Bavette La Boucherie

"Open for: Lunch, dinnerPrice range: $$When it opened in 2013, Bavette seemed unique, European, and pricey — the kind of place you’d find in Chicago, not Milwaukee. Following Karen Bell’s many James Beard nominations and semifinalist nods, this whole-hog butcher shop and subtly sophisticated restaurant has come to feel more like an old friend. The lunch and dinner destination is fit for all levels of craving, with crudos and carpaccios, porchetta and pierogies, sardines and sourdough, a corned beef tongue Reuben, and enough cheese and charcuterie to make a meal out of snacks. In an expanded Third Ward home, Bavette’s growth feels indicative of the maturation of the city itself.    Must-try dish: Bavette’s is the best muffuletta in town, though you could say something similar about most of the sandwiches." - Todd Lazarski

"This Spanish-style market and restaurant checks a lot of boxes: good drinks, interesting plating, and a fun room with exposed brick and high ceilings that you’re going to want to hang out with friends in. Get the potato-crusted octopus, and the crisp, beef fat fries, both presented upright in mini paper bags. Most things lean meaty, like pressed cuban sandwiches or a reuben made with corned beef tongue, but there are two good salads if you’re looking for a vegetarian option (or just a break from salt-cured mammals). The best seats are tables in the back, near the open kitchen, so you can see and smell everything being made." - kristine hansen

"This Spanish-style market and restaurant checks a lot of boxes: good drinks, interesting plating, and a fun room with exposed brick and high ceilings that you’re going to want to hang out with friends in. Get the potato-crusted octopus, and the crisp, beef fat fries, both presented upright in mini paper bags. Most things lean meaty, like pressed cuban sandwiches or a reuben made with corned beef tongue, but there are two good salads if you’re looking for a vegetarian option (or just a break from salt-cured mammals). The best seats are tables in the back, near the open kitchen, so you can see and smell everything being made." - Kristine Hansen

"What started out as a butcher shop concept, has evolved and changed over the years to become a full service restaurant and butcher shop concept. On the one hand, Bavette is a modern rendition of a time honored tradition, which is that of the neighborhood butcher shop. Through the butcher shop, Bavette strives to honor those traditions of quality and excellence by sourcing whole animals raised responsibly on small, local farms and custom cutting the meat. By getting in whole carcasses, Bavette achieves more sustainability and less waste. In addition, Bavette provides total traceability of its meat back to a singular farm and a singular animal. At Bavette, the consumer will enjoy complete transparency of its food moving from farm to plate. In conjunction with the butcher shop, Bavette is also a restaurant, serving these meats on a daily changing menu consisting of salads, sandwiches, small plates, pâtès, cheese and charcuterie boards. What you see in the meat counter and on the menu each week are all from the same animal. The restaurant truly is a farm to table restaurant, sourcing not only the meat, but most of its produce from nearby farms. Ina addition to the highly seasonal menu, there are chef curated retail items, such as Wisconsin cheeses, local charcuterie, artisanal jams, pickles, salts, vinegars and oil. Going along with the thoughtful menu is a select and unique offering of craft beers, wines and cocktails."