Dining - May 22, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Antonio's Pizza
On my many visits to the east side, I've driven past the intersection of Weil and Locust. I've noticed a pizzeria there before, but a few months ago, I noticed a name change. Antonio "Tony" Balsamo opened Antonio's Pizza, 1000 E. Locust St., around two months ago. I decided to stop in and see if he had the perfect pizza for me.

Dining - May 15, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Pietro's Pizza
The story of Pietro's starts with Filippo Tarantino who worked as a baker in Sicily and moved to the United States in 1959. He found his way to Milwaukee and worked for Grebe's Bakery until 1973 when he accumulated enough savings to open Pietro's Pizza, named after one of his sons.

Dining - May 8, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Filippo's
Filippo's Italian Restaurant, 6915 W. Lincoln Ave., is one of the many pizzerias on Lincoln Avenue that I've alluded to in past blogs. Several people have been asking when I was going to visit Filippo's, so I stopped in on a slow night to try the sausage, mushroom and onion on thin crust and a sausage and pepperoni on the regular hand-tossed pizza.

Dining - May 1, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Bobbana's Pizza
Five years ago, Manual Castellanos, Jr. was looking for a new opportunity after working as an auto worker at a GM plant. He found Bobanna's for sale so he and his family made the purchase. I decided to stop in and check out the Hawaiian pizza and Meat Lovers pizza.

Dining - April 24, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Gianelli's
The Bonanza Shopping Center is not even a glimmer of what it once was, but Gianelli's Pizza and Chicken Man are doing their best to keep some life in the building, and I think they're doing a good job. They blew me away with the texture and sweetness of their handmade sauce - and did I mention there were strips of bacon on my pizza?

Dining - April 17, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Ferrante's
In 1938, newlyweds Rosalie and Alex Ferrante established the first Ferrante's Restaurant in central Milwaukee. A friend and I decided to check out the popular restaurant opened by their kids in Mequon, and we were pleasantly surprised by a Texas Ranch Pizza.

Dining - April 10, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Papa Luigi's
I stopped in to the Cudahy location of Papa Luigi's Pizza, owned by Salvatore Purpora and his family. Customer service is a priority here, and I wanted to check out Papa Luigi's mysterious secret blend of spices.

Dining - April 4, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Sofia's Restaurant
Selman "Sal" Ismaili, Sr. moved here from Europe in 1973. Between 1973 and 1982, he worked in machine shops and restaurants until he bought Pizza Chef (now Sofia's) in 1982. Due to his passion for food, he created and developed his own recipes, via trial and error, until he was happy with the results.

Dining - March 27, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Armeli's
Native Sicilian Anthony "Tony" Armeli opened his restaurant in 1988 and still owns it today. The restaurant serves up a hearty Sunday night buffet featuring pizza, pasta, and broasted chicken. But their thin crust pizza must be seen - and eaten - to be believed.

Dining - March 20, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Lisa's
Lisa's pizza is a thing of beauty. If you like thin crust pizza, then you should visit soon. It's on my list of favorites and probably will be for as long as it's open.

Dining - March 13, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Buddy's Pizza & Steak
Buddy's Pizza & Steak, 6239 N. Teutonia Ave., opened last summer and can be easy to miss if you're not looking for it. I decided to stop in and try their Philly steak pizza (curiously, one of the only steak items on the menu) and the Mexican pizza.

Dining - March 6, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Andrea's Pizza
It's fun to find a quality food in the middle of an old strip mall. Andrea's Pizza and Restaurant did not disappoint. Their homemade sauce alone was enough to make me want to come back for another visit.

Dining - Feb. 27, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Big Ebe's
In 1978 Frank Ebert, aka "Big Ebe," grew tired of the construction business and decided to get into the restaurant business. He opened Big Ebe's Pizza, 9125 W. Lincoln Ave., and 35 years later, business is still going strong. I stopped in to try a few pizzas on a busy weekend.

Dining - Feb. 20, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Maria's Pizza
Maria's Pizza has been a Milwaukee staple since 1957, but this was my first visit here. The homey pizzeria is family owned and operated, and I was excited to put their legendary pizza to the test.

Dining - Feb. 15, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Le Cakery Cafe & Pizzeria
Le Cakery? That sounds like the name of a bakery. Well, it is, but it's also a café with a unique menu.

Dining - Feb. 6, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Tanino's
The story of how Tanino's came to be is a great example of why I write these blogs. Frank Laffranchini immigrated to New York from Italy in 1973. Now he's the owner of his own Milwaukee pizzeria.

Dining - Jan. 30, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Schneider's
Schneider's intrigued me with its low prices and thick, spicy pizza sauce. But I had to remember: you get what you pay for.

Dining - Jan. 24, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Trattoria di Carlo
With a little help from his family, first-generation Sicilian-American Carlo Pedone opened Trattoria di Carlo on Howell Avenue 10 years ago. I stopped by to check out the Barbecue Chicken Pizza.

Dining - Jan. 16, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Barbiere's
Barbiere's longevity is impressive given its proximity to another popular Italian restaurant with two locations just a few blocks away. Barbiere's website explains it is about "Family, Superb Food and Quality Ingredients." I guess there is enough business to go around if you produce a quality product.

Dining - Jan. 11, 2013
In search of the perfect pizza: Klasiana
Across from the south end of Southridge Mall is a strip mall where I noticed "PIZZA" in large red letters. I went in for a closer look and found the name "Klasiana" next to those letters. Ylli Proko started Klasiana over six years ago, and it the business has become a family effort with a diverse menu.