Following local dining tradition and national trend

Undoubtedly, there is a basic trio of characteristics underlying any city's dining culture. Regardless of trend or fad, tradition, geographic location and population set the lay of the dining land. Each factor intricately intertwined to feed and define another, these aspects shape the flavor and stature of our dining scene.

In Denver, food picks up on neighboring southwestern and mountain influences. In Boston, it means taking advantage of ocean proximity and focusing on seafood. In Portland, progressive political and social trends make inroads on menus for hyper-focused local, sustainable eating. And, here, the predominantly German influence coupled with locally produced goods push beer, cheese, and European traditions onto our plates.

But when looking outside typical convention and considering current transitional trend in dining, Milwaukee is right in the thick of these similarly sized cities. Trends like local, sustainable foods, specialization and dining districts have come to change both the way we eat and the way we think about eating.

Local, sustainable eating

What may very well have started in the Pacific Northwest and came to typify Portland's dining scene, simultaneously sparked a trend nationwide.

"There's a heavy emphasis on regional cooking, paying particular attention to the farm-to-table connection. A lot of Portland restaurants are "locavore" focused, trying to glean as many ingredients as possible from local sources," says Grant Butler of Portland's Oregonian.

Local, local, local. If historically any trend has made inroads into uprooting the affects of tradition, location or population, it is the bursting trend for local, sustainable food.

A trend popularized in cities like Portland, New York and Austin, phrases like "locally grown," "sustainably-raised," and "fresh daily" have plunged onto nearly every menu page nationwide. For any sizable city, it's nearly impossible to ignore the emphasis on regional cooking and this goes for chefs, diners and restaurateurs alike.

"It is becoming increasingly common to see regions or states listed on a menu next to the items. It's also becoming less of an anomaly to see restaurant menus change distinctively based on season," says Kyle Cherek of Wisconsin Foodie.

We've leaned on Wisconsin staples like cheese, beer, and beef to provide us with ingredient guidance in the kitchen for decades. And now, as we see a re-emergence of favor for locally grown foods, we see those same products rising to the forefront, only this time, the trend is to elevate them.

"I think consumers are being educated on the value of local because we go the farmers' market, we get to meet the farmer that grew the spinach or made the pesto. Consumers can then learn to appreciate the craftsmanship of local farming and more importantly, the absolute freshest local ingredients," says Shayna Miller of Madison Magazine.

Wine and cheese pairings are more accessible as craft beers dominate restaurant taps and pour their way into entrée recipes. Residents have come to cherish the precious seasons for Door County cherries and morel mushrooms. As everything moves towards do-it-yourself, so restaurants have begun making even the basics from scratch and increasing the buzz about slow food and local sustainability.

"Many of the area restaurants that are traditional stalwarts focus on seafood: Union Oyster House, Legal Seafoods or Jasper White's Summer Shack because that is what's local to us. Boston is truly a very international dining scene. But, the overall trend is toward more locally sourced and produced ingredients," says William McAdoo of Boston Foodie.

Resisting the recession through specialization

Anyone within earshot of television, radio, or the news can attest the drive behind locally grown products in restaurants is an obvious one. The perplexing aspect is not that environmental conditions have finally scared us enough to listen but moreso, that cities have been able to make such sizable leaps forward in such incredibly down economic times.

On first glance, it's a dichotomous relationship. Restaurants all over the country have closed their doors in the last two years (specifically in Milwaukee, places like The Social, Annona Bistro, Jean Pierre's) yet the push for higher quality, hand crafted products continues.

So, how is the growth of quality local food at a time of economic restriction explained? The unanimous answer is that even in times of economic crisis, people still like to go out and usually, that involves a bit of food and drink.

"I think if anything, the recession has driven what type of restaurant can stay successful but Denverites are very, very social. And, so even when the economy ebbs, people still go out," says Tucker Shaw of The Denver Post.

Likewise in Madison, Miller says, "Despite the fact that business slowed down, we didn't have a lot of restaurants close. Retailers felt the hit pretty hard but strangely, restaurants still did (pretty) OK. I think it's because people felt that dining out was still an affordable luxury. And the food is so darn good here-- we like to treat ourselves from time to time."

And while there's unquestionably a relation, it's nearly impossible to adequately quantify the effect of the recession on the dining industry. Temperamental by nature, the dining industry falls victim to dozens of annual factors including seasonal change, fad diet trends and holidays, even in times of strong economic stability.

"You are seeing creative reaching and risk happening all over the city. The one influence I think for sure that has taken hold is one of quality. With shows like Wisconsin Foodie, The Food Network, foodie-ness coming more into mainstream, there are more great restaurants economically accessible to a lot of people; there is less bad food out there these days," says Cherek of Wisconsin Foodie.

Making local, higher quality food available at a time when people are watching their budgets demanded new found creativity on the part of chefs and restaurateurs. In Milwaukee, Coa focuses on street food, Hinterland and Roots offer small plates and tasting menus, Crazy Water offers nightly specials on pasta and seafood and Sobelman's Tallgrass Grill specialized their classic burger.

"There are food carts all over the city now, and they've received a lot of national attention because they produce really great food and have low prices because they've got such low overhead," says Grant Butler of Portland's Oregonian.

Likewise in Boston, McAdoo of Boston Foodie explains, "Trends here continue to be in downsizing and economy offers. Many restaurants have extended prix fixe offers usually only seen during Restaurant Week. So, a three course meal for $30."

Dining as more than a meal

Evidenced by television shows, chef's dinners, cooking classes and foodie blogs dining is no longer just about eating.
It's become a full service experience with chefs, corporations, brands and all dedicated to increasing the buzz about specific culinary experiences. Chain restaurants, P.F. Chang's China Bistro and The Cheesecake Factory, have become grander in scheme, while indie restaurants, like Crazy Water, Carnevor and Transfer, hit the niche of cozy exclusivity.

Pinnacle to the dining experience is the dining district. As more and more eaters look to bask in an evening of culinary entertainment, there's ever growing buzz around specific dining districts and the restaurants that inhabit them.

This is perhaps the trend that Milwaukee is fighting to pick up on. There isn't a Chinatown, Little Italy or dockside seafood market; our "dining districts" are largely unapparent to the visitor.

Alternately, we solo streets where restaurants have flourished in collaboration rather than competition, easing the path for eaters to end up in the same part of town. Water Street or Broadway in the Third Ward, Milwaukee Street, Brady Street or National Avenue in Walker's Point are just a few.

Contrastingly, cities like Denver and Boston focus residents and visitors into dining districts littered with bars and restaurants.
"Denver's Higland neighborhood is perhaps the hottest area. It's a zone popular with young families who like to walk to restaurants and who also like to know where the cheese was made and who grew the lettuce," says Tucker Shaw of The Denver Post.

A city divided into quadrants, Portland's dining districts are eclectic and distinct. Representing the diverse esthetic of the city, areas like the Pearl District, Hawthorne Avenue and Alberta Street each offer distinct eateries at a range of price points.

"The Pearl District is a former industrial area that's been turned into one of the top dining destinations in the city; old warehouses are converted into posh eateries. Northwest 21st Avenue is a more classic "restaurant row", with more than 40 places to eat and drink within a 12-block walk. Wide range of styles and prices, ranging from pubs and bars to high-end places," says Butler of Portland's Oregonian.

In Milwaukee, map out the top 20 restaurants in the city and you'll find not more than a few located within walking distance of one another.

"Often restaurants follow development, but I would say Bay View and Walker's Point have got the most organically occurring dining districts. Places like Cafe Lulu, Honey Pie, Crazy Water, or La Merenda opened where they could out of the owner's and chef's love for food, not because they were at the best of busiest corners," says Cherek of Wisconsin Foodie.