After months of silence and a seeming lack of activity, the first Wisconsin location for Pizano’s Pizza & Pasta is back on track with construction at its new location at 1154 N. Water St. on the ground level of the MSOE Grohmann Tower apartments.
When the popular Chicago-based restaurant announced its intentions to move into downtown Milwaukee, they initially forecasted an opening in late spring or early summer of 2015. However, owner Rudy Malnati Jr. notes that construction delays pushed back the project timeline. The restaurant is now hoping to open sometime in June.
Malnati noted that work on the HVAC and ventilation systems has been completed, and materials have been dropped for internal walls, which will begin to be assembled this week.
Upon completion, the restaurant will largely resemble its Chicago-based counterparts, notes Malnati, with a menu that includes both deep dish and thin crust pizzas, along with pasta, salads, entrees and sandwiches.
In terms of atmosphere, Malnati notes that the Milwaukee location will feature both a bar and separate dining area, as well as a sizeable banquet space. Televisions will be installed so that customers can watch games, and sports memorabilia will don the walls. The restaurant is expected to seat over 200 guests. Carry-out options will also be available.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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