Sanford Restaurant

Sanford Restaurant After 36 years, Sanford continues to welcome our guests with open arms and delicious food. Jackson St.
(740)

Sandy D’Amato grew up in Milwaukee, where his father and grandfather operated a grocery store for nearly 80 years. He attended the Culinary Institute of America where he studied under Chef Peter Von Erp. Shortly thereafter he became the first American cook at Le Veau d’Or and worked under Chef Roland Chenus through the groundbreaking opening of Le Chantilly. D’Amato returned to Milwaukee and made his mark as the chef at John Byron’s restaurant in the First Wisconsin Center. In 1989, D’Amato and his wife, Angie, opened Sanford Restaurant in the building that formerly housed the family grocery store at 1547 N. The restaurant quickly became regarded as one of the best in the Midwest, earning accolades from Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & W**e, Esquire, W**e Spectator, Zagat Guide, AAA and Best Chef: Midwest from the James Beard Foundation. D’Amato has cooked for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, was one of 12 chefs chosen by Julia Child herself to cook for her 80th birthday celebration and was chosen to cook for the Dalai Lama in 2007. In December of 2012 Sandy and Angie sold Sanford to their longtime Chef De Cuisine Justin Aprahamian. He and wife Sarah, who is also a long time employee of Sanford, continue to run the restaurant with the friends they have been working side by side with for years. They embrace the traditions that have been laid before them and are excited to continue to grow and evolve in the coming years.

Join us in wishing Chefs Josh (9/26) and Jay (9/28) a happy birthday! We are grateful to have a team that brings joy, pa...
09/26/2026

Join us in wishing Chefs Josh (9/26) and Jay (9/28) a happy birthday!

We are grateful to have a team that brings joy, passion, kindness, and balance to us.

Nothing says happy birthday quite like a plate full of 4 different desserts to celebrate 🤩

Who can guess what Chef Jay was laughing at here?

We have an exciting October! We hope you can join us for our special dinners next month. October 7th we have our Belgian...
09/24/2026

We have an exciting October!
We hope you can join us for our special dinners next month.

October 7th we have our Belgian B**r Dinner
AND
October 20th you can join us for another w**e dinner, featuring special guest Giovanna Garesio!

Our second dinner takes us to Piedmont, Italy on October 20th, featuring the w**es of Garesio Vini, a family-run w**ery based in Serralunga d’Alba.

The Garesio family started making w**e in 2010 and has since built an estate across several parts of Piedmont, including vineyards in the heart of Barolo. Their approach is thoughtful and relatively hands-off, with a focus on organic farming and letting the character of each vineyard come through in the w**es.

Giovanna Garesio will join us for the evening to share more about the w**ery and each of the w**es, paired with a multi-course Italian-inspired menu from our chef, Justin Aprahamian.

Reservations are live! Call to book yours now.
414.276.9608

We’re so excited to share this evening with you all. Our friends over at Discount Liquor Milwaukee have an awesome lineu...
09/23/2026

We’re so excited to share this evening with you all.
Our friends over at Discount Liquor Milwaukee have an awesome lineup for us, and our chefs can’t wait to share their menu with you all.

Reservations are available!
$185/per guest, all inclusive

Your reservation includes the reception, five-course dinner with b**r pairings, valet parking, tax, and gratuity. We’ll take care of the rest — just come ready to enjoy the evening!

Call to reserve
414.276.9608

NEW B**r Dinner Alert! Wednesday October 7th Doors open at 6 for a receptionDinner starts at 6:30$185/person all inclusi...
09/15/2026

NEW B**r Dinner Alert!

Wednesday October 7th
Doors open at 6 for a reception
Dinner starts at 6:30
$185/person all inclusive

Communal seating, come hungry and ready to make some new friends.

We had such a good time at our last Belgian B**r Dinner that we decided to do it again—with a completely new lineup of Belgian b**rs and a new menu to pair with them.

We’re teaming up again with Discount Liquor and a few of our local Belgian b**r experts, with a Belgian-inspired menu from our kitchen team. Throughout the evening, we’ll taste our way through some really interesting (and delicious!) b**rs and dishes and learn a little more about each pairing along the way.

Call to reserve
414.276.9608

This one’s a throw back to 1991 when we had a very special guest join us for dinner. Julia Child joined us in 1991 when ...
09/02/2026

This one’s a throw back to 1991 when we had a very special guest join us for dinner.

Julia Child joined us in 1991 when the Milwaukee Chapter of the American Institute of Food & W**e hosted a “Weekend with Julia Child” featuring cooking demonstrations and classes with the icon herself.

After she’d go on to select our namesake, who many of you know and love, Sandy [Sanford] D’Amato as one of 12 chefs to come and cook for her 80th birthday dinner.

Some of you may recognize another special face in this photo.

If you guessed Ralph, you’d be correct!
If you’ve dined at Sanford at any point since we opened our doors, you have likely either come across or had the pleasure of being served by Ralph.

While he’s cut back largely on how much he works, Ralph still graces us with his presence once a week, give or take. We are so lucky to have him.

We launched our newest Exploration Menu this week! Inspired by, and created in loving memory of Sarah’s Aunt Judy. Join ...
08/27/2026

We launched our newest Exploration Menu this week!

Inspired by, and created in loving memory of Sarah’s Aunt Judy.

Join us for this extra special treat Tuesdays-Thursdays now through September 17th.

Call for reservations
414.276.9608

There are a handful of spots left for our Portugal W**e Dinner next month on September 9th. Call to reserve your spot no...
08/19/2026

There are a handful of spots left for our Portugal W**e Dinner next month on September 9th.

Call to reserve your spot now!
414.276.9608

Join us on Tuesdays-Thursdays now through August 21st for our Wisconsin State Fair inspired Exploration menu.Call to res...
08/12/2026

Join us on Tuesdays-Thursdays now through August 21st for our Wisconsin State Fair inspired Exploration menu.

Call to reserve

414.276.9608

Our next w**e dinner just went live, and we can’t wait to host you. $185 per person, all inclusive. Your reservation inc...
08/11/2026

Our next w**e dinner just went live, and we can’t wait to host you.

$185 per person, all inclusive.
Your reservation includes the reception, five-course dinner with w**e pairings, valet parking, tax, and gratuity. We’ll take care of the rest — just come ready to enjoy the evening!

First time at one of our w**e dinners? Here’s what you need to know:

Doors open at 6:00pm
Arrive early and enjoy a glass of w**e and a snack and mingle with your fellow w**e lovers before finding your seat.

Seating is communal! So whether you’re coming solo or with a friend, we’re all friends for the evening (and maybe beyond!)

Dinner starts at 6:30

Chef Justin will talk briefly about each course, the inspiration he pulled from or how it’s made, or sometimes why this dish vs something else. Then Les will talk us through the w**e pairing, a little bit about where it’s from, or why he thought it paired nicely.

Call for reservations Tuesdays-Saturdays after 1:00pm
Payment will be taken at the time of booking, however,
your card will not be charged until Tuesday, September 8th

And in case you missed it, here’s a little blurb from Sarah and Justin that went out with our email about it:

This year, we’ve had the opportunity to explore w**es from some of the world’s most compelling yet often overlooked regions. We’ve loved sharing these discoveries with you and creating menus inspired by the w**es, the places they come from, and the traditions behind them. We’re excited to continue that journey with an evening celebrating the w**es and flavors of Portugal.

Join us for a menu inspired by the regional cooking traditions of Portugal, paired with w**es from across the country. Throughout the evening, Les Huisman will guide you through each pour, sharing the stories and character behind the w**e.

Seating is communal, so expect great food, great w**e, and great conversation around the table all evening long.

We look forward to raising a glass with you!

Sarah and Justin

Seared duck breast in a bright Thai green curry, alongside shrimp dumplings, grilled bok choy, and fresh market tomatoes...
08/02/2026

Seared duck breast in a bright Thai green curry, alongside shrimp dumplings, grilled bok choy, and fresh market tomatoes

Grilled caraflex cabbage in a creamy Mysost sauce, with spruce tip oil, pickled red currants, ale bloomed mustard seeds, finished with finely shaved venison heart pastrami and fresh herbs

Address

1547 N Jackson Street
Milwaukee, WI
53202

Opening Hours

Tuesday 5:30pm - 9pm
Wednesday 5:30pm - 9pm
Thursday 5:30pm - 9pm
Friday 5:30pm - 10pm
Saturday 5pm - 10pm

Telephone

+14142789608

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