One of the summer’s highly anticipated restaurant openings, The Diplomat, serves big flavors in the form of small plates and refined American cuisine. Chef Dane Baldwin, along with his staff, bring decades of experience working in Milwaukee’s finest restaurants. The location, formerly the Floridian-themed Bosley on Brady, has been transformed into a sleek and modern space with navy blue walls and warm wood, a big black-and-white mural of old time Brady Street and a comfortable bar area with red tones from the walls and mahogany bar. The new space has a warm and casual vibe that was as welcoming as the staff.
The craft cocktail menu is as fun and creative as the names of the drinks and changes seasonally like the menu. Out of a list of eight tempting libations ($9-$11), I went with the Cream City Sour because I adore any cocktail made with whipped egg whites. It’s also a good test of a bartender’s skills. The cocktail was a mixture of gin, lemon, lime, lavender syrup, egg whites, bitters and red wine. It was not overly sweet or sour, but lush with foam and a floating layer of red wine. The Diplomat also offers a long list of beer, mostly from Wisconsin, and an extensive wine list including good selections by the glass.
The menu is small, changing with the season and available ingredients, but make no mistake, Chef Baldwin’s creativity and approach to food is apparent in each of these dishes. The entire menu is the exemplification of the rule: “Do a few things and do them well instead of many things just fine.” The menu has 10 savory items and three sweet, each showcasing quality ingredients and a few surprises that delighted my palate. All the menu items are priced affordably with portions to share. You could order the whole menu!
The trout ($11), one of my favorites, pays homage to Wisconsin’s favorite fish and is paired with some tangy dilly beans, radish and two delicious sauces. The Diplomat Fries ($6) are a staple on the menu and triple blanched (meaning cooked in oil over low heat before the last fry), giving them their crispy exterior while staying tender inside. They are served with a tasty garlic aioli. The Cornish hen ($14) is a beautifully composed plate with crispy, well-seasoned skin and tender, juicy meat, served with fingerling potatoes and carrots and balanced well with an herb emulsion. The Meat and Potatoes ($17) is sliced New York strip steak, cooked medium rare with a delicious potato puree and crumbled cured egg yolk.
The Diplomat has a few vegetarian options such as braised radishes with butter miso and moscato ($6) and corn bruschetta ($8), a delicious trio of grilled bread topped with corn and tomatoes sitting on top of whipped ricotta cheese, bell pepper and shallots. Although the menu is heavy on proteins, it has a great compilation of ingredients to pique everyone’s interest.
Save room for the three delicious and varied desserts. The cherry pie ($7) with whipped cream is like something from grandma’s kitchen. The dough is very good, but a little thick—and I would have liked more cherry filling. The buttermilk panna cotta ($6) is creamy and, with the addition of granola and cherry, was perfection. There is also a chocolate mousse ($6) with caramel whipped cream, pistachio and cured citrus.
