There's a new pub in town, but it's so Milwaukee it could have been here for decades.

Calderone Pub, 322 W. State Street, opened this summer.

Head Chef Craig Stringfellow, a Milwaukee native, has been working at Calderone's for about a month. He is well acquainted with pub food from spending the past two and a half years in the kitchen at Mo's Irish Pub, where he worked his way up from a line cook to running the entire kitchen for six months.

"Over there (at Mo's), the whole operation I had — it was a $3 million business and trying to keep food labor down, food costs down and make money for the corporation was a lot more difficult than it is here in this little operation," Stringfellow said. "It is a lot less stressful too (at Calderone's)."

The laid-back atmosphere of the space is evident immediately. The bar was built by Schlitz Brewery in the 1800s. The entire space is Old Milwaukee, from the plain wood floors to the creamy brick walls and vintage Miller advertisements on the wall. It's a bar in everything but name: TVs line the walls, a group of businesspeople crowd the counter while 12 high tables with stools line the wall, some with ashtrays for smokers. The typical beers are offered on tap, featuring, of course, Miller.

Its proximity to nearby venues such as the Bradley Center drives most of the business. Stringfellow said they get most crowded when there's a game or a concert.

"This is an event-driven restaurant," he said. "It gets busy."

The pub is what it is, with no pretensions. The same can be said of the food.

The menu is a small selection of American dishes with some mainstream ethnic foods thrown in, such as the quesadilla appetizer ($9.95). More expensive than most of the main dishes, the crispy flour tortillas were overstuffed toward the middle, leaving the outer inch empty. The chipotle spiced chicken was warm enough, but the bland, rubbery cheese and limp vegetables made it comforting, not interesting.

But the French onion soup ($4.95) was savory. The bitterness of the onions cut through the sweetness of being caramelized, making a potent broth. The herb and garlic crouton floating at the top was not as big as might be hoped for, and the gruyere cheese was not melted enough, the result being a broth-heavy soup that needed to be chewed. Still, a hearty appetizer.

The main dishes are primarily finger food, the portions adequate but not stupendous. The Teddy burger ($8.95), named after the owner's son, was straightforward. Stringfellow said it is one of the restaurant's most popular dishes, along with the steak sandwich and chili. Angus beef on a light bun, the meat was grilled and slightly tough, but woodsy enough to make you think of an outdoor barbecue.

The smoked turkey sandwich ($7.95) was a tangy rendition of a normal deli sandwich. The flavor of the basil-pesto mayonnaise added a kick to the deli-style turkey slices (that did not seem smoked) and applewood bacon. Provolone, lettuce, tomato and red onion completed the combination for a salty and surprising sandwich.

After tasting the zestier rendition of a turkey sandwich, the dryness of the chicken focaccia sandwich ($7.95) was woefully apparent. The furthest departure from the menu, which said it contained provolone cheese and was served on sun-dried tomato focaccia bread, the sandwich was a charred piece of chicken on a bun with some limp vegetable sides.

The pub offers a selection of malts, shakes and floats for dessert. The chocolate malt ($4.50), made with "genuine ultra premium Wisconsin custard mix" and malted milk powder, tasted like liquid powder with a hint of chocolate. Thick and chunky, but small for the price, the malt is a satisfying if somewhat bland finish to the meal.

Not incredibly surprising, but sincere to its core, Calderone's has the makings of a Milwaukee tradition.