Yesterday, Milwaukee lost a dining landmark -- or two, Grecian Delight was more than a little beloved, too. By afternoon owner Deanna Amidzich posted a query to her Facebook friends.
At 2:44 p.m., she asked "Rebuild? Retire? Your vote is:"
Aside from the usual quippy comments you'd expect on Facebook, most responders replied something like "REBUILD!!" That's what I wrote.
I wish I could say I have a touching memory of Pizza Man, like Molly Snyder Edler's, which she shared in a blog yesterday on OnMilwaukee.com. I don't.
I wish I could say I have a hilarious one. Nope.
Really, I just remember Pizza Man for being there and for dishing up quality food.
Of course, I remember going there a lot in the '80s and early '90s -- when I lived nearby -- to eat, seated with a big group in the front corner or with just a friend or two in a darker, cozier booth toward the kitchen.
I remember the wooden bus stop benches advertising the restaurant that used to be at the intersection of Cambridge, Brady and Farwell.
One of my most recent visits was also one of the most fun. My co-workers and I sat in an otherwise empty restaurant as the Pizza Man staff unveiled its entry in our Slice of Milwaukee contest. Pizza Man's entry -- although it didn't win -- came in a very, very close second.
I didn't go to Pizza Man on graduation night and I didn't have my first date there with my wife. But I loved it as a Milwaukee icon, a stalwart, a place you could always go and get a great pizza, an interesting glass of wine and enjoy a fun atmosphere.
So, Deanna, I say again, "Rebuild!!"
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.
