Best Bites: These are 5 of the best things our dining critic ate in July

In her Best Bites series, dining critic Rachel Bernhard rounds up some of the most delicious dishes she ate around Milwaukee in recent weeks. From food-truck finds to fine-dining dishes, these are some of her favorite things that crossed her plate each month.

In my first full month covering dining in Milwaukee, I learned that almost everything I eat is fodder for writing. Before I even take a bite, I snap a photo, take note of the presentation and think about how I’d share it with you readers. I’m learning to savor food in a completely different way and scribbling my thoughts as I go. It can be daunting, but it’s helped me slow down and appreciate the people behind the food and the craft of culinary arts.

These are some of the standout dishes I’ve tried this month as I’ve tasted my way around the city.

Aloo chaat pierogi from Hot Dish Pantry

I’m so charmed by the menu at Hot Dish Pantry, 4125 S. Howell Ave. While the restaurant is heavy on Midwest comfort food — as the name implies — I’ve been surprised by the way they’ve incorporated more global flavors, particularly Indian, in classic homestyle dishes. The aloo chat pierogi are crispy dumplings filled with warm-spiced chaat masala chickpea, cauliflower and potato with cilantro and pomegranate seeds that add a delicious pop of tartness. Topped with a minty yogurt dressing and tamarind arugula salad, the dish feels bright and balanced while bringing the comfort you crave from classic pierogi.

Bibiana Burger from Saint Bibiana

I am constantly on the hunt for my new favorite burger. I build restaurant visits around it on vacations and chase rumors across Milwaukee on my quest for the best. The burger at Saint Bibiana, 1327 E. Brady St., is one of my new favorites in the city. It’s stacked high with two beef patties, American cheese, grilled onions, pickles and special sauce on a sesame seed bun. It’s familiar, but the patties are seasoned so well and are so juicy they practically disintegrate the bun as you’re eating (one of my top characteristics in a best-ever burger). I love when something as simple as a cheeseburger can surprise me, and I was floored at first bite with Saint Bibiana’s.

Breakfast pizza from Cedar Teeth

I’ve been loving all the ready-to-eat items popping up at farmers markets lately. Vendors peddling pastries, sandwiches, crepes and tamales are nothing new, but I’m seeing even more prepared food options at farmers markets every weekend. A new one for me was the breakfast pizza at the Cedar Teeth booth during a visit to the South Shore Farmers' Market (8 a.m.-noon Saturdays, 2900 S. Shore Drive). I knew Cedar Teeth for their fabulous frozen pizzas that I’ve ordered at neighborhood bars and local grocers, so I was happy to give their fresh-made pizza a try. The booth has two portable pizza ovens to make individual-size pies fresh to order, ready in five minutes. I went with the sausage pizza, with crumbled vegan sausage, fluffy scrambled egg, cheese, red peppers and fresh basil on a soft and puffy crust. I knew within a bite that it’d be a new farmers market go-to for me. A bonus? They offer vegan versions of their breakfast pizza, too.

Pad kee mao from Kim's Thai

I promise I won’t do this, but if I could, I’d include the pad kee mao from Kim’s Thai, 938 W. Layton Ave., on this list every month. It’s my go-to takeout choice when I’m looking for comfort, and I’ve waxed poetic about the dish’s “big, slappy noodles” to friends for years now. I typically choose chicken as my protein and bounce between a spice level of three or four, depending on how wild I’m feeling that day. (You could go up to a 10, but be warned: things gets pretty racy above a four.) I love the way those fat, chewy rice noodles mingle with the tender-crisp veggies, all lightly coated in a savory, spicy sauce with a scattering of fresh Thai basil that helps tamp the heat a bit. It’s my favorite pad kee mao in the city, and I’ve tried a lot.

Pastrami panini from One & One Caravan

For weeks, I’ve had my eye on a vintage camper parked on the corner of E. Pryor and S. Kinnickinnic Ave. in Bay View. It’s an adorable little thing, and I’d heard it was going to be operating as a food truck, offering hot paninis and wraps once open. So when I was driving by one afternoon in mid-July and saw the windows open and a short line out front, I whipped my car around to see what it was all about.

The menu is loaded with breakfast and lunch options, including panini, wraps, sandwiches and fresh juices. I opted for the pastrami panini, and as it was being made, I had a wonderful chat with the proprietors, Monica and Ignacio, who built out the camper themselves and seemed so happy to be up and running. I took the panini home, and while I planned on eating just half for lunch, I kept coming back for another nibble or two until I gave in and downed the whole thing. The ciabatta bread was toasty and crisp, and inside, tender pastrami slices were layered with red and green bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, oozy cheese and a creamy chipotle sauce. I’m already looking forward to trying more of their menu, and stopping by Saturday mornings when they offer breakfast burritos.

Rachel Bernhard joined the Journal Sentinel as dining critic in June 2023. She’s been busy exploring the Milwaukee-area food scene to share her favorite finds with readers along the way. Like all Journal Sentinel reporters, she buys all meals, accepts no gifts and is independent of all establishments she covers.

What should she cover next? Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @rachelbernhard or on Instagram at @rach.eats.mke.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 5 of the best things our dining critic ate in Milwaukee in July