The kitchen at The Eatery on Farwell, 2014 N. Farwell Ave., has such long hours that it can really boast something for almost everyone, and at almost any time of day.
The restaurant opens at 8 a.m. weekdays (9 a.m. weekends) and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The kitchen's open until 1 a.m.
While not everything is available all day at The Eatery – which has a nice raised patio out front that's covered in the cool weather – there is some opportunity to delay – or get in early – for one's meal. Breakfast, for example, is available until 3 p.m. And the dinner menu is also available at lunch.
I stopped in on a Friday, of course, so I could try the fish fry ($10.95) and I was pleasantly surprised by what must certainly be one of the better batter fries on the East Side.
The plate comes packed with fish – four big pieces of cod – in a batter that has a nice peppery finish. For a battered fish fry, The Eatery's example is also on the less-greasy side, which is always a plus.
Arranged across the top of the plate are three dipping bowls with ketchup for the fries (you can choose fries, steak fries or a baked potato), a pickle-y tasting tartar sauce (I liked it, but I like pickles) and a really creamy, sweet, almost milky-tasting coleslaw.
My only, ahem, beef with the fry was that the super thick-cut steak fries were a little underdone, making them a bit hard. Next time, I'd likely opt for the garden-variety french fries.
When I stopped in at about noon, there was a bit of a short-lived dip and the restaurant and bar was pretty quiet. But owner Ryan Oschmann assured me that when a restaurant is open from 8 a.m. until 1 a.m., there are always highs and lows.
And he was right.
By the time I finished and walked back out into the damp afternoon, The Eatery was doing a brisk lunch business.
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.
