Odd Duck in Milwaukee, WI is an absolutely wonderful little restaurant.  If this were a restaurant review, I would gush about the diversity of the menu, the inventiveness on display in nearly every dish, the brilliant execution on each small plate presentation. But this is not a restaurant review so our focus here is on the dishes reflecting the ethno-culinary traditions of the Great Lakes region.

Here are a couple of recent dishes featured on the evening menu – Kale Salad, Dried Cranberries, Roasted Pear, Maple Vinaigrette, Pecans, Aged Cheddar Mornay or perhaps you would prefer Chicken Schnitzel, Handmade Bratwurst, Cheesy Pork Belly, Spätzle, with Brussels Sprout Sauerkraut. Their cheese selection includes many of my local Wisconsin favorites such as Hook’s Cheddar, Carr Valley Mobay, and Saxon Creamery Big Ed’s Gouda. The charcuterie selection features Underground Meat Company (a true favorite here) as well as house-made options. All these are clear markers of local traditions being re-invented and re-imagined leading to, based on my recent dining experience, truly wonderful results. This is Great Lakes Cuisine and we’re happy to include them in our Restaurants section.

The menu is really global fusion with so many different cuisines seamlessly and beautifully brought together. For a longer discussion of how the Odd Duck stretches our definition, see this post. For pure enjoyment, simply go to Odd Duck and enjoy.