Pizza Man has announced the hiring of Zachary S. Baker as Executive Chef for the restaurant, which is scheduled to reopen in June at the corner of Downer and Belleview on Milwaukee’s East side.
Baker, who hails from Door County, spent the last ten years working with the Bartolotta Restaurant Group, six years at Ristorante Bartolotta in Wauwatosa and most recently as Chef de Cuisine at Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro.
"I’m excited about getting back into Italian cuisine, my favorite food," Baker says. "The challenge for Pizza Man will be expanding to a larger restaurant and duplicating the food everybody came to love over the years. I think there will also be room for growth and some new items on the culinary side as Milwaukee has experienced a definite uptick in ‘foodie’ culture the last couple of years."
Pizza Man plans to bring back approximately 85% of its original menu, including classics like artichoke a la mode pizza, when it reopens.
Baker, whose love for Italian food plays a large role in his cooking philosophy, says that procuring good ingredients and treating them "simply" is the key to success.
"I try to stay out of the way of the food’s natural flavors. I approach food like a folk songwriter; I’m not looking to break new ground, I just want to sing you a song that might be new to you but somehow feels familiar and grounding at the same time."
Watch OnMilwaukee.com for more news as the Pizza Man reopening approaches.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
