Sarah Jonas and Cameryne Roberts, whose Lulu restaurant and bar was a catalyst for Bay View's renaissance have opened their new restaurant, Juniper 61, in the former Shiraz space at 6030 W. North Ave. in Wauwatosa.
In October, Jonas -- a graduate of MATC's culinary arts and restaurant management programs -- and Culinary Institute of America alum Roberts told OnMilwaukee.com's Amy Schubert that they hope to make Juniper 61 a neighborhood restaurant that will reflect its area as well as Lulu reflects Bay View.
Jonas and Roberts have said that Juniper 61 will not have the same menu as Lulu's and will offer an expanded selection of appetizers and main courses, which will have a contemporary twist.
For someone who relied heavily on Lulu in the pre-explosion Bay View days and now lives on Milwaukee's West Side -- in walking distance from Juniper 61 during warmer months -- this is very welcome news.
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.
