Black Cat Alley is an eclectic art experience in Milwaukee. It's what Black Alley calls "an outdoor…read moreart gallery" or simply said a collection of cool murals. I love seeking out new street art, so I added this alley to my Milwaukee itinerary. You can say it was right up my alley. LOCATION: I Uber'ed to the East Side to the Axe Bar (AXE MKE) which is right next to the alley. You'll find the alley behind the historic Oriental Theater at the intersection of North Avenue and Ivanhoe. Entry from Prospect Avenue and Ivanhoe are both available. Personally, I get lost everywhere and found it right away entering from the Prospect Avenue. The locals must not all know about this alley because my Uber driver was unfamiliar with this location. The area has some cool businesses, grab some food nearby! ART: Free and open 24/7. You'll find 21 murals by 24 different artists in the alley. You'll find the stories behind the art on Black Cat Alley's website or via QR codes next to the art. All murals are vibrant and creative. It's an equivalent of a museum where you'll linger by the art and try to find some meaning. The art is by global artists from places like Germany, Colombia, and others. My favorite mural was Catalina Bayona's "We Are All Immigrants" depicting wild animals and migration. It's very powerful when you think about it a little longer. All art is photogenic but be sure to check what releases you'll need for any commercial use. I wish that every city had art alleys. It's such a creative way to beautify cities. I look forward to my next visit to Milwaukee and another visit to the alley. I'll read up more about the art here before my next visit.

[Please keep in mind I travel a lot and hunt graffiti everywhere so this review is a direct…read morecomparison to other graffiti areas.] It's a small alley dedicated to graffiti. Some professional, some tagging. Some look like they were commissioned, some you can tell some were definitely done on the fly. It's not the best graffiti but I appreciate that Milwaukee has a small dedication to one of my favorite things- graffiti. Also- it's a safe alley. We went early in the morning and got donuts nearby. Drove by again a day later and a boba place is right around the corner.

It's so great to see a community of people who work together to help make this event happen year to…read moreyear. Talk about a group people who love celebrating for more than just 24 hours. I had a chance to experience this event on a reservoir rd aka twizzler alley this is an open road event with intersection spotters at a few locations hopefully in the future they could have more volunteers help warn bikers as they approach some of the most heavily traveled sections day and night. it made me nervous watching how fast they go and how easy a collision can occur Riverwest is a community that cares. Roll on Thank you sponsors and community volunteers! 36/2016

RW24 is as good as the soul of a city can breathe out! It is the culmination of good vibes and…read moremasterful planning, uh hum, or at least flying by the seat of your pants. My Milwaukee neighborhood of Riverwest is alive more than usual for a full 24 hours of parties and camaraderie. Anywhere you walk the streets are shut down or at least barricaded off. A buzz is in the air from an event so killer, only a Milwaukee neighborhood nestled on the West side of the river could dare pull it off. All things Riverwest are in full swing, all hands on deck for a truly good time. Most streets are a mayhem of elated pandemonium to show the world or at least Wisconsin how much it means for a neighborhood to come together. Some sleep and others don't. Either way by the time the 24 is up any involved are feeling it. Long live the RW24!

It's changed a lot. This year there were only three stages, one beer vendors, and a few food…read moreoptions. It was crammed with vendors to the point that moving through was a problem. Typically this is our fav festival but this year was really disappointing for the lack of music alone. Meh.

One of Milwaukee's best festivals! It's Riverwest, through and through, and I love it all. See some…read moregreat local bands, the food selection is really good and diverse, as is the crowd. There was a good variety of Lakefront Brewery beers on tap, and I also enjoy spending a little time in Riverwest Public House for WMSE DJs, and conviviality. Make sure to leave some money with the many high-quality DIY makers that sell here. Overall, this is a great summer hang in Milwaukee.

This is an authentic Italian restaurant that feels like I'm having Sunday dinner at my papa's home…read more First and foremost the customer service is stellar. The waitstaff was lovely and owner Pietro told my son and I the story of their beautiful pizza oven that came all the way from Italy and visited our table to welcome my parents and tell us about the resturant and their family. This place is owned and operated by an incredibly talented and caring family that has opened their recipes and hearts to the community. The food was perfectly executed. From the seasoned and crips calamari to the margarita pizza that was flavorful with a thin crisp crust, our appetizers were loved. And then the pasta; just perfect. It's hard to find legitimate Italian pasta and this is it. The pasta was al dente with delectable homemade sauces. We enjoyed the chicken Marsala, chicken parmesan, a la vodka pasta, and pasta Alfredo-which my kids said was better than mine! All of these dishes were perfectly seasoned, fresh, piping hot, well sauced, and just delectable. The portions are perfect leaving just enough for lunch the next day if you can keep yourself from eating the whole plate! It was easy to get a reservation for a larger party, which I appreciate! The dining room and bathrooms were accessible for my mother who uses a wheelchair and she felt extremely comfortable dining. My two younger kids also enjoyed themselves and the atmosphere was versatile; perfect for kids, dinner with the grandparents, or a date night out. All in all we are excited to come back for another fantastic meal. Thank you to the owners and family for building this gem in Milwaukee.

I might have deducted three stars, rather than only two, if I'd included my feelings about my…read moreentree . . . which I hated. But that would be unfair and inappropriate. I had the beef Spiedini -- something we served at the venerated east side institution, Palermo Villa, when I waited tables there, years ago. But as delectable as it looked, it was one of our dishes that I never tried! And so, I think I ordered it at Carini's with unrealistic and inaccurate expectations. Suffice it to say that, FOR MY TASTE, the meat was undercooked and too chewy. I also found the stuffing off-putting, in both taste and mushy consistency. But again, THAT'S ME. It's entirely possible that this dish was prepared perfectly. It's just not for me. Now, on to the positives: * The Mussels Macchiato (in "a garlic wine sauce, splash of Carini's marinara") were the best mussels I've had anywhere. And, if you utilize the provided bread, so as not to let any of the ample sauce go to waste, you'll find it a "sopper's delight". * Is it possible to ruin Tiramisu? I doubt it . . . but its quality certainly can vary. In this case, I'll venture that Carini's is the best by far. The unfortunate negatives (and the reasons for the two-star deduction): * What could have been, and should have been, a very pleasing, simple and straightforward spinach salad (with cucumber, fontinella cheese and kalamata olives, in a sundried tomato vinaigrette) was ruined by the fact that whomever added the dressing drowned this unfortunate little salad that never did nothing to nobody. * The coffee -- both my first cup and the refill -- were barely warm enough to count as "tepid", much less hot. Details, even those as small as this, matter in a fine dining establishment with fine dining prices. * And, speaking of fine dining establishments with fine dining prices: These, of all places, should not commit that cardinal sin: jumping on board the "me too" train, shamelessly taking on the feel and appearance of a sports bar. In short, guys, 86 the giant TVs (of which there were, I think, at least two, in the not-all-that-huge bar area. I had to choose my seat in the dining area so as not to have to see either of them.) The prices, menu and marketing of Carini's all say "class" and quality (and/or an attempt to project class and quality). TVs say "tacky". Lazy. Like almost every other tacky, lazy, fungible place one might choose to step into these days. Because a Brewers game was on, and because I noticed it (behind and above the head of the understanding young lady at a table to my left), I succumbed to the temptation to steal (pun intended) several glances. But had I been left with nothing more than people-watching and my own thoughts, I would have survived just fine. Just fine, thank you.

Chocolate lovers: I highly recommend stopping at Burke Candy & Ingredients! I've walked past this…read morebusiness for years and, somehow, never stopped in until last week, when I decided to pop in on a whim. Boy, am I glad I did! As a serious chocolate lover, I was immediately in heaven. I may have gotten a little carried away and left with several truffles in hand... and then proceeded to eat every single one of them in one sitting. Maybe that's not everyone's cup of tea, but honestly? I had absolutely no regrets.The chocolate was that good! I can't believe it took me so many years to finally walk through the door, but now that I have, I already know I'll be back. This is exactly the kind of local gem that deserves to be discovered and enjoyed. I can't wait to bring my mom here when she visits! If you love chocolate, truffles, or simply treating yourself to something delicious, do yourself a favor and stop in. You might just leave with several treats too... whether they make it home is another question.

Date of visit: July 28, 2025…read more I stopped in here as I am leading an effort to find local vendors that we can order from as part of a holiday gift effort for some of our customers. I perused the store and selected brittle, taffy, and chocolates as part of a taste testing for the whole team to determine which items were the best to consider as gifts for our customers. Staff was friendly and accomodating, and even offered me a sample after I completed my purchase. Oddly, despite spending about $70 and explaining what I was doing with my purchases, I didn't get a receipt. I dropped an email to the store and received a quick reply and was provided with a picture of the receipt that was quite small and blurry, though thankfully our AP department didn't question it too much and I still got reimbursed for the purchase! And if you were wondering, the taffy was surprisingly good, but wasn't labeled on the package in terms of what flavors were in each bag, so that was a big turn off for our taste testers. The chocolates were a big hit and will be a finalist for our customer gifts!

Sala is a wonderful neighborhood Italian restaurant across the street from UW Milwaukee. The walls…read moreof the restaurant are covered with interesting artwork and there's a nice seating area outside. Love their homemade Sugo sauce, which is their basil parmesan tomato sauce. It's fresh and bright. I had it over short rib raviolis with cheese, onions, and garlic. Fantastic! Entrees come with soup or side salad. The salads are freshly handmade, not from a bag, and salad dressings are homemade. Very good selection of cocktails and wine as well. Friendly and helpful wait staff. Always a go-to restaurant for us and we're willing to drive across town for one of their great meals.

We stopped here on a Tuesday night. We had made a reservation so we were seated right away. It was…read morevery busy so we were glad we did. It was very loud inside the restaurant, so much were could barely hear each other talk. Sitting outside might be a better idea in the future. We ordered a Caesar salad and a house salad with garlic dressing. Both were good but I especially enjoyed the garlic dressing. For our mains, I ordered the gnocchi and my boyfriend ordered the Parmesan with pork tenderloin cutlets. Both were very tasty! The Gorgonzola sauce on the gnocchi was amazing! We both couldn't get enough of it. The Parmesan was also very good as it had great flavor and large portions.

Came to Lisa's pizza the other day for the first time. I usually don't give reviews though I don't…read moreknow if I've had better service or food. Cecilia was my server and she was not only very helpful with recommendations but, had a level of charisma you don't see to often nowadays. Highly recommend and can't wait to come back.

How nice to finally want to leave a fully-positive review of a business!…read more I've been familiar with LIsa's for decades, and have visited it every now and then over the years . . . even having spent 25 years on the west coast . . . and having first been entranced as a young man by its over-the-street, nearly treehouse-like vibe. (NEARLY. With a little imagination (or actually, a lot), a window seat, in view of the mature tree outside, Lisa's achieves realizes its full charm.) The interior is an understated, tasteful, comfortable, semi-hippie blend of artwork and plants. Last visit, I enjoyed perfect fried eggplant, and one of the very best Margherita pizzas (here, the "Margaret") that I've ever had. Real, fresh mozzarella; real, fresh basil; and, maybe most important, actual slices of red, fresh tomatoes (not just cheating with a mere tomato sauce, as some places do). This time, I started with a real bargain of a tossed green salad. It had so many ingredients (by my rough count, around a dozen) that I couldn't even identify some. A heaping, colorful, healthful and appealing salad that puts to shame the side salads that most other restaurants merely "phone in". (The balsamic vinaigrette is strong, so I'm glad that I stuck to my rule of ordering it on the side, so that I could control the amount used.) Pizza: Pepperoni and mushroom, with FRESH mushrooms, correctly sliced (large, flat slices taken top to bottom) to maximize their flavor. A satisfyingly thin and crispy cracker crust. Nice sauce. (My only disappointment -- a slight one -- was finding the taste of the crust rather bland. But on the other hand, even though I've had more than one flavorful crust elsewhere, I assume that it's easier to pack a thicker, more doughy crust with flavor than it is with a cracker crust.) Great service, with a winning, genuine smile, from Cecilia. A nice way to begin an evening out on a fine summer day in Milwaukee.

Centro cafe is a great little hidden gem in Riverwest. The prices are a little higher than other…read morevenues in the area, but the food is well worth it. The flavors, the layers, the searing, the fresh ingredients, all fantastic. And with an exposed hot kitchen in the dining area, you can watch it all come together. The ambiance is nice, making it a great date spot. And the service is attentive without being too much. The craft cocktails and NA spritzes are fantastic, with unique and well balanced flavors. And the attached speakeasy (Bar Centro) makes for a perfect after dinner stop for another cocktail and live music 3 nights a week.

Second time coming here and already one of my favorite spots in Milwaukee. Love that it's a smaller…read moremore intimate dining experience. Service is always amazing and the food is out of this world! Tried a non alcoholic drink last night which was delicious. Appetizer we had bruschetta which I could bathe in. My daughter tried the cacio e pepe and I had the butternut lasagna. Both were absolutely divine! Also had to get the tiramisu for dessert. Cannot recommend this place enough.

This festival is going on my unique and awesome list for Milwaukee because Rockerbox is rad. All…read morekinds of bikes on display - old ones, new ones, mods, harleys, crazy concoctions, whatever (!) - vendors come in from all over, there are bands, and all kinds of fun stuff going on. Def worth checking out.

Our server Ula was sooooo sweet and attentive! Food was really good, you have to get the BBQ…read morechicken pizza!

Our party liked: crispy Brussels sprouts, eggplant fries, shaved Brussels sprouts salad, artichoke…read moreà la mode pizza, cauliflower crust vegetarian pizza, & one person liked Geisen non-alcohol wine from New Zealand. Kora, the server, was helpful.