If you read my blogs - and let's admit it, how could you not?! Heh heh -- you know I'm a big fan of breakfast. Sure, not as much as my father-in-law, who -- if it's true that you are what you eat -- is now 90% bacon and eggs on the inside, but I like it a lot.
The closing of Heinemann's robbed us of one of our go-to weekend breakfast joints, so I'm always on the lookout for new ones. Last Friday, a friend suggested we try his favorite, Penelope's, 13425 Watertown Plank Rd., in Elm Grove, owned by Penelope and Louie Demakopoulos.
So, this weekend, we discovered Elm Grove's worst-kept secret. I say worst-kept because during our hour or so there, we ran into two groups of people we know. Obviously, we were the only ones not in on the Penelope's secret.
Plus, OnMilwaukee.com's Drew Olson wrote about the place last year, so I have no real excuse.
Penelope's serves Starbucks coffee -- which was free this weekend because the restaurant is celebrating its ninth birthday -- which beats food service coffee hands down.
Otherwise, the décor, the service and the menu are much like those at similar Greek-run family restaurants around town. That is, it has friendly -- and fast -- service, good food and reasonable prices. We paid $22 for more food than two adults and a toddler could finish.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
