> Divine Dining: A student's guide to dining out

Traditionally, hamburgers are cuisine for the casual diner. Resting in between two pieces of bread is a thick and juicy patty just waiting for consumption.

Slap on a piece of American cheese and whatever choice of condiments desired, and you have yourself a cheeseburger.

Bayou Restaurant and Lounge has been the talk of the town long before it opened its doors on Sept. 10. Specializing in Cajun-fusion cuisine, Bayou is the first eatery of its kind in this area and Milwaukeeans cannot seem to get enough.

Walking into the lobby at 2060 N. Humboldt Blvd., I saw an empty host stand — not a good first impression. I looked around the partition into the dining room and every single table was filled. Every single server was fleeing around the floor, in a neat and professional matter, accommodating their tables.

I always thought of Downer Avenue as a Saturday morning kind of street. Families taking their kids on walks with the dog down the picturesque avenue on a sunny day. On the way stopping at Starbucks for an espresso, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop for the latest best seller and Sendik“s for the fresh fruit of the season.

Now, ever since December 2006, Downer Avenue can add one more hotspot to its list: Café Hollander.

The Friday night fish fry is one of Milwaukee“s longest running traditions. Trekking out to your neighborhood bar and grill every Friday night during Lent to get your fried cod, coleslaw and rye bread is cherished tradition for many families.

This year, leave your traditional ways behind by dining at a sushi restaurant each Friday evening. With little to no non-seafood meat items on any sushi menu, the faithful fish fry consumer will have no qualms with their entrée.

Dear Divine Dining Readers,

I am writing to inform you that I will not be doing a restaurant review for the next three weeks. There will be nothing to report to you as I will not be eating out for the next 14 days.

Day 1:

I officially started the Master Cleanse today. I was a bit apprehensive and when I went to the kitchen to make my first drink this morning at 9:30 a.m., I got freaked out.

As children, we are all taught by our mothers to not put our elbows on the table and to chew with our mouths closed. But did she ever teach you how to hold a wine glass properly or which fork to use first?(she doesnt tell us this) Unless you are the offspring of Julia Child, probably not. Next time you are at a restaurant, impress your fellow eating companions with your new and improved knowledge of dining etiquette.

There are so many reasons to be excited for springtime in Milwaukee: driving with my windows down, taking a jog down Lake Drive and finally putting on that cute cotton dress after the longest winter I have seen in my life.

Yet, despite the on again off again spring-like weather we have been having lately, nothing welcomes in the beautiful weather like outdoor dining.

Pizza has never been my thing. Call me crazy (and most people do), but I just could never hop onto the pizza bandwagon. When I was in high school I developed a phobia of the family pleasing dinner time, or really anytime, meal.

I went on a health craze and thought that nothing good can come of this 360 degree cheese-infested meal. It wasnt until I really started to read up on healthy eating that I realized pizza, if made with the right ingredients and consumed in moderate portions, is not a bad option.

Whenever I go to a restaurant that I have eaten at before and I just about have the menu memorized, I always know what I am going to order before I step foot in the door.

Often described as one of Milwaukee's hidden treasures, Nessun Dorma is in a class all its own.

Nessun Dorma, which in Italian means "none shall sleep," was transformed from a drab corner bar to an earthy, candlelit haven where classy jazz piano flows from the sound system. Owners Joe Gilsdorf and Dean Cannestro had visions of an intense wine and beer menu with panini and antipasti so full of rich ingredients, an Italian would feel right at home.