Located along the banks of the Sheboygan River in the South Pier District, Harry’s Prohibition Bistro is a 1920’s-era eatery serving up great Italian food and Old World charm.
The main dining room transports patrons back in time to the days of flappers and bootleggers with dark lighting, flickering lanterns and staff donning black ensembles with signature red fedoras. One can almost picture Al Capone sipping an aperitivo at the gold leaf-embedded bar top. This place really is the cat’s meow!
Other dining spaces include the dockside patio perfect for watching the river and summertime boats float by or the patio that is now fully enclosed, heated and ready for year-round dining. The outside spaces are reminiscent of a coastal fishing town: seagulls overhead, families eating ice cream and couples strolling hand-in-hand. Are we still in Wisconsin?
Harry’s Prohibition Bistro is a family affair. Started in 2013 by Harry Latifi (pictured at top of page), his son Adrian took over as owner and head chef in early 2021 after attending culinary school. Chef Adrian’s menu combines tried-and-true Italian classics with unique twists like the burrata brulee appetizer featuring ooey gooey burrata wrapped in house-made mozzarella with tomatoes and garlic, all baked in a wood-fired oven. Other popular appetizers include a freshly fried focaccia fritta with pesto and its must-have light, crusty and chewy bread or the steaming cast iron mussels that arrive tableside piping hot and sizzling.
The heart of the menu is the authentic wood-fired 12-in. Neapolitan pizza made with the freshest ingredients around. Only a handful of restaurants in Wisconsin are certified makers of Neapolitan pizza, Harry’s Prohibition Bistro being one. Pizzas must follow strict rules set by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN) including specific ingredients, dough, size, how it’s sliced and how it’s cooked (among additional rules). The cooking must be done exclusively in a wood-fired oven. Harry’s authentic red wood-fired oven was handcrafted in Naples, Italy. The open-air kitchen allows diners to watch the pizza oven magic.
Guests can choose from classic pizza flavors like Margherita, four cheese and vegetable or enjoy bold flavors like Marsala beef, truffle with portabella mushroom, hot-and-spicy soppressata or a unique walnut pizza made with fontina cheese and whipped creamed cheese. Satiate your sweet tooth with the campfire pizza made with peanut butter, Nutella, toasty marshmallows and panna cotta. A nice selection of pasta, soup and salads round out this well-throughout menu.
All dishes pair well with a nice selection of domestic and international wines by the glass or bottle and a Wisconsin-heavy draft beer list, including Sheboygan’s own 3 Sheeps Brewing Company.
Head to the bar for an after-dinner digestive like housemade Limoncello (ready after a five- to seven-month resting period). Bright and delicious, it tastes like the first day of summer. Try the Nocino, a traditional Italian liqueur made from green, unripe walnuts, or the chef’s suggested Paper Plane cocktail made with bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino and lemon juice.
Harry’s Prohibition Bistro has several communal food-and-wine pairing events each year as well as $5 select wines on Wine Wednesday. Harry’s is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 5 to 9 p.m., and does not take reservations.
For more information about Harry’s Prohibition Bistro, visit harrysprohibitionbistro.com.
668 S. Pier Dr.
Sheboygan, WI 53081