By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Feb 10, 2001 at 5:33 AM

Harry's Bar and Grill
3549 N. Oakland Ave.
(414) 964-6800
Open daily

It's one of the East Side's most underrated restaurants, and their new menu offers a perfect opportunity to sit yourself down, have a few drinks and enjoy some exceptional food. Harry's Bar and Grill is owned and operated by the same folks who own The Nick downtown and Bayside's highly successful North Shore Bistro. Make no mistake that these people know how to put on the feed while keeping the check average down.

Decor

Harry's has a split personality. The huge bar greets you when you first walk through the door, and many a young urban professional can be seen nursing a designer martini or microbrew while proclaiming the virtues of the new Bush administration. On the fringe of the bar action is a small dining room where those in quest of a light meal sit and attack platters of well prepared and presented food all done with a contemporary flair. As the clock ticks, Harry's continues to morph back and forth from a restaurant to a cocktail lounge.


Chef Sean Showers has designed a well- rounded menu that covers all the bases. Appetizers include fried calamari with marinara, black mussels steamed in Sprecher beer, Maryland crab cakes and a Cajun firecracker of blackened chicken, fresh spinach and crushed red pepper all stuffed inside a spring roll skin and fried nice and crisp. There are a number of dinner-sized salads in addition to an octet of Black Angus burgers.

A full sandwich menu offers a variety of wraps and grilled favorites. Those in quest of a full dinner can choose from a list of entrees that include such good things as lemon pepper linguini with seared scallops, sesame seared Atlantic salmon and Kansas City dry rubbed pork chops. A smattering of desserts prepared at the Knick also work their way upon the menu.


Young urbans abound. This place rocks each night and you'll find coach Bo Ryan and the UWM crowd rubbing elbows after every home Panther basketball game.


Inexpensive to moderate.


A full bar. Nice wine list, microbrews, designer martinis and specialty drinks.