Frederick Miller, Frederick Pabst, William Harley and Arthur Davidson—these are some of the names that made Milwaukee famous. One meal at Roots Restaurant and Cellar will have you convinced that Owner and Executive Chef John Raymond’s name belongs amongst Milwaukee’s greats.

Roots is located in Milwaukee’s Brewer’s Hill neighborhood. From its position on the Hill, it invites nearby downtown indoors through many large windows, rewarding diners with a panoramic view of the downtown skyline. While Roots is not a large restaurant, its design, décor and view subtly hint of vast, open spaces, which led me to feel as if I were dining on a rooftop or on a ship’s deck: high in the sky and at one with the city. Original artwork on the cream-colored walls and a dark wood interior give way to an open kitchen whose aromas greet diners at the door and foreshadow the delicious meal to come. Though appropriately dim, light sparkled throughout the dining room. Many small lights suspended from the exposed beams of the ceiling and the light from many small candles reflect in the windows, indistinguishable from the twinkling city lights outdoors.

The mergence of the city’s beauty with Roots’s interior parallels the manner in which Chef Raymond brings the bounty of the farm and field into the restaurant. Roots is both farmer and chef-owned, with co-owner Joe Schmidt providing much of the restaurant’s vegetables from their very own farm. Roots supports sustainable agriculture and aquaculture and only purchases naturally raised meats and sashimi grade, wild caught fish; practices reflected only in the high quality of the food, not the prices: appetizers ranged from $9 to $16 and entrées from $20 to $44—prices comparable to or lower than other upscale restaurants in Milwaukee.

After taking in my surroundings and watching beautiful aromatic dishes pass by my table, I was ready to eat! We began with the banana-peanut tamales with spicy guava jelly and braised pork belly. Served on the banana leaves they were cooked in, the distinct flavors and textures of the dish’s components came together in an unexpected, exciting manner that would awaken even the laziest of palates. The smoky-sweet, tender cubes of pork belly complemented the spicy, smooth guava jelly. Uniting these two flavors was the tamale—its smooth, earthy texture immediately yielded the promised banana flavor. The peanut taste was not very noticeable, but the few, small pieces of peanut added a subtle crunch. My husband ordered one of the two featured soups—Maitake mushroom with bacon and sheep’s cheese. The soup was puréed, with a small mound of the unpuréed goods in the middle. A rich, woodsy mushroom flavor permeated the soup, but not in a way that overshadowed the salty goodness of the bacon and the smooth tang of the sheep’s cheese. The quantity was a little larger than we expected for an appetizer—those with less-hearty appetites might consider sharing this dish.

We received awonderful surprise while waiting for our entrées—a small snack of homemade “Chex Mix,” truffle popcorn, and spicy glazed nuts. Before the bowls were even set on the table, I smelled the distinct aroma of truffle oil. I savored each kernel of truffley popcorn and wished I could take home a whole bowl of it to eat while watching a movie later on. The only drawback to this fun diversion was that it eliminated the downtime between courses, making it feel like our entrées arrived before we were quite ready.

I usually tend to have “ordering envy”—wishing I had ordered whatever is on my husband’s plate. But, despite the allure of his seared Muscovy duck breast, cooked medium-rare, with cranberry bean confit, grilled radicchio, and chicory “cappuccino”, my loyalty belonged to my sautéed Alaskan halibut, served atop farro, pancetta, and frisée, and accentuated with figs and shavings of pecorino cheese. The delicate flavor and texture of the perfectly cooked halibut was enhanced by the firm, chewy farro—an Italian grain in a thin balsamic sauce. While I was unable to taste the pancetta in the farro, its absence did not detract from the dish. The contrast of the sweet, acidic balsamic with the slightly bitter frisée added another intriguing balance to the dish. The figs and pecorino neither added to nor detracted from the dish, but were delicious components, nonetheless. Both of our portions were very reasonably sized—a happy medium between the exquisite presentation of a couple bites of food and the portions that could serve two to three people at some chain restaurants.

Dessert was not the standout course of our meal. The highlight was the pear-muscat sorbet. After my first bite, I exclaimed “Pear!”. I had to look carefully at my plate to make sure my eyes had not tricked me and that I had actually eaten a ripe, juicy pear. The cucumber-yuzu and cranberry-ginger sorbets won creativity points but their advertised flavors did not pack the same punch as the pear. Additionally, the sorbet was frozen too firmly. For the first ten minutes or so, I had to almost chip away at it to get a bite. The crème brûlée my husband ordered was, well, crème brûlée—nothing particularly noteworthy, although it should have felt superior next to the chocolate mousse. While the chocolate flavor was very rich, the mousse was very dense and could have doubled as a thick cake frosting.

Roots embraces the freshest food available and their menu reflects the changing seasons, offering a new lineup of dishes every two to three months. While the food alone will undoubtedly entice us back many times, I feel confident that we will always receive high quality service from the wait staff. Attractive, nicely dressed fellow diners, from couples to larger groups, laughed, talked, and seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. One would feel at home in a suit or dress, but nice dark jeans and a sweater or blouse would be appropriate as well.

Whether you choose to dine at Roots because of the owners’ commitment to ecologically sound farming practices or you are seeking a fine dining experience with a beautiful city view, know that you will be treated to some of the freshest, finest food that Milwaukee and Wisconsin have to offer.

Roots Restaurant and Cellar
1818 N. Hubbard St.
Milwaukee, WI 53212
Tel: (414) 374-8480
www.rootsmilwaukee.com

- Written by Christine Lennon (christylennon@hotmail.com)

Christine Lennon resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her husband John. They seldom get through breakfast before talking about the evening’s dinner plans. Christine writes about food with the same fervor she has for fine meals. Blank notepads and refrigerator space are often in short supply.