photo by Mike Burmesch
For nearly 15 years, La Merenda has been a Walker’s Point go-to for excellent world cuisine. Everything is creatively prepared from locally sourced food and presented in a bite-sized way that has charmed diners from the beginning. Midwesterners are generally known for their love of large portions, even if it means taking home a “doggie bag” at the end of the meal. A restaurant like La Merenda, serving small plates or tapas portions may have been considered a bit odd in a big appetite city back in 2007. Clearly, it turned out to be a recipe for success as La Merenda is already a treasured local favorite and seems destined to become a vaunted Milwaukee icon.
The cozy front bar room is an agreeable space to enjoy a beverage before dinner, or to just have a quick drink. A solid wine and beer list, as well as delightful cocktails, means everyone will find something to imbibe. Special note should be made that La Merenda makes a particularly delicious Old Fashioned, of course sweet and made with brandy.
The bright and comfortable dining room hasn’t changed much since the early days. Simple tables and big wooden chairs bring an informal air to the space. On a recent visit, COVID restrictions meant fewer, and more spread out tables, as well as plastic dividers between tables that couldn’t be spaced further apart. It actually added a feeling of extra privacy, which was perfectly acceptable.
Alfresco Experience
photo by Mike Burmesch
When the weather is agreeable, don’t pass up an opportunity to sit outside. La Merenda doesn’t just offer patio seating, instead they have created an alfresco dining experience. Soft lighting from a multitude of string lights, planters filled with gorgeous flowers, an impressive outdoor stone fireplace—just an overall lovely space for relaxing over tasty drinks and sharing delicious food.
La Merenda also will not disappoint when it comes to service. While you will have one main server, dishes are brought to the table as they are ready, so any number of pleasant staff members may interact with you.
Because everything is served as small plates, you’ll have the opportunity to try many different dishes and share a few bites with everyone at the table. Also, as the meal is progressing, you may choose to add extra dishes if you find that one particular dish was so good that another is needed. Typically, three to four dishes work well for two people.
Classic Items
There are a few classic items that long-time La Merenda fans typically feel the need to order on every visit. One can’t-miss item is the Indonesian Sambal Goreng Udang ($13), featuring several large shrimp served on top of a bed of tomatoes and coconut mashed potatoes, with a mildly spicy, creamy coconut sauce. Another long-time favorite is the Indian Butter Chicken ($11), a creamy chicken curry with tomatoes and cashews packing a nice kick and served with rice. No visit to La Merenda would quite be complete without the Spanish Patatas Bravas y Chorizo ($9.50), made with perfectly cooked potatoes topped with a spicy tomato sauce, garlic aioli and a zippy chorizo sausage.
Several newer additions to the menu are also worth highlighting. The lovely Moroccan Spiced Grilled Parsnips ($9) are served with a saffron-carrot puree, crispy kale, a cool cilantro yogurt sauce, topped with toasted almonds. Or try the Canadian Duck Confit Poutine ($14), crisp hand cut fries, topped with tender duck leg confit, goat cheese curds, and incredibly flavorful duck gravy. Another winner is the deceptively simple sounding Truffled Potato Skins ($6.50), which consists of a generous portion of crisped up potato skin peelings topped with shaved parmesan and rich truffle oil.
If you haven’t been to La Merenda lately, or if you’ve never been, do yourself a favor and go as soon as you are able.
