Friday, March 23, 2007

Paul's Omega Family Restaurant

3473 S. 27th Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Open 24 hours, every day. Milwaukee's contribution to the culinary world is the FAMILY RESTAURANT, and Paul's Omega on S. 27th is the king of them all. It is always crowded (especially on Sundays and holidays) but the place is huge, and the service remarkably fast, so there is very little waiting. This is the place to overeat, if you're so inclined-- the dinners come with a salad that's large enough to be a meal, or soup, and potatoes, of course, and dessert, the options which include a passable rice pudding. The diners also include your choice of a draught beer or crappy wine, if you're so inclined. I'm not, but I always appreciate seeing the luminous glasses of sweet, pink rose’ wine on most tables, simply for their beauty. The entire place has a certain beauty in its extremes and excesses-- from the chairs on round wheels, to the tacky etched glass, the cruise ship lighting fixtures, to the casino carpets, it's like a good nightmare, visually, a memory of the lost Las Vegas you never experienced, and never will. Indeed, it's all an illusion, created by the incredible level of high energy infusing the entire establishment. The cooks, coffee fillers, bussers, waitresses, and hosts work together like a flawless counterfeit Rolex, and a routine trip to the restroom is like a journey through mythical restaurant-land, waitresses yelling "corner" as they round blind corners with enormous trays, creating magic for the incredible cross section of humanity who come to overeat, routinely taking for granted what very well may be their last meal.

$$

*** (three stars)

--Ray Speen

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Bayview Family Restaurant

2321 S. Kinnickinnic Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Open 24 Hours Tuesday through Saturday, 5:30am until 1pm on Sunday, and open 5:30am on Monday, or something like that. They're pretty much open all the time, but not Sunday afternoon.

Breakfast specials until 10:30am. A really inexpensive one is: two eggs, homefries, toast, and bacon or sausage for $3.45. (They call the homefries "American Fries," as does every place in the area, but I refuse to.) Or: two eggs, 2 pancakes, bacon or sausage for $4.25. There are more specials, including farm steak and omelettes that have actually come DOWN in price.

The rest of the menu is the usual family restaurant fare, including corned beef, which I have never been courageous enough to try, and lunch and dinner specials, all quite cheap.

This is a good sized, open, square lunch room with booths on two sides, tables in the middle, and an eight stool counter. The kitchen is in the back. A big picture window faces busy Kinnickinnic Avenue-- this is as close to the heart of Bay View as anything. The place has been open awhile and has stayed unchanged for the six years I've been going there. The same waitresses have been working there for as long as I can remember, and they are charming. One woman goes by the name of "Grandma," and she is not someone you want to get on the bad side of.

I only have a few complaints. There is no coatrack. This is annoying if you're sitting on a stool at the counter, because where are you going to put your coat? Also, the coffee cups are the "nuclear power plant cooling tower" design, heavy and brown, but at least they are the ceramic version. (David Lynch loves these for some reason.) The coffee is bad, but I've had worse, and they will refill your cup. Cream is real, but in the annoying plastic tubs.

The best thing about this place is the homefries-- the best I've had in town. They are greasy and irregular, made from real potatoes, and the real trick here is to ask for them with grilled onions. It is no extra charge, and the onions turn mere decent homefries into a gourmet meal.

$ (breakfast special)

** (two stars)

--Ray Speen

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Milwaukee Area Restaurants

This is a partial list of Milwaukee area restaurants.

Please excuse the places I forgot, the duplications, misspellings, places that have closed, and listings of places that may be just hearsay or fantasy.

311 Restaurant
A.J.’s Café
Abu’s
Acapulco
African Hut
Al Johnson’s – Sister Bay
Albanese’s
Alpine Village
Alterra 1st Street
Alterra by Lake
Alterra Prospect
Anmol
Annona Bistro
Anodyne Coffee
Apollo Café
Applebee’s Grand Ave
Ardor Pub
Artega’s Mexican Restaurant
Astor Place
Athens Family Restaurant
Avenue Grille
Bacchus
Baker’s Square
Barolatta Ristorante
Barossa
Bavarian Inn
Bayview Family Restaurant
Beans and Barley
Belleview Place
Bluemound Gardens
Bombay Sweets
Bosley on Brady
Brady Street Pharmacy
Broadway Bistro
Brucke
Buca di Beppo
Butch’s Old Casino Steakhouse
Café Brucke
Café el Sol
Capitol Grill
Carnevor’s
Carnitas
Casablanca
Cempazuchi
Chancery
China Gourmet
Cielito Lindo
Cocquette
Coerper’s 5 O’clock Club
Comet
Conejito’s
Conway’s Smokin'
Copper Kitchen
Coquette
Crawdaddy’s
Crazy Water
Crazy Water
Culver’s
Denny’s – Airport
Don Quixote
Doyle’s Milwaukee Inn
Eddie Martini’s
EE-Sane
El Rey – in Nana’s Market
El Salvador
Elliot’s Bistro
Elsa’s
Emperor of China
Envoy
Erv’s Mug
Fortune
Fourth Base
Fox and Hounds
Gasthaus
George Webb
Goldman’s
Grant’s Soul Food
Great American Grill
Grecian Delight
Harry’s Bar and Grill
Heinemann’s
Heinemann’s Greenfield
Henry’s
Hi Hat
Hi-Fi
Hob Nob
Holiday House
Hot Café
House of Frank N Stein
Hubbard Park Lodge
Ichiban
IHOP – National and Miller Parkway
Il Mito
Inn at Cedar Crossing – Sturgeon Bay
International Buffet
Izumi’s
Jack Pandl’s
Jake’s Deli
Jake’s Restaurant
Jalisco
Jewel of India
Jo’s Café
Joey Buona’s
Joey’s Italian
John Hawks Pub
Johnny Manhattan’s
Jonathan’s Café
Karl Ratzsch’s
Kegel’s Inn
Kennedees
Kilbourn Café
King and I
Kopp’s
Kurt’s Steakhouse
La Fuente
Lake Park Bistro
Lakefront Palm Garden
Landmark Family Restaurant
Libiamo
Lisa’s Pizzeria
Lohmann’s Steak House
Lopez Bakery — National
Lopez Bakery – Mitchell Street
Los Comales
Los Mitos
Louise’s
Lulu
Lyndon’s
Ma Fischer’s
Mader’s
Maharaja
Martini Mikes
Mason Street Grill
Mazo’s
Meagan Soul Food
Megan’s Café
Melting Pot
Metke’s
Metro
Michael’s Family Restaurant
Michigan Street Diner
Midwest Diner
Milwaukee Ale House
Milwaukee ChopHouse
Milwaukee Inn
Milwaukee Public Market
Mimma’s
Mineshaft
Ming’s
Miss Katie’s Diner
Mitchell Street Grill
Mitchell’s Café
Mo’s a Place for Steaks
Mo’s Cucina
Mo’s Gyro King
Mo’s Irish Pub
Mocais Café
Mocais Coffee Shop
Moceans a Place for Seafood
Mocha
Mojo’s Steakhouse
Mona’s Nightclub
Monsoon
Morton’s Wisconsin Inn
Movie House Grill
Mr. B’s
Mr. B’s Steakhouse
Mr. Churro
Mr. JJ Fish
Mr. Miyage Steak and Lobster
Mr. Perkins
Ms J’s Restaurant
Murf’s Frozen Custard
My Office
My Place
Mykonos Café
Nanakusa
Napoli Pizza
Nardo’s Passport Inn
Neighbors Bistro and Pub
Nesttime
New Bangkok
New China
New China Buffet
New Hong Kong
New Number One Chinese
New Orleans
Nick’s II Family Restaurant
Nikos Gyros
Nite Owl
Noodles and Company
Norby Pam
North Prairie Diner
North Shore Bistro
North Star American Bistro
Nothing But Noodles
Number 1 Chinese Restaurant
Oakland Gyros
Oakland Trattoria
Oakland Wine Bar
Oaxaca Grill
Odyssey Family Restaurant
Old Country Buffet
Old Town – Serbian restaurant
Old Town Restaurant
Olde Mill Inn
Omega Burger
Onyx
Open Flame
Open Hearth
Organ Piper Pizza
Oriental Coast
Original Pancake House
Osteria Del Mondo
Ouzo Café
Pacific Rim
Packing House
Painted Parrot
Palermo Villa
Pallas
Palmer’s Steakhouse
Palms Bistro
Palomino
Panache
Panda Hut
Panos Char House
Pantheon
Parkview Café
Passport Inn
Pasta Tree
Pasty Shop
Paul’s Omega
Paulie’s Pub and Eatery
Pauline’s Supper Club
Peach Garden
Pedrano’s
Peking Garden
Peony
Perkins
Perkins – Glendale
Phan’s Garden
Pieces of Eight
Pitch’s
Pizza Man
PJ’s Original Subs
Playa
Plaza Cafe
Points East Pub
Polonez
Ponderosa
Port China
Porterhouse
Potbelly’s
Prime Quarter Steak House
Prime Table Family Restaurant
Prime Time Sports Bar
Q F & H Diner
Q Real American Food
Q-BBQ – Bay View
Range Line Inn
Real Chili
Red and Bunny’s Diner
Red Circle Inn
Red Dot
Red Pagoda
Redd’s Snapper Seafood
Regasus
Restaurante Puerto Escondido
Reynolds Pasty Shop
Rice Palace
Rick Inn
Ritter’s Inn
River Lane Inn
Riverbrook
Riversite
Riverwalk Bistro
RJ’s Garden
Robert’s Restaurant
Robin’s Anoited Café
Rock Bottom
Roman Coin
Room 434
Roots
Royal Garden
Royal India
Royal Wok
Ruby G’s
Ruby’s Spiral Café
Rudy’s
Rusty Skillet
S and P Thai Cuisine
Sabor
Sadko
Safe House
Saffron Indian Bistro
Saigon
Sake Tumi
Sakkio Japan
Sala da Pranzo
Salad Maker
Salvatore’s
Samano’s
Sammy’s Silver City Café
Sammy’s Taste of Chicago
Samurai
San Fong
Sanford
Santo Domingo
Santo’s
Saraphino’s
Sauce
Savoy Room
Sawatdee Thai
Saxe’s
Saz’s State House
Schlotsky’s Deli
Schneider’s
Scorpios Sea N Land
Scotty’s
Seabird
Season’s Family Restaurant
Senor Luna
Senor Sol
Seoul
Serb Hall – fish fry
Shahrazad
Shark’s Fish and Chicken
Shipwreck Inn
Silver City Barbeque
Silver Dollar Café
Silver Dragon
Silver Spring House
Singha Thai
Singha Thai II
Sir Desmond’s Family Restaurant
Sir Winston’s
Sky
Sluggo’s
Smith Brothers
Social
Sol Fire
Soldeca
Solly’s Grille
Solo
Sommelier’s Palette
Soup and Stock Market
Soup House
Soup Market
Soup Otzie’s
Soups On!
South Woods Restaurant
Speak Easy and Eatery
Speakeasy
Speed Queen B-Q
St. Francis Inn
Star of Burleigh
Steak Away
Steak Escape
Steakhouse 100
Steakout
Steven’s Steakhouse
Sticks and Stones
Stumble Inn
Su Casa
Suburpia
Sunrise Restaurant
Sunset Family Restaurant
Super Buffet
Sushi-a-go-go
Sussex Steak House
Suzy’s Café
Suzy’s Hot and Spicy
Swank
Swayz Mexican Grill – St. Francis
Swingin’ Door
T J Aliota
Taco Amigo
Taco City
Taco Flats
Taco John’s
Taco Loco
Tai Ping
Takeout Taxi
Tam’s Chop Suey
Tameka’s Soul Food
Tandoor
Tanner-Paull Am. Legion Post 120
Taqueria Aranda
Taqueria Arandas
Taqueria Azteca
Taqueria La Salsa
Taqueria Los Comales
Taqueria Los Compadres
Taqueria Tepechy
Taste of India
Taste of Italy
Tasty Bite
Tasty Food
Tavern on the Green
Taylor and Dunn’s Public House
Ted’s Ice Cream
Tenuta’s Italian Restaurant
Tess
Texas Roadhouse
Thai Kitchen
Thai Lotus
Thai Palace
Thai Tea
That’s Amore
The Pub
The Rafters
Theo’s on Mason
Third Street Pier
Third Ward Caffe
Three Brothers
Tichigan’s Diner
Time Out Sports Bar
Tina’s Paradise Soul Food
Todd’s Grill
Tomaso’s Italian
Tomken’s Bar and Grill
Tongueria El Conchal
Tony’s Grill
Too Sweet International Delights
Top’s Carry Out
Traditional Pancake House
Tres Locos
Tres Magueyes
Tres-Hermanos Club
Truckers and Travelers
Trysting Place Pub
Tsing Tao
Tu Trinh
Tumbleweed
Turner Hall
Twisted Fork
Two Brothers
Ty’s Tap
Ujala Tandoori
Uncle Dale’s Hilltop
Uncle Sonny’s
Union House
Uno
Val-Win Drive In
Vecchio Mondo
Venice Club
Venus
Vicki’s
Vietnam
Villa’s
Village Café
Viva Urban Grill
Walden – a Supper Club
Water Street Brewery
Water’s Edge
Waterfront Deli
Watts Tea Shop
Waubeka
Wayne’s Drive-in
Wegner’s St. Martins Inn
Weissgerber’s Seabird
West Bank Café
What’s Fresh Deli
Wicked Hop
Wild Wild West Burgers
Wildflower
William Ho’s
William’s
Wilson House
Wing Ho
Wing Tai
Wing’s Carryout
Wong’s Kitchen
Wood’s Dinette
Wow Café and Wingery
Wow Dog
Xel-Ha
Yaffa
Yang’s
Yanni’s Gyros
Yanni’s Steak House
Yau’s Gourmet
Yellow Rose
Yen Ching
Yiannis Gyro
Yokoso
Z Café
Zaffiro’s
Zarletti
Zebb’s
Ziggies
Zin Uncommon California Italian