BY LARRY DESCH
As appeared in the Green Bay Press-Gazette
Thursday, November 22, 2001

If you were around in 1956, you know that not much has changed at Bilotti's Pizza &. Italian Garden, especially the flavor.

If you weren't, you'll have to take Dino Bilotti's word for it. "My father and uncle, Ray and Duds, started the place. The recipes we still use here today came from their parents who came here from Italy," Bilotti said.

"It's peasant-style pizza from southern Italy. The sauces aren't overly hot; they're more on the-sweet side. Sauces used in Sicily are on the hotter side."

Bilotti, who bought the Broadway restaurant from his cousin, Danny Cerminara, about 12 years ago, said he's proud of "the basic things we do here."

One of those basics is making pizza crusts from scratch. Bilotti goes to work at 4 a.m. each day to make the dough. Freshness is key, he said.

"The fresh crust, the freshness of it all is what's Important. There's a. lot of labor involved, but I think it's important, otherwise we'd be like every other place."

Bilotti uses a variety of sauces for his specialty pizzas. The California Pizza features mozzarella cheese, fresh mushrooms, tomatoes and zucchini in a seasoned olive oil sauce, while Pizza Bianca - a cheese pizza - comes with Alfredo sauce.

Other specialty pizzas include the Zucchini Za with seasoned zucchini slices, three Italian cheeses and a traditional red sauce. The Garden Special with cheese, sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions and green peppers is the most popular, Bilotti said.

A variety of pasta dishes are also served, including baked lasagna, linguine in white clam sauce, chicken parmigiana and rigatoni romano - a pasta dish baked with romano and mozzarella cheeses, mushrooms, spicy Italian pepperoni. and tomato sauce.

Sandwiches include a choice of Italian sausage, beef, pepperoni or meatballs on fresh-baked Italian bread. American fare, such as a hamburger and fries, country-style chicken and lake perch, is also served.

"I think we're unique," Bilotti said. "And when you put your name up there on the sign, you try harder."