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After nearly 10 years on Downer Avenue, Pizza Man has officially moved to a new East Side location at 2060 N. Humboldt Blvd.
In fact, the iconic pizzeria will host its soft opening Wednesday, April 26, beginning at 4 p.m., with regular hours (including lunch service) beginning on Thursday, April 27.
While the location has changed, familiar elements work together to imbue the restaurant with many of the familiar charms for which the Pizza Man brand has become known.
The original take-out stand just inside the front door off of Humboldt greets guests beneath the colorful wine bottle chandelier created by the local artisans at Scathain.
In the dining room, guests will find walls decorated with rustic wood, additional trademark wine bottle chandeliers and plentiful seating at low two-and four-top tables.
Wooden booths from the Downer Avenue location divide the dining room in half while lending a familiar look and feel to the otherwise open space.
Guests who look closely will also see that the coveted “Booth 17” which resided under the stairs at Downer Avenue, has also made the trip to Humboldt.
Staged toward the back of the restaurant, the intimate booth still bears countless memories etched into the rustic wood.
The spacious bar, which once held taps of craft beer, now offers a variety of tap wines (six reds and six whites), along with 16 beers, most of which are craft brews from Wisconsin. New tap cocktails are also available, including a cherry-lime mojito, a Paloma-Aperol spritz, a honey-bourbon sour and red sangria.
Wines are also available by the bottle from a selection of nearly 30 red wines and around 20 white. Canned and bottled beer as well as seltzers are also available.
In homage to Stubby’s, which was a favorite spot for watching sports, Pizza Man has also installed a good number of televisions in the space, which will allow customers to gather to watch baseball, football, basketball and more. Five are located in the dining area and six in the bar.
While the Humboldt location houses about the same number of guests as the former two-story location, it now boasts a spacious patio overlooking the Milwaukee River.
The semi-covered deck, which seats over 70 guests features a range of seating options, all of which offer beautiful views of both the river and nearby urban landscape.
Four televisions allow the viewing of athletic games, while a fire pit and lounge area also offer guests a comfortable spot to enjoy drinks, wine or dessert.
As the weather warms, two private docks will allow boaters and kayakers to stop off for a bite or to pick up carry-out.
On the menu
Guests can expect to see the bulk of their favorite Pizza Man items on the new menu including beer-battered Clock Shadow cheese curds, hand-rolled mozzarella sticks and pizzas including the Bianca, TOPHER, Pizza Man Special, Atomica and Artichoke a la Mode.
However, under the guidance of Chef John Levine, the restaurant is also rolling out numerous new dishes including wings, which have been seasoned, flash fried, tossed in sauce and finished on the grill. The wings are available in Calabrian Buffalo, garlic parmesan and bbq.
Additional new appetizers include a warm fontina dip with spinach and herbs served with focaccia and Pin Oak lamb meatballs served with romesco, crispy chickpeas and basil pesto.
Belgioioso burrata is the star of a spring salad featuring asparagus, arugula, crispy chickpeas, pickled red wine onions and a tarragon citrus vinaigrette
Meanwhile, folks will find additional pasta dishes including fettuccine con lamb featuring Italian red sauce, ricotta, mint and basil pesto.
There’s also cacio e pepe featuring pancetta, mixed herbs, cracked black pepper and plentiful Grana Padano cheese.
Guests will also be able to sample a new pizza offering: Roman-style pizza. Distinguished largely by its crust, the pizza’s dough which undergoes a long 72-hour fermentation before being baked, resulting in a light texture with an open, airy crumb and distinctive chewy-yet crisp exterior.
The Roman Pizza at Pizza Man will be available daily (until sold out) as two signature pies: the classic Margherita and fig, prosciutto, creamy gorgonzola and balsamic, along with daily specials. The inaugural special will be a fresh spring pizza featuring zucchini, asparagus and red wine onions.
Starting April 27, Pizza Man will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Parking is available both on the streets surrounding the restaurant and in the parking lot located on the East Side of the restaurant. Pizza Man is ADA-compliant with wheelchair access via the elevator in the parking garage (Pizza Man is located on the second floor).
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
