One of our favorite Milwaukee-isms here in the OnMilwaukee.com editorial office is the Brew City penchant for adding an "s" to the names of local businesses that don't really have them. As in, "let's have a coffee at Alterra's," or, "I sure miss Schwartz's."
Some of you already know that yesterday Drew Olson and I flew to Atlanta so that we could meet comedian Mark Malkoff and also try out the in-flight WiFi that AirTran now offers.
Arriving at Mitchell International, I was thirsty for coffee -- big surprise, I know -- and I pondered a latte at Starbucks in the main concourse. When I saw there were no outlets to charge the laptop, I tried to think of other places to pass the hour that remained before departure.
Then I remembered that there are now Alterra kiosks in the concourses. So, I passed through security and strolled down Concourse C on the way to my latte. When I ordered, I was told that the kiosks at the airport don't punch Alterra's customer rewards cards.
That's not really a surprise, however, because Alterra at the airport is really owned by SSP America, which owns food and beverage places at airports all around the country.
SSP is known for working with local institutions -- like Alterra and Bartolotta Restaurant Group in Milwaukee -- for its outlets. And in Milwaukee, they really got it right. On the receipt for my latte, the name of the business is listed as "Alterras Coffee."
Welcome to Milwaukee! Throw me across the counter a latte once, wouldja?
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.
