Milwaukee Flavor: The Cookbook

Experience Milwaukee Flavor, One Story—and Recipe—at a Time!

What's the magic ingredient behind Milwaukee's rich cultural flavor? Collaboration. We're fearless, unfussy, and grounded in community. Our city is bold and boundary pushing, yet rooted in the stories and traditions of those who came before. In Milwaukee, we come together across kitchens, cultures, and generations to create something vibrant, ever evolving, and uniquely our own. 

With a foreword by James Beard Award-winning Chef Paul Bartolotta and recipes from more than 50 local chefs who planted their roots in Milwaukee, Milwaukee Flavor: The Cookbook is more than a recipe collection—it’s a love letter from the city’s culinary soul.

Inside, you’ll meet chefs who grew up cooking family recipes passed down for generations, as well as innovators fusing global flavors with Milwaukee traditions. Their dishes—and the stories behind them—span neighborhoods, cultures, and decades, showing how Milwaukee’s food scene is shaped by heritage and driven by creativity.

The recipes range from cherished classics to bold new creations, each paired with personal stories of family, community, and discovery. Milwaukee’s chefs invite you to explore every layer of Milwaukee flavors: cherished dishes rooted in heritage, bold new experiments inspired by global travels, and the unexpected twists that happen when tradition meets innovation. Alongside each dish are personal stories—of family kitchens, community connections, and the shared passion for food that spans generations. It’s a celebration of how food connects us all—and how Milwaukee chefs are carrying that connection forward.  

Published by: Visit Milwaukee