Cool Water Bar and Grill has finally opened in the old Majdecki's Inn space at 2247 E. St. Francis Ave., just off the Lake Parkway in St. Francis.
Owner Joe Santoro, whose daughter Tessa is a well-known caterer around town and owner of the former Broadway Bistro and current Broadway Bakery, spent three years renovating the space. One thing that has remained from the old Majdecki's is the popular fish fry, Santoro told me.
Santoro tapped his longtime friend, musician George Busateri to lead the venue's house band, which plays most Friday and Satuday nights from 9 p.m. On Friday, Aug. 29, Cool Water hosts Warren Wiegratz and on Saturday, Aug. 30 Cityscape (Dennis Klopfer) takes the stage.
Cool Water celebrated its grand opening on Aug. 1. It is open for dinner from 5 until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 4 until 11 on Friday and 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. Saturday. The bar is open daily until 11 p.m. except Friday and Saturday when it remains open until bar time.
Smoking is allowed in the upstairs bar and dining room but is prohibited in the dining area and bar downstairs.
I'm heading over soon to check out the fish fry and will report back.
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.
