Pizza Man 1800 E. North Ave. (414) 272-1745 Open daily

Like an aging Baby Boomer, that is a little worn around the edges after a continuous 30-year party, Pizza Man stands tall. Little has changed inside this eastside landmark in the past three decades. The rugged woodwork and hard wooden benches have supported some of the best seats in Milwaukee as they come in quest of one of the best pizzas in town and a little "wine101" as Pizza Man now offers over 300 California wines by the glass.

After 30 years on the east side, Pizza Man attracts a most unusual cast of characters. Professionals, college types, daters, wine geeks and almost anyone is likely to be setting next to you. Pizza and good wine is the common denominator here.

This is indeed the house that pizza built. The foundation of the extensive menu revolves around a thin crusted beauty that is aged a few days before hitting the oven, The end result is a crisp, almost translucent crust with a yeasty flavor that holds up to an almost endless variety of toppings. Our favorite is the artichoke tomato and cream cheese combo and the fresh spinach with tomatoes is also very good. Now, man does not live on pizza alone and the menu is loaded with a few surprises. The Escargot offers six chewy snails immersed in a rich bath of garlic butter and is served with wedges of crisp garlic bread. There's a number of pastas, The chicken with artichokes is our favorite and Pizza Man's ribs are good as well.

Moderate.

A full bar, but wine is the star of the show. Three hundred, that's right, 300, bottles of often obscure California wine are available by the bottle or by the glass. Forget the pretensions, Pizza Man is a great place to learn and explore. Spend a little or spend a lot, it's simply one of the best places in the city to enjoy a glass of wine.