
The East Coast may be as well known for its seafood as Wisconsin is
known for its dairy, but David Wu, owner and chef at Shorewood’s
Crave Cafe, wanted to bring the nautical delicacy to Wisconsin.
“I had seen on the East Coast they love their crabs
and here (I’m) not really seeing a lot of soft-shell crab on menus,
and BLTs are very common, so working that (flavor) into the BLT is
just a perfect marriage of a little bit of that sweet crab and the
salty freshness of the BLT,” Wu explains of his inspiration for the
dish.
Two soft-shell crabs are lightly breaded and fried,
then nestled onto a soft bun topped with arugula, bacon, tomato and
Crave Cafe’s garlic aioli sauce. The dish also comes with the
restaurant’s popular seasoned fries, topped with your choice of
cheddar, ranch, BBQ or Cajun seasonings.
Wu recommends the ranch or Cajun seasonings with this
seafood sandwich, but, really, it’s whatever you’re in the mood for,
though he warns: “The Cajun definitely have a good kick to them.”
Wu says he enjoys playing with unique flavor
combinations and bringing traditional menu items into a more common
form to encourage customers to try the dishes. “Having all the
traditional flavors of authentic dishes (and making them) into a
burger form or into one package so you can get all the flavors in
one bite (makes it) very approachable for people who haven’t had
kimchi or Japanese katsu,” he explains.
3592 N. Oakland Ave., Shorewood, (414) 204-8778,
www.facebook.com/CRAVECafeMKE