My annual article, 52 Restaurants for your Bucket List, was originally created to provide readers with an easy way to explore the wealth of restaurants in the Milwaukee scene over the course of one year (52 weeks). Today, as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, it provides a fun and equally compelling guide for folks who’d like to bring variety to their weekly meals while providing vital support to some of our finest local restaurants.

Here's the featured restaurant of the day, plus five can’t miss dishes to try

Braise
1101 S. 2nd St., (414) 212-8843
braiselocalfood.com

Local food takes on a global view at Braise, where cooks get truly creative with seasonal fare, from fresh tomato salads during the summer months to rum glazed parsnips or dirty chai beets in the winter. Meat eaters will find options like housemade merguez sausage, filipino braised pork and the like. Reservations are recommended for dine-in. Carry-out and curbside also available.

Five dishes to try: 

1. Seasonal soups. Currently, they are serving curried squash soup with roasted apple and lemon verbena cream ($6 with housemade focaccia); even better, $1 from each bowl goes to Empty Bowls.
2. Pork buns have become a popular staple for good reason. They are currently served with scallion vinaigrette and crushed spicy peanuts ($10)
3. Grilled Hen of the Woods Mushrooms with baked ricotta and peperonata ($12)
4. Dinners for two or four: Currently, they are offering roasted carrot paella with sauteed Swiss chard, pumpkin seed picada and saffron aioli ($24 or $42)
5. Desserts almost always bring together unexpected (but delicious) flavors. Take, for instance, their autumnal caramel apple pie with sage whipped cream, brown butter crumb and candied lemon ($7).