August 2 could very well go down in history as one of my favorite days in Bay View, as the former VFW post at 2860 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. welcomed a new tenant -- at least new to Bay View -- that day.
After several years of respite and practice retirement, Carlo Cataldo and entourage return with good, basic Italian blazing with the reawakening of Cataldo's. Formerly on Brady Street, the restaurant's tag is now "Cataldo's on KK: 'The other Brady Street,'" according to its simple one-sheet menu.
Classic Cataldo's fans won't be disappointed and those who haven't yet been exposed, will find cheap, Italian heaven at their fingertips. Pizzas here are perfectly thin and (deliciously) greasy and piled high with toppings ($8.50 to $15.50 dependent on toppings, including a shrimp scampi version!), as are the salads. A small Italian salad ($4.95) can do double duty as a complete dinner.
Expect fat sandwiches with crispy fries, ranging in price from $5.95 to $7.95, and appetizers as low as $2. Garlic cheese bread ($3.95) is a good option, and a sure-fire way to keep vampires away. Chicken parmesan dinner was much the wonderful way I remembered it, and was a steal at $10.95 including salad, vegetable, and pasta.
Like the original location, expect no glitz or glamour here, and the bar keeps the atmosphere light and entertaining. This is one of those joints where you can, and should, forget any misgivings you have about second-hand smoke. If anything, it makes you think you're back in the old days, eating good solid food with a friendly bartender and a couple of beers and maybe a cigar. And oh yes, they still have karaoke on Saturdays.
Amy L. Schubert is a 15-year veteran of the hospitality industry and has worked in every aspect of bar and restaurant operations. A graduate of Marquette University (B.A.-Writing Intensive English, 1997) and UW-Milwaukee (M.A.-Rhetoric, Composition, and Professional Writing, 2001), Amy still occasionally moonlights as a guest bartender and she mixes a mean martini.
The restaurant business seems to be in Amy’s blood, and she prides herself in researching and experimenting with culinary combinations and cooking techniques in her own kitchen as well as in friends’ restaurants. Both she and her husband, Scott, are avid cooks and “wine heads,” and love to entertain friends, family and neighbors as frequently as possible.
Amy and Scott live with their boys, Alex and Nick, in Bay View, where they are all very active in the community. Amy finds great pleasure in sharing her knowledge and passions for food and writing in her contributions to OnMilwaukee.com.
