The Chef's Table — Restaurant in Milwaukee

My experience here was unlike any I have ever had in my life. It was magical. (TLDR bottom)

I was here for a wedding reception. It started in the basement - the speakeasy. I entered through the front door of a relatively nondescript brick building. I climbed down the steep staircase into a basement where I am met by a waiter displaying a tray of champagne flutes inside a bankteller's booth (I think). Turn the corner to find a beautiful oak bar serving specialty cocktails staffed with people that are nerdy for beautifully crafted drinks. It's a fully outfitted speakeasy: there is an old vending machine you walk through, a pool table, eclectic and vintage decor everywhere. There's an impressive wine LIBRARY. I'm calling it that because there was a ladder that rolled from end to end to access the bottles too high to reach. It was so cool.

And that's not even the end of it...

We are called back to the main floor where we are led into a well-lit dining room. There is a red wall that houses dozens of vintage copper cooking vessels and tools. On the opposite wall, an incredible wooden bar festooned with antique bottles, decanters, and bar ware. The kitchen is in plain sight of the guests and it is equally as impressive and decorated as the dining room.

Then there was the food.

I died. So good. So thoughtful. I won't spoil a thing, but the bride told me that she had no idea what they were going to be having for the meal because, as a chef herself, she knew Chef David and his staff would deliver. Deliver, they did. Three incredible courses. Salad, pasta, meat. Each lovingly and thoughtfully crafted, paired with a wine (or beer!), and served elegantly by courteous and knowledgeable waitstaff.

After the meal, we sipped freshly brewed Anodyne coffee that had been ground using a VERY old, steel coffee mill. It milled the coffee so fine the sediment at the bottom of the cup had the appearance of, almost, syrup. I drank it. No regrets. This, paired with chef's grandmother's recipe of tira misu, was incredible.

When all was served, the chef and the sommelier came out to talk about the process of developing each course, the origin of key ingredients, the desired flavor profiles, the reasoning behind the pairing, the stories behind each dish....I was in heaven. This was so, freaking, cool! It was this after-meal speech that made this dining experience unlike any I have had before. (Note: Typically, each plate is talked about between each course, but that was when the bridal party did their speeches.) Chef David knows his stuff, but also, it is clear that this man loves what he does. He is absolutely beaming as he walks the guests through each course. The sommelier speaks about the pairings briefly, but just as passionately.

At the end of the night, the guests are dancing and drinking, the kitchen staff is cleaned up and heading out the door, I find myself and a handful of others in the kitchen with Chef David just having drinks. In the kitchen. He is so down to earth and so passionate and so creative! He told me that he started collecting the copper pieces when he was a teenager and hand-polished each piece. A great person and storyteller. We found out later that this kitchen and dining room is truly his personal kitchen and dining room as he lives upstairs. What a cool concept.

I absolutely loved my time at The Chef's Table. I want to go back, somehow. Unfortunately, they only do private events, but I have been told that there may be cooking classes to look out for....I will be back for more!

TLDR;

10/10, 5 stars, A+

Awesome experience. If you are lucky enough to get an invite to an event hosted here, you absolutely need to go. The food is amazing, the ambience/aesthetic unlike any in Milwaukee, and the people that work here actually care about...

We hosted a medium sized corporate event of 41 people for our staff. The location is private and the space on the main level is perfect for this size group or smaller. If you fully utilize the basement area, which includes the Speakeasy and Pool Room, you could easily have a larger group. As it was, our group fit well on the main floor.

The entrance to the basement Speakeasy is hidden behind a bookcase, which really adds to the Prohibition Theme that always accompanies any Speakeasy. Then the pool room is through a hidden door that is disguised as a 7-Up Machine. The wine cellar is also hidden in the corner. Finally, when you come up the back stairs to reach the main level, you exit through a Meat Locker Freezer door. The three 'hidden' doors are a very cool addition to this unique space.

The main level has a very nice bar area. The walls are decorated with copper pans and an artistic cork 'painting' of the Chef's daughter when she was 9 years old. The kitchen prep area is open for viewing from the main room. The tables and couches can be arranged as needed to accomodate any style you may need for your event.

There is a parking lot next to the building that you can rent separately if you wish, as it is owned by a different person. But The Chef's Table can make the arrangements on your behalf.

The backyard has a firepit and small seating area if you choose to use this area during the summer or fall.

Chef David and staff created a food and beverage menu to compliment our Monopoly Theme for this year. Our group had an absolute blast and the food was phenomenal! The Chocolate Souffle was literally as described, "Chocolate Air". Members of our group that stated they hate fish loved the Salmon and ate it all. The evening was fun, memorable, and fantastic due to the theme points being hit from start to finish by the staff. They worked hard to make sure our event went well.

I hear that they will be starting up events for couples to attend as part of a larger gathering. My wife and I will most likely be attending some of these...

Coming from a foodie town of Chicago and also chasing delicious bites, I was so so so impressed with the dinner party I attended this weekend. We were invited to a surprise birthday party for a dear friend, and I did not know what to expect of this “restaurant.” I leave the word restaurant in quotations because it was much more than that. It was an intimate dinner party EXPERIENCE where the staff blended in the background and it felt like our group were the only ones there. Everyone had a hand in the experience, from the bartender to the servers to the chef. They were unobtrusive, funny, helpful, and generous. We were in the upstairs room and there was plenty of space to mingle and move around. What I love, as a self professed window shopper, is how much stuff there is to look at. I am seriously jealous of Chef David’s eclectic collection of goods. I can get lost in all his secret rooms passageways and antiques. I could easily spend hours looking at everything in his office alone just like I would at Target or Hobby Lobby lol. I would give 6/5 if I could for experience.

Food was amazing, curated and discussed beforehand, per our friend who hosted this party. He planned everything out with the chef, having some choice in it, but not all. Regardless, all courses were amazing and plentiful. You do not leave hungry. The crème brûlée was my FAVORITE PART. Oh, and the 4 wine pairings were good too :)

Parking was easy. If you’re able to find street parking, there is plenty of that surrounding that location. Otherwise, there is a parking lot adjacent to the building.

Not only that, I find it special when the chef comes out to show their gratitude and socialize with the guests. Chef David was gregarious and hung out with us as we meandered room to room. You can tell he takes great pride in what he’s created with his incredible team. The stories behind each artifact to why he chose what dishes to make, it kept me...