On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
We headed up to Milwaukee to celebrate my birthday, and the celebrating was done at Ristorante Bartolotta. We'd never been there, but went simply because of the good reviews on Yelp.
And Oh. My. God. Were the reviewers right. Bartolotta is SO good. So. So. Good. Definitely better than most Italian restaurants I've visited in Chicago.
There was an incredible Heirloom Tomato Tasting Menu this evening, which we split. We started the meal with a very tasty and nicely presented cheese plate. The first item on the tasting menu was an heirloom tomato salad, which was beautifully presented and tasted even better than it looked.
What followed was one of the best food items I have ever had - an heirloom tomato/lemon risotto. Holy moly, was this amazing. There really aren't words to describe how well these flavors combined to create a rice-y heaven.
Finally, we ended the main portion of our meal with a braised short rib accompanied by heirloom tomatoes and cannelini beans. It took approximately 30 seconds to wolf down this part of the meal - everything was flavored so amazingly. It was perfect.
This fantastic meal was topped off by a really amazing Tiramisu.
Additionally, the servers were great. They didn't hover, but we never wondered when our water glasses were going to be filled, or when our next course was going to be delivered. The servers were friendly and helpful.
The pricing was a tad on the high side, but considering the quality of the food, not too bad at all.
I'm a bit of an Italian food snob, but this definitely goes high on my list of the top 5 Italian restaurants I've visited - and this includes restaurants in Italy!!
Wonderful, quaint setting, set just off of State Street. Parking can be a challenge, on a weekend; but, worth a couple of circles around the block.
Limited seating, but you never feel rushed (to turnover). The menu is big enough; and is really moderately-priced, considering the volume/quality. (Their pork chops ROCK.)
Good management, great staff. I've eaten both at the bar, and at the table. Stellar, either way.
Enjoy.
A hidden gem located in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. I went here a few months ago so I do not recall the name of the dish, but in short it was duck ragu on top of perfectly cooked thick noodles. Found out that this chef has a restaurant at Wynn Las Vegas. mmm
Hands down, one of the best restaurants in Milwaukee in just about every respect. Always wonderful service and people and overall experience and we have been here probably 20 or more times. Great atmosphere. Their steak is fantastic. All the fixings are always good. The ravioli with truffle oil is rich and divine. Their sundae is awesome. They had this pear tart for a while that was just heaven. The bread is even great. They have many special offerings like heirloom tomato week or truffle week. Easily one of my two or three favorite restaurants in the Milwaukee area.
Yes, you can get a genuine first class tasting menu in an intimate charming old world location right here in Milwaukee. If you're lucky and it's the season, you can even get white truffle shavings on your meal. Who knew?
We came here and had a particularly knowledgeable server, Michele, who helped us choose entrees. Because we all wanted to try a few things and be a little adventurous, she also warmly and readily agreed to have the staff serve our dishes family style. The three of us had two items from the tasting menu, as well as a pasta from the primi menu and the salmon and the hen from the secondi menu. All were successful. Specifics:
Pasticcio: A duck liver mousse, this was what Michelle called "meat dessert." Indeed. This dish was a creamy fatty journey, and with some of a shared portion of truffle shavings on top, an aromatic one at that. Total winner.
Uovo Raviolo: This one was listed as "famous" on the menu and highly recommended, and we learned why. The single extra-large ravioli was bursting with flavor, as the truffle shavings blended with the cheese to form a rich, savory experience. Our table had mixed feelings on whether the truffles were very noticeable, and I would recommend this dish just as strongly (perhaps more strongly given the cost) without them.
Salmone: Done medium at the chef's suggestion, the fish itself was very pleasant, and served with an olive sauce and some healthy greens and potatoes. We all liked it but to varying degrees.
Polletto (hen): This one was particularly tasty, especially the bites that included the wonderful buttery pan sauce or fattier meat at the edges. I'd choose it over the salmon for the incredible sauce alone, and I'm not normally a fowl type.
Rigatoni: This was a deceptively simple pasta dish, including a tomato sauce, delicious mozzarella, and at least one fresh herb that gave it just the right mix of flavor. For one of us, this was even the favorite dish.
Overall, it was an incredibly tasty - and expensive - experience. For the food, a bottle of wine (on special at $26), and some coffee drinks, the three of us paid about $200 including tax and tip.
It appeared that many of the patrons were on dates, and it is a great date place. The restaurant itself is not very large inside, and does have a bar, thought in a place of this class, the bar almost seems a bow to tradition rather than utility. The original wooden 15' or so ceiling and rafters are visible as are brick details on some of the walls. Parking is misery, but Michelle tells us that the bank lot next door is usable when the bank is closed.
It doesn't get any better than this place. I took my parents here from Chicago for my mom's birthday. I made a reservation on http://opentable.com which was very convenient.
Immediately when you walk in, you feel relaxed in the rustic italian atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, this is a fancy restaurant with white table cloths, but it is not so fancy that it becomes pretentious - more of a casual italian environment.
We ordered the beef carpaccio as an appetizer, which was absolutely delicious for each bite taken. I tried some of my dad's Caesar salad which was also delicious. For my main course, I ordered the fish sampler and it came with at least five different types of fish which were all tasty. My mom's duck ragu was to die for. It was served with thin but wide pasta noodles that melted in your mouth along with the bites of duck mixed in. My dad ordered the hen and devoured every bite.
For dessert, the restaurant served us with a panna cotta passion fruit dessert. It was so good my dad proclaimed that if he was ever stuck on a desert island, he wanted the dessert to be the item he was "forced" to eat for the duration! Every bite hit all the taste buds. For that splurge, this is worth it. Plus, the village of Wauwatosa is so charming and quaint that it only adds to the environment.
Cuie little place. Fantastic service and ambiance. The wine our waiter helped us decide on was wonderful. Hope to visit again soon. I was very impressed with the quality of seafood in the dishes.
Bartolotta's is the finest Italian restaurant in all of Milwaukee, bar none. It is quite expensive, so be prepared to shell out a few bucks, but the service is impeccable, the atmosphere divine, the food superb, and the wine list is excellent. A lot of superlatives . . . yes, but well deserved. I will keep going back to this fine dining establishment as often as I can afford it.
Be sure to ask about the Bartolotta's frequent diner card, with about 4 meals you get a hefty kick back for future evening's out!
Excellent food, but small portions and big prices. Very romantic and intimate. My last visit I ordered gnocci which I never get at restaurants since I'm usually disapointed by frozen little nuggets not nice handmade pillows like I'd make at home. Well, this place definately had perfect handmade pillows that tasted great, melts in your mouth! A friend had ravoli which was good and another in our group got the risotto which was also excellent.
I lived in the Tosa area for a few years and, surprisingly, only went to Bartalotta's a couple of times. I recall being very impressed with the food, wine, service and ambiance. I wish I could go there right now! This family knows how to run quality restaurants. I agree that it is a great place to take a date, and be prepared to spend some $$$. But it's worth it... you'll have an incredible time.
I live in Madison, and although Madison boost a wide variety of good food, one area that Madison is lacking is Italian. The answer of that is 1.5 hours away, at Bartolotta's. Bartolotta's certainly serve some of the best Italian food around the area. I had the tomato pre-fixe dinner, at $52 it is a steal for a 4 course dinner at a restaurant this caliber. My father had the calamari as appetizers and the mixed seafood grill as entree and they all taste excellent. This is the restaurant to go if you like Italian despite the drive from Madison.
had to add an extra star for greatness.
If you want a very intimate setting with your Italian cuisine, this can be a great date spot. Also,… Read more »
Milwaukee, WI
Category: Pizza
Milwaukee, WI
Category: Italian
Milwaukee, WI
Category: French
Milwaukee, WI
Category: American (New)
Milwaukee, WI
Category: Brazilian
Loading...
