Still Cranky — After All These Years
Cranky Al's
located at 6901 W. North Avenue. • Phone: 414.258.5282Bakery Hours: Tues-Sun 6:00am - 12:00pmPizza Hours: Wed-Sat 4:00pm - 8:00pm
review by Bobby Pantuso, TETNA board memberEast Tosa is home to one of the best hangouts in the Milwaukee area…Oh yeah, and the food’s good too! I have been a regular customer of Cranky Al’s since back in the day when they were a little further up the block. Back then they were a donut and coffee shop by day, and a few nights a week they sold a little pizza.Nowadays they are still a donut and coffee shop by day but at night they sell a lot of pizza. And they should too. As the world rediscovers the idea of living local, East Tosans are blessed with a pizzeria we can walk to and call home.I will admit that more than once on a Friday or Saturday night when my wife is working and it’s just my sons and I we will frequent Al’s for a pizza, perhaps some mozzarella sticks and a few cold Sprechers, root beer that is.My kids prefer The Cranky- which is good ol’ sausage and pepperoni. But my wife and I prefer to live it up a little. My wife Nicki would like to think that the Nikki-Knak is named after her since it has her three favorite things on it-artichokes, goat cheese, and garlic. I myself prefer either the Chicka-Chica which features grilled chicken, bbq sauce, mozzarella, and red onions or the Susie Special-Baby organic spinach, garlic, and a cheese trio of ricotta, mozzarella, and Romano, magnifico!Of course it is a donut and coffee shop too by day. Countless times I have stopped there for a dozen or so on the way to a meeting. I always have them put one off to the side, my favorite a glazed chocolate. They have a full line of espresso based drink too and are all trained baristas. But I prefer a plain old cup of Joe with my donut, they have that too.Owners Susie and Al are well known in the community too. A glance at the pictures on their wall will spy Bill Kappel, Wauwatosa’s Director of Public Works along with many Tosan’s old and young. I have been there many times when they were closed to the public but open for a meeting and they help out the community too with events like the upcoming 5th grade fundraiser on Sunday March 7th 2010, I know I’ll be there. Al and Suzie’s generosity is exceeded only by their hospitality.Find out more about Cranky Al’s at www.ilovecrankyals.comOh, and by the way, he really isn’t that cranky…no, really!