Dom And Phil Demarinis Original Recipes

Ultimately, I won’t return to this restaurant. I’ve known about it for a long time and have driven by and thought it looked like a nice place, but finally ate here.
The décor is very old and drab. When we entered it was extremely hot. Wondered why, then realized they have to crank heat in the winter to keep up with the extreme drafts every time a door opened. The old cracked cutting board they used to set the old bent hot pizza tray on looked like it had been used since the late 70s. The bartender was friendly when we entered, but the hostess bordered on unfriendly, and the waitress didn’t smile once.
Ordered side of spaghetti with sauce; sauce tasted like Prego. Oregano got stuck in my teeth. Garlic bread was extremely garlicky and hard and dry. ½ Cheese sausage mushroom onion pizza was layered in mushrooms, picked half of them off to make equilibrium. Sausage had a decent flavor. Crust was doughy and limp-​ish. The cheese and topping slid off half of my pieces. Fountain soda didn’t have a great taste. Maybe the water is weird there. Price of food seemed reasonable for portion size.
Skip it.

I was in the area, and I thought I remembered it was a good pizza… as I had it over 20 years ago. Well, pizza was average and the crust was not crunchy, it was actually soft. I won’t be going back. My daughter said the sausage smelled weird… it was not anything special. I was disappointed too, love good sausage. The eggplant was okay.

Ordered a Large number one with a few add on and garlic bread to go on a Saturday evening. Pizza was perfection, there is a reason they have been in business so long. I went at opening because I knew they were going to be busy and i was right, people were steadily streaming in for either dinner or carryout. If you live on the South Shore this should be your pizza go to destination. If you don’t live in the area but find yourself down this way stop in grab some pasta or a pizza you will not be disappointed. I cannot wait to bring business colleagues in next month when they are visiting Milwaukee for the first time, this is a great representation of how things used to be in Milwaukee, hard working family owned. No fancy crap you cant pronounce, no latest trends just good old solid homemade Italian food and pies. YUM

I had heard this place had great pizza, so I had to check it out. At first glance, the atmosphere is very 70s and could really use some updating. I’m guessing this place has been in the family a long time, and no one’s ever bothered to change a thing. Despite that, I thought it was decent and affordable. I got a half carafe of pinot noir and a 12″ pizza. The wine was great and not too pricey. The pizza was loaded with toppings. In fact, there were so many toppings that I couldn’t taste the sauce. I like pizza sauce, and I would’ve preferred to taste it. A great sauce can really make a pizza! The mushrooms were straight out of a can. I do not like that! I believe a pizza should have fresh ingredients, not canned mushrooms. Overall, the pizza was good. I’m glad I tried it.

Very average. Went in to eat with my parents on a Friday night. They ordered pizza w/​mushrooms, sausage, and black olives — the crust was good, but mushrooms were over done and chewy. I ordered the Hallibut breaded fish w/​mozzarella on it and it came with spaghetti served underneath. The sauce was very bland and tasted homemade but not in a good way. I got a salad as my side, it was iceberg lettuce so it was very plain and not really healthy (it had one tomato and one black olive). I asked if they had fat free dressing, and they didn’t. Our waitress barely checked on us and it took awhile for a refill on the waters. Fish was also overdone (chewy). Other than that, portion size was good — leaving room for leftovers. I don’t see myself returning to this location.

This was a first time visit for us. We decided on a ride from where our usual Italian pizza and pasta places are. The South Shore Frolics were going on which may have affected the business at the moment. We quickly got seated on a Saturday night. Our usual order is an antipasto salad and pizza. The small Italian salad was more than enough for two and had lots to goodies on it. The cheese was small chunks. House dressing was oil, vinegar with seasonings. Lots of pepperoni topped it and there were several very tasty pepperocini as well as lots of black olive slices.
We ordered the #2 pizza, sausage, onions and added black olives. I skipped the pepperoni as I can judge the sausage better that way. I thought is was sparsely added. It also wasn’t spiced all that well. Not bad but not memorable. I’d order extra sausage next time.
The crust was underdone. There was that chewy, doughy layer on top of the crisp bottom. This can change from time to time but tonight was slow so they can’t used being rushed as an excuse. The pizza was served to us just as we were finishing up the salad. This is not to say that we didn’t enjoy it. It just wasn’t among the best pizza that we’ve had, but up there.
The dishes of ravioli and spaghetti passing by caught our eye. They looked delicious. Those got us to agreeing to come back again to try those.
The accommodations were spacious and comfortable. Being close to the lake, the outdoor seating was popular this evening. We had a glass of Miller light and a small to medium margarita. That was $ 10.45 and seemed a wee pricey. The waitress was pleasant as was the rest of the staff that we interacted with. All in all a nice evening and we’d not hesitate to come back. The total experience is the draw.

We started with the Italian salad which was great. Our pizza wasn’t as good as I had remembered it but I still enjoy coming here. Family run and you always get a warm reception when you come In or leave.
The bar is always full with regulars.
My biggest complaint today was the visible dust balls on the ceiling. I was really disturbed by this. The rest of the place is so cute with the wall paintings to look like you were in an Italian village, so it was disappointing to see this.
Hoping that next time it’ll be a little cleaner :/

We loved the casual atmosphere, delicious sauce, friendly service and super reasonable pricing!

Love the old school Italian restaurant atmosphere, we sat near the bar in a cozy booth. Everything was a little outdated, especially their TVs, but it made it charming.
They serve Lambrusco, amen.
When we walked in we were greeted by the nicest older man behind the bar. We heard him providing excellent hospitality to everyone that walked in and out of the door the whole time we were there. I am not sure if he is an owner, but it was obvious he loved his job. I love great customer service!
We came here to compare it to Little DeMarini’s, and this was a sure winner. Both pizzas were great, but I liked the cheese better here, much creamier. Loved their specials too on living social, and picking up one table or bar stools bill on certain days.
The only suggestion I have is working on the cleanliness.
Our new pizza spot in Bayview!

Pleasant atmosphere, good pasta dishes, excellent pizza, reasonable prices, and a friendly attentive waitress made this an enjoyable dining experience on Christmas eve. A large picture window in the dining area shows you a good view of Milwaukee’s unspectacular skyline. The Demarinis family has operated restaurants in the Milwaukee area for well over 50 years with consistent quality.

I’m not sure what to make of the mixed reviews here. I play in a band that aims at an elderly consumer demographic; we play a lot of nursing homes. I was talking to an octogenarian who was at that Matthew 26: 40 – 43 stage of life and I asked, «what do you miss most about (being out and about in) Milwaukee? She said, «the pizza at deMarinis.» I figured the place had long since gone out of business, then discovered on Unilocal that the family was still operating restaurants. I may have to try them all out, we started here. On a polar vortex night, they were having trouble with their heat, the location is an attractive renovated craftsman style hall with big (single pane not insulated) windows. I thought the view was nice, and the patio looks like it would be fun in more appropriate weather. I liked the old fashioned white and red checked tablecloths, the house Chianti was adequate, the pizza was pretty good. If you don’t agree on ingredients, you can each get a junior size, or if like me you want to be uncomfortably full, get a small pizza each. It’s the crispy thin crust Italian-​American style that I’m sometimes in the mood for, and they still have anchovies on the menu.
On Wednesday nights they have a drawing after you order and one table gets to eat for free, on Tuesday they have some similar drawing for your bar tab. The table behind us won, they had initially waffled on whether to stay or not because of the chill inside. The extreme cold outside didn’t make for a typical night, but we really enjoyed the ambiance, the service, and the food. It’s the sort of place that should serve a pretty good spaghetti and meatballs in red sauce, so I’ll be back for that, making sure to not wear a white shirt.
When I was in college (well the second, more successful attempt at college) at the University of Illinois Circle Campus (as University of Illinois at Chicago was then called) the campus was the north end of Chicago’s Little Italy, and there were a dozen restaurants like this one. None of them are left, as a result of gentrification and Italian-​American upward social mobility. Time hasn’t apparently changed the deMarinis place much. I like the idea that they’ve been consistent, the waitress has worked here for «17 years» and testified that the pizza recipe has been the same over her tenure. Another member of the family has opened up in Bayview with a claim to the first generation’s pizza recipe, and that may have been the pizza my nursing home friend was referring to, this will require some further gastronomic research on my part.

Great Pizza. The large comes in a rectangular pan. It’s crust is slightly thicker than most local thin crust which I like. My favorite (and personal recommendation) is a #1 with pepperoni. That includes sausage, mushrooms, onions and the pepperoni.
If you’re looking for great ambiance, this isn’t the place. Its not fancy.
A drink at the bar is usually nice. The bartenders are good and customers are pretty friendly.
They would probably do pretty well accommodating groups (maybe up to 20?), but remember it isn’t fancy unless the group wants pizza maybe not…
There’s a patio with a nice view when the weather accommodates.

In lieu of Mama’s — fill’s the bill

This place has been around for a long time. I have had good meals before. The noodle dishes are above average, but I know places near by just as good and cheaper. The pizza at this place has something to be desired. I called in an order one night and when I asked for pineapple they were indignant. They said” We’re an authentic pizza parlor. We don’t do things like that.” It was snotty of them, but I thought that if they were copping such an attitude the normal pizza would be amazing.
It was average across the board, except the cheese on top was so over– cooked it was tough and most of the oils had cooked out of it. I’m not saying anything was bad. It just isn’t the kind of pizza that will bring me back. I am sure there are people in the neighborhood that think this is the best pizza they have ever had. That’s the way it goes with pizza. It’s subjective.
Service is not subjective though. They were rude on the phone when I tried to place the order. If they feel strongly about «pure» pizza they should build a website that discloses their exclusionary pizza tactics. Don’t take it out on the customer if they don’t know the inner workings of your restaurant. When I arrived to pick the pizza up the experience was unpleasant. I came in and they were busy talking to what must have been regular customers. They were having a delightful conversation. When they eventually came over to greet me they were short, impersonal, and seemed agitated that I was disrupting them. There were two people drinking at the bar and no one else was there. By the time I left with my pizza they exchanged about ten words with me. I never felt welcomed.
The food is fine, but you can do better. The service for me was terrible. However, it does seem that they are really nice to some people. So, I hope that if you go there you’re a type of person they like. Otherwise you can go to a half of a dozen other pizza places within five miles and do much better all around.

This is the best pie in Wisconsin. People will say Balistreris, Zaffiros, or even Classic Slice, but none of them hold a candle to this old school pizza joint. When you walk in, it has the feel of old school Italian. There is a long bar in the main entrance area with a small game room in the back. They have an adequate dining are and a small patio. The large pizza comes in a rectangle shape, and tastes better than the round ones to me. Maybe it has to do with the pan they use. What really separates De Marinis from the competition is the sauce and sausage. I have never had better sausage in my life, and I have tried pizzas all around the country and world. I grew up on this place, and the brothers/​momma De Marini feud, and it will always hold a special place in my heart and belly!

I had my first pizza at «the old place» when I was perhaps 14. It was love at first taste. You sat down ordered «large cheese and sausage», that was it. When it came, it was loaded with specially seasoned meat, the crust was thin and crispy. The sauce was rich, tangy and properly thickened by proper baking time. A goodly amount BUT NOT TOO MUCH fresh cheese over laid the sauce and it was toasted to a rich brown in some areas but never burned.
That was the real «good old days». That was roughly 60 years ago. That was the Pa Pa DiMarinis made it. And yes he worked in the kitchen, and he worked hard preparing a consistently excellent product. This was a product that served as the foundation of a legend.
Well time moves on. Dominic, one of the sons mastered the technique and recipes. His work was the equal of his Fathers. Dom opened his place on Lake Denoon. We were some of his first customers. He knew we were very familiar with the «old family recipe», so he asked us if he had it right. We told him it was pretty close but not quite there because his ovens were new and had yet to build up the «varnish» needed to impart the original flavor. He agreed. The moral of this story… I am the authority of how Di Marinis pizza should be.
Fast forward to today. The kitchen staff is not Italian. They have no personal stake in the quality of the product. For the past several years the pizza has been little different from Dominos. The crusts are doughy and limp. The meat is close to the original, but sparse. The sauce is runny and tastes a lot like Prego. The cheese is passable.
We decided to simply remember the «good old days», but go to Tenutas for really good pizza at a far better price.
We have discussed this with many of our long time Bay View friends, and have found their views parallel to ours. What a pity. If the Di Marinis customers of today only knew what they were missing.

Birthday time! Where should my wife and I go to celebrate? Well, we pulled out our folder of On-​Line offers and decided despite the heavy fog outside and no view possible, we would drive to the Lakefront and Dom & Phil De Marinis in Bay View.
I may be allergic to cheese, but I still enjoy pasta without risking my life.
Perhaps I’ve been hanging around too long with my friend John, the certified Italian
Chef, but I’m almost always up for Italian.
We arrived about 7 p.m. in the thick fog that barely allowed us to see out the window. Having not been here since 2004, the dining room looked in need of
sprucing up.
Almost immediately we were greeted by our waitress Weezie, a name I had not heard since watching the old Jefferson television series. An older but seasoned
lady, we were immediately faced with a major decision. If you are like me and allergic to cheese, you might as well pack-​up and go elsewhere.
When I mentioned my situation, Weezie immediately informed us that everything
Italian here is made with cheese. From the pasta sauces and meatballs to all the
stuffed items, cheese, cheese and more cheese, not to forget the Pizzas.
Informing us that she formerly was a waitress at the Pfister Hotel, she recommended the half-​pound hamburger to me as being even better than the Pfister’s. So rather than leave and have to cut through the fog for another restaurant, I took her recommendation.
Weezie was a real pleasure and professional. She showed her Pfister «stuff» taking super care of us, and she was right about the hamburger smothered in grilled onions and with a full plate of golden-​brown steak fries ($ 8) being excellent.
My wife, no allergies, ordered what DeMarinis is most famous for, one of their House Specialty Pizzas, #1 in fact, the cheese, sausage, mushroom and onion ($ 7.50) Junior size that netted six large and well loaded slices. Her rating was above average and worth coming back for.
With Weezie serving us, this was an easy decision. So far she is our best server of 2013. So if it ever arrives, we’ll return when the weather is warmer, we can see the Lake and making sure Weezie is our server!

This place is adequate. I have actually never sat down to eat here (only pick up). The pizza is overly salty for my tasty and if possible, too cheesy. I’d eat it if someone ordered it, but not my first choice for ordering.
However, I have only had pizza and salad here. Neither one were inspiring but perhaps the other food is good. I’ll have to try it sometime.

Amazing food! Everything is homemade & mighty tasty! Service was okay & the interior had that small town feel to it. I’m definitely going back for their mozz sticks!
The dress code is casual, just like the atmosphere!

Wow, I had forgotten I had reviewed De Marini’s. I really do love the friendly service here and everyone walking in gets a hearty welcome by the bartenders. There’s nothing more relaxing than sitting at the bar here and getting a drink before your meal. The sangria is pretty good, and my son loves the specialty Black Bear root beer.
I’ve been here many times since my first review, and a recent visit kind of reinforces my previous review that this is a solid 3.0. The pizza is good here, you can’t beat their sausage, but the crust can be inconsistent (my family agrees). On our last visit the pizza crust was chewy, not the thin cripsness I remembered from my youth, sadly.
From time to time I stray from the pizza, and that’s usually not a good idea. Recently ordering a spinach ravioli that was obviously not homemade, confirmed I should never stray from the pizza. My son ordered the Rigatoni with sausage, peppers and onions, and that dish was great, so apparently there are good things other than their pizza. This place could be a Best of Milwaukee (esp. pizza) if they did a Chef Gordon Ramsey and demanded a higher and consistent quality with every dish coming out of the kitchen.