12 Days Of South Milwaukee Christmas: Local Eats

I close the “12 Days” series with a focus on area eateries, and there are plenty of terrific options to write about.

Here are a few of my favorites, in case you’re looking to give the gift of great food this holiday season …

• The Azteca Restaurant, 901 Milwaukee Ave. My favorite Milwaukee-area Mexican restaurant, bar none. Try their lunch buffet, new Sunday brunch, crab legs or any of  a variety of outstanding authentic specialties. And their Mexican fried ice cream is … well, try it and see! Say hi to Carlos and Rosie for me, and be sure to look for discounts on their website and Facebook.
• China Chef, 1224 Milwaukee Ave. Their website encourages you to “let the food talk.” It tells a great story.
• Nona’s Cafe, 2206 10th Ave. Great homemade food and baked goods, made with love by Ida and Tom. This OnMilwaukee.com article tells the story of the ultimate “mom and pop business” well.
• Our great local Italian restaurants. We have a big selection, and you can’t go wrong with any of them. Salvatore’s/Papa Luigi’s II, 1919 12th Ave., has great food, and the upgrades to the facility (bowling, arcade, etc.) make it a real community attraction. I think the garlic bread at Barbiere’s, 1021 Milwaukee, is the best around. Paisano’s, 113 N. Chicago Ave., has a varied menu full of tasty items.
• Emerald City Catering, 1645 Rawson Ave. The area’s best caterer. We love their takeout fish and fried chicken, and their take-and-bake items (try the chicken pot pie) are other outstanding options. And pick up a bottle of Steve’s barbecue sauce when you’re there.

I also want to give a shoutout to PJ.’s Variety Store & Deli, 921 Milwaukee Ave. This is a really unique store with everything from farm-fresh eggs to Yu-Gi-Oh! cards to crafts. Tony also has baked ham and rolls on Sundays, cheesburgers and other items. And be sure to check out his “old school” candy selection. Variety store, indeed.