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