Caterina's Ristorante is an Italian Version of a Supper Club

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Anyone immersed in Wisconsin food culture knows what makes up a great supper club—a relish tray, quality food, and excellent service. West Allis is home to what I would like to call an Italian supper club, Caterina’s Ristorante at 9104 W. Oaklahoma Ave.

Rolling up, the building gives off longevity and authenticity, which is exacerbated by the inside decor. You’re surrounded by wooden chairs and booth fixtures with walls that make you feel a real supper club vibe. While it was a beautiful summer night, it was lovely to be inside this establishment to feel like you’re somewhere else besides Milwaukee for a couple of hours.

Soon after we were seated, our waitress Trudy came up to us to let us know the drill. Trudy knows Caterina’s from the inside out as she’s been working there for decades and continues to into her 80s. Trudy is a gem and adds so much to the overall experience of the meal.

It was a celebratory birthday dinner for me with my mom, so we wanted to have a special night …which we certainly did. Neither of us veered off what we normally order when at Italian restaurants which I don’t normally do at new spots. She got the shrimp scampi and I got the veal parmesan. Trudy suggested the escargot so we did what we were told—it’s been a while since I’ve had snails but man these were tasty. Let’s not forget about the charcuterie plate, fresh bread, and house-concocted garlic olive oil that comes to the table when you order. Each entree comes with soup or salad of your choice, so we decided to add some greens to the meal. My veal parmesan came with a perfect side of rigatoni pasta, all drenched in a perfectly sweet red sauce.

When going out for Italian, I think it’s good to have intention of what kind of Italian food you’re singing up for. I literally Googled “Milwaukee Italian red sauce restaurant” and Caterina’s came up. I think someone described it as that in one of the comments or something, but it is true. However, it is not limited to just great red sauce dishes and the shrimp scampi can attest.

We ended with a bit of tiramisu because why not! We had more than enough leftovers which were consumed late night after a bit of wine. When I tell you I can’t wait to go back to this place, I’m not joking. Seriously, go here and go more than once to work your way around the menu.