07/03/2026
I’m so excited to be featured in the Festa Italiana Cucina Showcase again this year!
I do want to make one clarification. I had the privilege of working for many years at Sanford Restaurant, Mistral, and Blue's Egg + Bakery, and I consider each of them part of my family. While my experience there gave me a deep appreciation for exceptional food and hospitality, I did not work in the kitchen.
The chefs at these incredible restaurants are extraordinarily talented, and I want to be sure they receive full credit for their craft and accomplishments. It has been an honor to work alongside such amazing teams, and I'm grateful for everything I learned from them.
Cucina Showcase Chef Highlight!
Petra Orlowski is the chef, pasta maker, and co-owner of Semolina (Semolina MKE), an artisanal pasta shop and Italian market located in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood. Deeply inspired by her Sicilian heritage and her grandmother's traditional Sunday dinners, the Bay View native honed her culinary skills in prominent local kitchens—including Sanford, Mistral, and Blue's Egg—before launching Semolina with her husband, Andy, in October 2021. Today, she crafts exceptional, regionally distinct fresh and dried pastas using custom bronze dies and a blend of organic local and heritage grains. Beyond retail, Orlowski fosters a vibrant community space centered on education, hosting intimate, hands-on pasta-making classes and her "Sunday Supper with Zia P" communal dining series, which celebrate the art of scratch cooking and authentic Italian flavors.
