Greek restaurant Avli in Milwaukee's Brewer's Hill feels fresh
It’s dark, damp and dreary at 6 p.m. on a Thursday in November. I'd just ordered a glass of Greek wine from the downstairs bar when my party is called to our table in Avli’s bustling upstairs dining room. I fling my heavy coat over my chair and flop down in my seat, positioned toward the floor-to-ceiling windows at the back of the space.
Peering out at the two-tier patio just beyond those windows, I get lost for a moment, dreaming of that first unseasonably warm spring day — the kind that draws every Milwaukeean out of hibernation, hunting for a patio and a chance to dine and drink in the open air. This would be the patio they’d want to seek out first.
“Dang, why couldn’t this place have been around in June?” I lament.
That’s the kind of day I’m sure Avli, the modern Greek restaurant that opened in mid-September, is waiting for, too.
The location of the restaurant was chosen in large part for its beautiful patio and striking view of the city’s skyline from its perch above Commerce Street in Brewers Hill. Avli means “courtyard” in Greek, after all.
But as I snap back to earth — and inside the crowded dining room abuzz with peppy guests passing plates filled with creamy spreads, platters of rich, meaty mains and baskets of pillowy pita — I'm reminded that, hey, spring will come soon enough, but in the moment, I'm pretty happy to have Avli this time of year, too.
Modern Greek food that's meant to share
Avli’s food fills a void in Milwaukee — I've long said we could use an upscale Greek restaurant like this in the city. (I'm sure Giannis Antetokounmpo, an investor in the restaurant, felt the same.) The menu, filled with approachable, shareable spreads, salads, small plates, entrées and more, comes from Executive Chef Babis Tsotras, who previously worked in kitchens at the Grand Resort Lagonissi in Athens, Greece, and Avli on The Park in Chicago.
If you’re not familiar with Greek food, don’t fret. The bubbly servers at Avli are eager to help — with recommendations, wine or spirit pairings, or just the pronunciations of the dishes themselves.
If you’re not sure where to start, go with any of the spreads. I loved them all. The creamy, dill-spiked tzatziki ($11), the earthy hummus with crisp chickpeas ($11), and the smooth tarama with cod roe and sunflower oil ($12) made me wish for a bottomless basket of toasty, fluffy pita triangles so I could continue swiping up the spreads all night. You should opt for the sampler — choose three of the four to try ($18) — but if you order just one, make it the tirokafteri ($12), a whipped feta and roasted red pepper spread that gets a mild kick from red pepper flakes. Think of it like a pimento cheese spread with a Santorini spin.
Another standout spreadable is the saganaki ($16), a classic Greek dish in which a slab of sweet and buttery graviera cheese is warmed in a skillet till wobbly and oozy. At a lot of American Greek restaurants, you’ll see it flambéed, served aflame with a caramelized shell, but the warmed preparation at Avli is made the way it is in Greece. The dish could border on being too rich, but the sweet honey-peppered fig served on top adds a welcome brightness. Sharing the saganaki at your table is like playing a game of spoons, everyone crowding toward the skillet at the same time, vying for another big swipe of the cheese to smooth over warm, crusty bread.
The saganaki is part of Avli’s meze menu, small plates meant for sharing, and this is where you should spend the bulk of your attention when ordering. All dishes at Avli are meant to be passed around, family-style, and selecting from the meze means everyone at your table can take a bite or two from everything.
If you ask your server for a recommendation, you’ll likely be pushed toward the kataifi prawns ($17), a signature dish at most of Avli’s Chicago locations. Large prawns are wrapped in a cocoon of wispy, crispy phyllo strands and served over a dab of spicy aioli. They may sound fancy, but think of them as Greek street food — eat with your hands and be sure to sop up that creamy aioli, which livens up the two-bite appetizer.
Of the other meze I tried, I found the puffy zucchini fritters ($14) a little bland. And I’d outright skip any of the souvlaki — pork, chicken or shrimp ($15 to $16). For something so simple — skewered grilled meat and veggies — they're fairly flavorless and disappointingly dry. They're served with pita and could be saved if you load up a triangle with one of the spreads to wrap around each piece of meat, but there are far better things to enjoy on the menu without needing to Frankenstein a passable bite.
If you do want something meaty to share, move on to the mains portion of the menu and go for the pork tigania ($20). I’d remembered it from a public event previewing select Avli dishes over the summer and couldn't wait to try it again on my first visit to the restaurant. It was the highlight then and is a standout still, with slow-roasted pork shoulder, green peppers and onions mingling in a tangy pan sauce made with white wine, honey, lemon and herbs. I’m such a fan I’ve ordered it three times now.
I liked Avli’s beef ragout pie, too ($25). A beefy stew with a rich red wine sauce is crowned with a flaky puff pastry — it's pure comfort in a crock. As is the moussaka ($21), a layered blend of ground beef, eggplant and potato topped with a creamy bechamel sauce. I’ll be looking for something much lighter in summer, but right now, I’d happily tuck into these hearty, homey dishes while watching snowflakes fluttering down onto the terrace outside.
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The stripped-down space is cool but clamorous
While the menu offers a good deal of cold-weather comforts, it’s clear the design of the restaurant was geared toward sunnier days.
If you’d been to any of the location’s recent predecessors (View MKE, Wolf Peach and Roots), you’ll be shocked by the overhaul of the interior design. Gone are the wood accents and moody, deep-toned walls. Instead, both floors of Avli are stripped back, with white walls accented with sage green trim and art made from natural elements. Bamboo rattan lamps hang from the ceiling and illuminate the simple table settings and corded indoor-outdoor chairs. Large windows facing west and south bring in plenty of light in the day and offer a sweeping view to Milwaukee’s glimmering downtown skyline at night.
And, of course, there's that outdoor terrace — an upper with sleek dining tables and a lower outfitted with more tables and cushy lounge areas offering loads of space to eat, sip and take in the scenery. I can’t wait to come back once warmer temperatures hit and the restaurant's big, floor-to-ceiling glass-paneled doors can be flung open to the outdoor deck, bridging that crisp and airy interior with the beauty of Alvi’s double-decker courtyard.
But as it is now, within the confines of Milwaukee’s dark winter evenings, the open floorplan and minimalist design strips the space of personality. It feels open and airy in the daylight, but in a time of year when the sun sets well before the first dinnertime seating, I could go for a space that's more cozy than cool.
My other nitpick about the space is the sound. I’ve strained to hear my dining companions during each visit to the restaurant, leaning in to pick up portions of conversations from across the table, fighting against the din of dining-room chatter and techno-tinged music thumping from the speakers. Right now, the sound has nowhere to go but to ricochet off the walls. The placement of the tables, corralled within such close proximity you could easily reach out and grab the water carafe from the table next to you, doesn’t help the noise level, either.
Ordering from the bar? You’ve got to go Greek
There are two bars at Avli, one on each floor. The bars double as dining spots on busy nights, and the bartenders are happy to help navigate the menu of more than 20 bottles of red, white or rose wines (all from Greece, by the way), plus a handful of Greek spirits and signature cocktails.
Avli’s playful signature cocktails incorporate Greek spirits in familiar drinks, like the Stavros’s Knees, ($14) kin to a Bee’s Knees cocktail with gin, honey, lemon and a floral Greek mountain tea. I’m also charmed by the A Greek in Wisconsin ($14), Avli’s version of a brandy old fashioned, highlighted by Greek brandy and a splash of Epsa Sour Cherry, a brand of Greek cherry soda. Welcome to Wisconsin, Avli.
The takeaway
My few quibbles with Avli can be easily corrected — turn down the music, space out the tables and keep things warm and inviting until the patio space can be properly utilized. I had a couple shaky experiences with service (including being asked to leave my table almost immediately after paying to make room for the next party), but I’m chalking that up to the busyness of the restaurant and its stacked reservations. Although, next time, I sure hope I’m not shooed out so swiftly.
But I can overlook all those things when reminded of the food and the space it fills in our dining scene. Not every dish hits the mark, but there’s so much I’d be happy to revisit around a table filled with friends — preferably on that first warm spring day, when Avli undoubtedly will settle into its sweet spot.
What to know about Avli
1818 N. Hubbard St.
(414) 395-1300
Fare: Modern Greek plates meant to share
Atmosphere: Contemporary and hip
Hours: Dinner service daily, 5 p.m. to close
Prices: Small plates, mostly $12 to $19; salads, $13 to $15; mains, $20 to $38; sides, $7 to $9; desserts, $10 to $12.
Parking: Street parking
Wheelchair access: Yes; at the ramp at the restaurant’s main entrance on Hubbard Street
Payment: Cashless; pay with credit or debit card
Reservations: Recommended
Noise level: Loud on busy nights
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: Greek restaurant Avli fills a void in Milwaukee dining scene
