Sanford
Wisconsin
Sanford occupies the former D'Amato family grocery shop on Milwaukee's North Jackson Street. Sandy and Angie D'Amato opened the restaurant there in 1989, and Justin and Sarah Aprahamian took over in 2012, preserving a direct line between its founding and current kitchen. The dining programme offers several lengths of meal, including a four-course menu and a seven-course surprise tasting. That choice lets guests decide how far to follow the kitchen's exploration. Justin has also developed the beer programme, with rotating seasonal choices and a cellar selection of aged bottles. The restaurant's former Italian-neighbourhood setting and continuing team give its evolution a strong local foundation.