share, a choice of soup or salad for each person, a choice of entree per person, and one dessert to share. Choose from select options such as the Citrus Grilled Salmon or Parmesan Crusted Chicken, and finish the meal with the restaurant’s signature cinnamon doughnut holes. Bar Louie also will offer burger specials, so guests may order a craft burger with fries or tots for only $8. Reservations are not required, but you may call to reserve a table: (262) 505-6319. 95 N. Moorland Road, Brookfield
Benny’s Cafe
Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Christmas dinner specials include prime rib ($31) with baked potato, roast duck ($24) with dressing and mashed potatoes, baked ham ($18) with mashed potatoes, ribeye ($29) with baked potato, Atlantic salmon ($20) with broccoli and rice, and coconut shrimp ($18) served with french fries. All dine-in dinners include soup or salad, a glass of wine or beer, and dessert. Walk-in customers are welcome; no reservation required. Call for takeout orders at the drive-thru window. (414) 431-0004. 5354 S. 27th St.
Emerald City Catering
Pre-order the whole meal or a la carte items from the menu for Christmas. A la carte items available to order include roast beef in gravy, beef tips, baked ham, roast chicken, uncooked Polish sausage, cooked stuffed chicken breast, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, macaroni and cheese, corn and rolls. See menu online at emeraldcitycatering.com/hollidays, or call (414) 672-3434. 3555 S. 13th St.
Lowlands Group
Christmas Eve brunch will be served from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 24 at all grand cafes, which includes all Cafe Hollander locations, Cafe Benelux and Centraal Grand Cafe & Tappery. Buckatabon Tavern & Supper Club, 7700 Harwood Ave., Wauwatosa, will serve brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All restaurants will close at 3 p.m. and remain closed on Christmas Day. Reservations are not required. lowlandsgroup.com
Maharaja
The east side Indian restaurant is open Dec. 24 and 25 for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner service from 5 to 9 p.m. A special Christmas buffet is available during lunch hours for $35 per person. Reservations and takeout orders can be placed online at maharajarestaurants.com or by calling the restaurant during business hours: (414) 276-2250. 1550 N. Farwell Ave.
Mason Street Grill
The downtown restaurant offers both its regular menu and a special prix fixe Christmas menu from 4 to 9 p.m. Dec. 24 and 1 to 8 p.m. Dec. 25. The holiday prix fixe menu is priced at $81 per guest and features prime rib with herb whipped potatoes, pancetta Brussels sprouts, and a choice of dessert. Private dining rooms are available for family gatherings. Call for reservations, (414) 298-3131, or visit OpenTable.com. 425 E. Mason St.
The Melting Pot
A special holiday fondue is offered for Christmas Eve from noon to 8 p.m. Pricing is $65 for adults and $30 for children under 12. The set menu features one cheese fondue, a salad, entree and a chocolate fondue. The entree choices are either the Holiday Feast of teriyaki-marinated steak, vanilla rum chicken and apple rosemary pork; or the Holiday Fusion of teriyaki-marinated steak, vanilla rum chicken, salmon and shrimp. A lobster tail ($19) or center-cut filet ($28) may be added to any entree. All entrees include seasonal vegetables and signature dipping sauces. Call for reservations: (262) 782-6358. 19850 W. Blue Mound Road, Brookfield
Mo’s Irish Pub Wauwatosa
Pre-order a to-go meal or dine-in on Christmas Eve from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A special dine-in dinner of turkey or ham, with all the traditional sides, is priced at $21.99 for adults and $11.99 for children 12 and under. Call for reservations. The pre-order To Go Family Style meal ($159.99) serves 10 to 12 people and is available for pickup. Place your order by Dec. 22 by calling (414) 774- 9782, or email events@mosirishpub.com. 10842 W. Blue Mound Road, Wauwatosa.
Odyssey
The Menomonee Falls restaurant is serving breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Reservations and takeout are available; call (262) 255-3036. N82 W15380 Appleton Ave., Menomonee Falls
Old Town Serbian Gourmet Restaurant
The restaurant will open for dining at 5 p.m. Dec. 24 and Dec. 25. Christmas specials and regular menu items are available. Reservations required. Call (414) 672-0206 or visit oldtownserbian.com. 522 W. Lincoln Ave.
The Packing House
Call to reserve a table and order from the full, sit-down Holiday Dinner menu. Dining hours are from 4 to 8 p.m. Dec. 24 and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 25. No takeout or to-go orders will be available. Call (414) 483-5054 or visit packinghousemke.com. 900 E. Layton Ave.
The Pfister Hotel
A Christmas Celebration Brunch is offered in the grand ballroom from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 25. The buffet includes an assortment of fresh seafood, Wisconsin cheeses, carved meats, omelets made to order, individually customized pastas, holiday salads and starters, an array of entrees, and desserts. Brunch includes a mimosa or bloody mary. $95 for adults, $35 for children 3 to 10 years old (tax and service charge will be added to all reservations). Reservations are required with full pre-payment via credit card. thepfisterhotel.com, 424 E. Wisconsin Ave.
Steak House 100
The West Allis chophouse will offer its full menu on Christmas Eve from 4 to 8 p.m. House specialties include ribs, pork chops, rotisserie chicken and a seafood, chicken or beef tenderloin shish kabob. For reservations, call (414) 727-2222. 7246 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis
Tre Rivali
A standard breakfast menu is available from 7 to 10:30 a.m. Dec. 24, and a Christmas Day buffet is offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 25. Buffet pricing is $85 for adults and $35 for children under 12 years of age and includes complimentary coffee, teas and sodas. The buffet features an artisanal cheese and salami board, waffle bar, assorted toasts and spreads, chive and creme fraiche scrambled eggs, fresh fruit platter, fregola and white bean soup with kale and sausage, Caesar salad, prime rib of beef, Tuscan roast pork, Brussels sprouts and whipped potatoes. Reservations can be made online through OpenTable or directly to the restaurant by phone: (414) 291-3971. 200 N. Broadway
Ward’s House of Prime
The restaurant is open for dining from 4 to 8 p.m. Christmas Eve, or pre-order a prime rib dinner to-go, or just the meat for the holidays. The Dinners To Go menu is available in servings for one ($65), two ($125), four ($250), five to eight ($400), and a whole dinner serving nine to 12 ($625). Dinners include au jus and creamy horseradish, house salad, mushrooms, mashed potatoes and corn. Just the Meat prime rib is available in portions of a quarter ($200), half ($300), or whole ($525). Pick up orders from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 24 and noon to 1 p.m. Dec. 25. Order online at wardshouseofprime.com or call for reservations: (414) 223-0135. 540 E. Mason St.
Apple Holler
The Racine County farm offers a full Holiday Take-Home Dinner, a Holiday Dinner Add-Ons menu, and homemade pies for pickup. Pre-order an individual dinner or a group-size dinner serving four to six people. The Apple Cider Bourbon Glazed Ham Dinner ($38.95 individual, $189.95 group), the Turkey Breast Dinner ($39.95 individual, $199.95 group), and the Prime Rib Dinner ($49.95 individual, $249.95 group), all feature mashed potatoes, bacon mac and cheese, apple-bread stuffing, honey-glazed carrots, sweet potato casserole, cranberry-orange relish, dinner rolls and apple butter, apple pie, and Apple Holler apple cider. The Holiday Dinner Add-Ons menu includes additional meat and sides, doughnuts, cornbread, apple pie bread and cider. Homemade pies are priced at $8.35 each and include a variety of fruit, berry, cream and seasonal specialty pies. Pick up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 21 through Dec. 24. Order online at appleholler.com or call (262) 884-7100. 5006 S. Sylvania Ave., Sturtevant
The Abbey Resort
The resort on the shore of Geneva Lake will offer a Christmas Eve dinner buffet and Christmas Day brunch and dinner buffets in the 240° West Restaurant. The Christmas Eve buffet is served from 4 to 9 p.m. for $75 per person. Christmas Day brunch is served from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for $50 per person. Christmas Day dinner buffet is served from 4 to 9 p.m. for $75 per person. Children (ages 5 to 12) are $25. Call (800) 709-1323 for reservations. View the menus online at theabbeyresort.com 269 Fontana Blvd., Fontana-on-Geneva Lake
Grand Geneva Resort
The resort offers multiple dining options on Dec. 24. A Christmas Eve brunch buffet will be served in the Geneva ChopHouse from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and in Ristorante Brissago from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with complimentary champagne and mimosas. Pricing is $85 for adults, $40 for children ages 6 to 12 and $15 for children ages 2 to 5. Children age 2 and under are complimentary with each paid adult. The holiday specialties include crispy chicken, roasted cod, short ribs and cheese ravioli. Food stations offer a variety of traditional breakfast items, omelets and eggs Benedict, prime rib, ham, lamb, seafood and shrimp, plus a variety of salads, vegetables, sides and sweets. The Grand Cafe will serve a prime rib and seafood buffet from noon to 9 p.m. Pricing is $59 for adults, $25 for children ages 6 to 12 and $15 for children 2 to 5 years of age. Reservations are required with a credit card. Call (262) 249-4788. grandgeneva.com; 7036 Grand Geneva Way, Lake Geneva.
Lake Lawn Resort
The Walworth County resort is offering a prix fixe menu Christmas Eve and a champagne brunch on Christmas Day at 1878 on the Lake. The Christmas Eve dinner is a prix fixe menu ($85 per person) served from 4 to 9 p.m. Entrees include a choice of prime rib, salmon, a Cornish game hen, wild mushroom risotto, or a surf and turf option of a center-cut filet and lobster tail. The first course offers a choice of butternut squash bisque, Caesar salad or apple and pecan salad. The featured desserts are an eggnog cheesecake or a sticky toffee and figgy bread pudding. A Christmas Day buffet is available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 25. Pricing is $68 for adults, $25 for children ages 8 to 12 years and $14 for children 4 to 7 years. The food stations feature a carvery with prime rib and ham; chicken or salmon entrees; traditional breakfast items of bacon, sausage, pancakes, omelets and waffles; salads, seafood and seasonal fruits and vegetables. A sweets station includes a chocolate rum yule log, Christmas figgy pudding, English trifle martinis, Christmas cookies and fudge brownies cherries jubilee. An additional food station for children features chicken tenders, penne pasta and meatballs, mini corn dogs, waffle fries and baked macaroni and cheese. Make reservations online lakelawnresort.com/events or call (262) 725-9155. 2400 Geneva St., Delavan
Milwaukee, WI
Landmark Credit Union Live officially opens in Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE – Landmark Credit Union Live, Milwaukee’s newest concert venue, opened its doors on Friday. And with the Bucks playing next door at the same time, the whole area was hopping.
What they’re saying:
Fans flocked to Fiserv Forum to watch the team play the New York Knicks, and music lovers stood in line to see Rainbow Kitten Surprise on the opening night of Landmark Credit Union Live.
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“Very busy, very crowded the bars and restaurants,” said Ashley Evans. “That’d be great to add to the city again, to continue to bring more tourists out.”
“This is going to be amazing. I’ve been wanting to see them for a very long time, so I’m very excited,” said Rachel Lococo.
Fans line up for the official opening of Landmark Credit Union Live
Landmark Credit Union Live can host up to 4,500 people. Friday night’s show was sold out, drawing fans from places like Chicago, Minnesota, Iowa and elsewhere.
“Some people have driven from Indiana, so there’s a lot of people coming out tonight,” said Kade McCane, who came from Madison. “Honestly, really exciting to be among the first people who get to be there, and for RKS to be among the first people who will ever perform here, I hope this venue gets huge and big and becomes very popular.”
The excitement was felt all around Milwaukee. Even the competition rolled out the welcome mat.
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“Our goal to grow as a city means that a lot of things have to happen. This is the very, tiny, small work that has to happen,” said Gary Witt, president and CEO of The Pabst Theater Group, which runs six nearby venues.
“The introduction of any new business in the city, especially one that pays attention to the fact that we have spent 24 years growing the live culture economy in the city of Milwaukee, says to me that we’ve done our job.”
Witt said live entertainment is an industry Milwaukee’s economy has been dependent on coming from visitors like those who turned out Friday.
The Source: FOX6 News interviewed the people in this story and referenced prior coverage related to the opening of Landmark Credit Union Live.
Milwaukee, WI
Sheriff’s Office backpedals on controversial facial recognition deal
Drone view shows Milwaukee’s County Courthouse
Built in 1931, Milwaukee’s historic County Courthouse is in dire need of repair and upgrades. Here’s a recent drone view of the MacArthur Square building.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office will not move forward on a potential deal to use facial recognition technology, Sheriff Denita Ball announced Friday.
In a statement on Feb. 27, Ball said after “thoughtful evaluation” and “meaningful dialogue” with community stakeholders and leaders, she decided to stop pursuing a contract with Biometrica, a Las Vegas-based company whose technology allows authorities to compare photos to a large database of photos for matches.
“While we recognize the potential of this software as an investigative tool, we also recognize that trust between the MCSO and the people we serve is important,” she said.
“My discussions with local advocates highlighted valid concerns regarding how such data could be accessed or perceived in the current national climate. This decision is not a retreat from innovation but rather an understanding that timing matters, too,” Ball said.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on Feb. 17 that the Sheriff’s Office was on the verge of signing off on the use of facial recognition technology after news broke at a community advisory board meeting held by the office.
The update on the office’s sign-off on an intent to enter into a contract with Biometrica blindsided local officials and advocates because it contradicted earlier claims that the office had not moved forward with a controversial contract.
At the time, supervisors on the county’s judiciary and legislation committee called for more information from the Sheriff’s Office about the nature of the then-potential contract.
Supervisor Justin Bielinski, who chairs the committee, said Ball’s decision to step away from the deal was good news, but said he was still feeling wary.
“I would like to see more I guess,” he said of the two paragraph statement from Ball. “At what point would she reconsider, right?”
County Executive David Crowley, who is running for governor as a Democrat, had also voiced concerns about a possible contract when news came to light earlier this month.
After learning of Ball’s decision to not move forward with Biometrica, Crowley thanked community members who voiced concerns about facial recognition technology, saying he will “continue doing everything in my authority to ensure our residents’ First Amendment rights, civil liberties, and personal data are protected.”
In recent months, Milwaukee politicians and residents rebuffed local law enforcement’s efforts to pursue the use of such technology at both the city and county levels, with many citing concerns over racial bias and unjust surveillance of residents.
The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors voted last summer to recommend the development of a policy framework for the use of facial recognition technology as worries about its use by local law enforcement grew in the community.
The policy emphasized that the use of such technology doesn’t “suppress First Amendment-related activities, violate privacy, or otherwise adversely impact individuals’ civil rights and liberties,” and called for a pause on acquiring new facial recognition technology until regulatory policies were in place to monitor any existing and new surveillance technology.
In early February, the Milwaukee Police Department paused its pursuit of facial recognition technology after almost a year of pushback from activists and some public officials at public meetings. The department also noted that community feedback was a part of its final decision as well as a volatile political climate amid the federal government’s immigration crackdown.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee judge calls out marijuana odor in courthouse
A Milwaukee County judge on Thursday, Feb. 26, criticized the smell of marijuana inside the courthouse during a sentencing hearing, calling it inappropriate and illegal as visitors described the odor as common.
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