Tenuta’s Comfortingly Consistent Italian Fare

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I’m someone who loves to dine alone and have learned what kind of restaurants are best for that. Tenuta’s Italian Restaurant (at 2995 S. Clement Ave.) is one of them. I’ve been here many times now and every time I meet someone even friendlier than the last. This night I was not alone, but quickly made friends at the bar while I was waiting for my cousin for a late Friday night dinner. 

My cousin is half Italian (not on my side), so she knows good Italian when she has it and she’s a Tenuta’s fan. However, she’s vegetarian which is quite contradictory to most Italian cuisine but not vegan so we had more options than you’d think. 

We’ve both been to Tenuta’s before and had dinner there together so we’re at a point where we know what we like. We usually start with a caprese salad or a bruschetta depending on the season. Tonight’s caprese was great despite being a little early for the good tomatoes. Maybe they’ve got a secret stash of heirloom tomatoes somewhere, I don’t know, but Tenuta’s are killer. 

I usually like to try new things and don’t opt for the basic menu items, but I cannot refuse the chicken Parmesan from Tenuta’s. It’s the perfect amount of sweet and never too salty. I went for the Caesar salad with my dinner and my cousin went for the mista salad with hers—both good with the house balsamic dressing. She got the fungi ravioli which was a great compliment in flavors and ingredients to my chicken parm.

Around us at the bar, couples on date nights joined us in conversation while drinking some wine, all happy to be out on a Friday night in Bay View. Maybe it was the wine buzz but people were chatty and kind, which was very welcome after years of social distancing and isolation. The bartender Kai was great and led us in the right direction to Clementine’s down the street for a nightcap. 

Tenuta’s is definitely on most restaurant radars for Milwaukee diners, but to me it’s a place I want to become a neighborhood regular with my usual order. Maybe someday I’ll explore the menu a bit more, but for now I’m happy with any time I have at Tenuta’s.