Bartolotta and the Sea

My ongoing infatuation with famed Milwaukee Chef Paul Bartolotta continues. I've raved about his flagship Italian ristorante multiple times before. I've previously drooled over his French fare. Now it's time savor the best seafood -- and the best views -- this impresario has attached to his family food empire.

The Harbor House is the very latest turn for Bartolotta, and it is distinctly seafood-oriented. Situated on a gorgeous plot looking out onto the water and the Milwaukee Art Museum's impressively postmodern Quadracci Pavillion (for those of you who are American Idol fans, one of their "audition" episodes this season took place there), the views are as memorable as the interior and, of course, the food.

Head Chef Carlos DeLeon executes a wonderfully diverse, yet traditional menu. I went with the Lobster Pot Pie (I know... doesn't it just sound amazing?!). Huge, rustic hunks of potatoes, carrot, and pearl onions complimented the equally generous claw meat, all encased in a delicate cocoon of puff pastry. It was exactly what I imagined it to be: hearty and satisfying; indulgent, yet not overly rich.

The Harbor House has only been around since 2010, but it has the feel -- the soul -- of a place that's been around much longer... which no doubt, it soon will be.

The Bartolotta Midas Touch continues...

A Must-Have Meal in Milwaukee

Chef Paul Bartolotta has accomplished something that perhaps a superstar chef can only achieve in the Midwest: he has created a culinary empire that still feels like a family-run establishment. Maybe that's because... it is. Brother Joe still runs the flagship, Ristorante Bartolotta, in the leafy burg of Wauwatosa, and the spot's cozy confines make you feel as if you're walking into your grandma's house for Sunday dinner... that is, if your grandma had garlic, peppers, peasants, and assorted charcuterie hanging from the ceiling!... This welcoming homieness, of course, belies the fact that there is some seriously refined, albeit classic, Italian cooking going on here.

This time around, I started with the Affettato Misto di Prosciutto e Salumi alla Emiliana - an assortment of shaved prosciutto and other Italian cured artisan meats with traditional gnocco fritto. Mortadella. Sopresatta. Speck. It was all there, and the gnocchi fritto was an amazing addition to the plate, like mini-sweet rolls, all crunchy and chewy at the same time. A more than healthy portion of all the good stuff...

My entree was one of the two pasta dishes where the pasta is freshly made in-house: Ravioli di Magro al Burro Nociola Tartufato - house made ricotta and spinach ravioli, with Grana Padana and truffled butter. Melt in your mouth goodness. A classic example of how premium ingredients combined with back-of-the-house know-how makes for a transcendent presentation, even in its simplest form...

My favorite dessert is tiramisu, and ordering is always a calculated risk, seeing as how there a number of variations on this Italian classic. Knowing I was in the best of hands at Barotolotta, I splurged (having reveled in it before didn't hurt my chances either!). This is my personal gold standard for this dessert. Lots of creamy, custardy, fluffy goodness, tinged ever-so-slightly by a subtle coffee-amaretto highlight, and accented by a dusting of cocoa powder and powdered sugar. An absolutely ideal finisher to what is always a satisfying and sensational dining experience.