The Packing House is one of Milwaukee’s favorite restaurants.

If you drive on Layton Avenue past Mitchell International Airport on a Friday night, you’ll see a line of cars stretching around the block.

What makes people line up in their cars like people trying to get into a popular L.A. nightclub? It’s the Packing House Friday Fish Fry. On Friday, the Packing House has a drive up window for their Fish Fry and that is what many of those cars are picking up. They take cash only, no credit cards to keep the line moving. A Friday fish fry is a popular tradition in the Milwaukee area. The Packing House’s fish fry is well liked. It’s often a long line.

On Friday evenings, there is usually a long line of cars trying to enter here

The Packing House has a lot more than just a fish fry.

They have:

• Ribs
  

  The Packing House is located on Layton Ave facing the airport

• Steaks
• Seafood (more than just fried fish)
• Poultry
• Veal

Besides food, The Packing house also has a piano bar and cocktails.

My wife and I had a chance to eat there recently.

We both enjoyed it. The food was very good. I had a prime rib (I don’t think it is usually on the menu) and my wife had the Beef Wellington. Both the steaks were very good. Soup was included and we both really liked the soup. We also really liked the fresh bread that came with it, the bread was something we both noted. The food was very good.

I’d say The Packing House is on the more formal side of casual dining.

It’s listed as casual/ formal dining. There’s no dress code but I’d have felt out of place in jeans and a T-shirt. You would not need a tie and I felt fine with just a collared shirt (I hate ties with a passion). They have someone to check your coat if you would like before you enter the dinning room. It is probably a great place for a business lunch.

The service was great.

The Packing House is well know for Friday Fish Fry

Our waitress was wonderful. It was a nice atmosphere. There was a live singer in the bar singing mostly light jazz type music. It was not loud and barely noticeable in the dinning room.

Our meal for two was in the $50-$60 range.

That included our tip. We don’t drink so add a bit to that if you do. While a few dinners are just over $30 most of them are in the $12-$25 range. Lunch prices were less.

If you’re looking for a nice atmosphere with great food, The Packing House on Layton Avenue would be a good choice.

A great place for a family meal

It is a big step up from just about any restaurant chain. The food and the atmosphere are both special. The service is great. It would be a great place to take the family for a meal (they have a children’s menu). You may want to try their Milwaukee Friday Fish Fry (get in line early).

The phone for The Packing House Milwaukee, Wisconsin:

414-483-5054

Address for the Packing House:

Google Map for The Packing House:

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Website for The Packing House:

foodspot.com It’s awful but that’s the one they claim.

Italian food at Paisano’s in South Milwaukee, WI.

One reason we chose to eat at Paisano’s Italian Restaurant was it always looks busy.

My wife always noticed that the parking lot is usually full when she went by. So, when we were looking for some place new to try, she wanted to give Paisano’s a try.

Paisono's Italian Restaurant at Night

Paisano’s is easy to find.

It has a large number of neon lights around the building that really stand out. It’s just a few buildings south of College Ave. on North Chicago Ave. (it is called Packard Ave just north in Cudahy) in South Milwaukee. There is plenty of parking around the building.

First, the waitresses were wonderful.

Paisono's South Milwaukee Wisconsin

They were smiling and cheerful. They were very good at making sure we were well taken care of without being annoying at all. I still had plenty of soda in my glass when a full one appeared to replace it. It was great service.

The food was great too!

I had the Delmonico Steak. It was topped with onions, mushrooms and mozzaralla cheese. I never even finished the french fries.

My wife had the Sicilian Beef with Pasta. Her dish was so full that it didn’t look like she ate much when she finished. I had some the next day for lunch and it was still good. We both felt the soup was extremely good. The soup itself could have been enough for a full meal. I cannot remember if they called it minestrone or Mediterranean  soup. It was very thick with lots of mushrooms.

We also had an order of french fries for our niece and the Charbroiled Prime Rib for my wife’s sister. The waitress brought out the fries early for our little niece. Even with the rest of us helping, there were probably enough fries left from the huge bowl to make a full serving at many places.

The steaks came with a choice of potato (at least four choices there) and all the dinners had the choice of soup or salad and a choice of garlic bread or Italian bread. We were too full to even think about the pudding that was included (maybe next time).

Paisono's during the day.

I felt the prices were very good.

Nearly all the dinners on the menu are in the $9.00 to $12.00 range. The steaks we had were a bit more but not too bad.  If you were to go for lunch, they have a large number of sandwiches in the $6-$8 range with french fries and coleslaw.

Paisano’s also makes homemade Italian style pizza.

Crust options are:

• Thin-n-crsipy
• Thick-n-chrunchy
• Pan Style

Paisano’s Italian Restaurant has a nice decor if you eat in.

This artwork on the outside is similar to the painted walls in the dining room.

Phone for Paisano’s Italian Restaurant:

Address for Paisano’s:

Website for Paisono’s Italian Restaurant:

paisanositalianrestaurant.com

Google Map to Paisano’s Italian Restaurant

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Traditional Swiss bakery is what the New Glarus Bakery is all about.

Consider making a visit to the New Glarus Bakery a tradition anytime you are near New Glarus, WI.

The New Glarus Bakery has a history dating back to 1910. While ownership changed in 2004, they are still using their Old World recipes to create traditional Swiss pastries, cookies, deserts, and breads.

Their featured traditional specialty is probably the New Glarus Stollen.

Made from a bread formed by hand, it includes ingredients like almonds, Meyer’s rum, marzipan and two kinds of raisins. They make a point that there is no candied fruit in the ingredients. With stollen a popular Christmas tradition in Wisconsin, I can’t think of a more traditional bakery to get it from.

Of course, there is lots more than just stollen.

The New Glarus Bakery has a larger number of traditional breads to choose from. There are several types of ethnic cookies. They make custom cakes using their own from-scratch recipes and buttercream icing. They even have a special treat just for your dog!

On our last trip to New Glarus we tried the New Glarus Bakery cheescake.

It was light. It was fluffy. It was probably the richest cheesecake I’ve tasted. It was delicious!

Not close to the New Glarus Bakery? They ship tradition!

Looking to start a holiday tradition with the New Glarus Bakery? It’s not always possible to make a trip to New Glarus, Wisconsin just for stollen. Well, the New Glarus Bakery ships their wonderful creations all over the country throughout the year. Have a stollen and one of their bread samplers or Swiss cookie assortments or any of their specialties shipped to your home for the Holidays. Check out their website and choose some wonderful treats to share at a party or give as gifts. Then call their toll-free line and have them ship it to your home.

New Glarus Bakery website:

www.newglarusbakery.com

Phone number for the New Glarus Bakery:

1-866-805-5536  (you can call from the website – it uses Google Voice).

Address for the New Glarus Bakery:

534 First Street

New Glarus, Wisconsin 53574

Google Map with the New Glarus Bakery:

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di Carlo’s Pizza Oak Creek, WI

Trattoria Di Carlo

Di Carlo’s Pizza has become well known in the Milwaukee area for being one of the best places to eat. It certainly has great pizza, but that is not all. Di Carlo Pizza also has a large number of other Italian specialties. Steak and seafood are also on the menu.

The original Di Carlo Pizza was a very small building.

This meant a long waiting time for the few tables. It was worth the wait. Even to sit in the somewhat cramped dinning room.

They have expanded the building.

Now there is much more room. The parking lot is still usually full on many nights. There is also a separate entrance for carry out orders.

Prices are nice too.

Di Carlo’s Specialty Pizzas range from $10.00 to $24.50 for the 18 inch “Everything but the kitchen sink.” Most of the Specialties and entrees are in the $12-$20 range. There is also a children’s menu. Di Carlo Pizza of Oak Creek also does catering.

Di Carlo’s does both carry out and delivery.

Phone number for Di Carlo Pizza

• 414-768-0001

Address for Di Carlo Pizza

• 8469 South Howell Avenue
• Oak Creek, Wisconsin 53154

Map to Di Carlo Pizza Oak Creek Wisconsin

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Websites for Di Carlo Pizza

• Di Carlo Pizza
• Trattoria Di Carlo Catering

China Chef South Milwaukee, WI

China Chef is a gem for South Milwaukee.

It may be one of the best Chinese restaurants in the state. The food is definitely above most Chinese restaurants including those in Chinatown Chicago, Ill. This is the first Chinese restaurant that my wife (who is Chinese) admitted the food was as good as hers.

Sherry and her husband Chef Wang provide a Chinese menu that is above most others.

Chef Wang was a professional chef in China. He also won a top 10 chef competition in China. The food demonstrates his ability. Their motto is “Let the food talk.”

China Chef of South Milwaukee used to be named Great Shanghai.

The name was changed when they purchased their own building and move a few block to their present location on Milwaukee Avenue in South Milwaukee,

Wisconsin. They did a great job of decorating the new location. Bamboo plants are everywhere in the dining room.

The prices are very reasonable.

You will get your money’s worth. You will also probably be taking some home as the plates are served full. The lunch buffet is also well priced.

I have been to Chinese restaurants where all the food tastes the same.

At China Chef, you will be able to taste the difference between Mongolian Beef and Hunan Beef. Both are delicious also. The appetizers are also wonderful.

Restaurant hours:

• Monday-Thursday 11:00am-9:30pm
• Friday-Saturday 11:00am-10:00pm
• Sunday 12:00 noon-9:00pm

Lunch Buffet Hours

• Monday-Friday 11:00am-2:00pm

Phone numbers for China Chef South Milwaukee, WI

• 414-764-1966
• 414-764-2148

Address for China Chef Chinese Restaurant

• 1224 Milwaukee Avenue
• South Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53172

Map for China Chef South Milwaukee, Wisconsn

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China Chef has a Website that is currently under construction.

• smchinachef.com

Let the food talk at China Chef!