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Friday, February 17, 2012 By Bill Prange Web Marketing Specialist VISIT Milwaukee

If you’re like me, you have a handful of local places you’ve been meaning to visit, but for whatever reason, you just haven’t done it. Maxie’s Southern Comfort was one of those places for me. I’ve always heard great things and it’s been on my list of restaurants to try. I decided that enough was enough – I had to make it happen.

Maxie’s was nice enough to invite us in for a tasting, to see for ourselves how they perform their southern blend of food magic. It took me about three seconds to nail the date and make it official.

The minute we walked in the door we were greeted by a very friendly hostess. It might be a small detail, but those are the types of things you remember from a good restaurant experience.

Right away, I noticed that the joint was jumpin’! There seemed to be a good mix of happy hour minglers and those seated for dinner.

Maxie’s is a celebration of all food southern. The menu includes lots of regional variations. Their approach is to do things as authentically as possible. They achieve this by traveling around the country four times a year to find regionally-inspired ideas to bring back to us. (They also throw pretty awesome parties for Mardi Gras and the Kentucky Derby!)

We took our seats and ordered a few drinks. (Speaking of which, make sure you check out the Libations menu for some interesting southern-themed drinks like the “N’awlins Sazerac” or their version of the celebrated Kentucky Derby drink – the mint julep.)

We began perusing the menu when our waitress delivered a surprise by telling us that they had a few things picked out for us to try. “Perfect!” I thought. It was going to be near impossible to narrow down the menu to just one choice anyway. We were treated to a basket of cornbread to start things off.

This was some gooood cornbread. It was fluffy, without being too dry and crumbly, and included a delicious butter spread made with orange and honey. What a way to start the meal. It was like dessert before dinner!

Our first course began with an array of appetizers well-known in southern cuisine – fried green tomatoes, New Orleans barbecued shrimp, and chicken fritters – along with cracker-crusted oysters and ahi tuna. Included was a variety of tasty dipping sauces.

Just as I had expected – it was all great! I have quite the fondness for shrimp, so I was particularly happy to polish those off (I may have even used the bread to soak up the remaining barbecue sauce!). The ahi tuna was delightfully tender and had a nice smoky hint to it. The chicken fritters reminded me of munching on conch fritters in Key West during past vacations. And anytime a restaurant reminds me of Key West, that’s a big plus!

We were told – again – that they had some more items from the menu for us to sample. Round two included shrimp & grits and jambalaya, pulled pork and barbecue beef ribs, and a side of white cheddar mac ‘n cheese.

The shrimp & grits, prepared with gulf shrimp with a tasso sauce over yellow grits, was another favorite. The thick jambalaya was a nice combination of sweet and spicy – very satisfying. The pulled pork was very well prepared. It didn’t come with sauce, as you often see it prepared around here; the flavor came simply from the preparation of the meat. The barbecued beef ribs were tender, sweet and smoky – Kansas City style.

But that’s not all! We were also given samples of the hickory-smoked wings and the Cajun-seared ahi tuna. The wings were big and meaty, with a zesty sauce that had a nice kick. Like the appetizer, the ahi tuna was extremely well prepared and was as soft as butter. It was almost as if I didn’t have to chew it.

Last, but of course not least, was dessert. Apparently worried that we hadn’t gotten enough to eat, we were presented with two enormous treats: the banana chocolate coconut cream pie and chocolate marquise cake. To steal the words of my dining partner, “OH MY GOD THIS IS SO GOOD BILL.” Spot on. The banana chocolate coconut cream pie was made from fresh bananas stacked side by side, with a chocolate mousse and coconut cream.

The chocolate marquise cake was prepared with devil’s food cake, chocolate glaze and a wonderful raspberry sauce. To top it off, both were adorned with a fun fish cookie. It was the perfect way to cap off a terrific meal.

Not only was it a terrific meal, it was a terrific dining experience. That was my first visit to Maxie’s, but from the moment we walked through the door we were treated like friends. That’s exactly the kind of treatment that will get me back through the doors.

I’m already counting down the days until then.

Mardi Gras fans – make sure you head to Maxie’s to celebrate Fat Tuesday on February 21! Doors open at 2:00, with live music beginning at 3:00 and the parade starting around 5:30. Beads, masks, drink specials, a New Orleans-inspired menu – everything you look for in a Mardi Gras party – will be there. All proceeds benefit the Hunger Task Force.

Come back on May 5 for entertainment surrounding the Kentucky Derby – the most exciting two minutes in sports! Live music, prizes for best hat and best dressed, mint juleps and of course live coverage leading up to and during the race. All proceeds benefit the Hunger Task Force.

Details:
Maxie's Southern Comfort
6732 West Fairview Ave.