Amilinda

My friends and I were excited to try out Amilinda after having read so many recommendations online and from friends. We stopped by for a late dinner on a Saturday night and were told immediately that the restaurant was understaffed. I appreciated the heads up - this review is in no way reflective of the wait staff or the level of service. Rather, what drives my rating is 100% based on the cuisine we were served. First, of a menu containing approximately 10 items, we were told that nearly half of the items would not be available due to missing ingredients. Of the remaining options, both the peppers appetizer and the chicken entree were okay yet fairly underseasoned. My entrée, the shakshuka, was nothing short of a complete disaster. It was more like a bland vegetable soup with poorly cooked eggs. The photo doesn't even do it justice as to how improperly they made this dish. We brought up our concerns at the end of the meal, and the restaurant explained that Chef Greg was not in the kitc

The chef is a James Beard Award nominee and it shows. The food is interesting with depths of flavor. We had skirt steak, duck-fat roasted chicken and rack of lamb with a Goan coconut curry. The staff is friendly. The atmosphere is cozy. And as a bonus Chef Gregory Leon came out to speak to me and my two college-age sons. Milwaukee is lucky to have such a high-level establishment.

Last night Andrea Dexter and I went out for a nice dinner to end the week, landing on Amilinda We started the night off with two very good Sangrias and a Pork Albóndigas with Manchego Cheese and Serrano Ham appetizer that was fantastic. The main course for me was Halibut with a squash puree, while Andrea had a Pork Shoulder stew. The halibut was nice and flakey, with a charred surface, and the squash puree was sweet and smooth. Andrea's stew was tender and full of meat, but in our opinion was greatly assisted by some salt and pepper I rounded the night out with a "Portal Fashion", a Port based play on the Old Fashioned, which was also delicious. All-in-all, great atmosphere and good food. We will definitely be back to try their ever-changing menu!