Tenuta’s Italian Restaurant
2995 S Clement Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53207
Tenuta’s Italian Restaurant Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Milwaukee for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
2995 S Clement Ave
Milwaukee, WI, 53207 - Phone (414) 431-1014
- Website https://www.tenutasitalian.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :4:00 pm - 10:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Intimate
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Jenni P.
First & foremost this place has an atmosphere that's great for a date night! The major downside is space - it's a very small restaurant & we had to wait for almost 40 minutes for a table on a Tuesday night which we weren't expecting. Also, they seemed a little understaffed, as we sat for a while before a server came over and then it was an even longer time before we got any bread or anything (which was a bummer because we were starving after our long wait!). The food was excellent though, we'd definitely go back!
(4)Chee Z.
Went there with the hubby today and we were not impressed. We had a very nice waitress but the service could not make up for the food. First we ordered drinks and shared an appetizer - the fried calamari. Totally under-seasoned, served with a a side of bland cocktail sauce and an even blander off-white sauce that may have been tartar sauce. Who knows? It tasted like warm mayo and (no idea???). The batter was also falling off the squid so we ended up with a plate that looked almost as full as when we started. Up next - the green salads. Some of my greens were slimy/old and the sun-dried tomato vinaigrette lacked flavor or acidic punch. Might as well have been ketchup. This was followed by a bowl of less-than-room-temperature bread and room temperature pats of butter. We sampled 2 of the 6 slices of glorified toasted Wonderbread and never touched the bowl again. Next my husband had the carbonara - nothing to write home about. The green peas reminded him of the ones you get at Costco, which led to a lengthy conversation about buying bulk toiletries. Imagine that. A discussion about toilet paper was inspired by the food. I had the shrimp scampi. Awfully small portion and my dish did not arrive hot. I tried to scarf it down quickly to maintain any residual heat from the plate. It got cold in about 3 minutes. The pasta was slimy/greasy - not buttery like you'd think - and there was some wilted green in it. Couldn't tell what. It seemed to be covered in a film of grease as well. Based on the blandness of the appetizer, salad, and bread, I took the waitress' offer up on hand grated Parmesan. She turned the handle for about 10 seconds, which I guess in her mind, was such a long time that she made a remark about how I must love cheese. No, I hate bland food and I'm trying to compensate. I still had to add salt and pepper even with the apparently GARGANTUAN, HUMONGOUS, GIGANTIC cheese mound aka 1 tbsp of grated Parmesan. When asked if we had left room for dessert, we answered in the negative. With the tip we paid $80 - money not well spent. P.S. Someone needs to tell the bartender to pipe down. It's not a rowdy bunch by any means yet his volume kept disturbing us as he tried to schmooze in a most awkward fashion.
(2)Isaac S.
I really wanted to like this place after seeing so many good reviews! Unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations. Several problems: Service was extremely slow. We were at the restaurant over two hours for our meal. The waiter was very pushy for me to order an alcoholic drink. I didn't appreciate it at all. I prefer a nice San Pellegrino instead. The food was so so. The appetizer antipasti plate was decent but nothing stood out. We both ordered lasagna and the presentation was terrible. Tomato sauce dumped on the lasagna. The sauce was a it sugary and the lasagna only so so. I've had better lasagna at the hot bar in the Outpost. Overall not impressed and I won't return.
(2)Jennifer R.
Awesome homemade Italian! A little on the small and cramped side but easily overlooked.
(5)CJ P.
Quiet, Quaint, Classy. A perfect date night spot with a special someone. I was lucky enough for my lady go take me here for my birthday and it was almost perfect. Stopped in and as they were getting our table ready had a drink at their bar and we decided to share a bottle of Cabernet for the big night. Wine hit the spot. There was one very personable manager, that turned out to be the manager, and the a not so friendly one, but the service was still great. We were sat down at our table and was greeted by another friendly waiter that helped go over the specials that my girlfriend jumped all over. The only disappointment with the place was the appetizers. We had a bruschetta and a sausage and cheese platter that both lacked flavor and size. The bruschetta topping was minimal and the bread tastes dry and a bit too crunchy. Taking a bite out of the combo and the bread falling apart and crumbling was not ideal. The sausage and cheese tasted fine, but felt the size of the dish was disappointing. So the entrees came and we were quite happy. She decided on a Pesto Gnocchi that was on special today which I stole a bite or two and I went with the Pasta Bolognese. Each main entree bite was better than the last. Great flavor, and great portion. Lastly we finished up with a Classic Italian shot of Sambuca Black and the coffee beans as well. Topped the night off with a delicious piece of Tiramisu, which also was great. My next visit I'm going to skip the appetizers as this seems like the one area where they skimp a bit, and Jump right into the entrees.
(4)Feriel N.
I've been here for business dinners three times and we had very good service, as well as two other times were my husband and I were close by and decided to have some Italian food. Today I went there for a to go order: margarita pizza Veal pasta , cannoli and the side salad. 10 min away I get a call while driving to the place and get informed that they ran out of mozzarella, I didn't know what to do so I thought alright just throw In some ricotta, no problem. Once I got home and unwrapped the food I was extremely disappointed: Pizza: looked like someone vomited all over it. There was no basil at all. Picture included will do the talking. The pasta: tastes good yet smaller portion than what you get when you dine in. The salad: lol two cucumbers and some greens No bread, no utensils. Here I am, we didn't eat anything since 8pm last night and it's 8:40 pm today can't even have one bite of my 45$ dollars meal (including tip). It's really sad to me because I used to crave food here and I get out of my way to get there. Not anymore...
(2)Jennifer C.
I live in the neighborhood and my husband & I come here on occasion when I'm in the mood for Italian. We usually always sit at the bar to eat and have always been seated right away. The bartender always provides us with great service. My husband got the special once (I think he got the lamb) and he said it was very good. The other time we went, he got the pizza and it was huge - he ended up taking the rest home and at it for 2 days. I've always gotten the pasta - one time I got the bolognese and the other time I got carbonara. They were both delicious. I would highly recommend coming here for good food and good service
(4)Amanda P.
Our family had a celebratory dinner here around the holidays; we very much appreciated the accommodation of our party of 10. The beer and wine options were good, and though we didn't have appetizers we were tempted by the selection. I had the special: a breaded veal with browned gnocchi in a red butter sauce. It was outstanding. I have a feeling this is a place where you should just order the special everytime. They let us bring in our own cake and cut it for the table. Drinks were never empty, but the service also wasn't pushy. My only complaint was that it got outrageously hot inside. So hot we left a bit abruptly because it was uncomfortable to sit and chat... Weird for December. Looking forward to going back for a more intimate meal and wearing layers!
(4)Brigit B.
Went to tenutas with my boyfriend last weekend and had a wonderful experience. It's not a particularly fancy place, but we were underdressed (we were going to watch the badger game afterwards and looked the part). No one seemed to mind that we looked like college kids, though, and we had GREAT service. Our server told us the specials without issues, which sounded delicious but we ended up ordering from the menu. She seemed to show up at just the right moment to check on us, but was not overbearing. We had the popette (baked meatballs) as an appetizer, then lasagna and rapini as our entrees. Everything was amazing, including the salad and bread, even the butter! We plan to get pizza for takeout next time. We saw TONS of pizzas going out the door.
(5)Lisa A.
Quaint little neighbourhood (really, right on the corner in a very residential part of bayview) Italian restaurant. Tables out side in nice weather; a cute little bar (with thoughtful drink and wine list) & dining room inside. We came here on father's day as I know my dad loves Italian food and I'm sometimes hard pressed to find good Italian food in Milwaukee. We came, we found, we ate. I had gnocchi in a Romano cream sauce. Way rich but delicious. My mom had some sort of grilled romaine lettuce and gorgonzola salad that I wish I had ordered. So so brilliant - the grilling of the lettuce. Our server said some one ordered it on a previous night with unbreaded octopus and they gladly accommodated them. If you want a dish tweaked, they are happy to accommodate you. On the rare occasion a menu has "negroni" printed on it, I passed on said drink in favor of a basil martini. Perfectly balanced, sweet but not too sweet and nice and refreshing. We had cannoli for dessert. Fresh, not too sweet. So far, my favorite for Italian food in Milwaukee.
(4)Pinecone T.
Loved this place. Small neighborhood restaurant with great ambience, great food, and great service. Ravioli's were tasty, perfect serving size. Prices right on the mark. Hope to be back again soon.
(5)James P.
Liked the location. Would be a Great romantic location. The bread was homemade and tasted great! We had a thin crust pizza (great), carbonara (okay I didn't like the peas inside of it and I thought the chunks of prosciutto were too big), the meatballs (okay, a little overcooked and dense for my liking). Overall and ok place.
(3)Joe P.
Descriptive phrase: cute, fancy boutique Italian. We had a group of 8 coming in for dinner on a Friday night at Tenuta's, which is a small restaurant in the heart of the neighborhood in Bay View. We walked, and there is not a lot of street parking. It's very cute inside, and is fancy without being imposing. Unfortunately, they bungled our reservation but fixed it fairly quickly upon arrival. From that point on, service was perfect. Our waiter, John M, seemed to have been trained to perform exactly how you'd expect a fancy waiter to act. He knew the menu, read the table well, and didn't intrude. I ordered the Della Nonna ($18) and a seasonal Sprecher beer ($4). Dang. A respecatably-sized bowl of flat pasta (papardelle) with Calabrian pork ragu and topped with Romano cheese. The taste was spot-on. The buttery, slightly fatty (good) pork was plentiful and the pasta and red sauce was the perfect bed. Mm. Tenuta's is one of the better choices for a nice, delicious dinner in a homey part of Bay View.
(4)Peter C.
I've been here a handful of times in the past few weeks since I've moved just a few blocks away. I've been both during the week and the weekends for dinner and drinks as well as take out a few times. When you walk in, you will notice it is a small space that seems to be an old house that was converted into a restaurant. It is a very cozy, intimate place. The bar at the front can seat around 8 people and there is around 12 tables in here. They have a great wine selection with deals on Wednesday night on bottles. The tap beer selection is impressive as well. The staff is very friendly, service is quick, and they really take time with each table. Starting off with the Apps the arrancini is awesome - essentially deep fried rice balls in marinara. The bruschetta is also amazing. Moving onto the main courses you can either get a pasta or a pizza - I've had several different ones and they are all delicious. The gnocchi is awesome in a creamy romano sauce, the ravioli di funghi (mushroom ravioli) has such a great flavor too. Now let's talk pizza - they have amazing pizza! Very unique ones too! I've always got the thin crust in the Diavola that is unique that it has pineapples, cream cheese, and giardiniera peppers (and more). The Classic is awesome a great go-to. If you don't want to dine in you can call ahead and pick up the items for take out. All of the desserts are classic Italian ones that will satisfy the sweetest of tooth.
(4)Amber L.
I enjoyed my meal overall but was astonished when it did not arrive on a hot plate. My dish seemed to get cool within ten minutes. Otherwise the atmosphere was decent: quiet, informal dim lighting, good place for a date. I would return.
(3)Caz N.
Great new york sicilian style crust Great italia n beer selection as well as wine Good neighborhood place
(5)Colin A.
There is a lot to like about Tenuta's: location, menu, wine list, and service. Set aside in a secluded Bayview neighborhood, unless you were actively looking for this quaint establishment, you might be tempted to drive on by. Back that car up, find a parking spot and hope you arrive when reservations are not required. We chose to dine here for our anniversary and every aspect was great. I was surprised at the ease in obtaining a reservation (though we did call 1 week in advance). The service was stellar beginning with the hostesses all the way through the end of the meal. There is a tremendous bar area as you enter the building with plenty of seating while you wait for a table -- service seemed to be on point. We sampled the assorted olive platter and shared some meatballs along with glasses of wine before dinner. The meatballs (4 stars) were tender and flavorful, paired with just the right amount of sauce. These may have been better than those my mom usually makes during the holiday season, but she doesn't know what Yelp is, so...! The assorted olives (3.5 stars) had a mix of bold and mild flavors and were an interesting companion to start. My dining partner enjoyed the basic ravioli with ricotta and romano cheese (3 stars) -- though the sauce was a bit too sweet for her taste; the meatball sauce was more balanced. After much indecision, I chose the Ravioli di Funghi (4.5 stars) -- mushrooms with a marsala cream sauce, spinach, and sundried tomatoes. Holy taste explosion, Batman! The filling was incredibly flavorful and the marsala added a savory dimension. While I was ecstatic with this selection, I cannot help but wonder about the Calabrese, Chicken Parmesan, or Rapini dishes. Oh well, guess we will have to return...soon! We took an order of tiramisu (4.5 stars) to go -- and it was a fantastic finish to a great meal. Perfect texture, layers, and taste all around. There are plenty of good-to-great Italian restaurants in Milwaukee and the surrounding areas -- Ristorante Bartolotta, Zarletti, Il Mito, and Pasta Tree to name a few -- but it would be an incredible disservice to leave Tenuta's off the short list of "must visits."
(4)Carmen K.
Yummmmmmie!!!!! The Butternut Squash Ravioli was out of this world! The Chicken Piccata was great! A little hole in the wall in a neighborhood on the southern side of the city, free parking, and fantastic staff serving up really good food that is decently priced. Yup, one to go to with you, a date or the family!
(4)Erin M.
I can describe Tenutas as both classy, and classic. This place really combines good, traditional italian food, but definitely has a modern component to it's vibe. This is definitely a place to split a bottle of wine with a a love-a. Wednesdays are 10 dollar off bottles of wine, so definitely a good day of the week to go. Don't ignore the cocktail menu though- they've got some good ones! The basil Martini was really fresh, and I totally recommend it. Appetizaz- we got the arancini. Huge safron undertones and was very filling. It was a great choice. Dinner- I got the gnochi. It came with a delicious little side salad to begin. Really fresh, good lettuce, good dressing. Simple, but was nice to get some greens before gnochi (so rich and filling). The gnochi itself was really delicious. They were big, but really good and definitely had ssome left over. We have plans to come back for the pizza, and the tiramisu. It looked really good!! this place had a great clientele, and I would love to become a regular here. I saw lot's of takeout orders of pizza too- a good sign for our future meals....
(4)Jessica O.
Had to update - still full of love for Tenuta's. For this last visit, I brought my boss and her family, to thank her for some particularly awesome things that she had done for me. She loves Italian food, so I brought her to Tenuta's. Tenuta's did a GREAT job with our party of seven. They had another, larger party ahead of us, and warned us that our food may take a little longer, but really, the wait wasn't that bad at all. We wanted to do about four courses, family style, and the waitresses were wonderful about swapping out plates so that everyone could get a taste of everything without a completely destroyed plate. Everything was fresh, fantastic, and wonderfully flavored. It's always a little nerve-wracking when you bring someone to dinner to thank them - because no one wants to say thank you with crappy food - but Tenuta's stepped up. There was amazing food, friendly service, and we had a great time.
(5)L R.
So happy I saw the manager on duty stand up to the human filth trying to argue about paying for gratuity. What kind of cheap trash wants to screw a poor server out of their livelihood?
(5)Molly W.
Best authentic Italian I have had, bar-none. This little tucked-away gem serves fresh, deLICIOUS pasta, wine and antipasti. I feel so lucky to have it snuggled into my neighborhood; I can see myself ducking in for a glass of wine to get out of the house or picking up takeaway for a late night in with my partner. The service was friendly and not overbearing and the price... Well, it's a steal for the quality of food. A+
(5)Patrick B.
Carry out with two pizzas and two salads. If you want an Italian style portion salad and pay $9-11 that size., enjoy
(3)Jen T.
This restaurant has great atmosphere and wonderful service. I absolutely loved the Ravioli Di Funghi which consists of mushrooms, shallots and thyme ravioli, served in a marsala cream sauce with sundried tomatoes and spinach. Great flavor combination! This is a perfect place to come for quiet dining, nice ambiance and excellent quality food.
(5)Lisa J.
Sometimes you can't trust Yelp reviews...i.e.: 4 stars for That's Amore (shudder) and sometimes you beautiful yelpers are SPOT ON...i.e. Tenuta's!!! I called at 5:30 on a Friday night to make 7pm reservations for the same night (we like to fly by the seat of our pants when it comes to dining on the weekends). I was nervous they would laugh in my face...but guess what-7pm reservations for 2? No problem (SCORE) The place is tucked away in a neighborhood, incredibly cute and cozy, host was nice, server was friendly-good vibes all around. The hubs ordered the Penne Calabrese (OMG! YES I ATE MOST OF HIS DISH) If a dish is spicy chances are we will order it, and in this case we inhaled it! so good, and actually very spicy (yumm). I ordered the Gnocchi alla Funghi, ..it was good...wasn't my FAVORITE, maybe a little bland side...but that's because I was comparing it to the other dish. Overall, very yummy! Definitely can't wait to try it out again.
(4)Chrissy S.
Picked up a veggie pizza and salad for take-out the other night. Not the cheapest place but the food is definitely worth it. I will be back for more!
(4)Lauren S.
Oh, Tenuta's. You came so highly recommended and you did not disappoint. I had been eyeing this corner spot on Clement since I moved to Bay View and was waiting for an excuse to check it out. We decided to make reservations for Valentine's Day, and good thing we did--when we arrived Friday night, I overheard the hostess tell a couple who had not planned ahead that the place was booked through the weekend. No idea if Tenuta's is always so busy, or if people were flocking there en masse for the holiday, but it would be wise to make reservations if you want to check it out on the weekend. The feel inside was cozy and classy, but not ostentatious. Dimly lit, cool looking bar and a great date night atmosphere, without insane date night prices. Pasta entrees were roughly $13-$20 apiece and came with soup or salad (and bread before that, naturally). We split a bottle of house wine for just under $30 because what the hell, it was Valentine's Day. Two people can pretty easily escape Tenuta's for under $50 with booze, depending on what you order. The food was phenomenal. I ordered the famed mushroom ravioli and I now understand why they keep it on the menu year-round. Also, I'm not usually a ranch dressing with salad person, but Tenuta's peppercorn ranch is so worth it. My boyfriend ended up using most of his as a dipping sauce for the bread (....like I said, Tenuta's is classy but not too classy). We tried the cheesecake (again: what the hell, it's Valentine's Day) and it was good, but I need to get back to try the tiramisu. And the pizza. And everything else on the menu. If you want to impress someone but not blow through an entire paycheck, take them to Tenuta's. If they don't know Bay View and haven't been here before, you'll likely win points for wowing your date with such a charming hole-the-wall find.
(5)Kendra S.
Loved the old chef - also love the new chef! Tenuta's holding it down! Great food and service- can NOT go wrong.
(5)Danielle B.
Guys. The mushroom ravioli. You've heard about it. Do yourself a favor and listen to us - it's not just talk. Seriously one of the most delicious meals I've ever had. Tenuta's is such a great special-occasion restaurant. Outstanding service, cozy atmosphere, and really, really great food. I can't think of anything else I want on a date night. Minor annoyances: paper over the tablecloths makes for quick bussing, but takes away from the special ambiance. I find the TVs confusing; are you a sports bar or a nice Italian restaurant? More like 4.5/5 stars though because the minor details really don't detract much from the things that really matter like food, drink and service. Tenuta's is a good thing, y'all.
(4)S F.
Something has changed. We have always loved this restaurant. But our waitress advised us that there was a change of chefs and I don't know if it was just a bad night or if the whole menu has changed, but something has changed... And it was NOT for the better. Hopefully this was just a bad night but I really hope this is not a permanent change.
(2)Nikki B.
If you haven't been here, stop what you're doing and go. Seriously. Right now. You walk in and it's so cozy and wonderful. Undoubtable there will be a cute older couple holding hands at a table in the corner, a group of friends laughing and drinking wine in the middle, and a sweet hostess waiting to seat you with a warm smile. Your table is elegantly set with white table cloth and candle light. Your server will come greet you immediately and recommend an excellent wine from their selection. He will get your drinks and any appetizer you may desire started and then start to walk you through the amazing menu and specials of the night. TAKE HIS ADVICE. Your entree will come and it will be breathtakingly elegant. Your first bite will turn you into a puddle on the floor. By the end you will be fighting the urge to lick your plate clean. You will thank the heavens for Tenuta's. Okay, now that you know how your night will go... here's how mine went. I went for the first time on a date with my boyfriend. He'd talked so highly of it and boy was he right. We had a lovely bottle of crisp pinot grigio and starter salads. My caprese salad was phenomenal with a perfect homemade balsamic reduction. He couldn't stop talking about the house ranch dressing. Then our entree's came. I'm not a mushroom person so I opted out of the mushroom ravioli that everyone talks about (although now that I have seen the light I plan on trying it at my next visit) and ordered the gnocchi with roasted mushrooms and romano cream sauce as prompted by the waiter. I told him I didn't like mushrooms but he said, "Trust me, you'll like this". Thank god for that man. This gnocchi was so good I would eat it every day forever and ever. The mushrooms did not overpower the dish and didn't have the "dirty feet" taste I usually associate with mushrooms. The cream sauce was perfect. It was so rich and buttery and full of flavor. I dream about this dish. I'm so happy I came here and will go back again and again. The table bread was fresh and crusty and soft on the inside like it had just come out of the oven, and was perfect so sop up my left over sauce. This place is doing italian right. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to everyone that even remotely likes italian food.
(5)Sarah H.
Hidden. Gem. No lie. I'm not sure why I never ventured slightly west of KK in Bay View until now. Tenuta's is smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood. It's cozy, classy, and they serve amazingly good pasta. The wine by the bottle is priced extraordinarily well. Major. Score. Now, I like to linger at dinner and make it a whole night event sometimes, so when our server allowed us to enjoy our cocktails before we ordered, I was in heaven. If you are in a hurry, this is not the place for you. Dinner is an experience people! Coming from the restaurant industry, tables are reserved for 1.5 hours for a 2 top and 2 hours for a 4 top (in general). Enjoy your 2 hours!
(5)Dan M.
Should have gotten the pizza. I liked the place although we were seated where there was a burnt out bulb making it extra dark. Waitress was very nice but got increasingly unresponsive as dinner proceeded. Especially after an issue with the appetizer. Calamari was fairly good until we got to a undercooked part. Bread was good and salads were ok. I got the clams which were cooked good but the sauce lacked flavor and was very thin for the pasta used. Ok restaurant but nothing I will seek out. I will admit the pizza looked great and I might order one for pickup one day.
(3)Zach O.
Best Italian I've had in Milwaukee, in every conceivable way. I went to Tenuta's a few days ago with my sister, brother-in-law, and my dad. Between the 4 of us we ordered the Bruschetta, Rapini, Gnoocchi alla Vodka, Cod with beer batter sauce, and the dinner special (rib tips with vegetables, potatoes, and a brown sauce) The atmosphere was relaxing, friendly, and as classy as you could expect with the seating around a full bar. Table space is a little limited. My entire family hovers around 6'2-6'6, so were a little strapped for leg room. The lightening is dim but not to the point where you can't see who you are talking to, and the staff could not be more friendly. Onto the food. Before discussing each item in greater detail, I have to commend Tenuta's on nailing the portion sizes, Everything came in the EXACT right amount. Not a single bite was left on our plates, but even more impressively there was never a moment when we had too much of one item on our plate and not enough of something to go with it. (ex. too much meat, not enough vegetable). A lot of Italian places confuse quality with quantity, sending you home gorged and feeling sick. Not Tenuta's. Food: Bruschetta: 4 slices of semi-soft bread ~6" long, little toasted with Tomato, Onion, Garlic, and Basil. Now Bruschetta is made or broken by your choice of bread and tomato. The bread here was perfect, soft but not too chewy and the tomato could not have been more fresh. Those two factors coupled with just the right amount of basil, garlic and onion leave you with an appetizer that will make you say "Wow". Beef Tips: I'll need to do some investigating on what the brown sauce was, because whatever it was it took this dish to a whole other crazy delicious taste bud heaven type level. All I can say was it was a light, almost bitter (for lack of a better word) vinaigrette. The meat was PERFECTLY tender, so tender you could peel it apart with your fork. The vegetable (corn and carrots), also perfectly cooked...hitting that perfect balance between too firm and too soft. Gnocchi a la Vodka: Some of the best Gnocchi I've ever had. Vodka cream sauce and spicy italian sausage. Graffito used to hold that title of best Gnocchi, but no more. Tenuta's has OUSTED Graffito...kicked it to the curb. Perfectly cooked and the sauce was a light and lasting compliment. Beautifully done. Rapini: Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, algio olio sauce, crushed red pepper and spaghetti. The flavors here are something I find impossible to describe. People sensitive to spicy food like myself can really appreciate that distinction between heat and flavor. I don't like when things just..burn the whole inside of your face...nothing enjoyable about that. But when something is perfectly spicy like this Italian sausage, there's nothing like it. Great dish. Cod: The Cod was remarkable. Light breaded, just enough to add texture, but not so much as to overwhelm the flavor of the fish. And the beer batter was probably the best I've ever had. I'm going to need that recipe for everything food I eat ever again. Delicious. Dessert Chocolate Chip Cannoli: Not my favorite dessert, but I know enough about it to know that if you normally like cannolis, you'll love this. Homemade Tiramisu: BIG dessert. Enough to share between two if you choice. It was heavier on the breading than I'm used to. Could definitely have used a little more cream and a little more coffee. Overall this place was amazing. Way way better than I could have hoped for. Can't wait to go back. EDIT: I forgot to mention this until I read Rachel F.'s review. Your service is unbelievably good. Everytime I've been here I've had different servers and they've all always been so cheerful, knowledgable, and attentive. If all that was on the menu was lunchables and flat beer, and I'd still come to Tenuta's just for the ervice.
(5)Jen F.
Super cute neighborhood place. It has a lot of charm, and is obviously very popular. This is the type of place I wish I could make my regular date-night joint. But unfortunately it doesn't quite earn that dubious honor. Tables people! There are way too many of them shoved into a tiny space. Yes, it's quaint and adorbs, but for the love of god, people are eating pasta. They need room to comfortably fill their bellies without being smooshed up right against the table. Very uncomfortable. It ruins the otherwise lovely ambiance! I do appreciate their wine options, as it's hard to get a Sangiovese by the glass, and they have nice beers as well. They go great with the super generous PLATTER of mixed olives. Seriously, there had to be a pound of olives! The other is price:value ratio on the food. I super appreciate that they have made vegan things (read: made the regular dishes on the menu but left out the meat and charged me the same price), but it's tough to justify $20 for a small bowl of spaghetti with a couple of tomatoes. I recommend getting the sausage w/ broccoli rabe sans sausage for a more satisfying meal. And beware of the hidden egg - it's in any fresh pasta and in the balsamic dressing (and therefore the bruschetta). OK, before you go raging about how vegans should never expect to get any food but lettuce at a restaurant, let me echo the sentiments of my omnivorous dining companions, who were OK but not wowed by their dishes either. I've had great service that ranged from OK to superb and YMMV depending on how busy they are on a given night. So, summary: OK food, great ambiance if not crowded, good wine, sometimes great service. I'm not giving up on this place. I love the idea of it too much! I WILL HAVE A SWEET NEIGHBORHOOD ITLALIAN RESTAURANT!!
(3)Caroline G.
Chicago style deep dish done right! My fiance and I went here for our anniversary hoping to go to a nice sit down Italian restaurant. We were happy that Tenuta's was only down the street from our apartment because we now have an excuse to get some delicious dishes at reasonable prices whenever we are craving pizza! We ended up getting the sausage deep dish pizza and loved every bite. We even ordered the bigger pie so I could bring a slice for lunch the next day. The best part of the dinner was that they had a generous serving of tiramisu for dessert that we shared (begrudgingly on my part, since it tasted so good). And for my wine drinking friends, sometimes on Wednesdays, the restaurant offers 50% of wine bottles.
(4)Sarah A.
The meatballs are the best! I get the meatball app and carbonara, never go home hungry.
(4)Sarah Z.
Tenuta's, I MISS YOU!! I love this place. If you don't love this place, you are stupid. Good food, good wine selection, the best service, what more can I say? GOOD PIZZA. I will come back soon, because I love you, Tenuta's.
(5)Cass U.
Excellent food!! Great atmosphere!! We came in for pizza and wine and sat at the bar. It was fabulous. They always have amazing specials and a great menu. The wait staff are really nice! A-must-dine-experience!!!
(5)Ali A.
Ordered margarita pizza but they are out of basil!!! Ordered green salad and i got a plate with spinach only because they are out of cucumbers!!! I just hope this italian place isnt out of cheese!! This place is ridiculous..
(1)Jori Ricci S.
I took my daughter and our family for a birthday celebration at Tenuta's in Bay View yesterday. Dinner was good, but portions of spaghetti were all different. One person in our party got what looked like a half order compared to the others, we notified the waitress regarding this and were informed that is what there portion size is. The waitress could clearly see all portions were not the same, so that order was sent back and expected that dinner off bill. I brought a cake in for my daugher and they offered to serve it. When the bill came the sent back order for spaghetti was not taken off and by my surprise there was a charge for $15.00 on my bill listed as a one time event fee for bringing in my own cake. Nowhere was it mentioned to me or listed on the menu of this cake charge. So, I questioned these charges and General Manager Brendan came over ready with an attitude and said the $15.00 charge was applied due to the fact that "we were cutting into his overhead." I stated there was no mention of this prior to serving the cake and nothing on the menu regarding a fee. He started to get very aggressive and condescending, he was instigating an elevation to the situation. He then made a remark to us " we were badgering the waitress all night" when we asked the waitress about his remark she denied this completely in his presence. I refused to pay for the half order of spaghetti that was sent back and the $15.00 cake charge. The gratuity included on the bill was perfectly acceptable, the waitress' service was excellent. The General Manager is not manager material and definitely not promoting a good appearance or reputation for this restaurant. The manager did not try to make the situation better, but only created more problems . The waitress received more gratuity then was added to the bill for her great service. So thank you Brendan, for ruining my daughter's birthday dinner and bringing her to tears. After I spent well over $200.00 there and was treated so crudely, I will NEVER NEVER AGAIN EVER RETURN TO THIS RESTAURANT!
(1)Romke D.
We went in for drinks and an appetizer. The place looked nice until I noticed the dozens of fruits flies on the wall. They were all over our drinks and food. It was gross. Told the waiter and he seemed not to care. Not going back.
(2)Howard P.
There is a lot of love in this quaint little place nestled in a Milwaukee suburb. The pasta is all handmade and the ingredients are fresh. We started with the antipasti plate, which had a fabulous selection of cured meats, cheeses, and olives. Our next plate was the Fresca Pasta and we finished with the Bisteca. The meat was perfectly seasoned and cooked to the right temperature with charred broccoli rabe and crispy gnocchi. The Italian food here is as good or better than you would find in a high class downtown Chicago restaurant but without the snootiness.
(5)J. M.
We went here on a first date. I thought the atmosphere was great and the crowd was very diverse - don't let the white linens intimidate you. Service was attentive, specials sounded delicious, wine list was okay, rice balls were great, pizza was pretty good, tiramisu sealed the deal. I'd come back for sure.
(4)Lori L.
Tenuta's is right down the street from my house and I have to say I don't get there enough. The bartenders are great so we typically sit at the bar because the conversations with the neighbors are entertaining. Their meatballs are to die for...flavorful yet not too dense. All of the pasta dishes I have tried are amazing. When they have a special you definitely should give it a try because it is usually amazing. I had their hangar steak Friday and my husband was jealous.
(4)Phil M.
I recently moved to BayView and heard about Tenutas. I first ordered a pizza for take out and it was pretty good. Not the best pizza ever but it was good and ready exactly when they said and it was hot. A couple of weeks later I went there for a full dinner and it was great. Our server was very friendly but absolutely genuine. The food was great. I had the mushroom ravioli which was the best ravioli meal of my life. Rich and flavorful with a great snap of sun dried tomatoes. My date had the eggplant parmesan, I didn't try it because I don't like eggplant but she said it was very good. I would go back in a second and told others about my great meal. The restaurant is very cozy and small, make reservations if possible the place is understandably busy but I never felt rushed. This is a BayView gem, you won't find something like this in the suburbs!
(5)Katlin S.
Just had the all time WORST birthday celebration of my life at this restaurant. I had a large family gathering of 7 including myself. My family brought a cake to the restaurant with them for my celebration. The server was excellent and very attentive, the food was good. Three people at the table ordered spaghetti, big mistake. All three orders came out in varying portion sizes, one portion looked like a half order of another. It was questioned if the half looking order could get a little more to make it somewhat in line with the other two orders, the answer was no that's the portions size. The person asked that it be sent back and did not want it. Dinner went on and the server cut and served the cake that was brought. Everything else went well and without a hitch. The bill came and there were some charges that we questioned. The General Manager Brendan came over to answer our questions. When this manager approached he already had an attitude and a rude demeanor. There was a "One time event fee" of $15.00 on the bill, which the manager stated was because by bringing our own cake it took away from their bottom line. This fee was nowhere on the menu and was not told to us when we brought the cake into the restaurant. The manager continued to go on and state that we were a terrible table and that the waitress said we badgered her all night. The waitress stated in his presence that she never said anything of the likes. This manager was so aggressive and rude, he reduced me to tears in my own birthday. I will never return to this restaurant. If paid a million dollars I would still not return. This was the worst birthday ever, thank you Tenutas for ruining my day. #nevereatattenutas
(1)John B.
C and I had dinner here with P&T on Friday. We had stumbled across this place last year and vowed to return because it looked charming. We're glad we did. We all shared calamari as an appetizer. It was tasty, with a nice batter. It was barely enough for four, so if you're really craving calamari, order two portions. Or just feast on the excellent bread. C and I ordered a large thin crust pizza to share. I had sausage on my half and C ordered vegetables. Excellent. Crispy crust and tasty Italian sausage. Unfortunately, everyone was too full to order desert. The server was attentive and friendly. Since the weather was ideal, we dined outdoors, although we did peek inside and found a cozy restaurant with a good vibe. If we were locals, we'd frequent this Tenuta's often. What really captured our hearts is the ambiance and location. It feels like it's been there forever. And, hopefully, it will stay there forever! Bonus! We had some pizza left over. The server gave us an foil container with a paper top. Excellent!! We avoid places that hand out styrofoam.
(5)Sara B.
We stopped by here after seeing the great yelp reviews. We were greeted and seated by a very energetic and attentive waiter. He suggested a great moscato that we shared (almost wanted a 2nd bottle). I ordered the shredded pork ragu. Which the waiter shared was the owners grandmothers recipe, and omg was it amazing. So amazing, I tried to recreate it at home that following week! It came with a beautifully dressed and seasoned salad and loaf of bread. My friended ordered the mushroom gnocchi which was equally awesome! We cannot wait to come back. Maybe to steal the ragu recipe *wink *wink! :-))
(5)Rachel F.
Eff yeah, Tenuta's. You do it right. For real. Your service? Impeccable. Attentive. Spot on. Your menu? Delightful. Delicious. Homemade raviolis and pizzas and pastas and entrees. Old school concept meets new school execution. They're not skimping on quality. I had meatloaf in arrabiata with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. Shut. Up. Your wine list? Fantastic. From your Super Tuscan to your Dolcetto, your Italian Reds are great and priced (relatively) fairly. (I didn't really venture past Italian Reds, but the rest *looked* nice... ) Your vibe? Old school, quaint, and real. Warm woods, old school furniture. Really Milwaukee, really Bay View, really Italian. You're honest and not too concerned w/ being "hip." (Don't let this fool you, however. This place is most certainly quality and what it lacks in "hipness" is made up for in what matters: the food, the booze, and the service.) Also: Melanie B is right. Don't rush through this. Take your time. The staff will be mindful of coursework and conversation, so relax. Enjoy. Slow yr role for a damn second. Since the loss of two of my favorite restaurants in a little more than a year, I've been searching and searching for worthy replacements. Not an easy task, but Tenuta's is most certainly on the short list already.
(4)Fancy S.
What a cute neighborhood restaurant. Great service and a warm atmosphere. Had the homemade butternut squash ravioli with deep fried kale on top. So yummy! Their herb bread served warm with a dipping sauce was excellent. Will definitely come back here.
(5)Gary P.
I came here before I lived in Milwaukee and I loved it. I moved down the street about seven years ago, now I come here all the time, and my feelings go beyond "love." You will not find a better thin crust pizza anywhere. Anywhere. It's not my thing, but a lot of people like the virgin crust, which has a slight rise to it. If the nightly special sounds at all interesting to you, just stop thinking and order it. You can thank me later. If it involves pork, duck, or steak, you're probably about to have one of the best meals of your life. The pizza sauce is excellent. The marinara sauce is excellent. The pesto is good - perhaps slightly inconsistent. The Caesar dressing is generally excellent, but inconsistent. The previous four statements need to be qualified with: I'm Italian. Recently they've had a lot of custom, seasonal, "special" salad dressings which have been really, really good. They also have a garden with fresh basil, heirloom tomatoes, etc. - these things are usually reflected in the nightly special - so just remember the rule mentioned above, and you'll get a nice bonus when things are in season. The staff are very accommodating, friendly, and responsive. It gets crazy busy here, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, but I've never seen anything but professionalism and grace under pressure.
(5)Molly S.
Adorable neighborhood gem! I got the Gnocchi and it was amazing! Can't wait to go back and feel so lucky it's right around the corner from our home!
(4)John O.
Great neighborhood spot. Good wine list. Entrees are good not great, but the cozy environment makes it worth a visit
(3)Malina L.
Fantastic experience. My husband and I came here on a Friday. They served the smoothest dirty martini I've ever had. They were also nice enough to make us an Italian Margarita which prior to, the bartender wasnt familiar with. I googled the recipe and he made it. Good job! I had Ravioli di' Zucca, it was amazing. I took my time. My husband ordered the stuffed crust pizza, he loved it and ate it the next two days cause we had leftover. Its fancy which I like. Our server was attentive, knowledgeable and freindly. Expensive yet reasonably priced. Happy to have it a few blocks away from home. Looking forward to returning soon.
(5)Mags L.
I ordered the deep dish pizza for pick up and it's not great, and I love pizza and am usually not extremely picky. This was so much dough it kind of just sits like a brick in your tummy. It's all dough and just really plain seems like flour and water. Toppings were scarce. I should've just ordered thin crust because the deep dish is not ooey,gooey cheesey, saucey pizza. It's a big plain dough ball.
(3)Jana S.
Fantastic atmosphere, elegant but not stuffy. Great service. Wonderful Italian food! I've been here twice now and both visits were lovely. This is a great place to meet friends for dinner, or makes a great date night as well. I plan on going back again very soon!
(5)Jesse M.
i'm going to write a review I would want to read. Pizza was quite good, i recommend the virgin crust. Wine selection was decent. ( i'm a snob, so ignore that.) Atmosphere was quaint, but its a tiny place... tiny in a way that crowded may seem more cozy and italian.. so i would assume the lay out is intentional. i couldn't have served myself better, the service was 5 stars. go there and hit up happy hour there is a nice 1/2 off app perk, should you need some additional incentive.
(4)Amy L.
La buona cucina! I hope that means good food, great cuisine, fine cooking in Italian. If it doesn't let me fully and completely express myself in a language I am fairly fluent in.....milwaukeean with a bay view accent.... Yep, this place is really good. We were lucky to visit on a fairly quiet Tuesday evening so we were seated immediately but even mid week it definitely hopped...We had a delish appetizer pizza-bbq chicken with arugula....talk about rev-ing the taste buds...this was just the ticket.....add a superb primitivo red wine and we were feeling right happy....and then the entrees arrived....the winner by far was the homemade gnocchi with mushrooms....delicioso...the other entrees, including my pork ragu with rigatoni were also top notch....there was precious little room left tummy-wise but we topped the meal with a sublime tiramisu--light, yet so satisfying...and more than large enough for four to share... The service was attentive without being intrusive....the decor -- homey without being homespun.... Bay View....a great urban neighborhood with more and more fabulous restaurants...we will definitely be returning to Tenuta's. They are currently celebrating 10 scrumptious years in business and I wish them many more....
(4)Maureen F.
Tenuta's is a delightful Italian restaurant in Bay View. It has a remarkably charming and adorable interior with white table clothes and wooden tables. The atmosphere is very comfortable. I give it 5 stars for delicious food, excellent service, and a great wine list. I enjoyed gnocchi with portobello mushrooms and my friend had the biggest piece of lasagna I have ever seen in my life. The food really is excellent. My gnocchi taste is pretty snobbish (i.e. developed over many tastings of the dish) but Tenuta's really did a great job serving up one of my favorite pastas. I was pleased. The menu consists of homemade pizza and ravioli, salads, pastas, and assorted Italian standards. Quality is never skimped on. I surely will be back when I am craving Italian food and wine. And to try the dessert menu.
(5)Jon D.
The location and service was great, however the food items we ordered weren't anything special. I got the ravioli which I didn't like too much at all, something about the sauce was off. We also ordered a deep dish pizza whitch was okay but not anything great. They also over charged me over 80 dollars and took a week and 2 calls to fix it. Would not recommend.
(2)Dan S.
My girlfriend and I have been saying for 6 months "Oh, we really need to go here!' because she lives right around the corner in Bayview. All I can say now is, "Why did we drag our feet for so long???" As a last minute decision, we decided we were going to grab dinner and ended up calling them to see if they took reservations. I'm glad we called when we did because for a Saturday night, all they had available was 5pm and an 8:30pm openings for dinner (later would have been fine but we wanted to catch a 7pm movie). We took the 5pm reservation and made our way over. The decor from the outside matched the decor on the inside: Cute, charming and cozy. As soon as we walked in, we were treated very well and that service continued throughout our dining experience. Incredibly classy. Our waitress (can't remember her name) was outstanding: formal, yet conversational when we had certain questions. The food: One of the questions we had was about one of the cheeses we had on the Antipasto place that we ordered for an appetizer. It melted in your mouth like butter, so we had to ask what it was! The plate was outstanding. The assortment of meat, cheese and olives was perfect. I wish I was educated enough to list them all! I know it wasn't your typical prosciutto/mozzerella/kalamatta olive sampler. It was a simple, great starter that we paired with the Malbec they had. Both my girlfriend and I had gnocchi dishes that were great, and accompanied with a side salad or soup. She's a vegetarian and had a mushroom herb dish and mine was a spicy sausage and vodka sauce dish. I can't tell you how tasty mine was....!! I couldn't get enough of it, and they portions were just right. Enough to leave you very filled by the end of it. We will definitely be going back and I hope to make it a regular occurrence! It's just a great spot. (Sidenote: Having been to Il MIto in 'Tosa and Zarletti's downtown, this has more of an 'authentic' Italian cafe feel that makes the dining experience, in my opinion, a little better. Definitely something you'd expect in the Bayview area.)
(5)Angela T.
The Pasta Tree used to be my favorite Italian restaurants in Milwaukee but over the past couple years that has quickly changed to Tenuta's. This place offers great food at semi reasonable prices, the staff is overall generally friendly, good wine selection and I really like the cozy romantic vibe the place has. The pizza here is super good- it's the right balance of greasy and fresh tasting. The pasta Pomodoro is probably one of the best things I'll ever eat in my entire life. Bread and salad with dinner and yeah- a night here and I am in heaven. It's probably best to make a reservation as this place is always packed. I was there on a Saturday night and the wait was over an hour and a half. Totally worth the wait though so go check it out!
(5)C S.
Discovered this little gem courtesy of Yelp search and reviews. I had the chicken parmagiana, and my husband had the ravioli. Both were VERY good. Italian sausage is wonderful, made locally, and has a little warmth on the back of the palate. We sat outside, and enjoyed watching the world go by as we savored our meal. Service was great. Veronica was very polite and attentive. Sadly, we didn't have room for dessert, but the tiramissu served at the next table was very tempting! Would strongly recommend this place!
(4)Joanna T.
I hit up Tenutas last night for dinner - Mel B is completely right about reservations on the weekends. It's imperative or you aren't going to be eating. We had one and were seated right on time - I appreciate that, especially on a busy Friday night. Atmosphere: B Small, homelike and cozy. Tables are a little close together, but it's a small place so you have to deal with that. App: C We had the mozz fritte and it was good. They used fresh mozzarella, a nice touch. However, fresh mozz doesn't really have a lot of flavor, so the dish was a bit bland. Salad:B Fresh romaine and a lemon tarragon dressing that tasted homemade - nice! Entree: C I'm going to get some flak for this....but my bolognese is better. Tenuta's is good but kind of thin and way tomato-y. I love a great bolognese, but this one really didn't do it for me. Dessert:A I'm not usually a big tiramisu fan, but Tenuta's rendition is great. Light, fluffy cake and filling - clearly homemade. Wine:B- If you are a red drinker, the rating is an A. Tenuta's has a large, fairly priced selection of red by the glass but only a few whites. I found a good Chianti and was a happy camper. Service: A+ This is what would make me come back. Service here is genuine and friendly. We sat at the bar for a bit after dinner and it sounded like much of the staff has been here for years. That says a lot about the kind of place Tenutas is. Community: A They buy their bakery from Canfora, which is just around the corner. The staff was also talking about a gift wrapping party they were having to wrap Christmas gifts for folks at a homeless shelter. Is Tenuta's the best Italian out there? Probably not, but the warm welcome and good vibe go a long way toward making me want to come back.
(4)Nicole H.
This is a tiny little neighborhood place, but its not just a spaghetti and meatballs Italian joint either. I love that that their chef takes risks and features amazing daily specials with new and unusual ingredients. They're on Twitter, so you can see any day what they're featuring. As Rachel said, old school food with new school execution. So many Italian places fall back on the standards and use canned ingredients and call it a day, but Tenuta's always seems to be pushing the boundaries - you'll get the comfortable Italian flavors you're looking for, but in new combinations and presentations. It's a small, small restaurant, so make reservations and know that you'll be rubbing elbows with your neighbors. The wine list is impressive and comprehensive for such a small place. Discovered one of my favorite wines here.
(4)Jesse M.
Fantastic. Simply fantastic. Rustic, authentic Italian cuisine executed perfectly. They don't try to be innovative or avant garde with their cooking - they focus on the time old proven Italian basics and you can taste their success. The place has a relaxed atmosphere and the waitress we had had a very friendly smile. This is not a stuffy restaurant but not casual either - it hits the right balance. The service was prompt and the martinis were prepared perfectly. I've been twice now and can't wait to go back again. It can get a bit crowded so definitely make a reservation.
(5)sasha b.
This is one of the oddest 'Italian' restaurants I have ever experienced. The decor looks to have been given direction from a 'How to design an Italian Restaurant' from Home Depot. Strange. What's more, the customers were even more bizarre. The people that sat at the bar looked as if it was from a dream sequence set from a David Lynch movie. The food options were ok, but a bit pricey, considering the neighborhood. The wine options, eh, sub-par.
(2)Gabi M.
I meant to review this incredible Italian restaurant weeks ago... It was my first dinner in MKE, and I had a hot dinner date with Rachel F. She chose Tenuta's and it was the perfect choice. Good food, friendly service, and a fun old-school, charming atmosphere. Being pregnant, I passed on the wine, but toasted Rachel with my Pellegrino instead. We shared a bruschetta atmosphere and each had the Cheese Ravioli entree. I cleaned my plate - it was honestly some of the best ravioli I've had... ever! (And that's saying a lot!) I have a feeling I'd be a regular at Tenuta's if I lived in Milwaukee... but since I'm miles away, I'll just savor the memory and look forward to returning during my next visit!
(4)Kyle H.
Tenuta's is a nice neighborhood Italian spot with a focus on homemade pastas and pizza. Visiting recently with fellow Milwaukee ex-patriate, Marc R., Tenuta's gets high praise for good food, service and wine. My ravioli with spinach and ricotta was excellent, covered in a rich marinara sauce, bits of fresh basil added another nice layer of flavor. It came with a nice side salad with blue cheese and red onion. Lots of great red wine choices, the Zinfandel I chose was great, and our server knew the wine list and made good recommendations. The pizzas that went by frequently smelled great, so Tenuta's deserves a return visit (or many). Better make a reservation, as Tenuta's is a smallish corner restaurant. And if you use Milwaukee rapid transit, the good old #15 stops right outside their door!
(4)Lynn B.
We stopped in on impulse, on our way home from the airport on a Monday night. We loved the ambiance, and would have taken an outside table if the weather were two degrees warmer. Our server was delightful and attentive. Tenuta's feels like going home. It's neither fancy nor cheesy, just really comfortable. The wine list was better than expected, as was the local (and interesting) beer selection. My husband ordered the rapini, which comes with sausage, and said it was quite good. I ordered eggplant parmesan, normally one of my favorite dishes. Perhaps the Monday cook is not the usual cook, but whoever it was wasn't an eggplant lover. The vegetable was barely cooked, and crunched with every bite, whereas I expect eggplant to melt in my mouth. I want to like and cheer for Tenuta's, but if the eggplant can't be improved, it should simply be removed.
(3)Wizardbunz Z.
possibly the worst food i've ever eaten in my life. pasta was undercooked. a flat grey dry piece of "chicken" was presented to me. me and my lady each only had one bite of our dinner and left. if you like to eat terrible food you should totally go here bro.
(1)Kathy G.
Just walking in the door of this quaint little restaurant felt special. Maybe it was the holiday decorations and that it was snowing outside that helped the ambiance, or maybe that we were greeted warmly by the hostess that made Tenuta's feel so welcoming. The dining room is small and pretty and surrounds a beautiful long bar. I love the chalkboard listing of the wines for the day. It was Wednesday and as we perused the chalkboard, our server told us that bottles of wine was on special on Wednesdays and appetizers are half off. My husband prefers whites and I prefer reds so instead of a bottle I ordered a glass of Casamatta Sangiovese and he ordered the Maso Canali Pinot Grigio. Since appetizers were half off, we chose to try two different things. The Antipasti list was a nice selection and we settled on the Bruschetta and the Arancini. The were both perfect and went well with our wine selections. We already regretted not ordering both these wines by the bottle. For our entrees, I ordered the Penne Calabrese and my husband ordered a special, the Pasta Di Mare. The Penne Calabrese was served with lots of nice chunks of sausage and enough giardinara peppers to give the dish nice heat. The vodka sauce was amazing. This was a spicy dish, exactly what I like. The Pasta Di Mare was loaded with clams, mussels, and shrimp. Getting the clams out of the shell was worth the effort; the pasta was served in a beautiful white wine sauce. This seafood dish was excellent. We stopped eating when we finished half the appetizers and entrees in order to enjoy a cannoli. It was just as wonderful as the rest of the meal. Our dinner was the best Italian fare I have ever had, and the service was incredible. The server was attentive but not pushy, friendly and courteous. I can't believe that I didn't know about this hidden gem sooner, and I will definitely be back again soon to try the pizza.
(5)Christine P.
We had a party but couldn't fit our entire extended family in our home, so Tenuta's hosted our group of 40+ for lunch. The food was fantastic ~ we arrived to a table full of appetizers: bruschetta, fruit, cut veggies, mozzarella and an open bar. We had a seated lunch with a small but diverse menu - our guests are still talking about how great the food was. They were able to deliciously accommodate our vegan friends. Our party had a ton of kids and the pizza was a huge hit with them. Service was great, very prompt and friendly! Overall wonderful experience!
(5)Maria R.
We stumbled on this little gem hidden with a quite Bay View neighborhood. Family friendly, fantastic food, and impressive beer selection.
(5)Ann G.
In an old corner tavern in Bay View there are the most delicious scents! Pasta that makes you want to just sigh and forget there is a world outside. A marinara sauce that is so perfect you could cry. Great wait staff, excellent service. I cannot wait to come back and to introduce friends and family to this little gem.
(4)Pete J.
Nice little (about 50 seats at tables, probably another dozen at the bar) neighborhood place, on a street corner in Bayview. Really nice feel to it, very much a neighborhood feel, with clientele ranging from folks in camouflage shirts to hipsters. The service is very efficient, warm, welcoming. We started with calamari which was fresh, cooked just right, with light breading, accompanied by marinara and remoulade. Warm bread was provided on request. A special salad was grilled arugula, accompanied by warm goat cheese medallions. Even though I was skeptical ordering "grilled arugula", this was a really nice transition to dinner. The "Gnocchi alla Funghi" (sauteed portobello, button and shiitake mushrooms with homemade gnocchi, accompanied by a white wine (with small amount of butter) sauce was perfectly prepared, seasoned nicely, so good. A special was littleneck clams in linguini with a Alfredo sauce. The clams were fresh, plentiful, the Alfredo was nicely balanced. The tiramisu was good, but lacked any discernable rum or espresso in the Savoiardi (lady fingers). It did taste fresh and homemade, it just was not at the same quality level as every other food we tasted here. The bread pudding was good as well, grilled, but again, not at the level of the rest of the meal. The wine selection was extensive, and very reasonably priced. Definitely recommend.
(4)Mindy C.
Adorable restaurant - had the atmosphere potential to be a romantic little Italian place. Unfortunately, the service was off. She greeted us by saying "I'll bring over some water" but she never brought it, we had to ask. I ordered an Izzie soda (was listed on the menu), and she was totally caught off-guard, saying no one has ever ordered it in the 3 weeks she's worked there (well, doesn't that make me feel weird. Thanks.). Same goes when my husband inquired about the Blackbear soda choices. A server should be familiar with the menu, regardless of whether or not someone has ordered it. About 5 minutes after we placed our food order, the waitress comes back and checks on what style of pizza I wanted. Shouldn't that have been inputted 5 minutes ago? So, our food took a really long time to come out. To boot, there was a miscommunication - so I got a pan pizza when I originally asked for thin. She did have 3 tables that were all leaving around the same time... so I cut her a little slack on that. But it definitely didn't feel like we were a priority. The food was fine. Nothing stood out as spectacular, but it wasn't bad either.
(2)Jason B.
One of my favorite restaurants in town, Tenuta's provides everything you could ask for in a classic Italian eatery. A romantic, intimate ambiance is complimented by superior, friendly service. The meals are absolutely delicious and generously portioned. Try the Ravioli di Funghi - it's the best pasta I've ever eaten. These guys have all their ducks in a row. Salad & bread will accompany your entreé. This is a genuinely awesome dining experience and is not to be missed if you are in the area. Every element of the experience has been carefully considered from the table-side fresh, grated cheese to the extensive wine list. You won't be disappointed.
(5)Angie N.
A friend from Minneapolis was in town for dinner, and given the frequency of her visits I was hard pressed to fulfill her request of some where different that she hadn't previously been to. With all my good old standbys off the list, Tenuta's was suggested by a friend. And I have been thanking him since. We were eating relatively early but I did make a reservation. We left the restaurant just before 7 and it had filled up, there were a couple parties waiting but not terribly long. The place itself is adorable. Situated in a quiet neighborhood in Bayview, it looks just like the houses around it. Inside there's a great ambiance you'd hope for with a place that looks like a house in a quiet neighborhood. Candle light on the tables and dim lighting throughout. Makes it feel special just being there. Our server, Brennan, was the best server I've had in a LONG time. Attentive without being overbearing, and entertaining without being obnoxious. He had the table of senior citizens next to us in stitches joking back and forth with them but service was never sacrificed with his playfulness. We were on a somewhat tight time frame and he was certain to do anything he could to help without us feeling like we were rushed. I was impressed right off the bat from the service. I ordered the Chicken Marsala and it was fantastic. Being one of my favorite dishes, I tend to be rather critical of it, but this was a great meal, and large enough for leftovers to take home. However, the real star of the night was my friend's dinner. She ordered the Ravioli de Funghi and it was amazing. Honestly one of the best dishes I've had anywhere in a long time. We both kept interrupting the other to repeat just HOW good it was. I believe we even threw out the phrase "puffy clouds of mushroomy goodness." (as if that's any help at all in a review.) The price was great to keep Tenuta's in my mind as a nicer place for a somewhat special occasion without breaking the bank. We both had entrees (that came with salads) and split a bottle of wine and I was pleasantly surprised by the total amount.
(5)Stephen S.
Great little neighborhood joint that serves some pretty good Italian. The space may be a bit cramped but it's always enjoyable. Reservations have ALWAYS been a must for us here as it gets pretty busy. Service has always been friendly and helpful...one time they even bought our appetizers when they couldn't get us in our table on time. Desserts are good...but a jaunt over to At Random on Delaware is always fun too! A few times now I have seen fellow diners from Tenuta's over at At Random as short time later. Tenuta's is a cute and quaint little place...check it out!
(4)Bob D.
Tenuta's where have you been all my life? My wife and I just discovered this little hidden gem on a residential neighborhood in Bayview. Luckily they take reservations as we arrived at 6:23 for our 6:30 Saturday night reservation and there was ONE table left open in the entire place---ours. The dinning room had a very loud happy vibe to it with everyone there clearly enjoying themselves. The food is primarily pasta based Italian with thin crust pizza too. We each had a salad to start (Ceasar and Italian) and both were very fresh. I had the Ravioli "mixed"---meat and cheese and my wife had the Pomedora. There's a full bar, so if you'd like a cocktail with or before dinner, it's possible. The food was simple, portion size was perfect, and everything was good! The one minor sour note to the night was the tiramisu dessert. It was made with whipped cream as opposed to Mascarpone cheese. Definitely not like mama use to make!
(4)Unyime E.
Based on the strength of the yelp reviews, my brother and I decided to check this place out last weekend after visiting Summerfest. Being an architecture buff, I thought the dark red brick exterior of the building was pretty cool. It definitely stood out from single-family houses in the neighborhood that had primarily siding panel and/or light-red brick exteriors. They had several tables available for outdoor seating, but it was way too humid for any kind of meal to be enjoyable. The inside of the restaurant looked was very inviting and cozy, particularly the bar area. As much as I wanted to like the food here, I have to say that I found the food to be just average. But I think it's more a function of ordering a plate that perhaps wasn't their one of their strongest. I started the meal off with a Tom Collins, which was pretty tasty. Based on the taste and the appearance of the drink (mountain dew-ish in color - a good Tom Collins is very faint yellow or clear colored), I could tell that the bartender used sour mix. Not that big of a deal, I just prefer the fresh lemon juice and sugar. For an appetizer we debated between the mozzarella sticks and bruschetta, but eventually settled on the lesser-filling bruschetta as we weren't terribly hungry. The bruschetta was fine. I haven't been to Italy so I cannot speak on its authenticity, but I found it odd that the bread was very Texas-toast like. Not a bad thing, just different. As with any Italian restaurant I visit for the first time, I ordered the lasagna. Again, it was okay. The tomato sauce was much sweeter than I expected it to be. So much so that it approached the realm of Chef Boyardee-ishness. Maybe it's just the Wisconsin in me talking, but I thought it could have used more mozzarella as well. All in all it was fine, I just found myself stealing everyone else's food. My fiancée had the mushroom ravioli, which tasted great. My brother had the chicken marsala, which also was very good. So with that said, I can only rate this restaurant based on my plate...and it was average.
(3)Elizabeth A.
Good wine selection, delicious pizza, cozy/quaint atmosphere...what more could you ask for??
(5)Kyle N.
Tenuta's is the best Italian I have had in a few years in Milwaukee, by far. We went on a Wednesday, and were pleasantly surprised to find out that wine bottles were half off every Wednesday. Everything we had was delicious (calamari, pollo pomodoro, rainbow trout, veal parmesan, a calzone, cheesecake and tiramisu), and the wine recommendations were spot on. The service was extremely professional as well.
(5)Emily C.
3.5 stars would be more accurate. Drove 70 miles to come here for my husband's birthday (we used to live in Bay View and he was feeling nostalgic). Made a reservation for 7:30 and weren't seated until 8:00. That was a bummer. The hostesses were apologetic, especially after seating several other groups ahead of us. They explained that they couldn't give us a larger table and that we had to wait for a 2-top to open up. Ok, but after 30 minutes of waiting, when we have a reservation, and it's my husband's birthday, you should give us whatever table you have. I was especially mad when a couple (who were obviously regulars) came in at 8:00 and got seated around the same time as us at a 4-top. Hmm. What about that policy again? Doesn't apply to regulars. There were no seats at the bar so we had to stand around for 30 minutes. My husband got a glass of wine from the bar, and the bartender was pretty rude and short with him. I normally wouldn't worry too much about a rude bartender, but he was exceedingly nice to the people sitting at the bar, who seemed like regulars. This is obviously a great place if you're a regular. When we were finally seated, the hostess offered us an appetizer for our wait, which was nice. Our server was really great and nice, but the wait between courses was so long. I was really kicking myself for not ordering a bottle of wine. I could have gotten drunk and sober by the time I left the place. My husband got calamari which was lukewarm and not a nice golden color but rather pretty pale looking. It needed another minute or two of frying. It wasn't nice and crispy. I'm not sure if the bread was supposed to be warm or taste good, but it was not/did not. Oh well. My entree was the light at the end of the tunnel and the reason this is not a 3-star review. I got the vongole and it was amazing/changed my life. Got it without capicola to make it meat-free and it was lacking nothing. The flavors were perfect, spaghetti was cooked perfectly, and there was a perfect ratio of clams to spaghetti. My husband got chicken piccata and he loved it. It looked good. Since it was his birthday, they also threw in a tiramisu, which was not the best tiramisu of my entire life (I like it more boozy) but it was very good and nice of them to give us! We most likely will not be coming back unless it's less busy.
(4)Elizabeth H.
On special occasions, we always find ourselves at Italian restaurants, and Pasta Tree was our usual place to go. We have since decided that we need to find a new place because we had some bad experiences lately. I suggested Tenuta's based on some really good reviews I have read. I liked Tenuta's a lot. It's in a nice, old corner brick building with a cool wooden awning over the window. The location is very neigborhoody which is so much of what dining in Bayview is about. There was a slight wait for our table, so we sat at the bar briefly. I ordered a pinot noir and all of a sudden found myself in the midst of a wine tasting excursion! How I love wine tasting. The bartender was super knowledgeable and sweet. I would return just for the wine at some point. The food was a little less awesome than I expected. Maybe that's the problem...I walked in expecting things. I like a sauce that is a little less sweet, but the ravioli's were really good regardless. My experience with the service was less spectacular than others. It seems like it could be really great, but our server was a little slow with everything. Friendly, but slow. We were THOSE people that were the last ones at the tables while all of the employees were sitting at the bar waiting for us to leave. It wasn't because were were eating slowly. Our server was busy doing closing duties instead of giving us our check. Either way, I would definitely return for a round two.
(4)Kristina P.
We come here all the time, and there really isn't a better place for pizza in Milwaukee than Tenuta's. And I have tried them all, trust me. If you go here, make sure you order a house pizza on the virgin crust. It is AMAZING. I've had pizza in Italy and this is not just as good - it's better. Their house salad is also delicious, and they change the dressing seasonally - try the blood orange vinaigrette if its available! They usually have a great selection of wine (although it appears that their prices have gone up a bit) but they always have some of their best ones listed on a chalk board above the bar. Suggestion: Make reservations if you're going on a weekend! It's usually packed by 5pm. Buon Appetito!
(5)Kyle K.
It's been about 2 years since my initial review so it's time we freshen this bad boy up. Went to Tenuta's last night for a post Packers game dinner. Ordered a glass of the Ghost Pines Cabernet, and it tasted like wine (Kyle K., wine expert.). Actually it was quite good. For dinner I had the Vongole. Littleneck clams in a white wine sauce over spaghetti. HOLY $%^&, it was fantastic. We happened to have a birthday boy with us and he was a given a piece of tiramisu that was hijacked by every member of our group. Probably the best I've ever had. Awesome meal and drinks, great service and a nice mellow environment were just what I needed on this Sunday night.
(5)Sara T.
I love, love, LOVE this restaurant. It is such a great experience for date nights. However, it is not just for date nights. You'll find families eating there or groups of friends. First off, you can make reservations which is great. I was happy with my reservation and I was happy with the customer service I received. If you love Italian food - this is as good as it gets. Tenuta's is a smaller restaurant with a smaller menu. So, all of their food is prepared amazing and you can tell a lot is home-made style cooking. You're not going to get frozen meatballs or anything else here. The wine list is great- a little on the pricey side if you're looking for a bottle of wine. Overall, the menu is a little expensive- that is why I suggest this as a special occasion restaurant. However, it is not unreasonable. Dinners come with house salads and the dinners are delicious. I've been there more than once and I have ordered different meals- I've always enjoyed all of them. Also, if you like bruschetta try that appetizer. The outdoor seating in the summer time is so pleasant. I highly recommend eating outside when the weather permits. Overall, I strongly recommend this small and unique Italian restaurant.
(5)Al K.
This establishment is a true Bay View treasure. Great food, great drinks and even greater people. Wonderful to have a top notch place within walking distance of my home.
(5)Pat O.
I'm going to go with three stars for now. We have tried to eat at Tenuta's 4 times previously. Each time, whether in person or calling, we were told they could not get us in. One of the times, mid-week in the summer, I called 4 hours before dinner and pleaded that I had out-of-town guests but still could not get a reservation. I swore I would never try Tenuta's again. Fast forward to Monday night. You know, the night when NOTHING is open for dinner? We drove by Tenuta's because Lindsey O was hyperventilating with hypoglycemia (or whatever technical term is apt for starving). They were open. Street parking was plenty. We went in. Low and behold we got seated!!! The place is pretty small and I understand why reservations fill up easily. It was kinda of loud even though there weren't many people there. I'm high-maintenance in the noise department because of hearing issues so this matters to me. Service was mediocre. The server was nice enough just not visible enough. We had the Virgin crust pizza (not sure what made it so, as it seemed to really know the inhabitants on top of it). It was pretty good. I prefer thicker crust pizzas so I was content. I suppose I'll try again now that I know how to actually get a table and next time I'll try the Italian dishes.
(3)George B.
UPDATE: The Good: The food has gotten a little better The Bad: They cannot get take out orders straight. And management thinks that the answer is nothing more than refunding the exact cost of the items missing. That's great when an hour after ordering items and getting home, you realize they forgot to include your entrees. I want to love Tenuta's. It's a quaint little Italian place snuggled in a lovely Bayview neighborhood. The staff is delightful and the wine selection impressive. And most importantly, the menu suggests that a feast awaits! But that's about it. Everything I've had there, in about a dozen visits, tastes merely OK. The pizza, the pasta, the antipasti, the specials. I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to Italian food, but I've not found anything at Tenuta's to love. And yet, I keep going back.
(2)Michael P.
For me it's funny with Tenuta's... I usually go there without any plans on doing so. I'm usually down in BayView on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon hanging out in Blackbird or Burnhearts and get hungry... usually for Pizza. Somehow I always going down Clement until I get there. I go in, often to a wait for a table and end up at the bar, which is probably not an accident. As with most times, I talked to the bartender while reviewing the wine list and beers on tap and settle on their perfect recommendations based on telling them what I don't want. This visit I had the Scrimshaw and a bottle of the Montepulciano on the list as the precursor to an oversized order of beatiful olives and cheeses (the Miste d'Olive) and the Diavola pizza on the virgin crust. The pizza is wonderful; with Pepperoni, Giardiniera, Mozzarella, Cream Cheese, Pineapple, and a rich red sauce it is a perfect representation of the necessary food groups. My only regrets are that I can never eat all of the pizza, and almost never get any of their fantastic gnocchi or pasta dishes (they have my favorite arrabiata sauce ever as a 'not nearly enough' special. Personally, I don't think you can go wrong there with anything. It gets a rare top rating from me.
(5)Scot P.
On a rainy and cold Friday night I walked in and immediately felt warm and dry, I felt at home. The host was very friendly and accommodating and made our 30 minutes wait enjoyable by immediately moving "two" from the bar to their table so we could enjoy a glass of wine from their more than adequate selection. The restaurant is small and I suggest making a reservation. We were told our wait would be between 30-60 minutes but by the time we had drank our first glass we were seated. We started with the Calamari and as far as Calamari is concerned it was good. It's not hard to get good Calamari where ever you go and Tunata's is no exception. I had the Penne alla Vodka with Sausage and it was very good. The tomato vodka sauce was neither heavy or light on quantity or taste and the sausage added a nice spicey kick to the overall flavor. Tenuta's is a little known hidden powerhouse of Italian flavor. Friendly and warm I highly suggest Tenuta's for a good date night or family night dinner.
(4)Adam B.
We were in town for a Brewers game and decided to get some italian food. We chose Tentua's based solely on Yelp reviews. It was a good decision! Tenuta's is a nice (I am guessing) family owned Italian restaurant. It is a little on the small side so we had a 30 minute wait for a table. We let the hostess know we were going to walk around to kill time (as the restaurant is in a residential neighborhood in Bay View). We got back 15 minutes later and they said they were ready to seat us and that they had been waiting on us. That was nice, considering others were there waiting too. Tenuta's has a nice selection of spirits and local beer on tap. For food, I went with a basic spaghetti and meatballs (always a good judge of any Italian place) and the wife went with the pasta caprese. Both were well prepared and delicious. If there is one complaint, it was service. Our waitress was friendly and was nice enough to let us know the kitchen was backed up. But, tables seated after us (in her section) got food first, we had to stop her to get water refilled (twice), and we waited 20 minutes after we were finished before she stopped by to ask about dessert and get our check. I would chalk it up to being busy but the other tables, with other wait staff, seemed to get more attentive staff. I would also give a shout out to the floor manager. He was running around all night, getting tables cleared, getting customers moved from waiting in the bar to tables, and keeping the place running. Overall, a nice experience out and good "first meal" for our first time in Milwaukee.
(4)Cormac S.
This is my favorite restaurant in Milwaukee. It has gained more popularity than when I first started going there. Its a cozy place but it people still like to throw back the wine and have a good time there. I believe the pizza is amazing. I have had all of the crusts and the deep dish was spectacular. The thin crust was awesome as well and the virgin crust was no slouch. The wine list is fine, I am not a wine snob so I'm probably the wrong guy to ask. I have never had a bad meal there. The service may be my favorite part of the restaurant. They are fun and patient. Go here, its great, and you won't spend too much money.
(5)Chuck M.
Our first visit here. The service was 5 stars. Our waitress was knowledgeable about the food dishes, made excellent wine suggestions and served well in every respect. Our last outing to Red Robin in comparison......well, that's for another review. My wife had the duck dish and I had the fish fry. I don't think either one were good choices. The servings were.....not ample. I'm not familiar with duck, but I won't be trying that again for a while. Maybe it was fine, but not a flavor for me. It was served with good tasting if chewy mushrooms and dumplings I'd be willing to leave behind. My fish fry was below my standard. Almost mushy fish with a very thick crunchy batter. I left most of the coating behind and ate too soft cod. The seasoned potato wedges were interesting, though a bit undercooked like raw potato in the center. Gosh I sound picky. I admit, I got spoiled on our visit to Myrtle Beach where twice we sat on the boat dock eating the freshest seafood in America. But that's for another review. Anyway, Packing house and Puddle Jumpers both hold my title's as the best Fish Fry's in Milwaukee so my bar is set pretty high. We had the Cannolis for desert and having had poor Cannolis all my life, these were fantastic. See, I'm adventuresome. There may well be better menu items here. I'll be happy to return and try them thanks to our server's perfection. I'll eat here just to enjoy the service. Oh and the wine selection is far above average. I'm no wine expert, but fortunately our waitress was. Both our red and white's were amazing combinations of flavors. We left $71.01 including the tip for our meals, wine and desert. Kinda pricey for a fish fry guy, but a nice night out, and we'll return.
(4)Sarah P.
Cutest sidewalk seating --- but the busy Clement Avenue is kind of a bummer when a muffler-less vehicle breezes past. Despite this -- Tenuta's has a lot to offer. Our server, Brendan, was super attentive and warm - huge part of the experience. Diners behind us got pizza, it smelled phenomonal -- and I saw so many people going in to grab a to-go box as well. I wound up ordering the Ravioli di Funghi -- mushroom rav, y'all -- it came in a great marsala sauce, and was topped with roasted tomatoes and chopped fresh basil. Awesome. Also ordered the Caprese salad --- was a little bummed that it didn't include any balsamic little drizzled atop with the olive oil. Still a good salad, though. Good beer selection, as well. I'm glad this is nearby, as I'm sure I'll be back.
(4)Nyla A.
Phenomenal Service, delicious food. Cant go wrong!
(5)Jax B.
Tenuta's is a very small Italian restaurant with an equally small bar. This being the case, I would not recommend it for large groups. I was with a party of three which was fine. Their wine list was good, but there were far more reds than whites. I ended up skipping the wine and had an IPA. We ordered the mozzarella appetizer. It was nothing special and quite bland. Our pizza, on the other hand, was pretty good. We had the virgin style with various toppings. Our server was attentive and personable. I would recommend Tenuta's - just skip the mozzarella appetizer.
(4)Melanie B.
I LOVE Tenutas! Love it. However there are some things you may want to be aware of if you have never been there before. 1.) On a Friday/Saturday night, reservations are a must. The place is small, that is why it is so fabulous, but plan ahead and make reservations, you will be glad you did. 2.) Do not be in a hurry. This is a slow food kind of place and the service is very slow too. It really doesn't bother me because usually when we go we are enjoying the company of other friends or its just my husband and I on a much needed date. However, I would never go there if I was in a hurry to get somewhere or was STARVING.... 3.) Their thin crust pizza is fabulous!! Get it if you are a fan of thin. I did see the thick crust pizza & it looked really good too. ENJOY!
(4)Rohan D.
My favorite Milwaukee Italian restaurant. Good pasta, cozy, intimate decor, excellent attentive service, locally popular (make reservations for a weekend evening). I eat out a lot, you might get that from my reviews, this little joint has, hands down the best waitstaff in the metropolitan area, the perfect combination of friendly, polite, and competent. Pretty much any other restaurant on Yelp, you've got some reviewers who like the place, and others who don't, but you might notice all the reviews here are positive. I think that's because of the waitresses here, truly an excellent team. No, I'm not related to anyone working here, that's just the professional opinion of a fat guy. This is a good place to eat. You can sit outside and dine al fresco in the summer. Great for either a romantic date, or a relaxing dinner with good friends.
(4)Ally B.
This is my FAV Italian restaurant! My beef with most of the Italian joints is that they don't open until after 4:00 pm or later, but this one is so good, I've altered my eating habits to feast on more refined food than I usually do. Not many places serve gnoccis (sp?), but this place does and they are wonderful. Love the fresh salads, dressings, desserts and pizza. They have a wine of the month and I've found them all splendid. Love the service and while I don't care for the smell of filtered air, I've found my allergies clear up immediately upon sitting down. At this point, I find myself there more than once a week!
(5)Paul M.
Tenuta's menu is well put together and their recipes are generally very good. However, there is some inconsistency in their service. I always order my pasta noodles cooked to a very specific doneness. Sometimes they have obliged, sometimes they refused. When they did refuse, the noodles I received were always over-cooked.
(3)Jenny K.
Fabulous family or romantic atmosphere with decent food. Tomato sauce is pretty good, but not the best I've ever had. Bonus in the summer - they have some outside tables. Good family-owned restaurant that can be casual (get the pizza, its great) or higher end, depending on what you order.
(4)Megan M.
I love this place! The pizza is very good and so is the staff. It has a nice ambiance and a cozy, low key location.
(4)Johnny B.
Great, great place. I had the talapia arabiatta (sp?) and the fish was grilled perfectly. The sausage was nice and spicy , the pasta and sauce--perfecto. A nice manhattan, to boot. Highly recommended.
(5)Ben B.
Looking for a new place to check out and stumbled upon Tenuta's. Nestled into a neighborhood just west of Bayview, Tenuta's had a nice vibe, from its ample outdoor seating to its homey interior, and after trying their authentic Italian dishes you will want to make this a regular stop. From the wine selection, to the appetizers and entrees, you could see that a lot of love and thought has gone into the menu. The menu has your standard Italian fare (such as bruschetta, calamari, lasagna and fettuccine alfredo), but it also delves into much more interesting recipes that I have not seen on many menus. For an appetizer we tried the Portobello Ripieno, a portobello mushroom stuffed with spinach, roasted red peppers and mozzarella. This dish was an outstanding combination of flavors perfectly prepared. the spinach and roasted red peppers worked together nicely and the mozzarella was generous and very fresh. For entrees we tried the Penne Calabrese (itialian sausage, giardinara peppers, fresh veggies in a vodka sauce) and Ravioli di Funghi (mushroom ravioli in a marsala butter sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach). The Penne Calabrese was an interesting combination, but the sweet and spicy combination worked well together. The Ravioli di Funghi was off the charts! The hand-made ravioli was perfectly cooked and the sauce was unbelievable - sweet enough it almost could be a desert! The tanginess of the sun-dried tomatoes add one more level of complexity. Sadly, we had no room for dessert, but hopefully next time! Overall I wouldn't be surprised if Lidia Bastianich was in this kitchen, preparing every meal. Make sure you check this place out!
(4)Marie C.
This is by far my favorite Italian restaurant in Milwaukee. Went again last night with some girlfriends from out of town. I had the ravioli di funghi ($16) which was gloriously rich. Perfect as the day was rainy. I paired it with their sauv blanc which had earthy notes that matched the mushrooms. Their homemade dressings are fantastic as well. I had the red wine and herb dressing. My friends ordered the daily special, gnocchi with chicken and the gambretti and enjoyed them as well. They ordered a split of brut and the bartender came over and suggested they get the prosecco instead because it's much better, a nice touch. They were very impressed with the service. The waitress was attentive, but not overly so, and did not have any issue with giving us separate tabs.
(5)Maria S.
Tenuta's is like the "Cheers" of pizza places. The staff was really warm and friendly... with the exception of the hostess who was a bit cool, but that my have been her heritage. The bartender seemed to know everyone at the bar and was very welcoming. The pizza was great. This is a slow food style restaurant so do not expect fast food. Also the wine prices were really reasonable.
(5)Christine C.
Excellent service, delicious food, pleasant atmosphere. If you order the calzone you'd better be hungry! I had their scallop and fried eggplant special and it was excellent! The scallops were cooked perfectly! If you're lucky your meal may come with some lettuce, herbs or other vegetables from their garden! We haven't tried the pizzas but by the looks of what other customers ordered they looked very good! Compared to the other customers we felt slightly under-dressed in jeans and t-shirts. I would say the price range varies from $10-$30 for dinner entrees. They have a nice selection of wines - especially Italian ones that I look forward to trying next time.
(4)Scott V.
WOW! Just went here for the first time a week ago and WOW! Honestly one of the best meals I've ever had. I had the special which was a seafood _____, sorry can't remember the exact name. Basically it was seafood in a tomato broth and it was incredible. Full of flavor, the fish chunks were so tender that chewing became a suggestion as opposed to a necessity. My girlfriend had the Friday Fish Fry... only baked. Baked cod with a lemon butter, not buttery at all like some places have frequently done with this friday night staple dish. Combine the food with great wine list, very good cocktails, tiramisu was amazing, great service and a really cool building. Small and quiet, during dinner we were able to speak to each other in normal voices which is quite rare for a friday evening. I can't wait to go back and try something new.
(5)Julie E.
Atmosphere is great...but a little too noisy when crowded. Food is good. Some of the wait staff is way way over the top...well meaning but too rah rah.
(3)Stephanie L.
Amore. Amore. I truly love this Italian eatery for what it embodies: food, family, and quality service. There is something old world European one feels when they dine at Tenuta's. You slow down. You savor each bite of their authentic cuisine and the company at your table. It is all about how you experience the food here. My husband and I had a taste of what it is like to be a member of the Tenuta family on Friday evening. From our glasses filled with a generous pour of Primitvo, to the caprese salad bursting with the freshest flavors. The tomatoes tasted as though they had come directly from the vine to the plate, and it was confirmed that the basil was plucked from the in-house garden. The bread served along side our salad was warm and soft. Gluten perfection. You did not need butter, because the interior of the bread melted in your mouth. This was merely the start to our 5-star dinner. My husband and I went with mussels in garlic and a white wine sauce and a small Classic pizza with virgin crust. A perfectly portioned helping of steamed mussels appeared with a grilled garlic toast meant to sop up the broth. They read my mind with the toast. I had every intention of dipping, and I did not even had to ask for an edible utensil. That was a reoccurring theme. Our server, Nika, was on point. She had everything at our table before we even thought to ask. She anticipated our needs and took wonderful care of us. Ben, the head chef, and the "pizza boys" took great care of us too. They presented a pizza that has knocked the reigning champion out of the top slot. Tenuta's has taken over the thrown. The virgin crust is the way to go too my friends. My husband said that with one bite into that airy crust, you could taste the olive oil. I do not think I have ever had that pleasure before. There was this balance of crust, toppings, sauce, and herbs that elevated this pizza far above any of its competitors. Major kudos go to the staff at Tenuta's. After our visit, I am looking ahead on the calendar to when I may soon return. There are many potential stars on the menu that beg to be taste-tested.
(5)Brian V.
We wanted to love this cute little corner restaurant. We enjoyed the friendly service at the bar. The food was extremely disappointing. The New England clam chowder was too much like a bowl of warm milk. Both entrees were swimming in marinara sauce that seemed too much like store bought. I have had better frozen lasagna. Better choices in Bay View!
(2)Jennifer W.
Birthday Week somehow turned into Birthday Fortnight, and I went out last night with four of my favorite people for what I believe will truly be the last of this year's birthday festivities. We had all been to Tenuta's at least one time prior, and we all loved it equally, so we knew it would be a great pick. Upon arrival, there was a little snafu with our reservations. Earlier in the day, my friend Matt left a message on their voice mail with his reservation needs as instructed, and the message apparently never made its way to the hostess. Althought it was prime time on Saturday night, the hostess quickly rearranged things and made room for us in a matter of minutes. Our waiter was a great guy, with an intensity you just don't see too often. I inquired as to whether or not he had consumed a 5 hour energy drink recently, and he said he had not. I am not sure I believe him. We opted for two salads to share and two pizzas. Deciding on pizza toppings for five varying tastes can be a challenge, but we pulled through under the leadership of Matt. "It's no wonder he is management material," I quipped. The food, as always, was excellent. The waiter got wind of a birthday being celebrated and showed up with a huge, scrumpdillyicious piece of tiramisu. I made my (third) birthday wish, blew out the candle (and also blew cocoa powder all over the table) and passed it around to share with my besties. Thanks, Tenuta's, for delivering again. I'll be back. Again. And again. And again.
(5)Rosie G.
Earlier in 2011, I moved to the Bay View area of Milwaukee. Every morning on the way to work I drive by Tenuta's Restaurant and have been eyeing it up for awhile now. Last Saturday night, my boyfriend and I got a chance to try it. We went around 4pm on a Saturday night and there was no wait. Business picked up later in the evening and so we were glad to have gone earlier. The waitstaff made excellent suggestions on wine. The food was delicious! The ambiance was very relaxing. It feels good to have found a gem like this in the neighborhood.
(4)Vladimir K.
Two seperate experiences euqal the average of two stars for me here. Got pizza for takeout once: Two stars. It was like 95% dough and really, really skimpy on the toppings. I counted six entire squares that didn't even have cheese or anything on them, just bread and a little sauce. The crust tasted like the Pilsbury stuff from the can. Three slices and I felt like I ate a loaf of bread. Skimpy on the cheese, barely any toppings whatsoever. There was maybe like four artichoke peices on the entire thing and just a light sprinkle of olives. Once again half the slices on the pizza didn't even have any toppings on them. Weak. Expected a lot better for $20+. Just more proof that there is no good pizza in Milwaukee no matter what people tell me. Ate food at the bar once: Two stars. Had to listen to the jock bartender yammering away the whole time about innapropriate subjects and using foul language. Now beleive me, this sort of thing doesn't bother me in any other situation, I am a pretty offensive person myself, I curse like a sailor and say things that would make most people puke. That's fine and often hilarious in a seedy tavern or sports bar, but in a place like this, where I paid like $18 for an entree and almost as much for a glass of booze, I expect some proffessionalism and listening to this dude bitch about child molesters and prison rape (among other appetizing subjects) was kind of awkward and didn't do much for the atmosphere. Food tasted all right but looked like a pile of brown diarrhea, it was like everything on the plate seemed "squishy." Pasta, however, was perfectly cooked. Everything else went "smush, smush, smush". I really want to like this place because it's pretty nice and always smells good when you walk past it. I might try it again sometime but whatever. Tons of way better Italian places in Chicago. As far as the Milwaukee area goes though, I think Balistreri's blows this place out of the water. A lot of other people seem to think this place rules though, so judge for yourself.
(2)Steven E.
Tenuta's is located in a small former bar in Bay View. They feature home made Italian food, good wine, and great tiramisu. Prices are moderate and the food is delicious. The calamari is fresh, not frozen, and hand breaded. Pizza's are excellent with a myriad of toppings to chose from. Other item include spaghetti, fettuccini, ravioli, penne and gnocchi. This place doesn't just feel like a small neighborhood Italian restaurant like you see in the movies, it is one. Some outdoor seating is available in the summer time.
(4)Anne B.
Visited on a weeknight and was able to get a table for 2 after about a 10 minute wait at the bar, although they would have served us there if we'd like. The calamari was so-so, but the tortellini was delicious. They added shrimp to the fettucini alfredo upon request, which was nice. The service was prompt and attentive. Lovely place!
(4)Golfboy K.
This place is insanly good! Highly recommend everything on the menu since I have had just about everything. Really like the veal marsala and mushroom ravioli! Can't wait to go back!
(5)T G.
I deal in truth here. Sorry this was not a favorite for the family and I. I had found other reviews that state this is reasonably priced. I don't think $20 for a meat pizza is cheap. Nor do I think $3.00 for upgrading from a micro tiny salad to a soup is reasonable. Oh yeah $4.50 for a bowl of soup. I will say it's not all about price. My daughter thought the spaghetti ($11.00) was OK nothing to rave about. Husband got a 1/2 portion (16.00) we think of a very good dish spaghetti and sausage. 2 of us shared a large "virgin" crust pizza Meat lovers za was $19.00 and up-charged for virgin crust ($1.00). Everything is an up-charge. I can't say the service was bad, because it wasn't. The staff was fantastic.
(3)P M.
the good: -the tiramasu was very light and one of the better i have had around town -their traditional read sauce was very good, on the sweeter side -meatballs were nice, not super big, and only 2 per order but tasty and well done -ravioli de funghi was great. sweet/savory combo that works!! the bad: -server was super slow to get to us and knew it. she tried to recover but she was harried and over taxed with tables -bread was luke-warm at best, kind of stale. not what i would expect given we got there at 8 the overall: i'll go back and give it another chance. the place is very cute, has a nice neighborhood feel, great prices and good food. a place like this can be great if they get the execution of the details down. one note, the owner, or who i thought was the owner, was around. he was not very friendly or approachable. he kind of skulked around the restaurant and scowled at different things.
(3)cakemouth c.
I had an evening to kill while waiting for a flight, and a friend rescued me for dinner. I am SO grateful that she took me here, on the first official night of my vacation! What a great beginning! She had the Gnocchi Funghi, which I had been considering, and it was fabulous- perfect gnocchi, not too starchy, nice mushroom cream sauce. I had the Marsala Ravioli de Funghi, and it was phenomenal! OH man- that was one of the best dishes I've had in a LONG time! Shallot, white wine and mushroom stuffed ravioli, with the sweetest, most lovely marsala sauce and sun dried tomatoes. OH- perfect! The salad left a bit to be desired, thus the 4 rather than 5 star review.
(4)Nicole D.
We had a very nice and polite waitress, so the service end was lovely. The food was unfortunate. I ordered a cream pasta dish with pork medallions. I rarely order pork in restaurants because it's always dry. I decided it was time to try it once more. When the dish came, I knew just from looking at the hockey pucks that they were way over cooked. I was right. The pasta underneath was good, though, so I ate that and left all the pork. I felt bad leaving all that food but it was probably the worst cooked pork I've ever had. Ever. Barely chewable. Previous to the entree I had ordered the special ceasar salad instead of the mix salad that comes with the meal. I left most of that on the plate as well because it tasted literally like nothing. Then my mom ordered a chocolate cake, it was very dry. We barely touched it, and it was a huge piece. I don't think I will be back. I really did like our waitress, though, she was very nice and knowledgeable but unfortunately I was really there for the food.
(2)Scott H.
A truly excellent Italian restaurant tucked back in my favorite neighborhood on the south side of Milwaukee (Bay View). I had been intrigued by this place for months before my party of four found ourselves a bit tired and hungry before our long drive back to Chicago. Tenuta's greeted us on a Sunday night with wonderful aromas and a friendly host. The beer and wine by the glass selections were reasonable and satisfying. The calamari appetizer was prepared to spec and enjoyed by all. Half of us tried a Classic pizza and the others tried pasta dishes (Carbonara and a Gnocchi dish). All were served promptly and thoroughly pleased each diner. The service was great and we all left knowing we'd soon return. Definitely a place worth seeking out while enjoying the Bay View area.
(4)Peter F.
Never been disappointed here. Great staff, and the food is never the real "heavy" Italian variety. Portion sizes are just perfect. Sleeper pizza here as well... don't be afraid to try.
(4)Christopher H.
I live very close to Tenuta's and I would love it if this ended up being one of my favorite restaurants. But I'm going to say that it is only ok. I have tried the pizza (not great but ok), the chicken alfredo (better than the pizza but still only ok), and a chocolate "volcano" dessert (good). Some things that happened that bothered me a bit. We ordered the chicken alfredo right off the menu and the waitress said, "We don't have alfredo," with attitude. Ok I except her explanation that it was a new menu and she wasn't familiar with it yet, but why talk to us like we are stupid? The other thing that bothered me was when 2 bus boys/cooks started bringing chairs and tables in from the side door. Now Tenuta's is a tiny place and a few times I actually had to duck to not get hit in the head. It wasn't even crowded. Why not wait till there are less people to do your table moving? Ok maybe I'm being picky but then that's what happens when I go out to a restaurant. I judge it on everything that happens that night. I will give Tenuta's more chances but they haven't impressed me yet.
(3)Alex W.
Really nice little neighborhood place. The other reviews are accurate; friendly staff with better than expected food for a seemingly out of the way spot. Worth a stop for locals and vistors alike.
(4)Balki B.
I just thrive on these little hidden establishments. Pretty good little menu they have, and a nice place just to side at the bar and sip a few glasses of vino. I almost forgot about this one.
(4)P C.
definitely the best Italian place in milwaukee, take it from me!
(5)