Photo: La Crema - Facebook
La Crema restaurant
La Crema
Cudahy’s diverse dining scene keeps growing with the debut of La Crema, 3431 E. Plankinton Ave. The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily and is located in a majestic Queen Anne-style building that’s been updated inside and out since the space housed Samano’s Mexican restaurant, which was in business for more that 50 years.
A visit to La Crema during opening weekend found the new restaurant teeming with hungry guests eager to check out the new establishment. Although there were about a dozen parties ahead of us, the wait went quickly and we were seated in the classy yet comfortable main dining room. Touches of greenery and artistic, hand-painted signage highlight the freshly painted walls and updated furnishings. Lots of windows let in plenty of natural light.
Beverages include Colombian coffee from Red Rock Roasters, cappuccino, iced coffee, Rishi hot tea or Fuze unsweetened iced tea, fruit juices, lemonade, Coca cola products and four kinds of fruit smoothies. There are no alcoholic beverages available yet but our server said they’ll likely add those in the coming months.
Biscuits & Gravy
Breakfast Favorites include Biscuits & Gravy ($10.50) served with two eggs made any style, along with breakfast potatoes; the Granola Bowl ($9), with fresh berries, bananas and honeydew melon with vanilla Greek yogurt, served with a muffin; and Chilaquiles ($13), corn chips topped with house-made salsa verde, pico de gallo, queso fresco and sour cream, served with two eggs and black beans on the side. My friend enjoyed her Avocado Toast ($11), whole grain bread topped with smashed avocado brightened with lemon and olive oil. The two eggs on the side were prepared exactly as she had ordered them—scrambled soft, a more attentive cooking method that results in fluffier eggs.
Four different skillet options are served over breakfast potatoes, with two eggs made any style. They come with a choice of toast or pancakes. My mother got the Classic ($11.50), consisting of ham, green pepper and onions, with jack and cheddar cheese. There was a nice balance of ingredients and one didn’t overpower the other. The scratch-made buttermilk pancakes are melt-in-your-mouth fluffy and are available in plain, banana pecan, blueberry, chocolate chip or strawberry banana (prices vary for single and short stack pancakes). Omelets, crepes and French toast round out the breakfast options, which are available all day.
What’s for Lunch
For lunch, there are several choices of burgers, along with sandwiches such as Monte Cristo, Turkey Wrap, BBQ Chicken Tender Wrap (all $11 each) or the satisfying one I had—the Veggie Melt ($10), with tomato, onions, mushrooms and green pepper, topped with Swiss cheese on grilled sourdough. I appreciated the tender-crisp veggies. All sandwiches and burgers are served with a choice of fries, mixed greens or soup of the day. Lighter fare features Chicken Caesar, Summer or Chopped salads ($12-14).
Bake magazine reported this past June that breakfast popularity is growing throughout the day, with 79 percent of Americans stating they have eaten breakfast foods outside of the traditional breakfast meal since the onset of the pandemic. La Crema is a fine addition to the number of breakfast/lunch restaurants in the Milwaukee area reflective of this trend.
For more information, visit facebook.com/LaCremaCudahy.
