Onesto — Restaurant in Milwaukee

Update: I have to say the flavor went way down hill which really stinks because this was my favorite place to eat Italian...I am Italian and I'm a retired chef so its hard to find a good place this was it. There was something really off about the mushroom ragu the complicated layers of flavor were completely missing gnocchi texture was too wet/soft/old?....these may be little things but it really changed the entire composition of the dish and the veg was cut 3x bigger so instead of letting the flavors work in harmony they stood alone. If your not going to put salt on the table make sure you taste the food....maybe you switched to pink sea salt which doesn't deliver the same impact a kosher salt. I just wish it was as impressive as the last 20 times I've dined in. Also your gorganzola fig spread add more gorganzola. Every bite should have a taste of salty with sweet a jar full of fig should have more than a half tablespoon of gorganzola crumbs. Maybe put some gorganzola on the bottom...im not saying 50/50 just the lack of gorganzola really took away from experiencing the salty and sweet sensation....you may also want to consider adding a dab of balsamic glaze or aged balsamic through the fig. Or at least call it a fig spread with a touch of gorganzola I would have went for the other jar. My fiences food was lacking as well he hardly touched his pasta it was dry and the flavor was lacking. Drinks were OK bread was not as good as first review. The waitresses was super friendly checked up on us just enough but the hostess was not friendly not a good impression of the restaurant...and why are you asking for phone numbers for walk ins to a empty restaurant whats the deal with that...kind of invasive we walked in sat down ate and in that whole time I dont even think anyone else came in. My new impression is the chef or owners must have changed and im not digging it. I'll probably guide everyone in a different direction next time the gang wants to go here. The 2 stars are for the server she did a good job! I feel bad writing a bad review but its like night and day and the cost doesn't reflect the quality of what it once was.

This is the original post: I absolutely love their food here. The first time we went here we smelled the fresh bread that was being delivered it drew me in! I've gotten the same thing every time and it never disappoints! The staff is friendly the environment is industrial warm and artistically Italian feeling. This is one of those places where I NEED to go sometimes I need the gnocchi it's way too...

Oh, so close to a five star experience! First off, this is my first time at this restaurant and I really overall enjoyed the evening. We were greeted by a friendly host and shown promptly to our seats. For appetizers, we ordered the calamari and the burrata. The calamari was good. It was unlike anything I've had before. It was a medley of flavors including tomato, basil, mint, and a few other spices. The broth that came in was very good and we dipped some bread in it. The burrata was a true star. Excellent texture, great accompaniment on the dish and it paired very well with the crostini. This is where the first failure was observed. The bread that comes complementary to the table is useless. It tasted very low quality and the restaurant could do addition by subtraction by removing that bread altogether or replacing it with something a little higher quality. The crostini that came with the calamari, by contrast, was absolutely delicious. We asked for extra so that we could have it with the burrata. I was really surprised that the burrata did not come with crostini itself. When I asked the waitress about this, I was told that it usually pairs with the complementary bread that comes with the meal. That is a huge miss! The burrata is a true star on the appetizer menu and pairing it with cheap complementary bread is such a disservice. After the appetizers, our meal came. I went to the restaurant with a friend and we shared two pasta entrees. The first was the spaghetti bolognese and the second was the spicy rigatoni vodka. The bolognese was very different than what I am accustomed to. It had huge pieces of meat and the sauce was almost hidden. For me, growing up, it was usually the reverse ratio. But somehow, the dish worked and it was tasty. The spicy rigatoni vodka was excellent. My only other comment on the meal was that I thought the portion sizes were a bit on the small side. My favorite Italian restaurant in the world, Carbone, is known for small portions on their pastas. I thought the portion size here was even a tad bit smaller. All in all, I did enjoy the visit and I'm pretty certain I will come back to try some...

Living just a handful of blocks away, I always do a gut check; “is this place good because we walked over here, or is this place worth traveling to if I didn’t live here?” The answer quite frankly, is…yes. Eat here. Eat here often.

Our party of two stopped in on a whim on the 4th of July expecting that we would just wait a bit for a table at the bar since we had no reservation. Marge and Aaron greeted us, helped solidify our place in line as the queue was beginning to build behind us and offered us a glass of water. What a great gesture and just a simple and kind acknowledgment.

Having waited for a hot minute without a spot opening at the bar, Aaron came over to let us know that a reservation did not show and offered us a high top that we ended up sitting at and being served by Erick.

Erick is the consummate professional. Meeting where we were at having waited for a spot, immediately engaging and giving us great drink suggestions. Spot-on with great awareness and table side conversation. We were brought drinks quickly and we decided on two entrees (meatballs & pasta and Rigate alla Vodka). The meal as always was uncompromisingly perfect with meatballs perfectly cooked and pasta and sauce paired well. We both ended up enjoying how the Vodka pasta sauce complimented the meatballs a bit more than the marinara did.

The meal is never a disappointment here, but the star of the show is the team, their communication, and just their amazing attention to detail. We were having conversation about us trying each other’s dishes and Erick picked up on this and even as dishes were served had already split the plates. Marge and Aaron are always moving, managing the flow and tables. Watching everyone move together is as beautifully put together as the food.

Come in for a few craft cocktails, stay for a meal and then make a reservation to eat here...