| New Orleans cuisine is not exactly what pops to mind when one thinks of the Milwaukee dining scene. But here it is, and it’s down-home good. Close your eyes, inhale the spicy aromas, taste the jambalaya and shrimp gumbo and imagine yourself on Bourbon Street. Even with your eyes open, you’ll sense the Big Easy’s appeal, what with the chandeliers, staircases, violet and black ceiling beams and deep-red walls. Once a butcher shop, Maxie’s Southern Comfort doesn’t disappoint on the food front either. Steamed littleneck clams are a delight in garlic butter broth, arriving with hunks of French bread to sop up the rich sauce. The fresh raw bar features just-shucked raw oysters and peel ‘n’ eat shrimp. If you’re so inclined, we suggest the pulled pork plate or half-rack of barbecue ribs with sides like maple-braised collard greens, yellow grits with tasso sauce, sweet potato fries or red beans and rice. There is a second Maxie's location in upstate New York---proof that Northerners, too, enjoy a bit of spice. |

RESTAURANT AWARDS
We just published the 2012 edition of our annual restaurant issue, featuring the Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. and much more. Check it out!

















