For the fifth straight year, October is Dining Month on OnMilwaukee.com, presented by Concordia University. All month, we're stuffed with restaurant reviews, delectable features, chef profiles and unique articles on everything food, as well as the winners of our "Best of Dining 2011."
Tomorrow is Wednesday in Milwaukee, so, of course, you've got at least two gourmet wine dinners to choose from.
Option one is "An Evening Out on the Town" with Zarletti and The Belmont Tavern, at 6 p.m. Cost is $65 per person plus tax and gratuity. The event begins at The Belmont Tavern, 784 N. Jefferson St., for a wine reception from 6:30 until 8. Then, the party moves to Zarletti, 741 N. Milwaukee St., for a three-course wine dinner of Zarletti specialties paired with Italian wines.
Afterward, it's back to the Belmont to enjoy some live music.
Among the dishes: roasted butternut squash ravioli, osso bucco and tagliata alla fiorentina.
Among the wines you'll taste: Pieropan, 2009 Soave Classico Veneto; Zuani, 2009 Collio Bianco Friuli; Vietti, 2008 Nebbiolo "Perbacco" Piemonte; and Li Veli, 2009 Primitivo "Montecoco" Puglia.
Call (414) 225-0000 to make a reservation.
Option two: head over to Bacchus, 925 E. Wells St., at 6:30 p.m., for a wine dinner with Oregon's Domaine Serene winery and general manager Allan Carter.
Sample four of Domaine Serene's acclaimed pinot noirs and a chardonnay – all of which Robert Parker and Wine Spectator have rated above 90 – during the five-course meal that includes, Loch Duart Salmon with lentils, veal jus and celery root; roasted Magret duck with mushrooms, brussels sprouts, and a cranberry-red wine duck sauce; roasted ribeye with sweet potato, crispy artichokes and parmesan butter; and, for dessert, a lemon cake with oranges, vanilla ice cream and walnuts.
Cost is $150 per person plus tax and gratuity.
Or you could stay home and watch the Cardinals and Rangers ... yawn.
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.
