North Shore Restaurant Reviews

Here is a list of North Shore-area restaurants written about in the Journal Sentinel. All reviews are dated. Please be aware that restaurant ownership and practices change.

Café Corazon
3129 N. Bremen St., Milwaukee (414) 810-3941

I first stopped in at Café Corazon for brunch on a cold, dreary February day. Stepping through the door at this sliver of a building was like stepping through the looking glass; inside it was bright and lively, a different world, with baby blue walls, cherry red trim and religious artifacts thick behind the bar. See full review

Centro Café
808 E. Center St., Milwaukee (414) 455-3751

Walk in at dinnertime and absorb the warm glow from pendant lights, the energy of the crowd and the charm of this renovated 1926 storefront. Inhale the aroma of garlic wafting from the ultimate open kitchen, behind the thick marble counter in the 32-seat dining room. Savor the simple but delicious pasta dishes. Heck, even the tab could leave a diner feeling pretty good; the menu's entrées (all of them pastas) are $12 or less. See full review

Coa
5750 N. Port Washington Road, Glendale, in Bayshore Town Center (414) 967-1451

In Glendale, restaurateur Marc Bianchini and his wife, Marta, opened Coa in September. The Bianchinis, known for their Osteria del Mondo and Cubanitas, now serve tacos with a dozen fillings, other Mexican-style street fare and some entrées and daily specials at their new restaurant, inspired by their trips to Mexico. See full review | Restaurant's web site

El Guapo's Cantina
342 E. Silver Spring Drive, Whitefish Bay (414) 897-8624

El Guapo's - Spanish for the handsome one - has kept some dishes from the previous menu that don't mesh with the new concept but would appeal to the diner seeking something other than Mexican food; among them, the Polenta Mosaic entrée ($12.75) with Portobello mushroom and goat cheese; a BLT with avocado ($8.50); burgers ($9.75); and hot wings ($7.95). See full review | Restaurant's web site

Harvey's Central Grille
1340 W. Towne Square Road, Mequon, off Port Washington Road just south of Mequon Road (262) 241-9589

After Richard and Julie Staniszewski closed Chip & Py's last year, Amelia Betzhold - Julie's daughter - reopened it in October as Harvey's Central Grille, named for her grandfather. It's housed in the same retail and office development, but she's brightened it considerably, updating the menu while keeping some familiar favorites. And not just menu items. See full review | Restaurant's web site

Peking Chef
8673 N. Port Washington Road, Fox Point, in the RiverPoint Village shopping center (414) 228-8222

Albert Lee, chef-owner of Peking Chef and the son of Peking Palace owner David Lee, began cooking in the small storefront restaurant in February, serving Chinese, Thai and harder-to-find Indonesian fare. The Lee family is Chinese Indonesian, coming from Medan on Sumatra island. See full review

The Riversite
11120 N. Cedarburg Road, Mequon (262) 242-6050

Some of the things that delight us most are hard to find or fleeting: diamonds, say, or shooting stars. The foodie's wish list, at least in spring, includes morel mushrooms and fiddleheads from the woods, or soft-shell crabs from the ocean. How fortunate to find them along with other gems on the menu at the Riversite in Mequon. See full review