It happens to all of us. Even if we love winter and claim we live in Wisconsin for the cold and snow, it’s natural to secretly long for a jaunt to warmer climes. Many who can afford a trip to sub-tropical places like Florida just go. For those of us who can’t get away, consider a visit to Key Westconsin in downtown Waukesha. Sip a tropical drink under the thatch-roofed bar, surrounded by a mural of palm trees and a golden sunset. Enjoy the helpful, sunny servers, while dining on Key Westconsin’s many seafood dishes. Saturday nights often feature live music for entertainment. During the warmer months of the year, the outdoor dining area, shaded by a huge palm tree sculpture, is a great place for people watching as it’s situated right across from the Waukesha Farmers’ Market.
For dinner starters, try the Crab Crostini ($6.95), a flavorful blend of real crabmeat, topped with Swiss cheese and baked on fresh French bread. Or, go with one of the flatbreads ($9.95), which come in three varieties—shrimp, steak and barbecue chicken. The steak flatbread is particularly good, topped with grilled steak, caramelized onions, and lots of lovely blue cheese on a crisp, thin crust. The homemade soup or chowder of the day ($5.95) will warm you up from the inside. The crab bisque is especially smooth and delicious.
Standout entrées include the lip-smacking Outer Banks crab cakes ($17.95), three crab cakes topped with a house key lime aioli sauce. The scallops west ($17.95) are also a good bet, sautéed scallops served on top of Key Westconsin's baby potato pancakes, topped with a homemade lime Hollandaise sauce and bacon. Saturday’s featured surf and turf ($19.95) is pretty hard to top for the price; it includes a five-ounce fillet and a baked lobster tail.
Make sure you save some room for dessert. While the homemade crème brulee ($4.95) is excellent, the house specialty key lime pie ($4.95) is insanely good. Made from real limes and homemade graham cracker crust this pie is almost worth the visit in and of itself.
One of the most impressive things about Key Westconsin’s menu is that just about everything offered is available gluten free. For anyone who is trying to avoid gluten, this place is a complete win.
So head out to Key Westconsin if you are feeling like you need to get away and, for just a little while, you may forget the mind-numbing frigidness of a Wisconsin winter.
Key Westconsin
331 Riverfront Plaza, Waukesha
262-446-2346
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Handicapped access: Yes
