October is the third annual Dining Month on OnMilwaukee.com. All month, we're stuffed with restaurant reviews, delicious features, chef profiles, unique articles on everything food, as well as the winners of our "Best of Dining 2009."
Palermo Villa
2315 N. Murray Ave., (414) 278-7460
palermovillarestaurant.com
Some things have changed a bit over the years, like the addition of windows to the once dark as night dining room and the loss of Dean Cannestra -- who was sort of the face of his sister's restaurant -- when he went on to open Nessun Dorma and Libiamo.
But one thing remains the same at Palermo Villa: good food, and great pizza! While everyone else is raving about the usual pizzerie, Palermo Villa is quietly toiling away on Murray Avenue making some of the city's best pies.
I like to go, order a pizza and some calamari and wash it all down with a glass of barbera. Try it sometime.
Menu: Italian-American.
Price: Inexpensive to moderate.
When to go: Palermo Villa's brief flirtation with lunch is over, so night time is the right time, since only dinner is served.
Dress: Casual.
Don't miss: The pizza, of course.
Parking: There is usually plenty of street parking, unless it's a weekend night, in which case you can park in the lot behind the restaurant (which is forbidden during the day) or in the municpal lot across Murray Avenue.
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.
