Skating into the right opportunity is nothing new for Martin Beaudoin. He, literally, skated his way into the semi-professional skateboarding scene two decades ago and was revered as one of the country's most talented boarders.

Injury and increased responsibilities ended Beaudoin's skateboarding career, but recently, the 38-year-old cruised into a new adventure: restaurant ownership. He and his wife, Claudia, purchased the Calderone Club restaurant, 2498 E. Bartlett Ave., and plan to reopen it later this summer under the new name, The Red Dot. (The name was inspired by the Santa Cruz Skateboards logo, one of Martin's sponsors during his skater days.)

Apparently, the undisclosed price was so appealing to the Beaudoins that they made an offer over the phone, sight unseen.

"The opportunity fell out of the sky," says Beaudoin. "It was on the market for a day and we knew if we wanted it, we had to go for it. Quickly."

Since the June 1 closing, Beaudoin and friends gutted the entire interior, except for the spectacular bar, and plan to add five picture windows and new lighting, walls, tables, booths and kitchen space. They will also renovate the beer garden, complete with freestanding heaters for outdoor winter dining.

Beaudoin says the support he has received from area business people, specifically Scott Johnson and Leslie Montemurro (Fuel, Comet, Hi-Hat, Palomino, etc.), has made the experience - so far - a smooth ride and a lot of fun.

"This is new to me, so I'm a student in the 'Scott and Leslie School of Opening Sh*t,'" he says. "This is the most fun I've had in a long time."

Martin says the bar will open by mid-summer and he hopes to serve food by the end of August. The menu will be fresh, simple and reasonably priced, including gourmet pizzas, salads, panini sandwiches and more. A late night menu will include pizza by the slice.

"Claudia's a vegetarian, so we'll be vegan and vegetarian friendly," he says.

Beaudoin says he is considering adding a tribute pizza on the menu in honor of "Mamma" Calderone, who ran the Calderone Club for decades. "This was Mamma's hangout," he says.

In the spirit of classic family restaurants, The Red Dot will be a kid-friendly establishment. The Beaudoins have two small daughters (their four-year-old is already skateboarding with Daddy up and down the driveway) and want to create a place that's comfortable for families, yet attractive to fancy-free diners and drinkers as well.

"I'm putting out a great product for anyone who's interested," says Beaudoin. "This is really important to me and my family, because we plan on being here 20 or 30 years."

The Red Dot's Web site is www.reddotmilwaukee.com

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