Weather
Special AssignmentCuisineBy Shelley Walcott
MILWAUKEE - Fine dining at a low price! We've discovered one of the best-kept secrets in Milwaukee.
Tucked away in a corner of MATC's main building, students train for careers in the culinary arts. Visitors help them learn by eating.
Chef John Reiss keeps a close eye on all the activity in his kitchen. Students whip up sauces.. pipe lemon tarts... and sear sizzling steaks.
"There are certain techniques and skills that I want them to learn while they're here," Reiss explained.
This isn't just practice. The food these students create will serve real guests. Welcome to "Cuisine." It's a real restaurant on MATC's campus.
Three days a week, Cuisine opens its doors for lunch. The menu is extensive, offering several appetizers and entrees... even dessert. Anyone can come, and prices are beyond reasonable.
We asked first-time visitor Brian Sylvester what he thought.
"The value you just can't beat here. It's a great atmosphere to have a business lunch and I'll definitely be back again," Sylvester said.
The menu changes every week, and students rotate through all the stations, learning as they go. All under the watchful eye of executive chef Reiss.
"In my opinion there's only two types of food. Good food and bad food," he told us.
Today's offerings... braised beef shanks, an almond-encrusted snapper filet, beef tenderloin, and a mushroom-stuffed chicken breast...and that's just the entrees.
The soux chef is responsible for all the food that goes out, and it's a busy day.
"It's gonna get very crazy, we're going to be slammed... but no worries."
It may be run by chefs-in-training, but "Cuisine" is getting some buzz.
Santo Saliture is on the board of the American Institute of Wine and Food, and a regular visitor to Cuisine.
"It's one of the best kept secrets, and this should be filled to capacity every day!" Saliture said.
But it is a learning facility. That means a daily debrief about what went wrong, and what worked.
Chef Reiss says his grads are ready to work in fine dining establishments. Some have gone on to start their own restaurants all over the world.
Cuisine is open for lunch only, Tuesday through Thursday. You do need a reservation.
|
On Demandadvertisement |

