Chef Zak Baker on cooking in Milwaukee the way they really do in Italy

Chef Zak Baker cooks what he calls Midwest Italian and it's unlike anything most folks have ever had before. It began when he first went to Italy and was thrilled by the food, but also surprised. He'd never had anything like it at any Italian restaurant he'd visited in America. He returned to cook in Italy again and again. And that’s what inspires him at his Milwaukee restaurant Ca'Lucchenzo, where he’s serving dishes created with traditional Italian techniques and flavors, but using the best ingredients of the Midwest. It got him named a 2026 James Beard Awards finalist.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices