Family-owned restaurants have a special place in my heart -- it's warming to see the owners rubbing elbows with their housemates and siblings, working together for what, in these types of establishments, is most definitely a passion.

Marchese's Olive Pit, 1100 S. 1st St., in the former Lava Java Walker's Point location, is such a place, opened by Gina and Lisa Marchese (pronounced mar-KAY-say) and staffed with close friends and family members who all bring their homemade pizza to life. And while service here is relaxed, the warmth of the owners and staff have made this one of my new favorite haunts for pizza in the Milwaukee area.

Marchese's is not an option for those of us who are rushed, because each pizza is hand made to order, sometimes even by your own waitperson. The menu, which offers a salad, and several pizza options may seem sparse, but it will purposefully stay small while Gina and Lisa build the basic business with the goal to add additional items including appetizers (a kalamata and green olive tapenade is rumored to be in the works) and desserts in the near future.

But, to pizza purists, it is all about the crust, sauce and toppings anyway, and the pizza here is good enough and priced inexpensively enough that business has already started pouring through the doors. Add to that solid, reasonably priced wine and beer selections, and owners who take the time to stop by your table in-between taking orders and baking pizzas and you've entered the Olive Pit.

True to name, many of the Olive Pit's standard selections offer olives in either black or green form or both, and true to their neighborhood feel, prices here won't break the bank. A small pizza at the Olive Pit will easily feed three people, and comes in under $14; larges feed five or six people and all fall under $17.

On three separate visits, we sampled Murry Mushroom Trio ($14, small) Pesto Pizza ($14), a basic cheese pizza ($10) and Gina's Pizza (green olives, black olives, sausage, cheese) with pepperoni and mushrooms added.

The Mushroom and the Pesto pizza came without Olive Pit's red sauce and were a bit bland for our carnivorous tastes, but the crust here is good, and we could tell the toppings were fresh; to us, they would be a good reorder option for an appetizer selection as well possibly with a side of their pizza sauce or wonderful herbed olive oil, as the menu continues to grow.

The cheese pizza was a huge hit with two child dining companions, and Gina's Pizza with our own additions (added toppings are $1-$1.50 apiece) undoubtedly gives the Olive Pit a place as one of Milwaukee's better corner pizza joint finds. Gina's pizza was enough to draw us back for another visit for that pizza alone, and also to see what Lisa's or Bartender Dan's wine recommendation was for the day -- Thursday nights offer buy a bottle of wine, get a discount on a pizza.

We were also touched by the fact that when our toddler saw a strawberry in one of the coolers, Gina went to the back kitchen to get him his own large, bright red, juicy strawberry for dessert, a nice little touch that embodies the homey feel at Olive Pit.

Marchese's Olive Pit will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, May 19, but doors are open for business now, and lunch options include full pizzas or pizza by the slice. Carryout orders are welcomed and you may want to call ahead for lunch if you are on a limited time frame, but if you have some time and are craving a good, solid, homemade pizza in a cozy neighborhood pizzeria, the Olive Pit is well worth the wait.

8 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

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Posted by dionysusmilw on July 9, 2007 at 4:00 p.m. (report)

I absolutely LOVE this place. They've got a great location, with a great atmosphere. They have a friendly staff, and the pizza is just about the best I've had. Plus, they play great music, and usually have an excellent mob movie on the TV's. You need to try this place.

Posted by copr25 on May 5, 2007 at 3:35 a.m. (report)

I went there and was very pleased with my experience. Jenn our server was very knowledgeable and was great with food and beer selection. Some of the best pizza in the city. Looking foward to going back!

Posted by Rick on April 25, 2007 at 1:37 a.m. (report)

My girlfriend and I have been to The Olive Pit quite a bit since it opened because we really love the pizza. The crust is thin without being dry and burnt and there's a pretty good selection of classic toppings (no lame gimmicks). My favorite is Doc's Garden and my girlfriend is partial to the olive pizza (forgot the name). Atmosphere is nice and relaxed. Very cool place.

Posted by Gregg03flhrci on April 24, 2007 at 5:31 p.m. (report)

My girlfriend and I have been to the Olive Pit thrice since they have opened and we have been delighted with the experience everytime. The atmosphere is warm, the staff very friendly, the bar spacious, and their pizza ranks among the top three that I have enjoyed in Milwaukee. I am already looking forward to rolling up to their patio this summer while out and about on the bike. Gregg & Trish

Posted by deedlej on April 24, 2007 at 9:10 a.m. (report)

I've visited the Olive pit on both weekends and weeknights and found the service to be both attentive and quite friendly. I've never had what I thought was a long wait for my pizza, but feel it would be well worth the wait if it was super busy. (especially for the white pizza....)