"You never know what your chances are at a casino, but at Wild Earth, one of Potawatomi Bingo Casino's new casual restaurants, the odds are pretty good that you'll be served a well-crafted meal paying tribute to the gifts of the earth.

This 125-seat dining room, an oasis of calm at the casino, reflects the earth, too - from smooth river rocks mortared on columns to the wooden tables polished to a high sheen. Running a finger over them is irresistible. In the background, the open kitchen's stainless steel gleams. Only the diner-retro salt and pepper shakers seem out of place in this otherwise sleek décor.

Back to the earth on the menu - appropriate for a restaurant, open since August, that's owned by the Forest County Potawatomi tribe. Main courses are grouped under the elements of Water, Land and Fire, and each category had standouts.

Head chef Audrey Vandenburgh will be making her imprint on that menu; it's switching to one more appropriate for winter on Dec. 1 and expanding offerings, too.

The focus, though, will remain on the "true flavors of food," Vandenburgh said by phone. She previously was at the Pfister and Lake Park Bistro."

Get the Story:
Every earthly reason to visit (The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel 11/21)