Great seafood restaurants are as rare in Milwaukee as Rolls Royces, so I was baffled after my debut visit to Crawdaddy's, 6414 W. Greenfield Ave., as to why I hadn't been there sooner. I guess because its "Cajun and Creole" theme was off-putting, due to disappointing experiences with wannabe New Orleans joints. And that's a shame, because this West Allis restaurant is a succulent gem.
Crawdaddy's décor is fun but understated; a mixture of exposed brick and wood floors, New Orleans-style ironwork and the occasional neon.
I was still skeptical (silly me) as to how a restaurant could adeptly cook and serve its hefty regular menu, plus about 30 specials of fish and shellfish, veal, chicken and beef dishes on a recent Saturday night. I feared the family restaurant syndrome of offering everything under the sun, yet nothing being all that great. But each dish brought to our four-top was done to perfection, particularly commendable with seafood.
A swordfish ($15.99) was well blackened and crusty on the outside and tender inside. It was served with a side of broccoli and cauliflower that was fork-perfect, and a fettuccini with cream sauce that was satisfying, but a bit heavy as an accompaniment to the fish.
The hazelnut-crusted halibut ($15.99) had a hint of apple as we dove into flaky, moist bites of the white fish -- two notches above the anything served at other restaurants' famous Friday fish specials. The restaurant's signature carrot rounds that have a hint of sweetness, and a mound of angel hair pasta with chutney salsa accompanied the fish.
Another platter was a mélange of seafood featuring skate wing ($19.99), similar to rays and fished from shallow waters worldwide, including both American coasts. Alongside were breaded scallops, julienned vegetables and another house specialty -- mashed potatoes infused with bits of real lobster meat (evidenced by a tiny bit of shell). The only drawback to this plate was the pond of butter in which the food was paddling.
The caramelized scallops ($18.99) were bronze outside and cooked perfectly until the meat just began to turn opaque. They were served with grilled asparagus spears, tangy orange slices that were too powerful a foil to the elegant scallops, and a mound of angel hair pasta scattered with diced tomatoes and cilantro.
The excellent food and reasonable prices have clearly hit a chord with Milwaukeeans. On the Saturday night we visited, there was a two-hour wait for one of the restaurant's many tables, and reservations are not accepted. But it does have two large bars where you can have a drink (or several) while you wait.
One aspect of the restaurant -- the service -- will keep it from being my first choice for a night out. Our server took our orders with the efficiency of a drill sergeant and when we asked about the skate, all she could tell us was that it was a white fish. The entire wait staff rushed from table to the bar to the kitchen, leaving them understandably uncollected and frazzled. The bus staff added to the frenzy, as they attacked each empty table before the chairs cooled, and tossed empty bottle after empty bottle into a plastic trash tub, shattering the glass -- and the eardrums of nearby diners -- with each pitch.
Call (414) 778-2228. Reservations are not accepted, but major credit cards are.
