Dining OutRetro Menu Pizza Man’s tried-and-true formula B Y J E F F B E U T N E R

It’s impossible not to notice Pizza Man at the intersection of Oakland and North avenues on Milwaukee’s East Side. Bright lights flash messages at passers-by and reclaimed bricks form quirky swirls on the exterior. The brickwork provides a clue to the interior: The front room offers a bar and the dining room is dominated by wood columns and beams. It may look a bit like a dungeon, but the general mood is a fun one. A sign notes, “Established 1970.” Thirty-eight years is a long time in the restaurant business, especially with a menu that has seen only a few changes over the years.

It would be easy to dismiss Pizza Man as just another pizza and pasta joint—that is, until you look at the wine list. When perusing the list of more than 500 domestic vintages, from syrahs to viogniers, it will come as no surprise that Pizza Man has received Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence” every year since 1990. All wines are offered by the

glass, starting from $4 for house wine and reaching prices that far exceed the most expensive pizza on the menu. And, yes, there is also a beer list. A natural starter is the bread basket ($3.25-$4.25), soft slices slathered with butter, garlic and a dusting of grated Parmesan. But keep in mind that if you opt for an appetizer or an entrée other than pizza, you’ll likely receive some of this tasty bread on the side. The French onion soup ($5.50), which also includes the bread, is nearly a meal in itself, topped with croutons and bubbling-hot white cheese. The stock is the traditional beef and, to its credit, not overly salty. Escargot ($7.50) is another relic from dinner menus of the 1970s. Six snails arrive in a ceramic ramekin, each bathed in herbed butter with white wine and garlic—simple, decadent richness.

Although the menu has many pasta and seafood dishes, and even barbecue ribs, most customers gravitate toward the pizza. The thin crust is the key. There are two ways to order your pizza. The first is to start with a basic cheese pizza ($12.75-$14.75) and then customize it with a choice of 24 different toppings ($1.25-$4 each). The second is to order one of the standardized “specialty pizzas” ($15.75-$25.25). With a crust this thin, I prefer to keep it simple. Cheese with pepperoni works. The specialty pizzas tend to be overly generous with the toppings, burying the delicate crust. Still, this does little to deter patrons from ordering the “Hawaiian pleasure,” a gooey slab of cream cheese, pineapple and Canadian bacon.

The entrées create another route to consider. Scallops a la Pizza Man ($16.50) is a small casserole dish of jumbo sea scallops with wine sauce and melted Swiss cheese. The delicate white wine is just right for the scallops. Barbecue ribs ($12.50-$18.50) are a half or full rack of pork ribs. They live up to their hype as falling-off-the-bone tender. The tangy sauce reaches that nice level of spicy and not overly sweet. One item that nods to more current trends is the portabella mushroom ravioli ($15.50). The ravioli has a filling of mushrooms, shallots and Gruyere cheese. Order it with the Marsala sauce instead of the Alfredo; you will not be disappointed.

Entrees include a simple salad of leaf lettuce with the usual cucumber, tomato, red cabbage and carrot. The dressings, while somewhat retro, are above average.

Pizza Man can be a crowded place, especially on weekends (including Sunday). The kitchen still produces pizzas at a furious rate, but occasionally the pizzas are overcooked, the ravioli can be chewy and underdone, and the service might be rushed and sporadic. For the best experience choose a slower night, when everything will be as it should. This is the time to select an appetizer and enjoy wine at the bar. It just wouldn’t feel right to order a glass of Axios cabernet ($46) when there is a standingroom-only crowd.

PIZZA MAN 1800 E. North Ave. (414) 272-1745 $$ Credit Cards: MC, VS, AX Smoking: Yes Handicap Access: Yes

Pizza Man | Photos by Tate Bunnker