Amanda Weber
Personal Chef & Caterer

Ever since Urbane opened, curious eaters have lined up at the door for a taste of what this restaurant and its cocktail experts are cooking up.

The beauty is, when a kitchen and bar are having fun – the dedicated, inspired kind, not the slacking, goofing-off kind – the diners will have fun, too.

The atmosphere makes a body feel good – I like to call it urban rustic, with bits like exposed brick and rough-hewn wood, presented with style, polish, attitude and art – and the energy is palpable.

Service is genial and almost always on top of things, even when the rush seems unrelenting.

Walk up to the building on 8th during the summer, and you’ll see the long front window pushed back to let in the beautiful weather. Inside the door, notice a blackboard listing the ever-rotating beer and another with the wine list.

The long bar lines one wall with beautifully carved shelves behind it.

Walk further in and you have the spacious dining room toward the back, beautifully arranged with local artists featured on the walls.

Urbane’s menu of small plates and entrees takes broad inspiration – India? Thailand? Wisconsin? Yes! – and the food is delicious; the cocktails are modern and well-made; the list of brews is a beer geek’s delight and the brief wine list is well-chosen and moderately priced.

The cocktails are all made with quality liquor, fresh pressed juices (no really, they have a juicer behind the bar!), and inventive ingredients.

There is always a “cocktail of the day” and an extensive list of specialty drinks with something for everyone.

A must try for old-fashioned fans is the “Elder-Fashioned”. Great Lakes Distillery Kinnikinic whiskey with Bittercube Blackstrap bitters and St. Germaine elderflower liqueur is stirred together and served over one big cube with an orange peel. A delightful twist on a classic!

The tiny kitchen is pushing itself, coming up with new menu items every day. The one theme is a seasonal focus with some dishes earning a well-deserved permanent place on the menu.

For a savory start to the meal try the Thai nachos. That siracha infused goat cheese delivers full-on funky umami flavor and with its little punch of heat it is a great snack to share with a round of drinks.

There’s no getting bored with the choices here; The Bahn Mi Burger is perfectly matched with daikon radish slaw and peanut sauce, a combination that played so well together.

Door County pulled pork sandwich with the signature cherry cola barbecue sauce and muenster cheese on a City Bakery hard roll is classic yet unexpected.

The Hot Italian Beef is slow roasted with giardiniera and MKE’s Louie’s Demise Ale and the best I’ve tasted north of Chicago.

The adventurous and delicious menu, the relaxed but artful space with plenty of personality, and gracious, friendly service seem to mirror the neighborhood and this is one that Urbane fits right in.